Patricia B NDE

Experience Description

As our guests were leaving, I ran ahead to open their car door. It was dark outside. I slipped on the ice and fell head first into the passenger door. I lost consciousness. I remember the woman trying to lift me and the warmth of her fur coat. Her husband also tried to lift me and was soon joined by my father. My father and the male guest lifted me, carried me into the house, and laid me on the living room couch. I remember hearing our female guest explaining that I was trying to help by opening the car door. She sounded upset.

Then, I rose above my body and floated about midway to the ceiling and looked down at the woman and man trying to revive me. I felt detached as I watched them. I could only see the backs of their upper torsos and I saw my legs stretched out. I then floated into the dining room where my parents were frantically trying to call emergency. I saw my mother crying and misdialing. I heard her say, 'Oh Fred, I can’t get the number right.' I remember touching her head and saying, 'It’s okay mom. I’m all right.' Then I floated back to the living room and watched from above as the guests were still trying to revive me.

I turned toward the ceiling and saw a hole. I entered the hole and stood upright. All I could see was a very bright light. I walked a few steps and started to see human forms slowly walking toward me. Out of the misty light, a short, heavy-set woman with gray hair approached me. She had a huge smile and said my name. I didn’t recognize her but I knew she was someone important to me and that she loved me. We hugged. I saw more forms walking toward us. I looked at her face and she told me that it was time for me to leave. I didn’t want to go. I felt such peace and calmness throughout my body. I begged her to let me stay. She said that it was not my time. I still insisted that I should stay. She turned me around and said, ‘ it is not your time. You will return when it is your time,’ I took a few steps and looked back down the hole onto the couch. I was still trying to be revived.

Then I awoke in my body. I looked up at where the hole had been and it was just a ceiling. From that moment on, I was not afraid of death. I wanted that peaceful, loving feeling back and am looking forward to it. I want to know who that woman was. In my heart, I know it was a grandmother.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1967

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain. Accident. Direct head injury. Other Not sure. Severe head concussion and was unresponsive for 10+ minutes Slipped on ice and fell head first into car door and lost consciousness.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes As described earlier during the event. I stayed and hovered over my parents and my body before entering the hole and bright light. Nothing after. I clearly left my body and existed outside it

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal. I felt so aware of my surroundings from the moment I left my body and then returned. After I returned, it was just sort of disconnected to the heightened feeling I experience during the floating. I remember looking into their faces and my mom crying but the memory of that experience never changed in its detail.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? As soon as I left my body. Extremely alert.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses More vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Foggy memory prior. I remember running ahead to open the door but once I lost consciousness, every detail from the feeling of her fur coat to returning from the hole is heightened.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. About the same. My vision was heightened and extreme feelings of peace and emotions; but, not toward my parents; toward the person (people) in the light. I just remembered as the woman turned me around, a Male figure still obscured by the light put his hands on me.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes Actually a hole that looked dark inside (like looking into my unlit attic until I went through and saw the bright light.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Uncertain. May have been a grandmother. All but one had passed before I was born.

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes Bright but not blinding light. I could see the human forms in it slowly approaching me. I wasn’t far from the hole that I had entered thru.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Could walk with beings walking toward me in a diffused light until the woman came into focus. She was in sharp contrast to the light surrounding us. No other detail except light and human forms walking toward me,

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Calmness. Extreme peace and love. Not upset seeing my mother cry - detached from earthly feelings. Vehemently wanting to stay with the light and people walking toward me. As an adult looking back, it’s best described as utopia.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will The woman made me go back in a pleasing way. I just remembered she told me that it was not my time and that I would return when it was.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic I attended Catholic School but was a skeptic. Never heard of any afterlife experiences or of a bright light. Only after the incident, did I try to seek answers.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Belief in afterlife. Just an other worldly realm. Not sure it was heaven but it was only a short way from my actual body. Heaven does not have to be somewhere way above, if it does exist. This place was directly above me. Less than 10’.

What is your religion now? Native American religion Novice learning the spirituality of Native beliefs.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I did not believe in heaven or after life, I believed that when you die, you are no more. Still don’t believe in heaven but definitely on an other worldly existence of pure love and peace.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Belief in an Afterlife with loved ones.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify The elderly woman said my name.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Yes The bright light. The human figures. I also was skeptical about heaven (not a very good Catholic) but after I believed that I would return and see that woman again.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes The woman told me that I would return when it was my time.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes Apparently, I had more earthly life to live when I was told that it was not my time. I had more life to live.

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes I was told that I would return when it was time.

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life’s difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life I seek my purpose as to why I had to return to my body. I give up trying to make sense of why I returned except that I have two incredible children, stepchildren, and grandchildren. Was my purpose to procreate or change others’ lives. I’ve been a teacher, medical receptionist, auditor, mother, wife, and student of life. All with the goal of returning to that wondrous place.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I never knew anyone who had this experience and was afraid people wouldn’t take me seriously being a child.

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of th I was 12 and really don’t remember much about what was happening in my life. I detested my home life. Abusive brother and dysfunctional family life and home. That’s why I begged to stay. I truly did not want to go back to earth.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I know things that I shouldn’t. For instance, I went to a town in northern Ontario that have never been to before and described it before we got there. It was identical to my description. I had argued with my dad that we had been there before. Other times, I ask the Creator for favors and they happen almost immediately. I pray to my ancestors because I know they’re waiting for me and I pray to gitchi manidoo (Creator) because even though he wasn’t part of my experience, I get signs when I ask for them and doubt it’s existence.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? When the elderly woman said my name she told me it wasn’t my time and that I’d return when it was. I was so happy that I’d see her again and maybe discover who she was.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I told my parents immediately. My father was open-minded but didn’t know at the time that he was torn between being an atheist and agnostic. He was not persuaded although he did wonder about the detail of them trying to call emergency. My mother claimed that she felt something touch her head while she tried to dial emergency.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real It was vivid and has never left me. Years later and multiple times telling others, it is the most memorable experience in length and detail that I ever had. The tactile sensations: the fur coat, the toughing my mom's head, the hug all feel real as did the words spoken to me.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real My senses were heightened and were all very real.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I forget about it from time to time. Then I remember and it comes flooding back and fills me with hole and warmth. I want to re-create that peaceful feeling here on earth and nothin comes close.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Maybe ask specifically what was said to you, if anything. Was your name used. Did you think the beings knew you even if you didn’t know them.