Shirley J NDE

Experience Description :

Hello. My name is Shirley. My husband is an airline pilot and we were both on our way to a new job located in Arizona. We drove my car from California to Arizona. On the trip over there, I had been given valium and other narcotics due to constant pain and nine back surgeries. I had been injured from a previous diagnostic procedure that left me with a permanent spine injury. So, I took the valium and finally I had lost my memory as to when the last time I had taken my last dose. We arrived in Arizona and found a motel room.

The next day my husband went to work but he had tried earlier to wake me and he could not. Since he was to be the chief pilot at the local airport and worked with flight officers for medical purposes, they arrived and flew me to the hospital. On the flight, I woke up with a wonderful feeling of peace. I saw a dark tunnel with a light. And then I heard my deceased identical twin sister who died at one year old say to me, 'It's okay Shirley, but you must fight! Fight Shirley, fight.' I don't remember anything more, but I am sure you must know that identical twins are always 'connected'. I have heard her voice many times before and she did appear to me one night, but I became frightened and ran from the room. My children said to me, 'What's the matter mom, you look like you have just seen a ghost!!!'

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: AUG, 21, 2001

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) At the time of my death, I was being air lifted to a hospital several towns away.

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 It was like I had nothing to fear. It told me just to relax, and I was relaxed. Like I said before, I was near death yet I saw my twin and heard her voice. That does not happen a lot. It was a life and death situation and although I was not even breathing on my own, how could I have functioned so well mentally?

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? On the flight to the hospital. I heard someone say, 'We're losing her.'

Were your thoughts speeded up? Neither

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Neither I did not know what space I was in other than the fact that my space had been altered dramatically. This was in the airplane as I was being airlifted to a hospital.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more so

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The depth of perception was the most vivid memory I had. The tunnel was so long and the light was so small but very bright.

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 an audio version of my twin as if she were around thirty years old.

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? Saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes Heard my deceased sister.

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 I saw a long tunnel with a small bright light at the end.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm

What emotions did you feel during the experience? At first I didn't know what was happening to me. I had lost consciousness at that time. But, I had such a feeling of utter peace and tranquility like nothing I have ever felt in my life. I am no longer afraid of my new life that comes after this one ends.

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? United, one with the world

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? A conscious decision to 'return' to life

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate

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

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? Definite being, or voice clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes Because now I know. There have been many different experiences regarding death in my life. I was a professional nurse at the time and I worked in life support at some of the world's largest hospitals. I saw many people die and I have spoken to them minutes before they pass and they all confirm one thing, at the time of your death they will tell you that they are about to die. I had one patient who told me there was a man in the window waving to her to come and go with him. She kept asking me, 'Who's that man at my window?' moments later he died. She was a Cherokee Indian and the man she had described had a black suit on and a black top hat. She died within moments.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I can read most minds. It is scary, so I don't tell many people about it. I did one time and I scared this lady out of her mind. She ended up telling me, 'You should be on TV.'

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? This was when I heard my identical twin sister's voice. You see, I have heard her voice my entire life. Now, I listen to her whispers.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I waited about a few days. They were not too surprised; they all told me that I was always very perceptive.

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 It just happened.

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