Renee NDE

Experience Description

I was at the neighbor's house with my sister in the backyard. We were all out in the Doughboy swimming pool. No adults were present. I was around seven and neither my sister nor I knew how to swim. If my sister was wearing floaters is uncertain. I wasn't. I had to hold onto the side of the pool due to it being deep enough to cover me if I did slip; there was a feeling of bottomlessness, or fear for that matter. I did know that if I did the water was the obvious guardian as I knew it was bigger than myself.

I felt more and more excited as I did with more time in the pool - I was more comfortable with my ability to be in the pool. I remember I was jumping as I was holding onto the rail of the pool. Suddenly I slipped from the slickness from the floor of the pool hard enough that I lost my grasp of the side and fell under the surface of the water.

I was comfortable but I knew consciously I was unable to swim so I questioned myself at the time and thought 'How could this be?'

I felt as though I was breathing because there was no effort to do anything but feel. As if, I was out of body but still looking from my own eyes. I was unable to feel temperature. I remember the blissfulness of the blue and mixed forms of a lighter warped like. I felt like I was a fish. Happy. In wonder if I was privileged to be experiencing it.

It wasn't until I saw the movement above me from the surface of the water that waves of another environment were there. I saw the images of two people, which were my sister and Lisa our neighbor. I awoke from that form of experience from the reality of knowing who those girls were and knowing it was where air was, water wasn't, and then I heard my sister's voice screaming, 'Where's Renee?!' I was then pulled up by my hair and coughed that's all I can basically remember.

Since then I've been thrown in pools many times and sunk and rescued but never experienced anything but panic. In high school, I wasn't going to graduate unless I did know how to swim. So I had to take an independent course after school with the coach. I was seventeen and still the only one I knew my age who couldn't swim. I had a hard time. I learned to float and I can swim a little bit but not under water.

Today I'm forty and I can say that one experience I had under the water was as vivid as my own reflection. I'm glad it happened. I'm still putting together what it all means from time to time, thus why I'm entering my experience I had so long ago.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1974-1977

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain 'eardrum ruptured 1970,again 1971. left handed born with adhd and some type of dyslexia and extremely gifted in artistic ability exceled in every year in the arts.[ Twice exceptional ]' 'Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening' I was young and unable to swim. I was underwater it seemed for a longtime.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I lost awareness of my body

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 Highest point of a spiritual consciousness.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Highest point of a spiritual consciousness.

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 No temperature, no time, no worry, nothing - I would experience again as if someone directly told me. Lucky. Privileged.

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. Just that I don't know.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It wasn't until I saw the surface and heard then pieced together ability to become aware of reality than I was pulled up from the water.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

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

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Uncertain Perhaps the spirit of God or an angel there was definitely a sense of presence.

The experience included: Void

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Heavenly bliss, gratitude, wonder, amazement, at home with happy restful joy.

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 united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control I was too young to learn anything but I didn't know what the experience was until I had it and knew I wasn't going to have that chance again as a human.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future Insights and aware of what others overlook. I credit the universe's power over my own ability to know everything. Common sense but it goes beyond that it seems. The Loma Prieta earthquake, I felt unusual as if something was going to happen then a month later it did and thirty-two quakes later pinpointing it days, hours, before.

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate Christian - since day one- I do not belong to a church

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate Christian - since day one- I do not belong to a church

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? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Uncertain Peace and ability, a sense of smiling knowing a part exists (not of this world but where we come from and where we will end up) joy and contentment, awareness and disconnect, awakening and choice. That presence sheltered my senses and showed its ability and but telling me it was just that moment. A sense of realizing an insight of God. I already saw exists at five from knowing the same blue blissful happiness in my brother's eyes. My brother is extremely mentally retarded and today remains at the mind level of nine months but is forty-eight today.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain After the experience I was able to have a certain level of predicting things but I was so young when it happened I can't recall having anything before the near death experience - not like my following thirty plus years later. I can't really say because I was young.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I was part of the water. As if I was given the chance to see through a fish's eyes. And an immense fulfilling joy.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Whenever people talk about pools or near death experiences where they feel that joy. Drowning etc. I've always been able to share with ones that if suited in the conversation it comes up but I don't remember getting any real response. I wasn't looking for a response but later in life there are a lot of people that feel I'm blessed or that I'm an angel of God. I don't know what it all means but I know it was supposed to be meant for me.

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 It never happened again and I knew that from when the moment it did at the time of experience. It is beyond words, it's just an instant moment of knowing but it wasn't from my own ability to gain or learn it was as if a flashcard of experiencing what it is to be in the presence of a protection bigger than human. Bewildering and if one's wish was to be a fish in the ocean, that's how I felt to what physically a fish might feel, but it wasn't anything easily to describe except . A perfection of a living presence today as adults and kids alike know as happiness.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real As if it were yesterday. I can't recall any real trauma just coughing so if I drowned it wasn't memory to recall and since no adults were around, and my sister barely remembers the event, I cannot really explain. It was real due to valid points of miraculous things that have happened from my spiritual sense of what I put my faith in.

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? I'm interested in the soul mate prospect of the NDE and it's a work in progress but I'm finding that this could be something like of that. I'll let you know.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Suggestion: to make the instructions a bit more condensed.