Toni A NDE

Experience Description

I was at a pool party for my softball team, at one of my teammate’s houses. I had just learned to swim in the deep end. My dad used to be a swim instructor, lifeguard and EMT. There were two girls I was friends with and they were also my teammates. They followed me to the deep end of the 7ft deep pool. I would consider myself a strong swimmer, even then. The three of us were the only ones in the deep end of the pool.

Instead of telling me they could not swim in deep water, or trying to holding on to the side of the pool, they decided the best course of action was to use me to keep themselves above water. One wrapper her arm around my neck, essentially putting me in a chokehold. The other had her hands on the crown of my head, pushing me under to propel herself upwards. I couldn’t scream for help; all I could do was try to hold my breath. But, I was being strangled from the hold and was choking on water.

Thankfully, my father saw what was happening as he was trained to notice the signs of drowning. He dove in, literally grabbed these girls and tossed them toward the shallow end. He swam me over to the concrete area where the pool chairs were. He immediately began CPR. At this point, I had no pulse and was not breathing.

Somehow, I was beside my father. I was watching him pound on my chest and beg me to come back. I remember feeling no pain. I was yelling at him that, 'I am right here!' He did not hear me. I stood up as my dad continued CPR; no one could see me standing there. In the woods by the house, I spotted a woman at the tree line. She was gorgeous. Long black hair, dressed in all black that flowed around her. I couldn’t make out her face for some reason and to this day her face escapes me. I look back at my father. I saw water dribbling from the corners of my mouth. A parent is on the phone with 911. I again looked to the trees. The woman is closer to me. I glanced at my dad. He is sobbing and mumbling the song 'Stayin’ Alive' by the Bee Gees. I look at the woman who has moved closer, and something tells me this isn’t right. She wasn’t supposed to be there. My dad cried harder. The strange woman is now sprinting towards me. I scream and turn away as a blinding, bright light, as bright as the sun, shines on me.

I wake up on the ground, coughing up water and my lungs were heaving for air, as if I had never experienced breathing before. My nose is gushing blood. My dad holds me and thanks God for bringing me back. I try to tell him that I was right there with him and about the woman who wanted me, but he doesn’t listen. He says I am lucky. I have nightmares for weeks about the woman from the woods. I dream about her whisking me away and telling me that she was so close and I cannot escape. She was saying that she will get what is rightfully hers. Every dream ends with a blinding light and me waking up in a cold sweat and my nose bleeding. The dreams stopped when I was eight.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: June of 2007

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Drowning CPR given Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) I had drowned

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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. I can be pretty distracted or not notice things easily, but during the experience everything was vivid and every detail came to me involuntarily.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When my dad was performing CPR.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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. I have bad eyesight but nothing was blurry; colors were vivid as if painted. The sun didn’t hurt my eyes.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I have great hearing normally but I could only hear my dad and the woman. Everything else seemed like muffled background noise.

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? No

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? Yes Blinding and white, as bright as the sun. It gave off no warmth but engulfed my vision.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? At first nothing, and then confusion while my dad did CPR. Then I felt entranced at the woman watching. Then I felt fear when she came for me. I felt fear when I woke up and fear when no one else saw her.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Jewish

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Jewish

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes While I am a secular Jew, I do believe there are things that my religion does not have the answer to.

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. The woman in my encounter was pale skinned, long black hair in flowing black drapes. I couldn’t make out her face but I know she was beautiful. I still cannot recall her face when I think of her.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

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.)? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife?

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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

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 see/hear spirits and have been able to confirm premonitions

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I do worry about seeing that woman again.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I’ve been told it was my brain's neurons firing off and people have laughed or did not believe me. Most people do not believe that I have spiritual abilities until they are given undeniable proof.

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 didn’t understand why it happened. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that I was clinically dead for 8 minutes. As an adult, I definitely do not fear death and have become more willing to experience life as I believe I need to

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. If it wasn’t real then what gave me the ability to go into a nursing home and predict someone’s death? Or see people in an empty graveyard disappear? Or hear the woman calling my name in the wee hours of the night?

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

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