Ruby L NDE

Experience Description:

I remember I was floating on the ceiling and I could see myself lying on the table at the hospital and the doctor and nurses were working on me. My husband and sister were there and I saw my sister take my hand and say, 'She is so cold.' She later said she did say that. I can hardly describe in words the feelings I had. I felt so good and I did not want to go back into that body. I felt light and wonderful, like a great weight had been lifted from me. I seemed to feel something or someone over my left shoulder but didn't turn to see because I was concentrating so much on not returning into my body. It is just impossible to describe the way I felt. It was not a long time before I was back in my body. I had six children at home that I loved very much and my husband I adored, but even so, there was no thought of them. I just wanted to stay out of my body.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1969

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Childbirth I was near death when I miscarried and was bleeding and they couldn't stop it. Life threatening event, but not clinical death I lost a baby and was bleeding to death. I was near death.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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 I just felt so light and peaceful and wonderful.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was floating on the ceiling.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Neither

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Neither

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More so than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It wasn't like a vision. One moment I was in my body and the next, I was on the ceiling. I did have a great awareness of being out of my body and I had never experienced that feeling of lightness and happiness before.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't know. I heard my sister speak as normal as I recall.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? Neither

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? Neither

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Neither

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Wonderful, light, happy, surreal.

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? No longer in conflict with nature

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

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Neither

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? Neither

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I have no doubt about an afterlife and it has strengthened my faith.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I have no doubt about an afterlife and it has strengthened my faith.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? Neither

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Neither

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I was not aware of near death experiences at the time and only discussed it with my husband and a priest.

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? Even though I have always been a spiritual person, it deepened my faith and made me believe in life after death.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared it with my husband that week and with a priest from the Episcopal church.

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 I have no doubt that I experienced a near death experience.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I have no doubt that I experienced a near death experience and now almost forty years later it is still clear in my mind as when it happened.

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? This experience has stayed with me for almost thirty-seven years as clear as the day it happened.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? You pretty well covered it. I wish I could say I saw the light and loved ones. My experience is pretty small compared to others I have read, but I love it because it was mine has helped me through this life by giving me certainty that there is more after death.