Robin A Probable NDE

Experience Description

I was having open-heart surgery. When I was waking up from anesthetic, I remembered being in a hard to describe location which seemed infinitely large and bright. There were many pinpoint lights, each of a different color. The lights were swirling around, happily living their lives. I felt that this space was infused with infinitely deep, profound love. I was amazed that so many Beings were living in harmony and blissful community; while carrying on with what they thought of as normal life even though there were no physical structures. I was accompanied by a larger Being and I seemed to be a young child-like Being. The larger Being was silent but spoke telepathically to me, as did the light-Beings with each other. I attempted to join the light Beings, but was gently restrained by my companion. The larger Being communicated that it was, 'Not your time. It is time to go back now.'
I turned to the Being and said, 'Oh, OK.' And we went somewhere else somehow. Then I was in a dark corridor going toward a small light at the end of the corridor. My companion didn't enter the corridor. I came out the other end into a bright, cloudy place and two people greeted me. I thought, 'Oh, the two people I love most!' and they embraced me, greatly relieved that I had returned. Those two people are alive on earth and I know them.

As I was going down the corridor I realized that the experience was evaporating, so I decided I needed a 'sound bite' so I could remember it later. What I came up with was 'There are definitely, absolutely, other planes to existence!'

Unfortunately, there was much more to the experience that I cannot remember.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: November 22, 2015

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related open-heart surgery, on a bypass heart-lung machine. The mitral valve in my heart failed from rheumatic fever damage in childhood.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

Did you feel separated from your body? No. 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? Normal consciousness and alertness It was different only in that I did not worry about being in an unfamiliar space nor about anything. I felt totally safe. My senses all seemed to be one coherent function. I felt I was being shown something special and felt privileged. Yet the space seemed familiar somehow.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I believe I was equally alert and conscious throughout this experience. My ability to remember, however, seemed to be somewhat diminished. I was living like I was in a constant NOW.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning. Much happened that I do not remember. I just remember thinking that I could not remember everything that had just happened. Time seemed to dilate for me, while, for the light-beings, time was normal.

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. Physical vision was only one way of perceiving in that space. Seeing, hearing, and feeling/touch were the same sense, I think. My physical vision was similar to my normal everyday vision.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I did not experience physical sound during it. Sound, sight, touch all were the same, I think, and I just experienced it as consciousness.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes On the way 'back,' I went down a dark tunnel toward what I knew was going to be a different kind of existence.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes At the end of my experience, two of my friends met me as I came out of the tunnel. One of them was a former student of mine whom I had taken in for a while when his parents couldn't deal with him. The other was my psychologist of long standing with whom I have felt a strong spiritual link.

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 The space where the light-beings lived was very bright, almost as if the light had substance.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Please see the description in the answer describing the event. It was clearly a 'real' space though without physicality. It was pervaded by what I thought at the time was 'infinitely deep love.' This meant that the love was infinite - I knew I could not reach its end. It was pure energy, as were the light-beings. I believe I was also.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Lovely bliss, relaxation, wonder, Happiness.

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? 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? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will When told it was time to return, I did not object (which I find unusual), but accepted it and willingly turned to go.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Other or several faiths Quaker, life-long but not then practicing, graduate of Quaker seminary (M.Div.)

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? I have stopped attending organized religious services and small groups. I feel it's more that I need to learn to be rather than to act spiritual. No

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated firm belief that we are not what we seem to be and that the physical universe is a function of consciousness. avidly interested in NDE. reading things like Eben Alexander, Raymond Moody, channeled beings (Seth, Emmanuel, etc), quantum basis of consciousness and perception

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 have always hoped that there is more to my existence than eating and making babies. But I was not sure. I have had a few psychic/mystical experiences in my life, where a voice warned me or explained something to me. However, these experiences were so random and never when I asked to have insight, that I despaired that they indicated something 'real.'

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I gave up being worried about how I seem or look to other people.

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 My companion was a definite being, was a benign presence, perhaps a teacher or something. This presence seemed to feel privileged to accompany me, even while I felt privileged to be there. My sense was that this being was slightly amused by me.

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? Uncertain The space I was in felt familiar, so I wondered if I had been there before (though not as clearly as this sentence implies).

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Uncertain Part of the communication from my companion seemed to be that we were all connected to this 'plane' or way of being, and that there are many ways of being, and that they are all good, and all within the scope of the fact of having an existence. If that makes sense.

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? Uncertain I did feel that this was a special kind of experience, and that, if I could fully realize what it was, I would know much more about life.

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Uncertain Part of what I was being shown seemed to be that, while I am currently an earthly being, I can also be or become a different kind of being, and that earth is just one of many spaces to be in.

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists Yes I was shown another form of existence and realized it at the time.

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes My companion seemed to say that I don't have to worry about anything, that I have learned a lot, and that earth-bound achievement is kind of a child's play.

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes Love is infinite and is perhaps the fabric of the universe, if we would allow ourselves to experience that. That energy seemed to be what the light-beings were held by. If that makes sense.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life First of all, I am greatly privileged to be comfortably retired and thus without the stricture of earning my way any more (which was somewhat a struggle). My main, perhaps only, focus now is on understanding or developing a spiritual life. This does not include organized religion, which, in my opinion now, is a political/power enterprise. I have always wanted to know what a human is and why humans, or anything, exists. Now I have a seemingly coherent sense that the universe is a function of consciousness, that 'God' is the energy (love) that underlies everything, and that we have the capability to develop more sensing ability than we normally use or think about, and that we have the ability to influence our lives in much greater ways than we normally use. Now, politics, human conflict, the problems we face every day, are all real, but are equally unimportant in a larger sense. What's important is learning how to manifest love, how to sense spiritual entities (or forces) that help us, and how to use consciousness productively (that is, in service of health and growth) rather than as a contest.

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

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The surroundings were more ethereal than physical reality. There were also many strands or levels of consciousness all around me. I could sense them but not participate. There was such a sense of well-being, love, and comfort that I was overwhelmed.

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. I was on narcotic drugs immediately after the experience, for about two weeks, so that time is hazy to me. Immediately before this, I was on a respirator trying to breathe, so that is equally hazy to me. I had been, for a few weeks, slowly becoming more unable to do things, and, while a bit perplexed, was just ignoring that that was happening to me.

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? Yes. The mystery is greater than I knew. And we can explore it. But not as we've been taught. The exploration is internally, intentionally, as long as it's done with honesty.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I don't remember exactly how long it was. I'd say it was more than a month. Their reactions were amazingly supportive. A couple of them seemed to be influenced to relax and to be happier.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had studied reincarnation, had read about NDE's and Moody's Life After Life books, etc. At the time I was a bit jealous and convinced I'd never actually experience something like this.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real The experience was profound. It had the 'ring of truth' about it. I cannot say otherwise, but had and have no doubt about it. I have read about the so-called anesthetic effect that doctors attribute to this sort of thing. Before I worried that they were right. Now I don't. I do not really know why, but am happy with that.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real In some way, the experience confirmed things I've always sensed but could not prove. Now, at least to me, it's proven.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? Yes