Paulina D Probable NDE

Experience Description

My friend and I were excited and making decisions for her upcoming wedding, when my laughter was silenced by a sudden, unrelenting pain that sent sheer terror through my body. In the emergency room, I was given X-rays and tests that were no help in determining the origin of the excruciating pain. Next, I found myself in a hospital room, being shot up with drugs, which apparently knocked me out for a period of time. However, upon waking, I would pull out my intravenous drips, jump out of bed and run around my hospital room, like a wounded animal, until another shot was administered. This went on for about six hours. By midnight, I remember the doctor telling my husband, as they were wheeling me to the operating room, 'We have no idea what is wrong but we have to operate - your wife is in trouble, her stomach has extended as if she were nine months pregnant'. The only thought in my mind, as they lifted me onto the operating table was that I just want to die.

My body may have been lying there on the operating table, but I was up in the corner ceiling of the operating room, looking down on my body. It did not feel as if my body were with me, just my mind and eyes. I had no feeling of fear, just a complete acceptance; oh, so this is how it ends.

I do not remember anything else, except waking up hours later. The doctors who performed the surgery explained that scar tissue had grown in my abdomen that poison was filling my body, and I was fortunate to be alive. I didn't tell anyone about this until a few months ago.

Prior to this experience, I had a terrible fear of death, was subject to panic attacks (these panic attacks started in 1968, long before anyone spoke of them), and I spent a lot of time and money desperately trying to control them. I mention this because after my near-death experience, I no longer had these attacks, nor did I fear death.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: Oct. 1976

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Illness 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Not entirely sure what the realm of 'an associated life-threatening event' encompasses. Will need further instruction, in order to answer.

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

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? The whole time.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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. My eyesight, if that is what you are asking was 20/20, as was my daily vision at the time.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I heard nothing during my experience, just saw.

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 However I knew I was not on earth.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Just peace.

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

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? 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? Unknown

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated Raised Roman Catholic, entered the convent in the 60's, left after a couple of years with a jaded opinion of religion.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Do not know

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

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes We are absolutely not through with life, after we leave this earthly experience.

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? 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? I am uncertain if God 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 was aware that my life was going to go on, where I had no idea, but did not worry or concern myself with that, and still do not.

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

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

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

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? Moderately compassionate toward others

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown

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

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No I just spoke of it to a few people recently, the memory was just as vivid as it was on the night it happened, and that was thirty-plus years ago.

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 even though I never shared this experience with anyone up until a few months ago, this is a memory so intense that I can still see it.

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 After thirty-plus years, I finally discussed this with my 43-year-old son and 23-year-old grandson. They listened intently, however I do not think they expected this from their mother and grandmother, who is usually a cynical, no-nonsense person. After telling them, there was complete silence.

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

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

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly life (life after death)? Uncertain. I was aware that my life was going to go on; where it would do so, I had no idea, but I did not worry or concern myself with that, and still do not.

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 even though I didn't share this experience with anyone up until a few months ago. This is a memory so intense that I can still see it.