Penny C NDE

Experience Description

I remember being with some friends. We were drinking 40 ounces of beer, and smoking blunts. An older guy would, on occasion, talk to us of the bible. He saw what we were doing, and decided to start some preaching to us. He talked also mentioned his own good and bad spiritual experiences that caused him to become saved. He talked of seeing dark spirits, living a life of doing drugs, etc. I remember being conflicted in my conscience and becoming scared knowing that I was doing wrong. My heart started beating really, really fast. I told my friends that I would be back, and thought to walk to the house and not come back out.

All of a sudden, I was moving through this dark tunnel tremendously fast and thinking as well as hearing myself think, 'I must be dead', 'Where am I going?', etc. I knew that it was a reality, and that I was not in my body anymore. I was greeted by my great-grandmother who looked so young. There were so many other deceased family members with big smiles on their faces. Some of them died before I was even born. I knew of some by being told by my mom. Everyone was introducing themselves to me, and telling me who they were. I felt this love like out of this world. It was as if they were waiting for me, they knew I was coming, and were prepared to greet me. I was not judged by my lifestyle on the earth, but I remember my great-grandmother showing me so many things as well as explaining them to me. I don't actually remember what was being said, but I remember feeling good the whole time I was there. My great-grandmother showed me a vision of my mom sitting in the living room crying. I started to feel sad, but I didn't want to leave. As soon as I tried my hardest to stay, my great-grandmother told me that it wasn't time, and then I went back through that same dark tunnel very, very fast just like that!

As I came out of the tunnel, I saw everyone standing around my body just lying on the ground. I remember thinking while seeing all of this, 'I will not forget this. I will not forget this'. I then went into my body and jumped up laughing very confused why everyone was standing over me. I laughed because I thought I fell asleep on the ground. Next thing I knew, the ambulance came. Then people took me home to my mom, and she was on the couch crying like my great-grandmother had shown me. Everyone told me that I had fainted for about two minutes, but it seemed that I was in the spiritual realm for a very long time.

I remembered this about three years ago, even though I had this experience when I was age 15. I strongly remember the incident as if I never forgot what happened.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1996

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain. I fainted.

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? Yes My great grandmother was showing me things about myself regarding past/future events on earth, I just don't remember what. And she showed me my mother crying on the couch. 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? While I was on my journey through the dark 'very dark' tunnel on out. I was in spirit, and could hear myself think as if I was actually talking.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning If everyone only saw me lying on the ground for only 2 minutes, I would have to say that there was no time where I was in the other realm.

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. I don't remember the colors, or background whether it was dark or light, or the environment while meeting with my deceased family members, but I saw everyone clearly. Back in my body it was normal it's just that I was on earth back in my body.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. During the experience I could hear myself think as if I was talking. I was as if I had a body, but it was not an earthly body. I heard everything clearly as I heard them on earth.

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

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes I came through a tunnel/void that was blacker than the color black, and came back through the same tunnel/void when leaving.

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 There was so many of them that was my kinfolk here on earth. Some of them I've known, and some of them I've heard about from my mom, and other family members, but they died before I was even born, and they knew who I was.

The experience included: Darkness

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

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain I don't remember.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I know for a fact that I was not on earth, and I was not in an earthly body, but I felt that I was in a familiar place.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was happy as if that's where I belonged. I felt sad when I saw my mom crying on the couch, but I still did not want to leave. I remember trying to force myself to stay, and was pushed out as fast as I came.

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 no longer in conflict with nature

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others I was being shown many things, but those things I don't remember.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

The experience included: Awareness of the future

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 I tried to stay, and was going back through the tunnel faster than I can say fast.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Other Christian I grew up in a household where we didn't go to church. I became baptized on my own at twelve at a local church. I was always interested in learning the bible, and who my people was in the bible. I always had a natural belief in God, and Jesus.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I just don't believe everything that's told to me. I read a lot on my own to find the answers I wish to receive, as well as not believing that I have to belong to a 'church building' to be one with my creator.

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 Now I do not consider myself religious, but someone who seeks righteousness. I believe in God the Father, and Jesus. I do not attend church. I believe that the spirits that emanate our bodies are eternal, and there's a purpose for our life here on the earth. I am someone who's always searching for answers: are we the fallen angels, are we messengers, how many lives have I lived on earth, will I be with those deceased family members I saw when my life has ended here on earth? I do know for a fact that are spirits live without our earthly bodies.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I still believe in Jesus based on other experiences, but do not remember seeing him, or a light. But the experience was still a beautiful one.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I have become as curious as a child; I am always searching for answers for life.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No Actually I don't remember, I was greeted by deceased family members. My great grandmother was young, but introduced herself as my great grandmother, and I just automatically knew who she was. We all had spiritual bodies with figures as humans.

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.)? Uncertain I do not remember.

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Yes I was most definitely there before, and wanted to stay. Everyone knew I was coming, and everyone knew who I was.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Uncertain I do not remember.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain I don't remember seeing God, or Jesus, but a lot of my deceased family members.

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? Yes When I tried to force myself to stay, my great grandmother told me that it wasn't time. I feel that I am on earth with a purpose, and since writing all this. I'm starting to wonder if I was an angel that was sent here for my mom. It's really weird, because at the same time I was a very rebellious child who caused her a lot of pain. So I really don't know. I can tell you that I love my mom, and regret any pain I've caused her in my younger years. My mom struggled so hard with my siblings and me. She really went through so much. We were also abandoned by other family members, even our own grandmother, and my aunt who was my mom's only sister. She has only one other sibling which was her brother, and he was incarcerated while I was growing up. I met him when I was 29yrs. old. That's when he came home. My mom is very free hearted, and really good person, who experienced a lot of pain and suffering.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Uncertain I do not remember clearly, but many things were being showed to me.

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I was being showed, and told things about myself that I currently do not remember, but it made me want to stay all the more, I did not miss being on earth. Just from the experience alone I know for a fact that we exist beyond our earthly existence, and it

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? Slightly 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 meaningful and significant

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? Uncertain I don't remember.

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Yes I felt sad when I saw my mother crying on the couch, but at the same time I remember still wanting to stay.

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes Everyone showed love gave love, all I felt was love. It was amazing.

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 I consider my life as any other person's life, and have been through ups and downs, good and bad, and life is moving forward. Now regarding spiritual things, I have experienced being paralyzed in my sleep, which is something I have experienced as a child on many occasions. The only differences were seeing a dark shadow come through my window coming down on me at 16. I prayed to Jesus while having an episode, while pregnant with my first child. I woke up hearing chanting in my ear until I prayed to Jesus while having an episode, and while my husband and I slept I felt a presence lift up off me after praying while having an episode. So the spiritual world is real, and just like the natural world there is good, and there is evil. I was even tickled in my sleep by an unseen presence.

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

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes There is no one on earth who can actually explain who we really are, and while we are here in these bodies, and why I had that experience at that particular time in my life. It took a while before I mentioned this to anyone, and the only reason why I mentioned it, was because I started reading online about others having the same experiences, and knew that I was not alone.

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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience I remember pretty much everything that I was into or going though during that time in my life. And even though the remembrance of my experience came back to me late, I can remember as if it happened yesterday. I still wonder why did I remember when I did. It was like having amnesia, and not remembering who you are, but then everything comes back to you as clear as it was when you remembered.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Honestly I've had non-ordinary experiences before and after the experience. When I was younger, I could sometimes tell who was going to knock on the door, before they actually knocked. I used to hear things in my childhood home like someone walking across the floor. I can feel when something bad is going to happen. I can see deep into people, and know off hand what kind of person they are. I am very sensitive, and have always been this way.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Being shown my mom on the couch crying. I feel all kinds of ways regarding that, but maybe it was to help me change my rebellious ways, but then again I remembered as an adult. So it becomes confusing.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Not until I saw that others had the same experience.

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 Well, I went about my life as usual up until I remembered as an adult. I most definitely knew it was real as any other event that happened in my life.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The experience was real, and I feel like I'm prepared to die, but at the same time wonder exactly what is it that I was sent here for?

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