Patricia NDE

Experience Description

The kitchen sink was made of marble and extended over a large area, effectively serving as a counter top. I decided to use that area as my stage, pretending I was performing to an audience. I was approximately 5 years old and wanted to be a singer! There was a bar of soap, and I slipped on it; fell to the floor, hitting the back of my head pretty hard. Everything was very dark, black, but I have no precise idea how long the darkness lasted. Then I found myself floating in the air, in a corner close to the ceiling and watching my mother kneeling beside me, totally frantic, shaking me, and telling me to wake up. I told her that I was there, but she could not hear me.

Again, I told her to ‘quit screaming’ and to look at me because I was right there; again, she could not hear me, and was screaming for help. At this point, I was beginning to feel annoyed, frustrated because here I was talking with her and she just kept on ignoring me. I remember looking at my body, looking at the entire scene and felt absolutely no connection to my body that was there on the kitchen floor; it felt as if my body was just a ‘coat’.

Then something happened; everything went dark again and the next thing I vividly remember is that I was looking UP at my mother. I no longer was hovering close to the ceiling looking down; this time I had reversed position and was looking up.

I never gave this a second thought. It was only when I was 30 years old or so that I started reading about NDEs and eventually thought of this experience I had when I was a child. More than the actual fall, what has puzzled me for years, I still do not know why/how it happened, is the behavior that I displayed for the next 2 or 3 years.

I have no recollection of this peculiar behavior, so what I am about to type here is based on what my parents told me when I was a teenager. After this fall, I would sometimes wake up from sleep, sit up in bed and say ‘something’ that would invariably prove true, be it a future event or insight into something of which I should have had no knowledge. According to my parents, this ‘gift’ of mine left me when I reached the age of 7 or 8 years. Someone once told me that the fall somehow opened up a door between the two forms of existence; I still wonder how that could have happened and why it eventually faded away. I still have what many call ‘spiritual gifts’, but I am not comfortable with them.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1964

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Accident. Direct head injury Other: Cannot say for sure, and I did not really think about it at the time it happened.' I suppose it could have resulted in a more severe outcome.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was looking down at the scene, looking at my frantic mother.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No Not sure.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Some 50 years have passed so it is difficult to remember, but it probably was similar. Only difference is that I experienced two brief periods of total darkness, the fist right after hitting my head on the floor and the second one when I opened my eyes and realized that I was no longer looking DOWN at the scene, but looking UP.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Probably unchanged (this happened some 50 years ago).

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Total detachment from the body (my body) that was there, on the kitchen floor. I knew it was my body, but I looked upon it as some sort of shell or piece of clothing; something that really was not ‘ME’ (my essence, I suppose).

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

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? Scenes from the world's future Yes, please refer to narrative above.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Unknown

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated Though I was baptized Catholic, we never attended church. My parents basically baptized me to avoid criticism from their friends, relatives, etc.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I do not follow a specific religion, but I firmly believe in a higher power that has no age, no gender, no race. A higher power that is nothing like the God portrayed by the religious leaders and followers of this world.

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths I consider myself "spiritual", believing in a higher power, but not the god worshipped by organized religions. Perhaps I feel more affinity to Buddhism because I see it more as a way of living rather than a religion.

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 Difficult to say because at that age I don't remember having any beliefs, especially in regard to spirituality or religion. (Perhaps there should be a "Other" or "Unknown" choice offered for this question).

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes But many years later.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Uncertain Not really, though it was a bit "strange" to be close to the ceiling and not be affected by gravity, lol. (though at that time I knew nothing about gravity!)

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? Unknown

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

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Unknown

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Uncertain I was 5 years old and not at all familiar with NDEs or OBEs.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you fear death after your experience? I moderately fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Unknown

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Unknown

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

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

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Unknown

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Large changes in my life. Difficult to describe, really, but I do feel and believe we're all spiritual beings and what really matters is love, compassion, and understanding. There was a time when I was ‘the material girl’, yet so empty. I do not know what force influenced the person I have become, but as time goes by, the connection to the spirit world continues and gets stronger. I focus on being kind to others, not for collecting ‘Brownie points’, but because something inside me directs me. If you want to call this the Power of God, so be it.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes See narrative above, please.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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 the experience Though I may forget what I had for breakfast this morning, the event that happened to me and shared with you remains clear and indelible.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Would rather not share, please.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Over 40 years later, shared it with my husband, and today (50 years later) sharing it with you.

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 Did not really think about it; I was very young.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

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