Wendy A NDE

Experience Description

I rang my buzzer for a nurse, telling her I felt as if I were about to pass out. She said they had received lab results and were bringing a blood transfusion into my room in just a few minutes. I felt as if I were sliding, head first, off the end of my bed and falling through a tunnel. I heard a nurse come in and call my name, telling me to breathe. I felt very detached from everything but was fully aware of what was happening. She pushed my button and called for other nurses.

I was simply interested in what was going on, and was experiencing a profound feeling of peace and lack of connection with the entire situation. I always thought that if I were ever near death, I would frantically be scratching out messages to my loved ones, but I didn't give any of them a thought! I heard them call for a priest, and I could see someone comforting my crying roommate as they escorted her out into the hall. They had trouble getting the blood transfusion started because they said my veins were collapsing, and that's the last thing I was aware of. I don't know how much time passed, probably not much, but I suddenly 'woke up' as the priest was anointing me with oil.

I could smell the oil, which everyone says has no smell. I felt that the strong odor was what woke me up. The nurses again started telling me to breathe. I was placed on oxygen, while I was 'out.' All I could think of was how embarrassed I was because there was a team of interns and nurses all focused on my uncovered vaginal area. My legs and arms were drawn up like someone who has been in a coma for a long time. At the time, I thought I looked like Karen Ann Quinlan. They immediately took me to surgery to repair the problem that was causing the bleeding.

While I was in surgery, I either dreamed or had a vision of someone standing by my bed, except it was more like an operating table. They were dressed all in white. They were very loving and held my hand, telling me that it was not my time to go, I had much more to do. I healed very quickly and was home in three days, but didn't talk about my experience for a long time. I thought everyone would think I was nuts!

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: June, 1978

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related. Life threatening event, but not clinical death. I was recovering from a hysterectomy, which became necessary after childbirth. I began to hemorrhage and several attempts to stop the bleeding failed.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I saw/heard nurses working on me and caring for my roommate on the other side of the curtain. 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? Immediately after 'falling off the end of the bed' or passing out, whatever it was, I was able to hear more clearly and felt extremely alert... like I was able to process much more information than normal. I also still remember the strong scent of the oil with no smell.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning Time seemed to stop or lose meaning... it's hard to explain. I never thought about it until I came to this question.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I was able to see things that were happening in the room when I was unconscious... such as my roommate being comforted and escorted from the room.

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 and process many things being said at once, even though my room was filled with nurses and interns all talking at once.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, but the facts have not been checked out

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes The tunnel was at the head of my bed and I slid through it head first.

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? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain I felt brightness but not sure I saw a shining light such as a single beam.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was totally at peace, totally detached from the seriousness of the experience while extremely interested in everything that was going on.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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? 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 importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Moderately important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Moderately important to me

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and 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? 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 While in surgery or in the recovery room, I had the experience of someone in white standing next to me and showing me great love as they explained that it was not my time to go. They told me that I had more to do.

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

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably exists

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

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are possibly meaningful and significant

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I felt that the figure in white who spoke to me was a sign that there is a life after death. I now have cancer and am comforted by the memory of the peace I felt after my experience so long ago.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I greatly feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I slightly fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Greatly fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are possibly meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are probably meaningful and significant

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

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life Moderate changes in my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No 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? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I first told someone about my experience about two years after it happened. They were very interested and seemed to give a lot of thought to my main feeling that there was total peace.

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 believed completely in everything I experienced, but I had not heard of NDEs and wasn't about to tell people such an unheard-of story.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Although I never doubted the reality of my experience, I felt so validated once other stories began surfacing in the 1980s.

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