Vera G NDE

Experience Description

My friend and I went out for a run in the morning, but we only ran one block - just up to her house. All of a sudden, I felt like I was going to pass out. It was an odd feeling, but I sort of knew what was going to happen as I had passed out once before when I was about 3 or 4 years old at my aunt's soccer game. We got to her porch and I couldn't even make it up the steps. I felt like each step was millennia away. I just sat down on a step and put my head down. I asked her for some of her water, and the last thing I remember before blacking out is telling her 'Get your mom, I think I'm going to pass out', and that's when eternity began.

In my mind, everything ordinary was gone. There was no knowing, there were no memories, no feeling of 'self' to grasp on to. It was like an eternity of nothing. Suddenly, I was traveling through space. All around me were stars, and up ahead I saw a pure white light. Then I found myself standing in a clearing - some sort of field that was surrounded by trees. I wasn't alone. All around me were people, hundreds of them, maybe even thousands, but I didn't know anyone. I didn't know where I was or even who I was. You'd think that I would have been afraid, but I wasn't. It was like nothing mattered, not who I was, not who anyone was, and not even where I was, or if I'd be going anywhere. Everyone was talking and laughing. I felt like we all knew each other, but I don't remember recognizing anyone. Now I can't remember their faces, or the conversations I participated in, but what I do remember is their smiles and the joy I felt just being there. I was filled with peace and happiness. It didn't even occur to me to want to be anywhere else, because I felt like I already belonged. It felt to me like I was there for a very long time, and it went by in a blur, but then it all faded.

In front of me stood a man on top of clouds, he was Puerto Rican, and the clouds he stood on were tinted pink and gold. He smiled at me, and held out his hand for me to grab. I was hesitant at first but, somehow, I just knew that I could trust him. Getting my hand to move was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. A sense of peace and acceptance flooded all around me. It was love, pure love, like no other, and I just let myself go into that moment. I didn't feel that anything remained within me to hold on to. Anything that would have held me back had simply ceased to be. Right when our hands were about to touch, I woke up.

I woke up to a stranger standing over me, asking me if I was okay. I didn't know who she was. I looked over to my left and saw a girl standing in the doorway with a phone up to her ear saying, 'Never mind, she just woke up.' That's when it hit me - 'That's my best friend!' I looked back at the women standing over me. 'That's her mom!' I realized. In the moment after returning to my body, I had no idea who I was. I didn't know who my own best friend was, and I've known her for almost my entire life. I had no memory. I had nothing. It felt to me as if an eternity had gone by during this experience and yet, from what my friend's mom told me, I was only out for around 20 seconds. It was the most wonderful, life-changing event that I have ever experienced. I haven't been the same since.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 6/07/2009

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Dizziness. And dehydration (according to doctor). Other Seizure I had a seizure, from what my friend's mother told me (she had just graduated from medical school at the time).

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain I lost awareness of my body

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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When the man on the clouds was before me and I began to reach out to him.

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 There was no sense of time until after I woke up. At the moment of waking up, it seemed to me that all this had happened over a long period of time. I didn't know until later that in our world, it had been merely seconds.

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. There wasn't an extreme amount of difference, but everything was more vivid, more colorful, and more in depth than it is here.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't remember anyone's mouth moving, it's as if we were all communicating through our minds, or just simply understanding each other. The man I saw on the clouds - he never said anything to me. I simply knew.

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 There was a white light ahead of me in space.

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 The strangers surrounding me in the open field, and the man on the clouds. With all of them, there was pure happiness and joy, and a feeling of peace and acceptance.

The experience included: Void

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 It was a bright white light.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm An open field, with trees surrounding the border. It was beautiful, I adore nature.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Calm, happy, love, and acceptance.

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 the universe

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

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? Uncertain I didn't actually reach a boundary, but the trees that surrounded the field that all of us were in seemed like a border. I didn't see anyone go through it - it seemed like we weren't supposed to.

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? Moderate Didn't care for religion or even death itself.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes It did change my spiritual beliefs in a way. Now I believe in a creator and an existence after death. I care more for life than ever before, and I want to better myself and those around me.

What is your religion now? Liberal 'I believe in what I feel is true, I follow no religion.'

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes It did change my spiritual beliefs in a way. Now I believe in a creator and an existence after death. I care more for life than ever before, and I want to better myself and those around me.

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

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? Uncertain The only knowing that I can infer from this experience is that there is life after death, and it'll be the most beautiful thing that will ever happen to us.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I had a feeling of wholeness, and I sensed a reality unlike any other, something that can never be duplicated.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain My respect and love for life has grown since this experience, and I'm more aware of the things I do and how my actions affect others.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared it the same day with my best friend, once I was home. Now, many people know about it. I don't see it as some major secret that I must hide. Some people accept it and others don't. It is what it is. A lot of people don't understand and just say I'm crazy, but the rest seem to accept it.

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 Right after it happened - more real than this world. It felt like I was meant to be in that world, not this one - like I don't belong here. I still feel that way at times, but now I feel like there's something I'm here to do, if I could only figure out what.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real If it weren't real, why would it affect me the way it does even today? When I go over the memory of it in my mind, I get chills and an odd feeling, just as I do when I read other people's accounts of their NDEs. Something made up just simply can't affect you the way something like this does, the way it changes you so much.

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

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I truly don't even know what I would ask someone who has had a NDE - it's something that is unexplainable in this world. It's most certainly something that isn't easy to study. So, good job!