Sequoia H FDE

Experience Description

On our five-plus hour drive home from Palm Springs to Ventura, California, our convertible began to 'act up'. First the air conditioning went out - which was a challenge as it was early August and we were in the desert. It was really hot outside, something like 105 degrees. Quickly, we pulled over at a nearby gas station to check the coolant levels and connections and could not locate the problem, so we decided to drive home with the windows down. We were sweating and it was miserable.

About an hour from home, the speedometer on the dashboard began to spin in full rotations, followed by other measurements going haywire (up and down, etc.). We pulled over and my husband checked under the hood, but couldn't find any problem.

As he restarted the car, we quickly realized that we could not roll up or down the windows or get past a certain gear (even though our car is an automatic). Something was wrong with our electrical system. The engine was revving high and squealing! So we decided to take the back roads (get off the highway), go about twenty-five mph the last forty or so miles and take our car directly to the dealership to be inspected.

Less than a mile from the dealership we drove towards a construction zone where they had taken the four lanes (two going north and two going south) and had modified the lanes (three going south and one going north). This also occurred around a bend.

As my husband was following the signs (kind of confusing and it was a late Sunday evening), he pulled into the lane that was clearly marked for us to go forward but on the other end on-coming traffic was coming towards us!

In a flash of a vision, I saw us having a head on collision and me dying. I was shown in slow motion and with a high level of alertness. I was aware of train tracks and how my train tracks were coming to an abrupt end. It felt like I was in the 1800's in the middle of nowhere just as train tracks were laid in the American wilderness. I was very clear that this was 'the end of the line' for my life and me. The vision was more factual, than emotional as if I were watching a movie.

Then, as if the conductor of the train, I felt and saw (as if looking out the front window of a train), the train being lifted straight up into the air and placed back down, very gingerly, on a parallel train track to my right of where I was. This 'other' train track had been there all along. This would be my 'new' track for my train and it had no end in sight.

Moments before, as my husband drove towards the head-on collision (that would have occurred around the bend of the construction zone) I let out a terrifying scream when I saw 'the vision of us crashing and me dying'. Not sensing danger, he was immediately taken by surprise by my blood-curdling scream. Though I could not make out any words (only screams) he trusted me as I motioned not to go forward, pushing myself back in the car seat and even lifting my legs as if to avoid a crash. Trusting me that something was terribly wrong, he swerved quickly to the right instead of driving forward on that 'third lane' and we crashed our car into an embankment that was cement but surrounded by large empty plastic barrels. (Obviously, someone else had done the same thing or it was a precaution to have the 'buffer' there.)

Our car was damaged by the impact but we were not harmed. We were now less than three blocks from our dealership and with a cracked hood and smashed in front grill, we still, slowly but surely, made it to the dealership - now going about ten mph. They took in our car for inspection and repairs and drove us home.

After this time, I did not feel safe driving in our convertible and we bought a Volvo SUV. Even after getting the convertible fixed it seemed to be haunted with problems and today sits on our property (non-operational) until we can afford to get a whole new transmission or decide to sell it.

After this NDE, for months, I would have nighttime dreams and daytime visions with 'sacred geometry' (triangles, grids, parts of what looked like blueprints) and 'accounting ledgers' (instead of numbers it was symbols, but something was being 'listed' and 'tallied' or 'added up'). I also FELT a tremendous PEACE and had an unexplainable KNOWING that everyone and everything was connected as ONE and that LOVE was all there was.

I also feel, that somehow, I am more intuitive than before and also less judgmental. In addition, I no longer fear death as it is clearly not the end.

Who knows what might have occurred had we been on the highway that evening - or why we experienced so many 'detours' trying to get home.

Overall, I feel I got a 'second chance' to live - and am very grateful to be alive and more 'awake' (with awareness) than ever.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: August 2007

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Other: Impending Head on Collision Car Crash Impending head-on car crash.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

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 everything seemed to be in 'slow motion' (with the impending car upon us).

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

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. But after - when I started seeing things as if seeing other dimensions of reality.

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? No

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? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? See main narrative.

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

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 Grew up Christian though recently had become more interested in Science + Spirituality. Was on my way home from an IONS convention. (Institute of Noetic Sciences)

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I am more open to the afterlife.

What is your religion now? Liberal Spiritual - very open

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I am more open to the afterlife.

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 I had a knowing - that we are all connected, all one.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I am more 'in the moment', more loving, less judgmental.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No It was VERY CLEAR.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Visions, seeing other dimensions, increased intuition or 'knowing', more love, less judging.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I felt I got another chance - which may be my third or fourth chance - who knows.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared immediately and sought out people to talk to - as it was very perplexing. Someone explained to both my husband and I why I felt it so strongly and why he felt nothing. It was my 'end point' not his and I was given another chance.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes But not referring to it as NDE. It was in 1996 - and now looking back it was probably my first NDE - though a quite different experience. In it, I 'crossed over', saw dead relatives, God who spoke to me about 'going back and fulfilling my life purpose.' But at the time, I thought it was drug-induced (someone had laced something I ingested, unbeknownst to me). So the for the longest time, I thought it was related to the ingestion of Hash or PCP (still not sure what was in what I ingested). But after this experience in August 2007, I now linked the two experiences believing they are both NDEs.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real It stayed with me in dreams and daytime visions - as I was 'shown' even more - but the messages were cryptic to me - symbols and ledgers and I don't know what to make of it still.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

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? Thank you for asking and of collecting other stories like mine.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? What did you do or were you doing immediately before and after? What were you feeling immediately before and after?