Sandra M NDE

Experience Description

There was a swimming pool built at the end of the yard within the walls of the newly built house. I talked my 6’4”mentally-retarded cousin to go swimming with me even though I was not allowed to go into the pool without an adult. I was pushing off the sides of the pool, demonstrating to my cousin that I knew how to swim. At one point, I didn’t push off the side of the pool hard enough causing me get stuck face down in the middle of the pool. I struggled for a short amount of time and swallowed one gulp of water. I remember making a conscious decision to not drink anymore water. When I shut my mouth and nose, I passed out.

Instantly, I found myself standing on the side of the pool and looking at myself facedown in the water. I was not moving. My cousin was standing behind me to watch the trick I told him I could do. I was completely at peace and had, what I would describe as, a better-than-bird's-eye view. I remember my attention being drawn towards the sky. When I looked up, I knew there were many different places I could go exploring. Even though I wanted to go, I looked back at my body and realized I needed help. I went through the yard looking for someone to help me. My feet were floating above the ground. I found it odd that there was nobody around because there usually were plenty of people around and it was broad daylight.

I went into the ground floor of the main house and straight into the cook's room. I saw the cook asleep on his stomach in his bed in his very small bedroom. The back of his head was facing me. I was floating against the wall at the foot of his bed. I screamed for him in a panic, but the words that came out - it was energy. That same instant, he startled me because he jumped out of the bed and ran out of the room. He made it to the threshold of the door that led to the yard. He fell to a sitting position with his hands on his head. I stayed next to him until I saw him look up and towards where my body was in the pool. When I saw him get up and run towards the pool, I followed but got there before him. I went right back to where I originally showed up when I first left my body. When he got to the pool, I was facing him and on the opposite side of the pool. I saw him teetering on the edge of the pool trying to reach me without jumping in. I then went back into my body.

I threw my hand up to him and he was able to grab my arm. He pulled me out of the pool. I didn’t cry, cough, throw up, or speak for the rest of the day. I only moved from the spot that I was last put in if I was led by someone to a new spot. I was in a state of total peace like I’ve never known before that moment and never known since. I remember every detail of that moment to this day, even though I can’t not remember anything else before or after that moment with that kind of detail. I remember the cook leading me back towards the main house and calling to several other people to join him so he could explain what just happened. He said he had just fallen asleep; when suddenly, he felt like the room exploded and he jumped out of bed so shaken that he barely made it to the threshold of the door before he had to sit down. As he was trying to figure out what had just happened. That’s when he saw clothes hanging on the rebar that was still exposed near the swimming pool. He said he knew I was in the pool and went running to find me. He said, as tears ran down his cheeks, 'She wasn’t moving. I thought she was gone!' I never talked about what I saw until I was in my late teens and most people were dismissive of my story. I started researching other accounts to compare my experience when I was in my 20's but never found an exact account like mine.


Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1975 or 1976

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Life threatening event, but not clinical death. I was drowning and stopped breathing.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes The cook described what I saw and knew. 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 had way more knowledge then I normally did. I knew of a higher power and I knew there were other places other than earth.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Right after I passed out.

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. I thought about going somewhere and I was there in a flash. I moved faster than a grown person running, even though I normally couldn’t move that fast.

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 had a better-than-bird's-eye view.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could hear the thoughts of the cook.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

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

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt peace but was able to conjure up enough energy to reach the cook.

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. I knew there were other places to go explore when I looked towards the sky.

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Do not know if I was told about God and Jesus but was too young to be religious.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I developed my belief system based on this experience.

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated. My belief comes from that NDE. I know my soul and my body are different and my soul doesn’t need my body to exist. While outside of my body, I was aware of the higher power that people refer to as God.

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 did not know there were other places to visit, other than on earth, before that moment.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain I was so young at the time.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes Knowing that there were many other places to explore.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I knew because I felt the overwhelming presence of an intelligent energy everywhere.

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes Knowing that there were many more places to go explore.

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists. I knew that my body belonged to me but wasn’t me. I also knew that this was complete reality and not just the limited version that I was living within my body.

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No

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 I felt total acceptance and belonging.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown I was so young.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain I was so young at the time.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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. It is etched in my memory like nothing else before it or since. I remember eEvery detail as if I relive it as I describe it each time.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain I learned recently that I am an empath. I sometimes have dreams that foretell a future event.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Knowing what I am isn’t just a human body and that after death we get to go home.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes At least 10 years later.

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. My child’s mind was able to accept it as reality immediately, I never doubted it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. It’s reality and this life is like playing a game of monopoly. It is real but not reality, just a small recreation of reality.

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 actually feel a little envy when I hear about people who have recently passed away or are about to pass away. However, I have never been suicidal in my entire life and I love my life.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? No