Sylvia S NDE

Experience Description

I moved from Texas to West Germany at age twenty-one to join my husband who was employed by the Department of Defense. We were stationed many places but in 1962 we resided in Nuremberg, Germany. This was my second cesarean section. My first-born was in Texas City, Texas in 1960. I had few difficulties at that time.

I had no idea about the new military orders on medications in July 1962, I recall very vividly hearing a voice say, 'They are coming to get you.' I awakened mentally just enough to think, 'Oh, so that's how it works.' I hurt so badly that if I came to I felt out right away from the pain.

Right after hearing that, I was in the air and looking down on my own body in a silver bed like what is used in autopsies. I only know this because many years later I worked at a funeral home. I saw my husband yelling in the hallway and telling people to hurry up. From what I recall I was going up like in a tube with bright white light not describable as any light on earth. I heard music that was so divine and had a feeling of total peace and happiness. It was a spiritual feeling like none I had ever experienced in my life. Nothing I had done on earth so far ever gave me that sense of happiness or peacefulness. I only could go up so far and then came to an abrupt stop and a strong male voice said my name. I could not see this person. He said, 'You cannot come with me, you must go back.' I pleaded saying, 'Oh please, it is so wonderful, let me stay.' He said, 'You must go back, you have babies to care for.' I said, 'Oh yes, I do.'

The next thing I felt was a thud and I was back in that silver tray and hurting like lightning was striking me. I heard someone screaming bloody murder and thought some poor soul was hurting so badly. I learned later it was me. When I finally awakened, I was in a room with only my bed and two nurses who never seemed to leave. I would say, 'Did I have my baby, was it a girl or boy?' They would tell me, 'You had a fine girl.' I would go back to sleep. This went on for a week and finally I noticed someone had pinned a paper to my pillow that said, 'You have a girl.' It took a very long time for me to recover.

My only reaction of this experience besides not telling it was the fact that what had happened was exactly what my faith taught about an afterlife and that God decides when you are born and when you die. Of course, many years have passed and I don't know if I would go the same direction in another near death experience. I do still believe that God is love, merciful and just.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 'July, 1962'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related Other: Having second C-section. Around the time I had this second of four cesarean sections, the US Military had new orders to decrease the amount of pain medications for all troops due to a large amount of drug problems. The orders included dependents. I was in such pain due to not enough pain medications after surgery that my blood pressure dropped. My lips turned black and people started yelling. I heard loud screaming and thought, 'poor person in here must be hurting so badly.' It was me.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

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? I was most alert when I could see my own body while being above it in the recovery room. After I returned with a thud - I was out again.

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 That space had to be altered; there is no space on earth like it. The time seemed to stand still.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I was very aware of the most awesome music nothing like I had ever heard. I was a music director at church. I could hear violins but much more like raindrops making lovely music. No way to describe it.

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? Yes Was white walled, went up fast in bright wonderful light, a spiritual light, and the walls were round. I do not recall seeing the ceiling of tunnel, only stopped and light and heard voice.

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 met a male with strong authoritative voice and knew it was God - didn't even wonder who He was. Could not see him but knew He was there, just across light, and never doubted it when all over. He said, 'You cannot come, you have babies to take care of.'

The experience included: Light

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 Bright but did not hurt eyes. Misty. Spiritual. Moved, but not like fog.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm The visit in the tunnel was amazing. The feeling of happiness, peacefulness and the music and feeling of spirituality was beautiful, awesome, and cannot be duplicated here on earth.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Surprise. Realized - oh this is the way it is supposed to be feeling.

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 I did not review my past life. I came away knowing that God controls my life and that if I wanted to be in Heaven with my Creator I had to live my life according to what I had been taught.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes There was a boundary, but I did not cross it. I do not recall leaving the tunnel or anything but the thud and being back on the intensive care unit bed and much pain. There was no doubt that I would obey and agree with the voice.

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? Conservative/fundamentalist Conservative Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist Conservative Catholic

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? 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 knew when I remembered every detail that this was a God experience. I knew it was all true but I had never heard of anyone having this experience. Many years later it was wonderful to share this experience and read that others had been through a similar experience.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes At that time, I had never heard of anyone ever having this kind of experience and I was afraid if I told it people would think me crazy. It was many years later that I told what I experienced and heard that others had similar experiences. Even my family members looked at me in disbelief. I've never had any reason to doubt what happened and still do not.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Had paranormal experience in 1988 in Lubbock, Texas at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, along with many thousands of people.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I was grateful that I was sent back to care for my children. I had two more. I have three female schoolteachers and a businessman who is a second term Mayor. I'm grateful to be alive and watching grandchildren graduate from college and one become a priest. Yes, I'm grateful God sent me back.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes The experience I had in child birth I did not tell for years. The Lubbock, Texas experience I shared with family and friends who still thought I was nutty. Many believed me.

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 I knew in my heart it was true. I always knew it was true. I continue to know it was true. I have never doubted what I felt, saw and heard.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Reading books about other's experiences is quite interesting. Now I do not worry if anyone thinks I'm nutty. I am seventy-two years of age and have had many wonderful and happy experiences in my life and this is just one of them.

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 cannot speak for anyone else who has had an experience like this, but for me it is so marvelous to know that leaving this life on earth is a stepping stone to life beginning and we are put here by God to get to this new life called Eternity. Now that I am elderly I have many loved family members who are on 'the other side of that tunnel' and I am not afraid of dying and anxious to be with them.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I cannot think of anything.