Silvia C NDE

Experience Description

Everything began when I was at some friends’ house and suddenly I felt a severe headache and felt sick. I put my hands on my head, but the pain was unbearable. I started falling to the floor saying, ‘My head, my head.’ From thereon, darkness.

I was in a coma and they brought me to the emergency room in the hospital and from there, to Bergen, by helicopter. Vital signs were very weak and they did not know what to do nor were they sure about performing surgery on me. I don’t know. At last, they decided on surgery. I stayed there for five days, totally unconscious, according to my husband and surgeons at the hospital. During those five days I did not wake up, say anything or even move. I was almost dead. I have asked whether during those five days spent in a coma whether anybody saw me open my eyes or move. Everybody agrees and says that I did not. The medical prognosis was that I wouldn’t survive. There was more of a chance for me to die than to survive, to such an extent that my husband, advised by the surgeon, to call my daughter in Spain so that she could see me before I died. My situation was critical.

My own experience says that I did wake up and I did so four times: the first three right in the middle of a shining, blinding light. I did not see anybody, just the light. My body did not exist any longer. The light... my eyes... and my mind… nothing else. The light was barely tolerable; too intense. At the same time, I did not feel any pain or worries at all. I felt happy over being there but the light was damaging my eyes; it was too intense. I thought I was having a nightmare, but I was not really sleeping; I was in a coma, yet I was still thinking. So, I told myself: ‘You are having a nightmare, Silvia, close your eyes and you will go back to sleep. When you wake up, you will be home.’ So I closed my eyes, mind’s eyes, since the real ones were fully closed and slept. This happened three consecutive times.

During the fourth time, the same thing happened: I woke up in the light and there I felt like I was floating in the air, but my being was only eyes and mind… My body no longer existed nor was I able to see it. This time there were people at the back of the light; many people, coming and going, as though they were having a walk… A deep feeling of peace came upon me, of happiness, and comfort… as if you felt yourself in a stadium full of grace: it is a marvelous feeling. I don’t know how long I spent there watching people.

All of a sudden, somebody I knew, (my husband), was walking along with the people. Such a coincidence. He turned around and noticed me, raising his hand to greet me while walking right towards me… and then I fell again into complete darkness as though I had just winked my eyes. At last, I opened my eyes to life…

When I woke up, I was not aware of where I was nor what had transpired. There were machines everywhere and many tubes connected to my body. A nurse began talking to me, but it was difficult for me to understand. And she was calling on somebody to translate. She requested my husband who was sleeping in the adjacent room of intensive care. I asked everybody and, according to them, I never woke up; I was simply in a coma the whole time. I do not know to what extent... my husband scarcely saw me. He was in the adjacent room to therapy and intensive care and he said that when I regained consciousness that he was immediately called. During my coma, nurses and doctors always accompanied me.

According to the neurosurgeon, the fact that I am still alive IS A MIRACLE. They thought that according to the tests that I would not survive; and if I did, I would suffer terribly. After being in a coma, I had weird experiences; I could see shadows passing (I cannot say that they were ghosts. I could only see shadows moving.) Initially, I was scared of them, but after a while I realized that I had to be faster than them and to reach them with my sight and confront them. That way they would disappear. In fact, they disappeared after a while.

When I explained this to my husband, he said that I had a vivid imagination. This is quite possible, quite likely when we are in a coma we can dream… But I think this is more than coincidental that most people can see the light or are in the light; I do not think that all of us have the same dream programmed in our brain. I know that there is no logical explanation for this. Nowadays I can say this without fear of being considered mad: he who thinks otherwise is nothing but an ignorant person to the secrets of the world and to humankind.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: primeros dias de julio del 2002

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain hemorragia cerebral, al reventar 3 aneurismasI was in coma for five days and I know that my condition was critical.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Positive

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain My body did not exist, but at no point did I see my consciousness separate from my body. When I was in the light, only my eyes and my ability to think existed.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? None.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes On the other street. I did not contact them; they were doing their own thing: coming and going, laughing, chatting, but they did not contact me.

The experience included: Light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm The light. There are no limits… it is there, here, everywhere. It is wholeness.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

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 Every time I woke up, I repeated to myself that I had to go back home; I want to go back home… But I fully believe that it was my husband who brought me back home. If I hadn’t met him, quite likely I would not have been back. I think that he found me and brought me back. This is the idea that I have.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Conservative/fundamentalist catolica no practicante

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist lamisma

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes You stop fearing death; it is like somebody taught you that it is not to be feared. In the afterlife we won’t be alone; many will be joining us.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I first explained it to my husband. And he looked at me as if I were mad… Imagine if I were to explain it to others!

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The best part was the feeling of peace and happiness, that is all you wish in your life. The worst part is not knowing exactly what happened, being unable to provide a logical explanation…It was a dream, a nightmare…WHAT?

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Most of them were skeptical and some others weren’t. The ones who weren’t skeptical advised me to research on the internet in order to find answers. I do not know if there was any influence in their lives. It is said that we learn with our own experiences.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No