Sally P NDE

Experience Description

Contacted doctor because of swelling in upper leg which would not shrink nor go away - examined by internist and surgeon - diagnosed femoral hernia - surgery 2:00 pm. Woke at midnight to find three nurses in room - oxygen mask, IV etc. Very soon, out of body, watching nurses work on my body. Then I was in an unrecognizable 'place', feeling very comfortable, not concerned or worried. Felt 'presence' and feeling I could communicate, but not speech nor hearing. My overwhelming and only concern was that although the feeling of love and peace was enormous, I needed to return to earth to raise my daughters of seven and four. What came back from the presence was, 'Whatever you need to do you will do.' That made me feel even more relaxed. I enjoyed staying a while longer and feeling the overwhelming love flood over me.

I woke up in the morning in my body in the hospital bed. Many times since, I've wanted to return to that place of love and confirmation. I learned that every human's belief in a supreme being is real and that EVERYONE goes to heaven, paradise, whatever. God's forgiveness truly does pass any human understanding and hell does not exist except of our own making. Since my NDE, I have shared with bereaved friends and strangers, lost my parents and my only younger brother (whom I'm sure that I'll see again), heard almost countless stories of other NDEs, consoled parents who've lost children in devastating ways, and tried to confirm others' hopes of an afterlife. The freedom of a soul released from a body is wonderful.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 12/20/73

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related surgery for femoral hernia-turned out later to be rare strep infection 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Nurse on phone to doctor; 'She's going sour, what do we do now'!

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

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 As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When God communicated to me that I had a choice in the outcome of my experience there.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning As before said - altered space-time became immeasurable and irrelevant.

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 respond well to questions 7&8 because normal human sensory perception isn't operative in the same way during an NDE.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. See comment above on questions 7&8.

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? Uncertain I was aware that I left the hospital room after I was out of my body and had watched the nurses working on the body. It was dark and then light, but I didn't feel like I was in a tunnel.

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 I have always felt that I communicated with God.

The experience included: Void

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Light

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 'A light' - too limiting - just aware of a lovely glow.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Already described-definitely another level or dimension.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? As described above - LOVE, peace, happiness etc.

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

The experience included: Special Knowledge

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 No review that time, though I have experienced life review before - once when I was about nine or ten and started drowning.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes It seems that anyone who feels or understands love understands belief, religion, or whatever. I emphatically deny the attitude of any who say that the ONLY way to God and/or heaven is a specific way.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes It seems that anyone who feels or understands love understands belief, religion, or whatever. I emphatically deny the attitude of any who say that the ONLY way to God and/or heaven is a specific way.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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? Yes Already stated - each human's individual life experience is equally valid as any others.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Though I am extremely shy, if I get a feeling that someone could benefit from hearing about my NDE, I offer to tell them. If they seem interested, I proceed. (The usual case.) If not, I drop it. Sometimes people come back much later and want to hear. My feelings about people - known or strangers - usually prove correct.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes No sense of time or place; loving, peaceful feeling impossible to adequately describe; surety of non-verbal communication with God etc.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes People can no longer fool me if their words/actions are not motivated by honest love, friendship, generosity etc., etc. I SOMETIMES know in advance of an event what is going to be the outcome. Like knowing, when I hear certain people have cancer, whether they're going to make it or not. I don't always know. Sometimes I'm aware of something going on before I actually learn of it.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Confirmed to me that God IS love.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes The first person I shared my experience with, outside my immediate family, was Dr. Kenneth Ring in response to an article I read about his research in the local newspaper. It was a few years after the NDE. I have spoken to his students (from freshmen to graduate students), high school classes, many church and bereavement groups, compassionate friends, doctors, nurses, and anyone showing an interest. Reactions ranged from disbelief to enormous relief, love, gratitude etc. Many were very happy for my affirmation of many of their own experiences of feeling dead loved ones near them, in particular.

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 The experience was as absolutely real as anything that has happened in my life before or since the NDE.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It is as real to me today as it was thirty-seven years ago and I describe it the same way, which I did to a small group ten days ago.

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? More astounding than the birth of my children, which was pretty momentous!

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Try to avoid leading questions like 'brilliant light'. Rather than 'did you understand everything?' ask more open-ended questions like 'what did you understand after your NDE experience?'