Paula Y Probable NDE

Experience Description

My experienced happened during my heart surgery. I had a double valve replacement and an aortic aneurysm repaired.

I woke up with a very vivid memory that didn't feel like a dream. The experience is as follows: I was in a park and my deceased cat Amigo came running towards me and jumped into my arms. I recognized him instantly. I held him and hugged him. I was so happy to see him. I was smiling and extremely happy. He was happy to see me as well. He was rubbing his cheek against my face over and over. I kept squeezing him and feeling his fur. I was soooo happy to see him again. Then he jumped out of my arms and walked over to a park bench. There were people around, but no one stood out. I watched Amigo jump on to the park bench and curl up next to an old man. I realize the old man is my deceased grandfather. I start calling out to him; he looks over to me then motions with his hand for me to go away. He turned his head away and didn't make eye contact. I kept calling to him. My feelings hurt; he didn't want to say hi. I see Amigo sound asleep at his side. Then I was 'zapped', suddenly taken away from the situation.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: May 18, 2011

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related. heart stopped to be put on heart-lung bypass, surgery lasted 7 hours when it should have only lasted 4. Other heart stopped to be put on heart-lung bypass, surgery lasted 7 hours when it should have only lasted 4. Heart surgery.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No No

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Less consciousness and alertness than normal

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was under anesthesia during the experience.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

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. Now, looking back, I feel like during the experience I felt as if I was thinking or understanding visual impressions faster than usual.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Same

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain When it ended I felt 'zapped' - like an immediate warp tunnel. It ended very fast.

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

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

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes My cat Amigo and my grandfather.

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 It looked earthly. It looked like a park.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Complete happiness, then sadness and disappointment.

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? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

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 importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Not important to me

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated Raised Catholic, do not practice and have not practiced for 20 years.

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 never really gave much thought to life after death. I never gave thought to whether something exists. I never in my life would have thought I would see my cat or grandfather again - especially so vividly.

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? 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? No

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

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? I was uncertain if God exists

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 probably 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? Are possibly meaningful and significant

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife probably exists Yes Seeing my deceased cat and deceased grandfather suggests that there is continued existence after earthly life.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

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

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? Are possibly meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are possibly 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? Greatly compassionate toward others

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? No changes in my life No changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Emotional.

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

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

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Why did my grandfather motion with his hand for me to go away? He looked in my direction but wouldn't look me in the eye.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes One day after my surgery I shared what I saw with my mother and boyfriend. They both cried.

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 probably real It did not feel like a dream. It felt so very real. I still have mixed feelings as to what exactly I experienced.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably 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? Seeing my deceased cat and deceased grandfather suggests that there is continued existence after earthly life. I never really gave much thought to life after death. I never gave thought to whether something exists. I never in my life would have thought I would see my cat or grandfather again, especially so vividly.