Sherry F Probable NDE

Experience Description

It was 4 am and I had just given birth to my fifth child but the placenta was stuck. The midwife pulled and the cord broke. I started to bleed profusely. The medical staff was trying to get blood into me and calling for more blood. They didn't seem to be able to keep up with my blood loss of 8 pints so far.

I then felt extremely cold and instinctively knew that my organs were shutting down. After what seemed an eternity, I was wheeled to the operating room. On the way there, I remember thinking, 'OK, I am dying' and I had an amazing feeling of peace. I really didn't mind at all. I just felt so good. Then, I suddenly remembered that I couldn't die because I had five children and I called out to Jesus to save me. Instantly, He was walking beside the trolley in my peripheral vision and I knew it was He. I heard Him say it will be all right and not to worry. I immediately felt calm and peaceful again. Then we were in the anesthetic room. I heard someone say that she's had an epidural. I demanded that they give me a general anesthetic, as I didn't want to be awake during the procedure.

My next memory is that during the operation, I sat up and looked around at the medical staff and was wondering why they were ignoring me as I had clearly woken up during the surgery. They should do something. I then remember being at the bottom of the operating table and half watching what was going on to my body but not really taking much notice. It really hadn't connected with me that I was out of my body. I remember an older man standing to the left of me and thinking that he was the surgeon for some reason. But now, I realize that he couldn't have been the surgeon who was working on me. This man was aware of me, although he didn't speak to me.

Later that day, I asked a nurse why I had been allowed to wake up during surgery. She checked the notes in my chart and said that I hadn't woken up during surgery, but I knew I had. I was in intensive care and had so many tubes and machines in and around me. I told the staff to take them all away and that I wanted to go home. They told me that I was a very sick woman. I insisted that I most certainly was not! Later in the afternoon, I was sitting up in bed, breast-feeding my daughter and a doctor came in and looked shocked. He said that I shouldn't be sitting up and feeding but I told him that I was fine and wanted to go home. I was kept in hospital for another two days, much to my distress. I walked out of the hospital as if nothing had happened, other than a normal birth.

It only hit me what had happened during the whole episode a while later, when I was recounting the events to a friend. Three years later, I had remarried a man with no children of his own and I wanted to have a child with him. I had been told it would be too dangerous, as I had also had another retained placenta and lesser bleeding of 2 pints at the birth of my third child. We had accepted that. However, one night I woke up and although I didn't see or hear anything, I knew that I had been told by what I assumed was an Angel at the time, to have another child and all would be well. I woke my husband and told him what had happened but he was unsure. I said, with some urgency, ΓÇÿyou don't understand, we need to get pregnant now!' I know this sounds crazy and I even wondered about my own sanity at the time; but the knowing was too strong and real to be ignored. I went out the next day and bought a pram and other baby items for the new baby that I knew I had conceived despite it being outside of my ovulation period. I had indeed conceived that night with only one attempt. I gave birth to a baby girl with no complications.

I have 'known' things and sensed spirits around me ever since that experience with my fifth child. I have absolutely no fear of dying. Sometimes I don't feel connected to the world, as if my consciousness is somewhere else. I know what to say and how to direct people who are struggling in life and they are often shocked by what I know about them. I don't know that I know these things until I say them. I feel instructed to do certain things such as start up a voluntary fundraising group, which I did and has grown massively over the past 7 years and raised an enormous amount of money for charity. I never worry about money, as I know there will always be enough. I know I am 'looked after.' I also know without any doubt that God and Christ exist.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 12/04/95

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Childbirth. While under general anesthesia. Other: During lifesaving surgery - bleeding and needing eight units of blood but not sure of all the circumstances; I had a retained placenta after childbirth with severe blood loss. I experienced the life-threatening event partly before surgery and partly during it.

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I was aware of what was going on in the room and I knew that I could have travelled elsewhere if I had desired. I could not get the events verified. 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 Despite not realizing what was happening at the time, I remember that I was aware of more than just the room in which I was. I don't have any visions to relay but I know that if I had wanted, I could have gone anywhere.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? During the OBE

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 I felt like no time had gone by and yet I remember being out of my body for some time. So hard to explain…

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. Normal

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I remember hearing what was going on but at the same time, I remember it being silent.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

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? Yes I saw the medical staff but they seemed unaware of my spiritual body, and an older man, who seemed to be aware of and watching me, but I do not know whom he is and He did not speak to me. I did not acknowledge him. I did not feel like it was necessary to do so, at the time.

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? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm This is difficult to describe because I never left the room. However, I felt like I was in a different energy field.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Just extreme peace and calmness. I felt very loved. I was so matter of fact at the time of the experience, as if it was perfectly normal to be where I was.

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 myself or others This was not at the time of the experience, but shortly after.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from my personal future Only after the experience

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Greatly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Mormon

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian recently left mormon church but have a very strong christian faith

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience This was not the first time that I had nearly died and so I knew, before this experience, that my religious thoughts were real, although I have no memory of the experience the first time I did have an extraordinary recollection of a spirit world where I had lived before and described being two people (my body and myself). I was 4 years old when I told these stories and came from a non-religious family.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

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 I felt and saw, peripherally, Jesus and heard his voice.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

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.)? Yes Jesus was walking beside me.

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Yes I felt that I had always existed

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes I knew that I could go anywhere in the world or beyond and that I was part of all time and space.

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God definitely exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes Jesus was there. God definitely exists.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I just knew that we survive physical death but I didn't remember knowing until a little while after the experience.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Greatly fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes That there is a God who will, and does, help us if we ask for it.

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

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes That I am loved, unconditionally.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life I became able to show my love and compassion to others. I no longer felt afraid to love.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I divorced an abusive husband and I love people for who they are. I don't want or need to change them. I try to find the good and lovable aspects in everyone.

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. I remember the experience clearly and accurately as if it had just happened. All the details and feelings are as vivid today as then.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I am aware of things that will happen to me or in the world. I have a greater sense of whom I can trust. I see and/or hear spirits of deceased people. I know of instructions as to what I should be doing. I have no control over any of these things and cannot call on these things at will. What I can call on, is an ability to help people in distress and lay my hands on people to speed up the healing process.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? That Christ made His presence known to me and allowed me to see Him, peripherally. I felt that someone as holy as Christ loved me enough to come Himself when I called for help.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes A couple of weeks after the experience. Most believe it was the anesthetic effects but my close family believes that what I describe is exactly what happened. I have no idea if others have been influenced by my experience. I think most people believe it to be something else, other than what it is, but that's ok because I know without any doubt that what happened is real.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had seen a program on TV. My knowledge had no effect on my experience, as my experience did not involve a tunnel or light, which would have been my expected experience.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I just know because it was more real than being alive here today.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It is just as real today as back then.

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 feel like I have left my body and gained knowledge since my experience but my memories of these experiences are extremely vague. I just seem to 'have' new knowledge.

I believe that I did not see the light, tunnel, or travel anywhere because I had already been assured that I was not going to die prior to the surgery. I feel like I left my body for the knowledge of knowing that we survive this life on earth.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Perhaps have a section asking about things that happened during the experience that were not 'known' during the experience but remembered to have been part of the experience after.