Paula D Possible NDE

Experience Description

My high temperature must have caused me to be in and out of consciousness. While lying in the hospital bed, I remember a nurse placing large towels that were soaked in ice-water over my body. I could occasionally feel the cold shock when she placed the towels on me but then I remember not feeling the cold shock any longer. I then felt myself leave the bed and was up in a corner of the room. I watched the nurse continue placing the cold towels on my body. I'm not sure of the duration of the out of body experience but I remember being back in the bed and feeling the cold shocks. The doctor told my parents that I 'almost died'. It's an experience that will be with me always.



Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1956

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness. Life threatening event, but not clinical death. Severe kidney infection caused my temperature to rise over 106 degrees.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I saw the nurse placing the cold towels on my body. 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. Since I was so young, I can say that the difference would be my heightened level of alertness.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Strangely enough, it was during my NDE.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual

Were your senses More vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Not aware of any difference

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Not aware of any difference

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? 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? All I remember feeling is a sense of awe.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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? No

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Stronger sense of spirituality

What is your religion now? No comment

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

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

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

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? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists

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? Large changes in my life. My experience gave me a much deeper spirituality. I also have a sense of compassion and love for others and a true sense of hope.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes More love and compassion

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 do not know how my remembrance of the experience compares to my remembrance of other life events.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared with my son at least 60 years after my experience. He was very moved which has had a life changing experience for him also.

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. I was too young to make any judgments at that time

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. It happened and I will always consider it a gift.

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

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I thought the questionnaire was very comprehensive