My first encounter with angels occurred in 1974. While
undergoing a surgical procedure, the doctor made a mistake,
cut an artery, and I lost too much blood to sustain life. As my
physical body lay dying on the operating table, I rose up and
surveyed the situation.

I noticed that the doctors and nurses were upset, and were
working desperately to save me. In my ethereal body, with my
mental faculties and personality intact, I went nose-to-nose with
each one and told them to relax, that I was okay, but they ignored me.

Frustrated, I moved higher up, away from my body, and began to
fly. Gravity had no effect on me. Flying was natural and effortless,
sort of like swimming underwater, but in an ocean of brilliant white
light.

I heard a kind and gentle voice speak. Without my asking, the
Voice answered all the big questions about life. Then, my smallest concerns were addressed as if they were matters of great importance. When the Voice told me why Aunt Bettie married Uncle Fred, I giggled with joy and contentment. My curiosity had been completely satisfied, and I felt like a child held in the arms of a loving parent after a hard day at school. The Voice in the Light had anticipated and joyfully fulfilled my needs and desires, with good humor, extreme love and enormous tenderness.

The nurse yelled, "We’re losing her," and at the sound of distress I
was propelled upward. The farther up I went, the brighter the Light became. Two cherubs appeared, one on either side of me, and we
slowly drifted to the corner of the ceiling. We communicated through mental telepathy, which is faster and more efficient than mere words.

They told me they were Escort Angels and had come to take me
Home. But before we could go, I had to look at the body I was
leaving behind. She was twenty-five years old and in perfect health, except for the loss of blood and spirit. I determined that the situation was not serious enough, and in less than an instant I reentered my physical body through the navel. I was back on Earth and suffering from Homesickness.

I looked up at the ceiling to see the Escort Angels fly through the wall, and I became emotionally distraught. I was embarrassed because I had forgotten to thank them for coming to get me. Years later, whenever I thought about my lack of good manners, I cringed inside. One day, I heard one of them say, "Why don't you thank us now?" I laughed, relieved that I could right a wrong. I said, "Thank you," and I saw balloons, confetti, and two tiny cherubs dancing in celebration.

I was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle. My head went into the windshield, and my leg was nearly ripped off.

I felt no pain. I lied there and was bleeding so much that my heart stopped.

When I woke up in ICU I didn't know what happened. I remember to this day of telling my dad and mom that I wasn't afraid anymore of death.

I haven't ever really told anyone about what happened or how differently I felt after the accident. I was always reluctant to talk about it because it was the greatest thing to ever happen to me and I didn't want to be just blown off by someone telling me I was crazy.

I see certain signs now. I believe there is a spirit inside everyone. I don't believe in any certain religion. I think your spiritual side is something you should try and develop on your own. Not be taught what to believe and not be told what you can do and not do.

I was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle. I should have died. I've even questioned myself that maybe I did die.

As the years pass I still have that same thought that I came out of the experience with. I'm not afraid of death. It is not the end.

I was driving down the national highway on a scooter when a buffalo attacked me and threw me off my bike. The attack was so severe that I somersaulted and skidded quite a distance before coming to a stop.

The one thing that I do remember from this and why I consider this to be a NDE for me, is during the split second when I was going through the accident and falling all over the place, my mind was somewhere outside the body. I felt no pain and was very relaxed at that point of time. My whole life flashed before me in those few seconds. I remembered things that happened with me a long time back and I remembered every detail about them. But the most remarkable thing is that I never felt afraid during this, I was very much relaxed. It was almost like as if I was a spectator watching someone else getting involved in an accident. Every mistake that I had done in my life, knowingly and unknowingly flashed before me. Everyone who had come in contact with me, I saw all of there faces and also felt a realizations for all my acts. I also remember seeing a light but not very clearly.

I opened my eyes and saw some villagers trying to help me. I was not sure who they were, and the first thing I asked them was, was I alive or dead. When they told me that I was alive, I again slipped back to unconsciousness but this time I clearly saw the light and also heard "its not your time", then I woke up, taken to a hospital and was treated over there.

It took me a long time to understand what had happened with me, and today even if no one believes me I do believe in life after death and today I am no longer afraid of death, today death is as beautiful as life to me maybe it is more beautiful then life. At least the preview that I had made me feel that way.

My NDE has definitely changed my life, maybe it was someone’s idea of improving me a little bit. Before this incident I was short tempered, always angry, used to fight a lot and never believed in god. But today I can say that I have changed and have changed a lot, how I do not know because I have not tried to. I just changed after the accident, just happened.

Today the questions that I have on my mind are not about life or death. Because today I know that both of them are very much real. I used to think that when a person dies, that person goes into a deep sleep, something like a computer which is turned off. But now I know that death is not a deep sleep, you are very much awake after you die and very much alert. Today death is just like life to me, the only difference being the place, which will change once you die.

I know death is beautiful. I know that in the back of my head and today I am looking forward to the day I will die. I am looking forward to finding the ultimate truth about life and death. And I know it will be beautiful.

I had a sinus infection that just wouldn't go away. I went to the Treatment Center in our town to see a doctor and he prescribed an antibiotic. I told him that in the past I had had stomach problems with antibiotics and he assured me that there were no side effects with the medication and that I should take it. I should have followed my own instincts and not taken it, but I did.

After four days of taking it, I woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and chills and felt very, very bad. I went to the bathroom and was passing blood. I went into the living room and lay down on the couch. My husband followed me and lay down on the other couch.

I was resting when I very suddenly left my body. It was very sudden. I mean, I didn't hang around looking at my physical body or anything. Just one minute I was in my body and the next I was in this place that was hard to explain. It was a nothing place with light fog or mist, I guess you could say. I felt fine...calm, not scared at all, just kind of interested in where I was.

Then out of the mist comes the pastor of my church and I was sooooo glad to see him! I was overjoyed to see him. He was a wonderful man and everyone loved him. And I said, "Oh, D____! I'm so glad to see you! How are you?" But he seemed very upset and had a very worried face and began waving his arms around and he was just acting frantic. So I said, "Aren't you glad to see me? I've missed you so much since you died last summer!" And then it hit me and I said, "If you're dead and I'm here with you, then..." And he started nodding his head frantically.

Just as suddenly I slammed back into my body. I came back so hard that I fell off the couch and onto the floor. I had no idea how sick I really was. I was very weak. I crawled over to the other couch where my husband was asleep. I reached up and grabbed his foot and when he woke I just said, "Hospital". When my husband took my temperature it was 105 degrees.

We found out that the antibiotic I had taken had wiped out all the good organisms in my intestines and I got an overgrowth of a germ called clostridia. I'm not sure how you spell it. I was passing a lot of blood and blood tests showed that the infection was in my blood as well. I was very, very ill and I'm sure they feared for my life. There was really nothing they could do for me except keep me hydrated. Finally my personal physician gave me an antifungal medication. It had the effect of sloughing off the infection in my intestines. I think he was very clever to do that. I also used herbal teas to help.

The doctors refused to admit that the infection was caused by the antibiotic, but it was. They didn't want to take responsibility. Their official diagnosis was "psuedomembraenous colitis". It should have read "We almost killed her".

I was very weak for a long, long time after that and I think it was a miracle I survived. I lost a lot of weight and it took a long time to get back to strength again. I had a lot of digestive problems for a few years afterward, but I'm fine now.

I have had other experiences I think were nde's, but I have never been in the light. I have always regretted that...been really sad about that. I was sick a lot as a little child and left my body many times but I never made it to the light. And once I left on purpose during a period of depression. So many times in my life I have just cried and cried and wanted to go Home. I mean my REAL Home.

I would like to tell you about my other experiences? Please let me know if you would like to hear them.

Thank you.

I was driving towards home with my two son's in the car when a car struck us from behind as I was making maneuvers to the outer lane to take a right turn a few hundred yards up the road. We were perused by the car and hit a second time. I came through as the emergency services were cutting us out of the car. My son Justin was sitting in the front passenger seat and Allan was sitting in the rear directly behind Justin. Allan was 14 and Justin was 16 at the time. I felt no pain and thought about how straight I was sitting. Everything inside the car looked normal. I looked at Justin and saw he had something in his mouth to open his airways. I could not get a response from him. I tried to move but could not. A man was on his hunkers beside my window and I told him I had to get out, my children were hurt. He told me to stay where I was that they were there to help me. I began to scream for Justin, pleading with him to answer me. There was no sound from Allan and I screamed for him until I heard him cry. I prayed and pleaded with Jesus to give me all my children's pain and leave them alone, I cried out for my babies.
I felt something ripping from me, like a force leaving my body, energy leaving the car, Allan and I screamed for Justin but I knew he was gone.

I remember nothing after that until I was in an ambulance on my way to the hospital. My sons were taken in another ambulance to another hospital. I faded into a place that was tranquil and quiet. There was no light and no sound.

At some stage later in the evening I opened my eyes and my husband was there. All I could see was his face, everything else was blackness and his face. I asked about Allan and then told him that I knew Justin was dead. I asked about Justin's organs, as I knew Justin had a donor card and he said that the hospital Justin had been brought to wanted to know about Justin's eyes. After that I went back to the quiet place and I had a great sense of peace. I felt no discomfort or pain.

The accident happened on the 18th July 1995 at 17.03. On the 25th July I regained consciousness at midday. Many things were happening as I came through. The Angelus was ringing on the radio in the background in the Intensive Care Unit. A few days later I was moved into a main ward. As I began to "come down" I experienced great pain in my heart. Over the coming days my family related to me what had happened in the week.

On the day and right at the time that I came through Justin was being escorted to the cemetery with a police escort making sure nothing crossed his path. He was with the people who loved him. Over the days after the 25th I got a great sense that I had been with Justin for the week I was "unconscious". I remained with him until he was "settled". My senses were very alert and I had vivid dreams. When people came into my room they commented on the great sense of peace there. Some people did not want to leave the peace. I was told that the night I was brought to the hospital I was sedated but they could not get me to rest, I just talked and talked. All the nurses who attended me learnt every thing there was to know about Justin. When they came to my room after I regained consciousness I wondered how they knew all the things they knew about me and I was told I had told them the evening I arrived at the hospital. My daughter and sister who had spent all that first evening with me thought I was aware I was very alert because of how I was talking. I had visions of myself sitting talking to them. I could see and feel myself sitting on the edge of the bed talking to them swinging my legs but I was actually laid flat with a head brace on to protect my head and neck incase these were injured in the crash.

I was on a life support machine during my week in intensive care. I had a smashed pelvis, broken ribs, fractured tibia and fibula on my right leg, broken femur and hip in my left leg and massive bruises. My family was on alert for the first three days as doctors said it was touch and go for me.

I used to have a great fear of death and dying but not anymore. I have had dreams about planes crashing into each other and debris falling from the sky, of the sun falling from the sky, of being chased around a car park by a car with blacked out windows.

Many people were amazed when they witnessed the subtle messages I got even when they were present, like Justin's favourite songs playing on the radio at times when various people were in the room with me or if I was sad. This also happened when I went back to places I used to visit with Justin before he died.

I find it very difficult to put my experiences into words and I am not sure if one would call my experience near death but I believe something amazing happened to me. Today I know I can tell what certain people are thinking, I know things I would not have been so sure of before the accident. I am driven to help others and help them heal and understand that death is nothing to fear. I have been connected with people who are working in the area of spiritual renewal.

I guess perhaps some feedback on thoughts about my experience would be appreciated if nothing else.

I had an operation to remove most of the neck of my womb due to pre-cancerous cells.

It was after the operation. I thought I was sitting up on the trolley. I felt a powerful calmness like I had never felt in my life. I was totally at peace. I saw all these nurses round the trolley fiddling around looking worried and I wondered why they weren't looking at me. I looked down over my left shoulder to where their hands appeared to be fiddling and saw myself apparently asleep. I realized the nurses were trying to help me in some way and I remember thinking "Oh! - That’s me!” I just watched for a few seconds and I saw a man who I later learned was the surgeon come through these doors with some urgency. He asked, "What's the matter?" and someone replied "It's her heart". I was in no pain at all and when I looked down forwards I felt I was joined at the waist as if my spirit was half outside of my body. At the time this was happening I didn't question anything. I wasn't scared or worried. Just calmly interested in what was going on as if my body was actually someone else.

The next thing I recall I was being wheeled down the corridor back to my room and I was in a lot of pain and pleading with the nurse to give me something to get rid of it. I was kicking my legs in agony. Then I drifted in and out of sleep having my pulse monitored regularly.

When my boyfriend visited he woke me up and I told him about this bizarre 'dream' I had experienced. He immediately took the clipboard from the end of my bed and it showed my heart had slowed to around 40 beats a minute. Without thinking, I described the recovery room in detail as one of the nurses was in the room and she couldn't believe how I knew what it looked like as she said I was in a very deep sleep in there. She seemed alarmed by my knowledge.

It wasn't until months later that I recognized this experience as an out of body experience. I wish I could feel that calm all the time!!!

It was at my sisters wedding and I was best man to my brother in law. I had been drinking a bit more than normal but, not major. I had just done my best man speech and went outside for a bit of fresh air (this so far is only on the say so of people telling me of the build up).

I just collapsed on the spot. All I can remember was total blackness and spots of white light coming to me and me going to them. I felt a floating sensation and I realized that I was going really fast. The dots of light were starting to form together and out of the light came out a feature of a face, which was my late fathers, and he said that I was not ready.

Then, I quickly awoke in the back of an ambulance with medics and my wife who was in hysterics. I awoke shouting, “please take me”.

Whilst I was unconscious there was a nurse at the party who later told me and my wife that she thought I was going as my pulse was becoming weaker and weaker. The paramedics said I was very close and they were surprised that when I awoke I was fine and my heart rate etc. went back to normal in quick time.

I have never spoken to anyone about this. I will now show my wife for the first time what I have typed out.

I used to have a lot of migraine headaches (which stopped after this experience). I was at my parent’s house. I had taken some medication for my migraine, and because of this I was staying at my parents. I just lit up a cigarette.... And..... Went out!

I found myself in a place that was devoid of everything except, a doorway of white/gold light. I had a consciousness, no body, and could see all around at once. I moved, thought to go towards the doorway of light, which by the way was as large as the darkness around it (I cant think of another way to describe this) and as I approached this doorway another Light became apparent just before the doorway. It was like a welcome mat of sorts. I had a sense of beginning to pass over the mat, almost into the doorway when, I heard from a great distance away my name “Geeoorrgggeee”. I recognized the name and the moment I did, I was racing at a breath-taking speed through the darkness. It felt almost like I was going backwards, towards and into another space/time and, found myself cracking back into my body through the top of my head. I sat bolt upright, knowing already who and where everyone in the room was, there were 2 paramedics and my parents.

My first response was to tell my mother everything was ok now. I was sooo at peace, it was such a profound peace that I cant describe it except that it was all Loving. I was told that once my father got me breathing again, I was "out" for another 20-30 minutes. The paramedics continued giving me oxygen and at first I didn’t want to go to the hospital, but couldn’t sign my name on the form, so I ended up going for about 15 minutes, until with the help from the oxygen I was clear headed.

The Peace I felt was so profound I wish I could explain it and even share it with others. As well for the next 6 months or so I was getting different revelations at a rate of about one per week. The revelations slowly went away after about 2 years and also I had no fear of death since. And, no more migraine headaches since. Although, now I do have sinus headaches. Oh as well, sometime after I had for about a 3 weeks span, maybe more, a number of instances where I thought my head was going to explode. At times it was so intense I had to drop to the floor with my hands on my head in a vain effort to hold it in, so it wouldn’t explode.

Umm I think that’s about it, there may be more but, that’s all I can remember right now. The Peace I felt, man I wish we all could feel it!!!!

After ignoring burning sensations in my chest for two days, I began to experience pain going down my arms.

I decided to drive myself from work to a nearby hospital. I arrived at the emergency room with about an hour to spare. They had me all hooked up and had given me something for gas and then a nitroglycerin tablet which only increased my chest pain.

I felt my legs going numb and told them something was happening.

I passed out and found myself surrounded by this warm peaceful golden light. I was then welcomed by a group of people dressed in white who I recognized. I felt this incredible amount of LOVE that could best be described as GOD'S LOVE. I would have gladly stayed there for eternity.

I then found myself coming to and greeted by a very pale and nervous technician. He said it was the first time he had used the paddles to bring someone back to life. I remember being upset because I realized I had forgotten the people in white who had welcomed me and leaving all the LOVE behind.

Then reality set in. I had seven IVs' and a nice burn mark on my chest. One week later I had a triple bypass which went well with little anxiety since I no longer feared death.

Afterwards, I could not put the experience out of my mind. I told a few people about it and one of them said I had a NDE and there were some related WEB sites.

Since then, I have had some unique and wonderful experiences. One is a sensitivity to contemporary religious music which before, I was ambivalent to. I feel like a human juke box sometimes and hear a lot of, Michael W. Smith’s music playing in my head, especially when I feel stressed. I also try to read the Bible every day. The "Good News" seems to have taken on a whole new meaning. I'm still trying to make sense of my NDE and discern God's will.

When I was a young boy some friends and me were sliding down a muddy bank racing each other, unfortunately the end of bank ran into a back road. On one of these burn ups I overshot the slide straight into the road into the path of an oncoming car. The car was travelling at about 30 to 35 mph, the outcome was as you can imagine not a good day out.

I sustained two broken legs one upper and lower two broken ankles and bad back injury. I forget now the extent of that. Anyway, I remember bits and pieces of the journey to hospital and initially at the hospital. I have no idea of the time scale but at some point during or after my operation I had what I can only describe as a major happening.

I was in total light, absolute light I had no body just my mind . I felt totally at peace. Then, it wasn’t a voice as such but, it was communication in my head that asked me if I wanted to move on from this place I was in to another place same as this but better or if I wanted I could go back. I did not hesitate, I wanted to stay with this place whatever it was wild horses wouldn’t make me go back. For some reason or another that wasn’t the answer they wanted. To cut a long story short, I was shown things about my future, people I would meet people that weren’t even born what I had in store if I went back. So never being one to miss out on anything, I came back.

Over the years I’ve had an inner feeling that I was going to be alright no matter how bad things got or whatever scapes I got myself into they would sort themselves out. I was going to have a good life and up to now that’s been spot on.

I’ll just tell you of one thing that’s happened since the accident that’s proof to me. About 4 years after it I was about 17, me and some of my mates were at a youth disco we were sitting at this table and, there were two rather tasty girls dancing in front of us. One of my mates wanted me to come with him and chat them up but, I declined. For some unknown reason I knew I just knew that one of the girls would be my wife but, now wasn’t the time. Not just a girlfriend but without question destiny said wife. I had seen her before and after many times. We were married 11 years later and have a beautiful 4-year-old girl.

What happened to me is not something I shout about. I’ve only told three people but, it happened. I don’t feel blessed or religious either, it was at the time and to me now a totally natural experience.

I was at the local sauna with my wife Marjie, when about three to four minutes into it I began to feel real funny. My left arm became numb, and I kind of knew that if I didn't get out of there immediately that I would pass out.

We had been doing the sauna thing for about a year and I was used to going in. My wife got me out and started applying cold wet towels to my head. I had trouble standing so I sat down in a deck chair. It was at this moment that things really started to go.

I remember trying to keep conscious with all my will, but I was slipping. At that moment according to my wife I let out the last breath of air, what she described as the death rattle.

What I experienced at the same time was, one there was no tunnel, at least of what I remember. I suddenly found myself in a waiting area, it was like a room with no dimensions, but filled with the beautiful light that has no source. I knew immediately that I was in a place that I knew from before. It was like going home. I remember the vibration was at a much higher rate, and it felt, as though for the first time in a long time that I was completely free. I distinctly remember looking at my right hand which was almost like an outline of a hand, but with almost a sparkle type of cast to it. I guess it wasn't a hand in the traditional sense, but something more beautiful. I also remember saying, or more like thinking, "what the hell happened, I must have died." I did not want to leave this place, I wanted to stay even though I had been married only a short while. I did not meet any deceased loved ones, but I felt they were coming to greet me. I cannot put into words the joy that I felt in my brief stay, but I will surely try to paint it.

When I came back, it was painful I felt the gravity, the wet coldness of the tile floor, the slowdown of the vibration, all of the things that this plane has to offer. My experience is as vivid today as it was over nine years ago.

Never could describe it, but from 1993 -1996 I created an 18"x24" collage that's about as representative. (That was before I discovered computers; I have now reworked it a bit digitally from the original, though it's relatively the same as before. I don't seem to follow the typical nde pattern which explains the (?) above.

I had a seizure of some sort related to medication & was in intensive care unconscious for a couple days. They released me on the third day, with no dx, & that evening I had this epiphany or whatever.

If anyone's curious I will email it via jpg format, but the telling of it leaves me speechless.

I can only say I emerged with a total understanding of the machinations of the universe and the phrase, "love is the answer, communication is the key."

I had a near-death experience in 1985 at the age of 30. I drowned.

I saw the faces of great aunts and uncles that I had known in my youth. My spirit became a giant light. I saw, in my mind the high points of my life (there were only four of them!?!?) I began to leave my body before my physical body had even begun to die. And I argued with some being about my future missions in this life. I was made to come back to help people. To give them hope and to awake in them an awareness of a vaster universe that they already live in. It was an astonishing and unexpected experience for me.

In this death experience, I realized the following things:
. Death is painless. Dying is like going to sleep; only you are still awake and alert.
. We are more alive after death than we are here, on this planet.
. Unnecessary acts of kindness count a lot. Beliefs are far less important than most people think.
. The quality of person that you are in this life directly reflects your quality of life in the next phase of your existence. I wasn't dead long enough to find out a lot about the next phase. Only that there is one.

What changed for me?
. I see people's actual spirit, not their auras, the actual them. If they died right then, I see whatever would be left "floating around".
. I feel people's emotions as though they were inside of me.
. I know that people's thoughts erupt from different parts in their brain and coalesce into central thoughts that they either focus on or express to others. Our minds work with pictures; the variation of internal images is immense. There are many little "yous" inside your brain that make up the big "you" that you talk to people with and think that you are.
. People's thoughts and emotions (especially) are broadcast all over the place. They emanate from their entire bodies.

What do I offer others?
. Encouragement. I can "create" you into a whole person.
. Empowerment. I enhance people's abilities to feel other's emotions, to have reliable intuition, to make things happen with the power of their being.
. Enthusiasm. When you become truly human, life is exciting.

What keeps me going?
What interests me is the quality of a person's inner being. A person's inner being is pre-speech, and is more basic than emotions. It is your source of personal power and is your real self-identity. This part is frustrating to explain and is so very important for people to understand. Sigh.

And how, with an adjustment to a person's inner being, however slight, profound changes happen through time to that person and to the ones around that person. That, above all, is the most amazing thing to me.

I have written in detail about this in my book, (Galde Press,2001 available on Amazion) in "Pathways Through Pain, a spiritual journey."

..woke up frorm TMJ surgery. ...Teeth wired, (surgery didn't go well, they couldn't stop the bleeding or get the wires in my jaw joints and jaw bone to "stick". My face was all bandaged except for eyes and nose, and upper part of mouth. I was in terrrible pain, and choking on blood filling my throat and lungs, (before asperated out) I floated outside my body and stopped fighting and hurting.

My pain was so terrible I couldn't believe each breath screamed or that you could be alive feeling so much pain! I then went into a peaceful void, (could see LIGHT and beings in the distance). Suddenly it got a little darker and these snarling nasty growling creatures enclosed around me, trying to prevent me from going to the LIGHT! I got angry and yelled, "I rebuke you and send you to the LIGHT!" (did it three times). (I had never used that statement before in my life!)

The creatures left suddenly upon the third yell of that statement, the beings got closer. I was in the light and they told me to go back! I cried and pleaded not to go back, I didn't want to go back! They said I wasn't finished yet. (Great!)

I "fell" back into my body, immediately in unbelievable pain, and felt somene sucking the blood out of my mouth with a long red tube (through a broken tooth) and after what seemed like a couple of minutes, I stopped gagging, starting breathing, and that was that.

The ryhmes had already started with the first of the (previous) of four cancers within four years, but after this TMJ surgery experience, (it came last) my clairvoyant/psycjic gifts, and speaking in rhyme, went over the top!

Has anyone else developed this ability and gifts like me? I would love to meet them and hear their story.

It started with green and purple flashes in front of my eyes.

I then experienced that I was sat up outside my body. I was aware that my body was still lying on my bed. There was a beautiful light, small at first but grew as it became closer. I felt a deep sense of peace, my thoughts were still as if nothing was important except this deep feeling of peace and beauty. A voice, that was unrecognizable to me, said, "You've gone too far. You've died." It was a beautiful voice, calm, soft, loving. I wasn't shocked at what the voice had said, I was still extremely peaceful. The voice said again, "You've gone too far you've died" then it said "Breathe, breathe you'll be all right."
I was sat up outside my body but I could feel myself lying down trying to breathe.

The next moment, it was like I sat up and caught myself inside myself. The light that I had been focused on faded outside the window and the darkness that had surrounded the light melted into the shadows of my bedroom.

After taking the overdose, I had no serious illness and did not seek medical help. Physically my eyesight was improved, colours seemed brighter and detail was sharper. Other lights had colours around it like a spectrum, that hadn't been seen before and people sometimes had auras of colour around them as well.

I felt for the first time ever a love and acceptance of myself and others that didn't exist before. I can't explain what ALL ONE is but I know that we are all one.

I felt saddened after the experience because of the lack of respect people show to one another.

It was the summer of 1967 early afternoon the last day before summer vacation 6 or 8 of us skipped school to go to the river to hang out.

I remember 2 kids jumped into the river and swam across to the lock and dam and the other boys and girls both went into the woods to be alone except one other boy and myself. I said to him looking at the other two boys across the river “I wish I could swim”. I loved the water but I could not swim.

He picked up this blown up car inner tube and handed it to me and said "Throw this in the water" Then jump in when you come up grab it, but throw it above the current a little. I can swim. I will be right here.

So I did, When I got back on the rock we talked a bit then he went off somewhere. I was sitting there thinking how much I liked it. So I went to do it on my own, but I dove in this time which means I went deeper in the water, when I came back up the tube was down out of reach. I went down again I came back up kicking but I could not call out because I had taken in so much water. So I was on my way down again the last thing I saw was a bridge. A high bridge which was to my left. Then I felt the water getting colder and I gave up and blacked out.

When I came to, I thought I was above the bridge. In the sky floating toward this bright light. I was lighter than air. I had no cares in the world. I felt great, I wanted to keep going. I guess out of curiosity I looked down and saw people standing in a circle on the rock and someone in the middle on top of someone. Then I recognized the kid in the middle was as the kid with the tube earlier and I knew it was me underneath.

Then I came to again with him on top of me pumping the water out of me. I remember he still had his shirt on and pack of cigarettes in his pocket was wet. The water was running out of his cigarettes and was burning my eyes from the wet tobacco. Yet to this day I do not know his name but he saved my life that day.

Out of almost 50 years I have never felt as good as I did then floating in the sky, nothing has ever come close to that experience.

Emergency Caesarean after 28 hrs labour. Pelvic opening too small. Inexperienced surgeon , only one that year. Operation started 6.30 pm. Paralyzed but could still hear conversations around me.

Darkness. Then floating sensation, up high looking down on my body and staff, no ceiling. Heard & saw & smelt. seemed normal at the time, not frightened, alarmed, no pain, just curious, fascinated. As though happening to someone else.

Lots of alarms going off by my head, lots of activity, another doctor called in. I ignored what was happening to me, interested in birth. Already prepared and cut, so few minutes I must have been out. Saw surgeon pull baby out, swearing as stuck, enlarge opening, then more swearing as cord around neck, lots of activity, no crying from baby, awful smell, lots of blood, not clear view of baby as staff bending over, only see top of heads. Off to one side, saw and heard Irish accented nurse discussing her engagement party last night, seemed strange amid all this noise (and chaos to me), she took a box out of trouser pocket, opened it showed to another nurse, now realize the ring.
Another nurse discussing film she saw, Top Gun at cinema.

Then all noise drowned out by rushing noise, like wind in bamboo and I 'turned over' and was drawn up, floating but, like blown along, through darkness towards light, wonderful warm safe secure light, diffused light, clear bluish, brighter in center, too bright to look at centre. Felt wonderful, most wonderful feeling ever, safe, warm loved, no more pain, promise of no more pain, worries ever. Wanted so much to go towards light. Then above wind noise heard my baby cry. Looked away from light back to darkness, just for minute looked back to light, wanted to go to light but also wanted to go back to my baby. Another cry. Baby needed me. Drawn back to dark to pain.

Woke up 10 am next morning. staff worried as 'out' for so long. Wonderful sense of peace, secure, cared for, not by staff, as inexperienced, but by 'something'. Also for my baby. Staff concerned for baby, as oxygen starvation, cord had been wrapped round her neck. 50% chance of brain damage. But I knew not, knew she was safe was going to be strong, healthy, special. Baby medivaced back. 3rd. Staff amazed at how calm I was. Husband also, not usual for me. Tried to tell him and staff about amazing experience, no one listened, just drugs, a dream, they were embarrassed. post natal depression! Stopped talking about it.

Found out from my notes that my heart had stopped during the operation and I had been resuscitated. The surgeon had made an enlarging cut as her head was small compared to her shoulders, the cord had been around her neck and there had been 'complications'. Also found out via grapevine that Irish nurse had got engaged the night before. Film Top Gun had been on the night before, no way of knowing as we lived other end of island, different Cinema & spent previous 28 hrs in labour room!

I know that it was real. It has changed my life, more than just having a baby. I feel that we are both 'protected' and that she is special in some way, I was sent back to protect guide her, to be her mother. I feel that I've been given a second chance a new purpose, not sure what yet, to be her mother or healing? Now work with Special Needs children with M.E. which I've had myself for 9 years. Never 'religious’ before experience, not really in a conventional way now, but know that there is a soul, an afterlife and that its wonderful. Not scared of dying, know its wonderful.

Hope this will help others. I wanted to share it with you.

As a scuba instructor I was an experienced diver and able to hold my breath for 3 minutes and swim under water 100 meters or more. Unsatisfied with my life at 24 I willingly drowned myself in a swimming pool where I was giving instructions.

I (my soul or spirit) entered a tunnel of bright greenish light and felt completely serene, welcome, at the right place. The wall of the tunnel existed of a dynamic spiral of greenish light. I had to travel light years and certainly was not in contact with the other side immediately. There was no communication at first.

I must have stayed under water at least 15 minutes before I was taken out. Comrades trained in First Aid tried artificial respiration but failed. A medical doctor concluded clinical death of heart and brain. An ambulance was called for transportation to a hospital.

My comrades refused to accept my death and restarted their efforts to reanimate me. I heard my girl friend strongly call me back but I did not want to re-enter my blue body that I had seen lying down there on the white tiles.

Then I got a message 'from above' to return and do what was in stock for me. I was given very clear instructions how to live my life and never, never do this again.

Spontaneously I began to breath again. In the hospital I was kept in an artificial coma for two weeks to rest my brain and when allowed to regain consciousness I knew exactly what had happened and what I had to do. Physically my so called short memory and my breathing centre were damaged but, I was able to fulfill my military duties and use my talents and build a career.

My personality had changed completely, I had become who I wanted to be. People call me a good person. I am detached, meaning that I can miss anything, money, goods, wife, children, friends, myself. I am not afraid of anything, the least of death. This does not mean that these things do not interest me, I love them and want them and fight to have and to keep them, but if it so happens that they are lost I can live with that, because I know what life is and what death is. The great difference is that after a NDE KNOWING has come in the place of BELIEVING / SUPPOSING /GUESSING. It sound perhaps hypocritical but I feel I am above all religions. I see religions as an attempt to create heaven or a connection with above, the creator and the use of rites to make it easier to achieve that connection. Every religion and science is a restriction of the free mind. It is so simple: open up and the direct connection is there. May be it is not so simple and one has to die first. Well that's worth it!

Even today I can re-enter that tunnel at will and spend some time 'over there'. My wife notices my leaving my body as a uncontrolled shock, somewhat like in a seizure. I can acquire any knowledge and wisdom regarding humanity, society, science as well as individual people and use that in my own life. This knowledge may have to do with things that are about to happen, but I cannot change fate, I can only help people at that moment and after it happened because I am prepared and know the meaning of it. There usually is some 'key' to the use of that knowledge. It is understood that things are being developed and will come thru at the proper time via somebody's mind (invention, inspiration).

A true enrichment is what I learned about former lives and the friends over there I can discuss essential life questions with.

Of practical use is the service to anyone. I can ask questions for them and pass on the answers like a medium.

I feel this NDE was necessary for me and I love it, it made my life rich by unselfishness and whole by giving all of myself.

I was in a RTA a few miles from my home. I blacked on the point of impact.

Light gradually dawned in the darkness and I became aware I was in a boundless, well lit, misty place.

I then became aware of a Buddha-like entity who spoke to me by thought.

It became apparent that I could choose whether or not to 'come back'...

He showed me images of my life- my pregnant girlfriend, my family who would miss me and blame themselves, etc ...
so it seemed there was no choice; I remember jolting back into my body and coughing and struggling for breath.

My neck was broken and I remain paralyzed but, for partial use of my arms; although life as a tetraplegic isn't easy and sometimes the strain on myself and family is intense, the NDE has left me with a real faith that there is a god and that we are more than just these perishable bodies.

Strangely, I feel far happier and more at one with life than I ever did before .

My bowel was perforated during a routine surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. The doctor wasn't aware he had cut my intestine. Within 24 hours I was rushed back to surgery to fix the leak in my intestines, but it was too late the infection had spread through my body and caused my heart to stop three times during the surgery.

After or during the surgery...

I appeared to my room mate to be unconscious, however I was somewhere else all together. I had met up with my deceased first husband. He had come to greet me. He was smiling and moving towards me. I recognized him right away although he looked somewhat different. I was sure it was him. His welcoming frightened me and I turned to my room mate (who is alive) who quickly assured me that everything was ok. When I turned back to my deceased husband he had gone. Behind where he stood was Jesus. He did not speak, but some how communicated the message "I am". Then he evaporated into the wall behind him leaving perforated marks on the wall that left an outline of Christ. Those perforations then turned to blood and flowed downward towards the floor, then disappeared. I reminded myself to tell my daughters that their father's spirit was not dead. I had seen him and Christ. He only said I am, and nothing else. Christ had not spoken those words through his mouth as we would speak. I heard what he was telling me. As if Christ had known that I had doubted his very existence since my granddaughter had died years ago. He knew I wasn't a believer and he was there to show me he existed. I saw him one other occasion. He manifested himself in the same way, and exited the room when he was finished in the same way. We had a conversation, although regretfully it was not for me to be allowed to remember what we discussed.

Later I found myself in an empty parking lot in the snow. It was very dark and there were several parked cars in the snow. I was watching myself from above looking down at myself as I brushed the snow away from each window looking into the cars. Finally I found a car with someone inside and I had a brief conversation with them. I could not hear what I was saying to the occupants of the car as I was watching myself from above.

A security guard then arrived in a golf cart and asked me if I needed any help. I could hear him. I then realized that I shouldn't be out in this dark parking lot alone. All of a sudden I began to feel frightened. It was dark and snowing heavily although I wasn't cold, I realized it was dangerous for me to be out alone in the dark parking lot. I returned to my body in ICU.

My fever broke. I started to become more conscious. Then I became more and more aware of my surroundings, More and more aware of my pain and the seriousness of my condition.

My nurse had come in and freed my restrained hands. She warned me not to pull my ventilator out of my lungs. I finally understood that the tubing was my lifeline. I cooperated with my nurse. When my room mate arrived and found my hand unrestrained she panicked, then quickly realized I was not going to reach for my tubing. I seemed to be coming out of a two-week stupor.

I was four years old and at a park with some friends and my sister. I fell into a stream. I remember seeing the continuation of the nearby bridge under the water and trying to kick my leg out to reach the bank.

The next thing I know is that I am on the bottom of the stream but instead of there being mud or sand I am in a beautiful garden. I remember being surprised at this. I see a female figure dressed in a long white robe. We are standing near a flower covered arch. Everything is very peaceful. The woman tells me that I am not allowed to go through the arch because if I did I would not be able to return.

The next thing I know is that I am on the bank with someone pressing on my back, there is water coming out of my mouth.

My sister later took me home and only told my parents that I had fallen in the water, I think we got into trouble. It was not until a couple of weeks later that I was out shopping with my mother and the woman who got me out of the stream came over (apparently she went to the same church as us) and asked how I was. She told my mother that she thought I was a 'goner' and had given me CPR. I am not aware of how serious my condition was.

I realize that my experience is not as profound as most of the accounts I have read and unfortunately I do not remember what happened immediately afterwards, in fact I have very few memories of my childhood. I have only told a few people about this and have looked at the IANDS web site many times thinking about recounting my experience but thinking it wasn't a 'good enough' account. However, now that I have written it down I feel very good about having done so.

Many years later, in adulthood, I was watching a film in which a man was struggling in the water, when he finally sank below the surface. I experienced this wonderful feeling of peace, a feeling of letting go and it was marvelous. I felt like I knew this, like a memory.

I don't know how to really describe my experience.

My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer Sept. 26, 2002 and, two weeks later we took her to emergency room because she was having trouble breathing. The last week of her life she spent in ICU where she had to be resuscitated on Nov. 1.

My family decided to sign a DNR form. That Fri. night things started to happen and I could feel the presence of several people in the room. It scared me so bad that I spent the rest of the night standing up against the wall.

Early that morning her oxygen level dropped to almost nothing and we were sure she was gone but, a short time later she sort of came around.

It was at that time that she began telling me and my 17 yr old daughter that she had died. As she began telling us about the light, and the people she had seen I could actually see those people (there were 4, all relatives, but one of them was my dad who had died in 1986 and him and my mother were divorced at the time). I could smell the flowers that they were standing in and it looked like they were almost glowing. I have never felt that feeling and don't know quite how to describe it. I could feel them.

She was very aware throughout that day of the experience and knew somehow that I had felt it too. She amazingly was able to talk and sit up in bed all day Sun. By Monday a.m. doctors moved her to a regular room and made her comfortable, she fell asleep that afternoon and never woke up again. She died Wed. evening.

Through a car accident, I suffered fractures which included a fractured skull and was unconscious for two months.

Within the latter period I had the impression of a long passage. The sides were that of a cave hewn out of rock. At the end was an intense light. However on the right of the round glowing aperture was a boy. He was dressed in a brown tunic. The material was very scuffy and loose. His face was long, pale and sickly. His nose was slightly contorted. When I floated towards him, he put up his right hand. The condition of his hand was very noticeable, his fingers were knotted and appeared arthritic. He then said with a soft voice, 'not yet'. However, I very much wanted to go further into the aperture where the light was 'pulling' me.

Due to his instructions I reversed backwards, not frontward, and felt myself entering back into my body. I then felt myself gaining consciousness seeing watery lightness in the hospital ward.

It took a further few weeks until I was fully aware of my surroundings.

Since then I have many 'out of body' experiences such as Astral Projection.

Before I can explain the circumstances of the event, it may be helpful to give you a brief summary of my personal circumstances. My mother was involved in a "hit and run" incident in Dec 2001 and died from the injuries in April 2002 after being in a coma throughout the duration.

I am a serving Fire Officer and was on duty at the time of the incident. I was laying on my bed at the Fire Station trying to get some sleep but was unsuccessful, but was relaxed. I could feel my body starting to float and struggled initially and managed to look at the time- 0420 on a digital clock.

After my initial struggle I decided to go with it and ended up about a foot away from the ceiling level. To prove to myself I was not dreaming I looked at a light fitting on the ceiling and saw it at a different angle, I was almost level with it.

Next, there was some light coming from the ceiling and two arms held me in a state of suspension. The arms were very warm and held me by my elbows as I held the arms to form a link. It is at this stage when the arms started to pull me through to the light I thought it could of been my mother. I also felt very guilty for thinking it could be my mother, I don’t know why but probably in some way I felt it may have been dis-respectful to her memory. Up until this point I felt relaxed and had no fear.

Next, the body of the person holding me started to appear, I did not see a face but the body appeared to be wearing a sky blue and white top,. almost like a sports top. This is when I was convinced is was not my mother and demanded the being to release me as I did not want to go where it was taking me. Almost immediately the arms turned very cold and let me go. I floated back down on to the bed. At no stage did I see my body on the bed as I was looking upwards throughout the incident. I was so aware of my surroundings during the incident. i.e. looking at the time, the light fitting and even realized my colleague was in the next room and did my best not to disturb him.

That morning I relayed my experience to the rest of the crew who probably think there commander has now gone mad. I am 100% certain this was not a dream, but there could be a scientific explanation. My heart may have stopped for a short while which could of influenced my thought patterns. Who knows?

Probably not the most exciting account you have ever read but one which is very accurate and truthful. The incident happened on the 02/02/03. Should you have any explanations I would be interested to hear them. Also would you have a contact number or web address for Dr Fennick Southampton hospital England who are also studying such cases.

I "woke up" during the final phase of the operation to hear the anesthetist telling the group of surgeons/nurses that "we are losing her". I then heard another voice reply "we need another 20 minutes".

I saw it all in a flash..the whole scenario, but cannot recall from which dimension. I can vividly recall being frightened & then calmed almost in the same second as I found myself "floating" down a tunnel towards the bright light. I was so driven to get to the end of the tunnel, I almost overlooked the people who were also there. I suddenly realized that someone had turned his/her head around to hold my hand & help me towards the light. There were lots of people ahead of me in the "queue", and I was anxious to get to the head of it. I did not recognize anyone in the queue.

All at once, I was at the head & saw a magnificent” persona" . I was full of wonder as though I fully understood the "secret of Life". I was telling myself, remember to tell them all. The persona smiled & almost laughed teasingly at me. I was spun around by "him" before I could turn around & hold the hand of whoever was behind me. I knew that if I did turn around, I would be dead in the sense that we know it. The voice told me that I had nearly made it, but that I wouldn't remember the "knowledge" & that it wasn't my time.

As it transpired, due to my needing an emergency operation, there had been no time to ask me about any other illness/conditions. I was/am asthmatic & I reacted badly to the anesthetic. I even recall one person in the theatre asking for a helicopter to get me to another hospital.

I recall coming to & telling nurses that I was awake during the op. They told me I was silly.

Any anyway....2 days later & on the mend, the consultant came to my bedside with his troupe of interns. He asked me how I felt & told me that he's found my op tricky because my appendix had been inverted. I asked him "why are YOU asking me, it was that lady behind you that operated on me; it would be nice if she asked me? He just looked surprised but said nothing.

I had been asleep when taken into the theatre, such was the emergency.

As final proof for myself that I wasn't going crazy, I saw a man walking along the hall as I was leaving the hospital 10 days later. I stopped him and said "Hello; I recognize your eyes; you were my anesthetist"

I have been confused ever since as to whether I simply woke up too soon ( due to lack of anesthetic) or was nearly dead. I have had further experiences but would rather not submit them now.

I was at home, ill with hepatitis. I had been running a very high temperature for about two weeks, feeling very nauseous, off all food, drinking very little, feeling generally very lethargic, and was jaundiced.

I remember waking in the middle of the night. I was aware that the bed linen was saturated (feverish sweats). All the pain, nausea etc had gone. I felt so completely at peace, both with myself, and the world around me. It was a physical presence. The feeling of utter contentment surrounded me...you could reach out and touch it. At the end of my bed was a door ( normally it was a fireplace). The door was open just ajar. Through the gap in the door was the brightest light, but you could look straight at it....it didn't dazzle you. It was very welcoming. I knew I just had to go through the door, I didn't question why there was a door there, or what was beyond it. I just knew I had to go through it. Then I thought of my parents in the next room, and thought I must go and say goodbye to them as I wouldn't be there in the morning, and I didn't want them to worry.

I turned from the door with the light to go through my bedroom door to see my parents when it all went dark. The door with the light, and all the feelings of peace etc just went. I fell back on the bed in pain, and just feeling so ill, and knew I should have just gone to the other door. I would have done anything to get back the feelings of peace again.

For many years I thought I had had the most vivid dream. I still remember it with extraordinary clarity, but had never spoken about it. Then one day there was a program about near death experiences. Everyone was leaving their bodies, and floating up to the ceiling looking down at themselves. Then a woman came on and related her experience. It was so similar to mine. I couldn't believe it.

Introductory note:
I wrote this down around three years ago after a business meeting. The subject came up quite by chance when, I recalled my NDE which happened in 1964. Although I had frequently thought about the incident in the intervening years, I am absolutely positive that nothing has clouded my memory to obscure the facts.
I am sorry if the style appears literary - I had intended to offer it for publication in a magazine, but never bothered. I must stress that nothing in it has been sensationalized to clinch a sale.

------------------------

I was undergoing basic training in the Army. One of the guys there said he could make anyone faint. Now, I had never fainted in my life before although, obviously I had seen others faint, and grew curious. Being young, I felt ready for the experience.

I crouched down, breathing deeply, for 30 seconds. Then I had to take one deep breath and put my thumb in my mouth while the guy hauled me up and hugged me tightly from behind as I slipped effortlessly back to the floor. My eyes opened and I looked up at my fellows staring down at me, smiling.

It was a novelty. Others tried it. Then, after a space of about half an hour, someone came into the room and expressed interest in the exercise but was unsure. I was keen to try it again, and asked the fellow if we could do it again to demonstrate it to the newcomer.

This time it was very different.

My body slipped slowly to the floor, and everything became dark. I turned to my right and saw, alone in the cold gloom, a stranger who stared back at me in surprise. He was tall, perhaps a little older than me, and had not expected me to see him.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be all right," he said as he approached, and stood behind me. I felt as if I were being raised up, and looked down and saw my lifeless form. "They've killed me," I thought. "They've killed me. I've got to have them punished." I wanted to pierce them all with my anger.

"No, you can't do that," replied the stranger, soothingly. "You see, it really doesn't matter now. You'll understand soon enough."

I looked again at the lifeless form. I could now actually see right inside the body - the lungs, the alimentary system, all perfectly designed and fitting cleverly together. Whoever designed the human body was a genius, I thought.

I turned around, and looked up at the stranger. He now assumed a dark, golden countenance; and now I saw that he had wings - huge brown wings, flecked with yellow feathers, that flanked the whole of his form. "But I can't die yet. I'm so young," I thought.

Then I looked down and saw a family of middle-aged people whom I recognized as my mother and her sisters, weeping. "He was a silly fool," said an anonymous voice from somewhere behind me. "He shouldn't have done that. And he never achieved anything in his life.""Oh, I don't know," I said defensively. "He was quite a nice person - and I was just getting to like him.""That's not important now," said the stranger's voice. "We must go."

Suddenly I was being propelled across a vast distance - I dare not look straight ahead, but I remember looking at the wall flashing past me as I sped along some kind of tunnel.

Then, at the other end of this journey, I felt a most beautifully reassuring sense of calm. I looked down at myself in my new form; I had taken on a golden glow. I did not need to walk; I floated. Everything about me was love, goodness and warmth. Suddenly, I felt as if I had been given access to the total knowledge of the universe; I stared at a huge dark wheel, containing stars and other celestial bodies, which slowly revolved. A deep voice spoke slowly, but I could not make out what it was saying.

Then I was at some kind of entrance; a man stood in authority at the gate; he had black, tight curls and his face seemed somehow familiar. "You weren't expected," he said. His lips did not move; our conversation was entirely telepathic."Well, I'm here now," I replied, a little surprised that my lips did not need to move either.
"You can't come in," he said. Then, turning to the stranger who had accompanied me all the way here, he asked, "Why did you bring him here? You know it wasn't the time." "I was just as surprised," my companion answered.
"Now look here, I demand to be admitted." I was quite defiant to the gate-keeper. "I have arrived and I am not going to go away." He said something about asking higher authority, and instructed us to wait.

To my left was a warm golden light. My companion, at my right, pointed ahead and I saw a group of children, absolutely perfect in appearance, totally absorbed in some kind of lesson. Their teacher was further to the left, outside my line of vision. Some of the young people saw me and quickly came over and surrounded me. They were utterly delighted to see me, and I felt overjoyed to meet them.

The gate-keeper returned. "You can't stay. You'll have to go back." "But I can't. I'm dead." "It's not usual, but we can take you back. Say goodbye to these people."

The children - and I - were devastated at this news. I heard at least one of them groan. My companion saw my intense disappointment. "Don't worry," he reassured me. "You'll see them all again, soon enough." The gate-keeper turned to me again. "Now you must promise never to attempt to come here again. This is very important." "Oh, all right," I agreed, half-heartedly. "No, this is serious." He turned to my companion and asked him to fetch two people whom I would know.

Two elderly women came. I recognized them as both my grandmothers; they had died some five or six years previously. My father's mother looked grim; my mother's mother was pleased to see me but, at the gate-keeper's bidding, was quite firm in her tone: I had to promise solemnly not to try to return. I agreed.

Once more, I stood in front of the great dark disk again; as the stars and shapes slowly revolved, a deep voice said slowly: "Your time has not yet come."

Then I felt all the wisdom which I had suddenly gained was being forced out from me; I knew I could not take this knowledge back with me, but was concerned that I might lose what limited intelligence I already had before I "died".

And, once again I was in the long tunnel, feeling the wind against my cheek as I looked away and saw the long wall rushing past me.

I awoke, prostate on the floor. I felt as if I had received an electric shock, and needed to collect my thoughts. Bewildered, I looked around me. I was back. I was 17 again, with a whole life ahead of me. A long life, it seemed, before I was due to return to that wonderful place. How would I have the patience to wait so long. Immediately, a feeling of acute depression enveloped me.

My barracks room companions looked down, laughing at me. "You took half a minute or so to wake up! We thought you'd gone to sleep!"

I got up and walked thoughtfully across to my bed and sat quietly on it for the remainder of that evening, quietly reflecting on the experience; echoing in my mind were the faces and voices of the disappointed young people, the revolving disc and the Voice: "Your time has not yet come."

Twelve years later, my young son and daughter were playing one evening and it was time for me to put them to bed. My son turned and looked at me, smiling; my daughter sighed. In the golden twilight I recognized his look and her sigh immediately. They were two of the young people I had seen in my near-death experience.

Then, 35 years after the experience, I received another reminder. It was 1999, and I was in the middle of a routine business meeting with a young woman in my office in London. Although I had never met her before, it quickly became apparent that she was quite forthright in her approach with people. Suddenly, she turned to me and said, "I know this is quite irregular, but can I ask if you believe in the supernatural?" I replied that I kept an open mind.
"I have some psychic abilities," she continued. "There's a man - a spirit - standing beside you, and he's getting very impatient with me. But he assures me that you'd listen." "Has he got anything to tell me?"
"Yes," she replied. "Your time has not yet come. He says you'd know what it means."

I was in hospital following a gynecological repair operation. I had discovered that my husband was having an affair.
My son was just 3 months old. It caused me to have a prolapsed. I was desperately unhappy.

I was admitted into hospital when my son was just over a year old for the repair to be done. Seven days after the operation I started to hemorrhage very badly from the operation; blood was dripping on the floor by the bed. Nurses started rushing about and a doctor was called. I heard someone say 'hurry up get a line in' they could not seem to do this. I was told to keep very still, my life was in danger.

I passed out and came to above my body in the operating theatre; they were still trying to get some fluid into me and calling for blood to be brought in. I saw a great light, it totally surrounded me, no tunnel, just the light, shapes merging into people who were calling me saying, “come on”, “come with us”. I stayed for some time and then I seemed to hear my daughter and son calling me and I said I had to go back.

I was then back over my body and they were saying, “has someone called the husband” and someone else said “yes”. I tried to tell them not to bother I did not want him, but I could not make myself heard. I then came to back in the ward and a lovely large black woman was giving me a drink and saying, “you’re alright honey”.

A few days passed and I was very weak. My husband did come to see me and then, went back to his job some distance away.

Almost exactly a week after the first time, it happened again. The hemorrhage and being rushed into the operating theatre. Again, I was above my body and this time did not want to come back at all. I went with the light and so wanted to stay there and talk to the people I was meeting. I was told that I had to either stay or go back and look after my children and husband and find a way to helping people. To listen to what they said, and to be open to any new thoughts and feelings that would be given to me.

Again, I woke up back on the ward with the same black woman looking after me, who again said “your alright honey”. I was told when I asked who she was that there were no black people working there at that time. I have always wished that I could have thanked her properly. It was over a year getting over the whole of this experience.

It is only now many years later that I am beginning to understand what was wanted of me and am beginning to open up and slightly understand that all the horrendous times I have lived through since have brought me greater understanding of the world that we live in.

I hope that this is of some use to you.

I was admitted to the Hospital on 07/16/01. This was the same Hospital my father (81) , had died in on 07/10/01. I was in Oregon.

Following his funeral on 07/13/01, I was awoke on Monday morning the 16th by my own moaning. I was experiencing severe abdominal pain and pressure that increased in intensity until, I finally allowed my oldest son and my nephew to take me to emergency. They immediately pumped me full of morphine and poked and prodded until deciding it must be my gallbladder. The ER surgeon finally had me admitted and I was scheduled for an exploratory scope Tuesday morning. I barely remember being taken to my room.

Sometime in the night I remember a nurse waking me up to tell me to shut up "other patients were trying to sleep". I remember clearly thinking “like I have any control over my moaning". I feel sometime in the early hours of Tuesday July 16 2001 (I am awaiting records to verify) I either crashed or my vitals got very bad.

What I remember are like small mini films of certain episodes. I’ve remembered more and more with time and the memories are no longer so emotional. For a long time, I couldn't even talk about some of them without bawling. The most vivid and troubling was when I was being transferred from gurney to table or vice-versa and I chilled worse than words can describe. I chilled so quickly and completely it felt like my very core had turned to ice. My family and friends have liked to blame everything on the morphine and other drugs. I know without a doubt what I remember actually happened.

I did not lead the best life previously, like most people I did not think I was a bad person, but I had used and abused alcohol and drugs for years, so functioning "under the influence" was certainly not new to me. I also have had over 10 surgeries (5 knee surgeries alone) that involved general anesthetics so I was no rookie on the operating table either.

I remember it took several people to straighten me out from the fetal position. While I know without a doubt I was experiencing more pain than I ever had before, I still do not remember the actual feeling (thank God). My next episode involved the air tube. I regained enough consciousness to clamp down on the tube with my teeth for all I was worth as they were trying to take it out. They kept telling me to relax and it would be over much faster, so I did. I then remember thinking, "gosh they were right" then the thought, clear as day, entered my mind that after all the real life trauma shows I’ve watched on TV, now I was the show. I also remember the surgeon, whose name was Sandra, explaining to me how it was going to be a lot worse than they first thought. As it turned out I was full of peritonitis from a perforation they never found. This is why I think I coded sometime in the night. Upon my return to Tacoma I ended up being diagnosed with chrons disease.

While I don't have a lot of the experiences that other nder’s have had. I do still have a very unsettling feeling of darkness, such ungodly bitter cold, like a large void and an utter feeling of hopelessness. I am still a little leery to remember too much more as I was not headed for a good place. As to "why me" I feel absolutely that it was all the positive energy (all of our communities prayers) that were sent out on my behalf that drew attention to my plight.

I remember such a peaceful/serene feeling for the few days following surgery and I just blew it off to the morphine pump and boy were they encouraging me to use it. Well, I can't think of much else right now except for the wonderfully positive effect this has had on my life. Confusing, yes but, God for the fist time in 20 years, IT'S GREAT TO BE ALIVE.

Since I was a very small child I struggled with what I came to know much later in life as the aftereffects of an NDE. I was an only child, and both my parents were 20 years old when I was born. At 19 I learned that my mother had aborted 2 pregnancies prior to my being born.

As a child I was extremely shy and had great difficulties relating to anyone - even some family members - on any level whatsoever. I always felt very different, out of place, and was confused by the many paradoxes and contradictions of the world around me. I suffered from allergies and asthma and was sick quite often. Up until entering high school I had very few close friends. I didn't look any different than anyone else, I was never bullied or picked on in any way, other children just didn't know how to relate to me nor I to them. Most of the time I preferred the company of adults. This has changed since I've reached adulthood - I am now able to relate much better to children and find it very difficult to connect with other adults.

I did very well in school with little effort. Throughout my school years, including college, I never knew "what I wanted to be" in adulthood. No one profession or occupation ever stood out. Most of my working life has been spent figuring out through trial and error what I DIDN'T want to do for a living. Since I was a small child I have been fascinated with the concept of UFOs/alien beings. I read everything I could find on the subject and was not able to understand why more people weren't concerned about it. I was never really into science fiction of any type - I just wanted actual case studies and facts. I have never had a close encounter, abduction, or anything of that nature happen to me.

On a Wednesday morning in February 1995 I woke up with the most horrible case of nausea I've ever experienced. I didn't have the flu or any other illness, and I was not prone to stomach problems. For the next 3 days I was unable to eat anything due to the nausea. At the time my mother-in-law was living with my wife and I. She had just divorced from my father-in-law after nearly 30 years of marriage. My father-in-law suffered from depression. I was able to connect with him as he, like me, did not seem to fit well in this world. He had difficulty relating to others socially, but he had a brilliant mind.

On the following Saturday, my wife and I returned home from an antique show. My mother-in-law informed us that my father in-law had been found dead in his home. She said that he had committed suicide by running a rubber tube from the exhaust pipe into his car, rolled up the windows, started the car, laid down in the back seat, and died. Although horrified at hearing this, the nausea vanished. Days later we discovered that the autopsy showed he had probably died either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Even more ironically, during the time I suffered from the nausea I picked up my wife's copy of "Embraced by the Light". I had no previous interest in the subject of NDEs, and I even made light of the whole thing when my wife bought the book. The whole episode got my attention, and I became increasingly interested in the phenomenon.

In 2001 after enduring a string of personal crises, I read PMH Atwaters "Beyond the Light". I was deeply moved by the personal NDE accounts the book contained and elected to research deeper. I discovered IANDS, and through IANDS I found that the closest group to me was located in Columbus, OH. I called the organizer, Nancy Clark, to inquire about the group. I indicated I myself was not an experiencer but, felt great empathy for those I read about. I attended the next meeting despite my wife's objections. The group is small, but very diverse. It surprised me how many members were not experiencers. For the first time in my life I felt deeply connected as if I truly belonged. The group discussed things openly and open-mindedly I had never had the opportunity to before. After the meeting I sat in my car and openly wept. I had never experienced anything which touched my heart the way the group did.

During the following months I prayed daily for God to reveal to me my mission. In prayer I made it clear to God that I would accept this mission, whatever it was, and do his will. My mother lives near Columbus, so I would visit with her and my step-father on the weekends of the meetings. My mother asked to attend one of the meetings with me. She attended the June meeting with me and was intrigued, but she felt she wouldn't get much out of continuing attending.

Three days after we'd gone to the meeting, my mother called me and asked why I was going to the IANDS meetings in the first place. I told her I never had an NDE but, I could relate and connect with those who had. She wondered if this had anything to do with what happened when I was a baby. I had no idea what she was referring to.

My mother went on to relate how, at 14 months, in January 1967 I had a severe allergic reaction to something, and she had to take me to the hospital. The roads were very icy. She came to a bridge which was closed due to the ice. She had to be escorted across the bridge by local police. Upon arrival at the hospital, I was taken to the emergency room. My father, a state trooper, arrived shortly thereafter. After 15-20 minutes, a doctor came to my parents and advised them there was nothing more that they could do - I was dead. He told them I was dead on arrival and had probably died enroute to the hospital. My father would not accept this. He had the doctor take him to my body. My father then began performing CPR despite the doctor's insistence it would be to no avail. The doctor assisted my father, and moments later I revived. After remaining hospitalized for several days the doctor expressed his astonishment that I had not sustained any brain damage or any other ill effects. I was released without needing further treatment.

I nearly dropped the phone as my mother told me this. She said she just assumed I knew. From that moment so many things in my life suddenly made sense. I now knew who I was and, while I still feel like an outsider in many respects, I have an understanding of why and the feelings of alienation are gone. Words are inadequate to describe what I think and feel, but I am blown away by it all, grateful to God, and I cry every time I think about how all this came about. It is not important to me that I have no memory of the NDE itself, and I honestly don't try too hard to remember.

At the next IANDS meeting I told Nancy Clark what my mother had told me, and she was not surprised. She had been contacted recently by the Cleveland Public Library requesting she give a presentation on NDE's in the near future. She asked me to do it, I accepted, and I gave the presentation. In college I had dropped speech class 3 times before finally completing the course due to my extreme discomfort with speaking in front of groups. Nancy and I decided it would be a great idea for me to establish an NDE group in Northeast Ohio. I am working on that now, and I am convinced that is my mission. I am very thankful to have been touched by the grace of God. I consider my experience to be a gift, and I intend to use it to help others find their way.

I have Esophogeal Varices, apparently from alcohol related circosis. I blew out Varices a total of 9 times. All happened within a 2 year period.
I was told I would not survive if I continued to drink, and very possibly if I quit drinking and took many BP related meds. I have a Medical Background. In between the 8th and 9th Bleeds, I decided that I was ready to die, and was no longer afraid to do so.

My wife had told me after my 2nd bleed, that I had a lot of nerve to leave her with a 14 year old boy to raise by herself, and that had not been her understanding of things between us, and "I had another thing coming, if I thought that was fair"

When I bled again, I WAS ready to go, and should have died on the helicopter enroute to the Med Center. I did not.

But after arrival, I could feel life slipping away, and thought, well Now is the time. I was so very cold. And, once I thought I was dying, the lights were getting dimmer and dimmer (I knew what that meant). I felt comfortable, and the pain all went away (the worst back and stomach pain ever). I no longer noticed the cold. Anyway, the voice of my wife went through my head along with some of my life experiences. Once my wifes voice got to the "fair" part, I realized that it was truly unfair of me to go without attempting to stay. With all my strength, I was not happy about it, but ones word is all one has. So, I fought back.

It was the worst 15-20 hours of my life. The Pain. The Cold, (much of that from cold blood infusion, 4 pts at a time) And, the stomach pain after emergency esophageal surgery, was all never-ending. Several times, I considered letting the Dark back in, but could no longer let it come.

I survived the experience, and stopped drinking alcohol at all. There was much depression, and terrible weakness. It was 3 months before I rode the motorcycle I promised myself, if I fought and lived.

So, I'm here, helping raise my son, and enjoying my wifes company. Riding my motorcycle is my only completely "at Peace" time I have. I do enjoy my computer, and when I can get around, I work on computers and sell a few to my previous customers only. (I owed them, but I never promised to live for them)

So, I consider this a Near Death experience, although I never felt that I left my body. It was just dying around me. I do believe that had I not had a change of heart, and put all effort into staying, that I would not have lived, and might not have anyway. A heart rate of over 200 for 8 hours WILL kill you. I did not even have a heart attack. My specialist decided that I did NOT have arteriosclerosis, since I did not have a blockage.

I am not joyous about it, and have disappointment that I have not recovered more energy, since. I am as good as I am going to get. Quads hit a similar wall, when they realize that it isn't gonna get any better. Just something else to deal with.

I have, however, kept my word, and my son is now 19.
Since I have such Peace when riding my motorcycle, it allows me to take life one day at a time.

I hope this helps someone, if nothing else, to determine that I did Not have what y'all call a NDE.

Was going 40 miles per hour on a narrow two lane road with no shoulders (5pm Sept 8, 1993), just guard rails. A car in front of me, about 150 feet was hit by on coming car crossing the double yellow. After they collided the oncoming car that was put in a spin headed right for me. I figured, I had slowed to 20 to 25 mph at impact. The spinning car was probably going at least 25 mph when it hit me.

I had thrown my self to the floor of the passenger side, seat belt wrenched me, gave me a baseball sized bruise. Knee hit under dash, neck and lower back hurt. Nine months of physical therapy 3 nights per week, 3 hours each time.

I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Was prescribed painkiller and sent home that night.

I took painkiller and tried to sleep on the couch. I felt so tired. Never in my life did I feel so tired. But, I could not sleep because, everytime I closed my eyes, I saw the car spinning and coming at me. I took another painkiller for the pain was still bad. I was not thinking right and took a glass of wine to help me sleep.

I would say as soon as I finished drinking it, I was at the ceiling looking down at myself. I saw me sleeping and saw all the furniture in the dark family room. I remember just looking and feeling just fine with being up above myself. After what seemed like a minute or so, I somehow got back in my body and woke. I found myself struggling for air like I had held my breath for a very long time. That’s it. Thanks for reading.

In 1991, I woke up and experienced severe pain in my side; I was unable to move due to the pain. My father found me in this way, and immediately took me to the emergency room.

Once there, I remember lying on a gurney in the emergency room. All of the doctors had gone to check on other patients. My father was there with me.

The next thing that I knew, I was "floating" above the gurney, looking down at myself and my father. My father started yelling for the doctors, and he was shaking me, trying to get me to come back.

Later he told me that he didn’t know if I had died or just passed out from the pain.

When my dad was shaking me, it immediately brought me back into myself on the gurney. I was kind of mad. I didn’t feel like anything was wrong. While I was "hovering" above myself, I felt none of the severe pain. The minute I went back, I was in intense pain again.

I went to the hospital. I was 6months pregnant. I was not seen before this so, I had no idea what was about to take place. I was in hard labor. The doctors tried to stop it with medicine but it continued. They x-rayed my stomach and said that I was pregnant with twins and that the chord was wrapped around one of the baby’s leg and around the other babies neck. So, it would be safer for me to have a c-section. They put me under. I slowly stopped hurting.

It was so nice, a bright light. I traveled down a tunnel. A bright light was at the end. That’s when I saw my grandmother, she smiled at me and took my hand. That’s when I saw myself on the table.

They were cutting on me but I couldn't feel a thing. As we continued to watch, they pulled a baby out. It was a boy. The doctor gave the baby to the nurse while he continued to try to deliver the other baby. The baby boy cried and, the doctor told the nurse to take the baby up to the next floor. Then he pulled the next baby out and she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She was very small, unlike her sibling who looked like he was a very good size baby!

I then watched the doctor clean me and sew me back up. My grandmother said that I must go back. I told her that I did not want to go. But, she said I had a job waiting for me. I went back.

I laid for two weeks. When I woke up, I asked my husband where the babies were and he said I only had a little girl. I told him he was wrong. He said, I just dreamed everything. Then when that hospital got busted for black marketing babies, I still couldn't prove anything but, I know my grandmother and I know the real truth!

I had been drinking heavily for days, with little or no sleep. I felt horrible about myself and had given up hope. I wanted to die.

I had a business, my child and all the material things I wanted at the time. My esophagus was starting to rupture. I had an ulcer and I was so past drunk that no amount of alcohol could make me feel drunk and the thought of the hangover if I quit drinking unnerved me. I was desperate.

After a night of drinking I passed out and woke up an unknown time later in my room on my bed, around morning. I tried to get up but my heart was pounding fiercely and I was passing out. I tried several times to get up thinking that I just needed to drink a beer or some wine to get to feeling better. I was feeling worse than I have ever felt before, like I was having the worst hangover of my life. But, I did not care about getting up to get a drink after a time and I was just lying there.

To my left there came clouds and bright white, orange and golden light. I turned my head and there came a man out of these clouds, with other beings behind him a short distance away. He was wearing an orange and rust colored robe over a cream colored robe. (Like Jesus). I remember thinking that the colors were not what I would have expected. This man had collar length brown hair and a closely trimmed beard and mustache. The most remarkable feature about him was his eyes. The thought of his eyes brings me to tears sometimes. They were very large and very brown and he seemed to speak through them of supreme compassion, patience, indescribable love, joy and a complete acceptance of me just the way I was. I also felt that I had and always had his complete devotion and attention. He simply looked at me and though he did not speak, he asked me, "Do you want to come with us now, or stay and fix your life?" Then he just waited, smiling at me, gazing at me, while I considered the question and my life. There was so much I wanted to do and I thought of my daughter. I was very aware that if I had wanted to go with him it would have been an acceptable choice to him, but the decision was mine. At the moment of my decision to stay and fix my life I was aware that I was never alone and that I would have all the help I needed to get through my life and do what I needed to do. I remember the certainty of that and an overwhelming presence of God and of this man that was looking at me with such total love. It felt like my soul expanded with every second in his presence. When I told him (without words) that I wanted to stay, he smiled, beamed, at me and turned around and walked back into the clouds.

I was able to get up with no heart pounding or hangover, and made phone calls to my mother, who called a woman in AA to talk to me. I called an AA center and talked to a friend of mine who happened to answer the phone. This friend of my mom's and the friend of mine told me how to taper off the alcohol to help me with the withdrawals. I asked my mother to come over and she did. I was 'sober' for about 20 minutes to do all of this and then, I spent the next 5 days in and out of consciousness having very bad withdrawals. But, I remembered the man and the promise that I would have the strength and the help I needed. On the fifth day I went to my first AA meeting, August 28, 1989 and have been sober ever since, remembering that I am not alone and that I chose to be here to 'fix my life'.

I remember, seeing the light from a flashlight in my face, shouting and the sound of my raspy breathing.

It was nighttime. Then I remember dropping my pink bunny doll in a parking lot, I was being carried quickly in my mother's arms.

Next, I was above my body, seated with legs crossed, my arms around my knees watching 'the body' and a doctor and some nurses around the body. I felt something I can only describe as compassion and mild curiosity and pity at the same time. I saw the people working on me, but did not understand what they were doing. I heard someone say, "We've lost her."

And then, my attention turned to where I was. I was in a dark place, on the edge of that place and the room below. I felt deep peace and no fear at all or desire to return to my body. I had the sense of a Great Presence coming towards me, and could see some people in the distance walking slowly towards a bright glow. I knew that I was not to join them. The Presence grew closer and I felt an indescribable love, compassion and joy wash over me.

Then, I knew with no words exchanged that I was being gently sent back to my body, to my life. I accepted this and protested it in the same instant and was immediately aware of entering my body feet first through my head. It hurt physically and spiritually, like I was being squeezed into a space much too small for my spirit and I heard the sound of myself taking a breath like a swimmer breaking the surface of the water.

I remember nothing more about that night except that, I felt a deep compassion for other people afterwards. And, a sense of how big we all are, spiritually. I have always remembered the strength, love and gentleness of God. A certain sense of humor, and the peacefulness of being in His presence.

I had Histoplasmosis and was given an antibiotic that I was allergic to. My children were ages 4 and 6 and I was a full time welder. I felt myself dying from the feet up going numb and fighting to breathe.

An ambulance was called but there was no time my husband took me to Hospital. Your hearing is last to go as I heard the ER resident screaming "she is dying her BP is 40 by palpation, I don't know what to do"

I left my body and I don't know why I was laughing at him he looked like Oliver Hardy. I went in the waiting room and saw my Mom and kids, my poor daughter had stepped on a cactus getting out of the truck and Mom was helping her get the thorns from her foot. Mom was crying and when my daughter asked why she was crying she told her "Oh, I burned the pot roast and papa will be mad at me" I felt so light and free I laughed again.

Suddenly the brightest, most intense tunnel of light pulled me toward it and I heard my Uncle Al Long whistling and I headed up the tunnel. I felt lighter than air, like love was circling all around me and I was a moth being drawn to that loving light. Suddenly a voice I can only describe in my Christian Religion as Jesus told me I had 2 babies to raise and I could not leave them. I felt like a big hand "pushed" me back into my body and I landed with a "thud" and was very angry for a while.

Now it seems to have happened again, it is slowly coming back to me, I had a cardiac catheterization January 3, 2003. I started having reperfusion pain when a stint was installed into a coronary artery. The pain was severe and I heard the tech say I was in an arrhythmia. I was begging for something for pain and then I "blacked" out. Next I remember I saw the tunnel of light but my mother was walking down stairs in the tunnel to me and my father was with her. I am remembering this slowly just as I did in 1980 and I am crying a lot as I just lost mother last year and she told me something and I can't recall yet what it was. But, I felt their love for me.

Is it normal for it to take so long to remember?

Now, this is before I smoked, cussed or even had indulged in the occasional alcoholic beverage.

I was the all American boy, and never did anything wrong. It was in the summer of 1987. It was hot that night, and I was coming home from a party with some friends. I came home and went upstairs to my room after saying goodnight to my parents. I went to bed with just a pair of shorts on, and slept on top of the covers of my bed. I do not know how long time passed but I started to get cold, so I tried to move to get the covers over top of myself, but my arms would not move. I tried to move but my body would not move either. The way I was laying in bed was in a prone position with my arms to my side. I noticed I could no longer feel my legs with my hands. I started to get nervous.

Then I noticed for the first time I could see the ceiling of my room and it was drawing closer. This started to freak me out so instinctually I turned my head around and saw myself lying on my bed with no covers on being completely still. This in a way was shocking but exciting as well. I turned my head back to the ceiling just as I was passing through it. I thought I would see the attic of my house but instead I was in a very dark, chilly, peaceful place. Once I was in this place I noticed Immediately how peaceful this place was. I try to explain this to people when I tell them this story like "Imagine the most peaceful place you have ever seen, then multiply that place a million times" (now most of those people never talk to me about it now, I guess they think I am making it up or that I am just nuts. Anyhow, there I was in this peaceful place and suddenly I felt a warm soothing heat on my right side. I turned to see a beautiful bright light beckoning me towards it. As I started towards it I realized what was happening. I then told myself "I am not ready Yet!"

As soon as I let the "t" out, I was jolted up from my bed. I let out a cry, and I could not stop crying for 20 minutes afterwards. As soon as I started crying my parents rushed in my room. They tried to console me, but did not understand what I just went through. Especially since I could not talk for 20 minutes.

After that experience I noticed a change in myself. I was no longer afraid of death. Actually I wanted to go back to that place. I never wanted to commit suicide, but I was on a road of self destruction. I started smoking and drinking and more sexual experience. I know one thing that I wanted to do is experience the most out of life as much as possible. I turned into a very sure of the moment kind of person. Which ever way the wind blew I was there from travel, parties, adventure, jobs and women. These experiences lasted until I realized that I was going to be a father in 1998.

I noticed that I had other "gifts" that still are around. Some more predominate now than when I was younger.

I noticed I was more in tune with emotions of other people. I knew what people were feeling before they even spoke a word. I could feel things around me. I notice people around me out of my peripheral vision sometimes. I see some of my relatives in my dreams just before I go into REM sleep. I have just recently and rarely started to hear voices, but are muffled so I really don't understand what they are saying. For the past couple of years I notice when I talk to God that I start to get chills up my spine and on the right hand side of my body that start at the top of head to the soles of my feet.

These things are common to me now.

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 89, breast cancer in Feb. 93, I had a blood clot and cerebral hemorrhage on Easter Sunday of 93. Overnight I was in intensive care and on dilantin. When I awoke the next morning interns were making their rounds. After they were done talking with me, one stayed behind and told me something very profound, but to this day I don't recall what it was.

When they brought me up to my room I didn't recognize my husband and thought I was still living at my old address. I told him I had seen the angels while floating above a body. I didn't know who it was. I didn't find out about the out of body experience until last night, Jan. 7, 03 when my husband, Tom, told me. After I told him, I ordered a book on NDE. I must have blocked it all out. The medication might have had something to do with it.

I really became completely transformed and shocked while writing a book on my personal journey. After I was out of the hospital and during a doctor visit, I was told I shouldn't be here. I went home that night and had three dreams...each one more powerful.

I believe GOD has been guiding me all my life, I just wasn't aware of it until I started writing. I've been very intuitive and somewhat psychic all my life.

I now read the Bible I haven't read since JH school. The book I wrote involves an archeological excavation of a very important ancient rock shelter, and the 60ft. cross I came upon suddenly one night, while hunting for a shower after the day's dig.

Please take time to read about my three deep dreams. Visit "A Second Chance" at:

http://hometown.aol.com/mqhayes/myhomepage/faith.html

I have had cancer 3 times along with MS and thyroid disease and feel I'm here to help others.

Thank you for reading this!

As a small child I drifted freely between the realm of the spiritual and physical realm. As young as the age of four, I can remember leaving my body when my mother put me to bed. My body would be in bed but, my spirit drifted freely through the house. From room to room I could see my siblings asleep in their beds, I soared down the hall into a darkened kitchen that filled me with fear. Still my spirit went there. I trembled for a moment until I was able to control my flight. Christmas Eve, at the age of 5, I drifted into the living room and observed the lights on the tree for some duration. I saw all the decorations we had prepared for the holiday, the stockings etc.

I told my mother of these experiences. She advised me to place a glass of water at my bedside at night. "This way my spirit could find it's way back to my body." For years I did this alongside my Bible. My mother was not a Christian but very familiar with the spiritual realm. My folks are descendents of the Louisiana voodoo culture. It was often believed that ancestors came with messages, gifts, and warnings. This spiritual activity was nothing unusual to my family. My Grandmother favored me at a young age. She spoke of gifts such as dream telepathy and supernatural powers inherited me through my ancestors.

Through my teenage years, I sought to leave these experiences behind. I was often visited by spirits of unknown origin. Some peaceful, some that left me restless and disturbed. Sometimes feeling almost assaulted sexually. I resided in a two-story home. It was a very large home. A balcony exceeded as an entrance for spirits to access. It was almost like a (Jacobs ladder) I could almost feel their flight onto it. When they entered, their presence was known. The feeling of thickness of "you're not alone."

I grew-up and had babies of my own. My daughter was a sleepwalker and spoke in her sleep of things that had not yet come to pass. In the year 1999 I became I’ll with a pre-existing heart condition. A bizarre tumor had grown in my lung and had been pressing against my heart. For many nights my spirit took flight headed straight for the heavens at tremendous speed. When the realization kicked-in the fear would jerk me back into my body. Soon, I slept in an upright position supported by pillows.

One week before the removal of the tumor, I laid on the sofa exhausted from a hard days work. I drifted off into sleep. During my sleep my spirit left again racing at enormous speed into the blue sky. It took me as high as the clouds. At first, I thought I was dreaming, I soon realized that I was dying. I thought about my young son and I panicked. What would happen to him? I was all he had and the grief would surely destroy him. My heart pumped hard and fast so that my whole body jerked with its beat. I realized that for a moment I had died, but my spirit was not ready to leave my son and it returned to my body.

After the surgery, I lost a Beloved friend from cancer of the liver. I had gone to see him in the hospital shortly before his death. I grieved deeply for him. As I tearfully drifted off into sleep, I asked, “Why didn’t he say goodbye”. My bed shook as if an earthquake had taken place. I was quickly awakened. The smell of his cologne filled my room so strongly. Only he wore that fragrance and I knew it was him. I got up from my bed to make sure no one had sprayed any perfume. The house was still, the children asleep. I spoke my peace and expressed my sadness over his loss. For a moment, I knew he understood and wanted to respond. Slowly his fragrance left the room, as if he just came to say goodbye.

Today, I sleep with a clear glass of water beside my bed.

I had been bleeding internally from a surgery and had to have an emergency surgery. After this surgery I was in a coma for about 4 days. I came out of it, had units and platelets of plasma. I was gravely ill in intensive care, no one thought I would I would survive. I questioned it myself.

One day as I was lying in bed, I had difficulty breathing. The alarms went off and I had oxygen on and a doctor was there asking why I couldn't breath. There were a number of nurses in the room. Suddenly, I couldn't breath much at all. Then I felt a rush of freezing cold come over me, then incredible warmth, a feeling I really can't describe. I could see and hear the nurses and the doctor. One nurse was practically on top of me with the thing they pump over my mouth, yelling at me to come back. The doctor was shooting things into my IV. I didn't realize at the time that I had respitory failure then heart failure. All I knew was that I was safe and free from pain, not just physically but, emotionally as well. I only felt one emotion, pure comfort. Totally safe. No fear. I watched as they worked on my body. I knew there were others with me although I saw no one. I liked where I was, I didn't seem to feel the emotions we feel here. And I was still whole. It was me watching them work. All of me. As I said before, it is difficult to explain.


I awoke to a cardiologist opening my neck and placing a wire down into my heart, as he apologized for not having any painkiller because he said there wasn't time to get one.

This is where most people do not believe me although, most of the nurses did at the hospital. Some were afraid to come into my room in ICU. I returned, but I would say not alone. A man whom, I felt no fear, but safety with him there. He never once looked at me but, stood face forward between me and my monitors. And a girl, she was pretty, with long blonde hair in ponytails with pink feety pjs on. She stayed in the corner of my room and kept her eyes on me constantly. Again I felt no fear. When I would begin to have heart trouble, I would look at him and it would go back down.

I made what was considered a miraculous recovery. Once my heart and body were under control, my visitors were gone. I was at deaths door and two weeks later I was almost totally well. If you could have seen how bad off I was.

For me, I feel as if I have return with a re-newed spirit. Even different in some ways. I moved from my home with my children. I stopped talking with and seeing my old friends. Friends since middle school. And I don't miss them. I am able to be far more patient and compassionate to others than ever before. And I absolutely believe there is a God. No one can shake my faith in this.

Here is the part that disturbs me. I feel as though I have returned with answers to questions that I never asked. I am sure now that our sole purpose on earth is to learn to live, love and respect one another. I now follow the path that God has laid out for me. Nothing or anyone can deter me from this.

The hardest thing for me is that I was brought up a Christian. I never doubted always believed in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But, now, I no longer believe that Jesus was God or the Son of God. He was a gifted, faithful man, chosen perhaps to spread the work and word of God. But, not God. I am sure as well that my experience was not that of an evil power as you would easily feel and see if you met me. For obvious reasons I do not tell many people about this. Recently, I have found the need to learn about Judaism. This is so strange for me because I have always felt hostility towards Israel due to their policies and violence toward other humans. And today I believe that Judaism is the true religion. The truth that so many of us seek.

My entire life has changed. Where before happiness was so hard to find, it is all I know now. Anything I need comes to me. I feel blessed.

Another thing about this experience is I felt guilty when I returned because when I was there, I didn't miss anyone. Not my children, my Father, no one. I believe these painful emotions no longer exist when we move on. All I felt there was a total comfort, which is something you can never know physically here on earth. I no longer fear death although I do not consider it "death" any longer. It is the next step. My compassion is more for those who are left here. Feeling that of loss and despair.

Anyway. That is my story. Only the few believe me and that is ok with me. Because now I know the truth. I know I have a purpose in life.

Thank you for having a place that I can share this. It is such a huge part of my daily life. And no one can truly understand.

Mine happened in 1963, when I was 8 years old. I had become very ill with flu-like symptoms and could not hold down any food or fluids for almost a week. I remember my mother calling the small hometown doctor on the phone with concern in her voice, but he always assured her, without seeing me, that it was just the flu. I will never forget the burning sensation when I vomited only yellow bile, something I believe the doctor was not told. Then, as days passed and I became weaker, my vomiting quieted down. Both of my parents worked and they needed to get back to their jobs, so toward the final days of my sickness I was left alone during the daytime.

On one of those afternoons I was desperate for a drink of water. Somehow I peeled myself away from the couch and steadied myself before taking small steps to the kitchen sink. That glass of water tasted better than nectar, but as I turned back to the living room my vision turned white and I passed out. I woke later on the kitchen floor and I have no idea how long I had been there. That evening I told my mother about the experience and she looked very worried. The next day I suddenly felt better and I even got up to play on the floor. I felt fine, but I was extremely pale, and my father insisted that I be taken to the doctor anyway. I'll never forget the look on the doctor's face when he put me on the examining table. One jab in my gut around the appendix told him all he needed to know. I remember the urgency in his voice as he told my mother to get me to the hospital immediately. My father's job had taken him out of town that morning and could not be contacted for several hours. My mother balked and the doctor insisted again that the situation was serious. He ordered an operation that very afternoon and I was taken to the hospital for admission.

The nurses worked quickly as they took off my clothes and shaved my belly. Mom was in and out of the room as she made phone calls to people who could help her contact my father. The hometown doctor came into the room to see me before the operation, and he introduced me to another doctor who was a surgeon. I didn't know it at the time, but the surgeon had driven 90 miles at high speed to help with the operation. The shaving was done, my mother told me not to worry, but she sounded scared, and I was wheeled into the operating room. Now I was scared and I started to cry. The nurses were a bit stern which made it worse. I detected a funny smell and complained about it. They lied and told me it was the rubber on the wheels of my gurney. They were preparing to put me out with ether. Soon a mask with a screen was put over my face. Then the screen was covered with a towel, and the ether was poured onto the towel. I was told to breathe deeply like I was blowing into a balloon as I coughed and cried. Soon my head swirled around my body like an orbiting planet and everything went black.

It was soon after everything turned black when I realized that I could think and wonder about where I was. The best interpretation my child-like mind could decipher was that I was floating alone in the vast, dark universe. Soon I saw wisps of cloud-like creatures flying about with ease. They began to fly past me as they twirled me around. I became frightened and they seemed to fly closer when they noticed my fear. I remember them taunting and giggling as they spun me around. I became so afraid that I cried out in fear, and I asked for it to end. Something then changed as I noticed that I was floating upward and away from the wisps; again I was alone in the universe as my fear subsided. Soon after I noticed I was floating upward to a large circular, cone-like formation that was dotted with sparkling stars. As I looked upward into it I could see it spinning, and the stars were more concentrated toward the smaller opening at the top. I floated upward as I gained momentum and soon I was at the top of the spiral tube where I hit a sort of barrier like a bubble that has come to rest against something that has trapped it.

I stayed there for a while and felt no need to move about. Then suddenly I felt something tugging on me from the other side of the barrier. I was grabbed by the arm and pulled through the barrier to the other side. I had been pulled through by a young man of about 25 years of age. He was very friendly and seemed surprised to see me. He didn't know who I was so he asked. I couldn't find my voice so I just stood there. Then a few other people came around to look at me. They were older people and very kind. They asked who I was, and I said my first and last name, which made them ask more questions. They said we were related, but they wanted to know who my father was. I again said my name, and I told them I was my father’s name. Then they seemed to gasp because they knew my father. The older people introduced themselves as my father's grandparents, and they were very gracious, very happy to meet me. The two grandmothers hugged me and made sure I understood that I was in a safe place because I was very confused as to what was happening. They introduced me to the young man who pulled me in. He was my father's cousin who died in the Korean War.

As I spent more time in this place I seemed to gain strength, and I realized that it was warm and comfortable. We were all surrounded in a white light that was very pleasant. I also noticed that we all had a bluish glow about us. They showed me some high-backed chairs that they often would sit in. The chairs looked somewhat like thrones to me. They showed me a chair that would someday be my fathers, and then they showed me a chair that they said could be mine if I would sit in it. I sat in it for a moment, but didn't want to get too settled in as I was curious and wanted to look around. Then they showed me generation upon generation of my father's family going back for hundreds of years, and each of the people they showed me was sitting in their chairs. They could be seen going back toward a more intense light like steps of a ladder. The older generation people did not come forward to greet me and I don't remember if they were able to acknowledge me. However, the more recent generations seemed to at least say hello.

At some point during my visit with my father's grandparents told me to wait for a moment because a very special person was coming to greet me. The person they wanted me to meet was an older woman who glowed brighter than the others. She too showed an incredible amount of love and affection for me, but hers was much more intense. This indeed was a very special woman. I was totally enveloped by this woman's love and felt completely at ease; much like an infant who has fallen asleep in the arms of their mother. She told me many things and I understood that the glowing light was the presence of God. She said that she was his messenger who was assigned to review my life. She had the ability to reach inside my mind and pull out the memories and events of my life, which we reviewed together like a flickering movie. She seemed pleased with what she saw until we came upon an event when I had been extremely angry with my older brother. We watched together as I walked behind and hit him over the head with a baseball bat. Steve cried real hard and she explained that hurting another like that was never acceptable. I was totally ashamed as she moved on to the rest of the review.

When the review was over, this special woman brought me back to my father's grandparents and said that it was time for me to make a decision. I could either stay there with them, or I could go back to finish my life. My two great-grandmothers tried to convince me to stay, and they encouraged me to sit in my chair again, which I did. But soon I was up and about again because I felt unsettled. Then the special woman told me that if I decided to stay my mother on earth would be very sad. I told them that I loved my mother and I didn't want her to be sad, so I wanted to return. One of my great-grandmothers protested and said that if I was sent back it could destroy me because life was so hard on earth. The special woman told her that my decision to return must be honored and I was brought back to the place where I had been pulled through. All of the relatives were talking at once and seemed real concerned for me. They instructed me to do my studies in school and to read my books. But at the same time they seemed to be telling me what my future would bring. I remember something said about writing a book, and that I would be married and have a little girl. I also remember some ugly things, like many tanks rolling over sand dunes in a war. All of these things have come true to some degree.

The young man who pulled me through in the first place was the same one who sent me back down. He told me to let myself slide and to relax. The trip back down was not as pleasant and it happened quite quickly. The last sensation I remember was slipping back into my sick body and recalling what it felt like to be here. I immediately asked myself why I came back to such agony. Soon I opened my eyes and found my living grandmother holding my hand. I immediately told her that I was gone for a while, and that I had met her mother who was very nice. She looked absolutely stunned as the other relatives in the room assured me that it was just a dream. I knew they were wrong, but I was too sick to argue.

It was a Friday evening when I died. I was with friends, and we were all partying with drugs and alcohol. All night I was doing speed-balls, (heroin and cocaine), as well as drinking alcohol. It was about 9:00 p.m., and we all went into my bedroom so we could do some more drugs. While in the bedroom, I offered my friends a speed-ball, and they all declined, and instead did some cocaine. My friends expressed some concern regarding the amount of drugs I had injested, and thought that I should lay off the heroin and cocaine. I told them that I was okay, and not to worry about me, I knew what I was doing. So, I ignored their concerns, and did the speed-ball anyway.

As it turned out, that speed-ball turned out to be a lethal dose, causing me to overdose, I was clinically dead. When I crossed over, I had no idea that I was dead, I had no idea that I had lived on Earth, and had a family, there was no transition at all. I experienced the "light" while I was there. The light was not from a bulb, or in one area, it was everywhere. There is nothing on Earth that I have seen that could compare to the "light."

One would have to truly experience it for themselves in order to fully understand. I can tell you that I felt love, peace, strength, and warmth from the light. I sensed that I was surrounded by hundreds of people, but I could not see their faces or bodies, since we were in the spiritual realm. We were all standing side-by-side on what was similar to an escalator, which was constantly moving. All of a sudden the "escalator" stopped, and I was now going to be shown a review of my life, and be judged for my actions.

I remember looking up and seeing, as if it were across the sky, my sister at 6 years old, and myself at 5. In the review, I was very mean and hateful to my sister, and calling her names and making her cry. As I stood in judgment, the "light" telepathically communicated with me and informed me of my hatred. At that point, I felt overwhelmed with guilt, shame embarrassment, and humiliation. My feelings were very intense, I had never felt anything with that intensity before, I just wanted it to end, which it finally did, but it was not over!

The intense guilt and shame I experienced was the worst feeling I had ever known, but it was about to get worse. What I felt next was the worst pain I have ever experienced. Suddenly I realized that I had become my sister, I was "put" inside her so that I could now experience that gut-wrenching pain that she felt due to my actions. I have never felt any pain like the pain I was now experiencing. This was the worst feeling I have ever known, and I was begging for it to stop. I could not handle the pain anymore, and I would do anything to make it end, and suddenly it was over.

The "light" told me that the sins of a haughty spirit was the worst sin of all. At that point, the "escalator" started moving again, and it was moving in an upward motion. The "escalator" stopped again, and I was told that I am not to enter into the kingdom of heaven at this time. Instead, I was being given a second chance, I was being sent back to Earth in the physical realm. I was further told that I had to change my ways by loving instead of hating. The "light" informed me that I would not just be returned to Earth, but that I would bring the pain that I had experienced back with me. I was told that this pain would stay with me until my spirit had shed its earthly skin, that is, I would experience and carry this pain until the day that I would die.

I returned to Earth, and it would be about 3 weeks before I was on my feet again. It has been 5 months since my near death experience, and I remember everything as if it had just happened. And, yes, I did bring the pain back with me, this pain that I brought back was the pain my sister felt when I hurt her so bad. My sister's pain that I now carry, serves as a reminder of the importance of how we treat one another, and that we should love all, and hate none.

As a result of this experience, I am experiencing my spiritual awakening, and I can't wait to go out and heal and love the world.

I was in my parents car with my parents and my little brother. I was sitting on the rear passenger seat. My dad crossed a busy road and I saw the car coming from my side and slapped into the door where I was sitting.
I jumped high in the air and fell down on the road, then my parents car turned on itself and pushed me with it and the wheel stopped at my right ear.

I was in the deep coma, hearing everything around me but could not say a word. The screamings and cries were just unbearable to hear. I was seeing different pictures of my life and they would just pass in my mind. Everything was so heavy and I could not move neither talk. I could hear though every single sound multiplied as if there was a speaker with a echo effect on it.

Then I heard the ambulance arrive. Once inside the ambulance truck, my dad came in and started again to cry, scream and express his faults, his guiltiness about all this. I was feeling at the same time so light reaching the Light. I was in that tunnel getting closer and closer to that Light. It felt so good and light in the Light... And again, the cries of my father were just unbearable. I could not understand why there was so much pain on earth, why human beings were so much in pain because I was just fine and light.

Then I encountered beings of Light whom I called my Angels. It was awesome and they told me: "You're okay. everything is okay. dont worry." And I knew it.

Then I arrived at the Hospital and there, the nurse says loud, there is a serious case and he is dying. Then I heard that I was dead. Then nothing. I guess when they might have put chemicals in me, I quite am not sure.

Then I woke up several days later and the nurse and the surgeons could not believe it. I heard them say: "It's a Miracle!".

I had head/cranial traumas, my left eye was out of its orbit, and my right ear was damaged. My face was quite in a mess. The surgeons even could not understand how they were able to fix especially my eye. They said that it was held by a very fine ligament that could have cut off even during the surgery. But I believe the Angels held it so I did not loose my eyes.

3 to 4 weeks later I was out of the Hospital. The only effects were that I could not take any elevator of any sort because of the gravity pressure.

Years later, I heard a voice saying: Now it is your turn to contribute to other Miracles through Music.

I remember each time my parents and I would be invited somewhere, people would ask me to play the piano. I would prefer to play whatever comes to mind instead of remembering a Classic piece. And people would amazingly feel very well after me playing which I could not really believe. I thought they were being so polite to my parents or it was really true and I was freaked out.

So I kind of refused these results for years.

Now I am a Music Healer. I accepted all my experiences and the learning and teaching and the communication with the Beings of Light.

I moved to the USA in 1999. I have 2 cd's out and am recognized as a new age artist featuring with artists such as Vangelis, Yanni, Kitaro...

I also give weekly Healing Services and many healing have taken place each time.

I express my experience the most often possible so people who had that same experience and did not have the opportunity to talk about it can relate with it and open up to talk about it and heal with it.

I believe that we do not have a NDE for nothing. Everything happens for a reason. And I am more than delighted to help people around me to find what is this reason.

My healing work consists on revealing Soul's Mission with the Angels.

Thank you for reading my story.
Hope it can help.

Remember, we are never alone. We can be so helped when we open our hearts to the angels, to the beings of Light... and Life is so good!

One evening I went to bed as usual. During the night I had an experience. While I was sleeping I became 'mentally' aware that I had left my physical body and that I was dead.

I felt no pain, fear or concern. It felt like a completely natural state of being. I was in a pitch dark soundless void...it felt like I was in outer space...and I kept telling myself to look for the 'light'.

While I was still looking for the light, I became aware of a voice in my mind telling me to go back, it is not my time yet. I could not actually hear the voice, but it was like a thought that had been planted within my mind by someone else and I had no choice but to obey.

The next thing I remember was sitting upright in my bed gasping for breath. Although I am an asthma sufferer, this was a very mild attack and I only needed a quick puff of my medication to feel normal again. I just knew that I had died and was sent back (don’t ask me how), which was strange because at the time of this incident I did not actually believe in the afterlife or a God.

Has it changed me or my life? I cannot really say that it has, except that I now believe we have a 'soul' or something that stays alive and leaves the body...and that it feels like a very natural thing to do when it happens... I often wonder who it was that had sent me back. Was it God and was my NDE a mistake that had been made in another dimension?

At 6 yrs old, my brother, cousins and I went down to the lake for a swim. I could not swim, and so I stayed by the dock where I could hold on to something. My brother learned to swim by someone tossing him in the water and saying "swim or drown". I was on the dock and my brother and cousin each grabbed my hands and feet and tossed me in shouting "swim or drown".

I remember looking up at the surface of the water after awhile, and seeing my hair floating on the top of the water surface, glimmering in the sunlight. I felt no pain, or drowning sensations, only calm. Then there was a warm surrounding light. It became brighter and brighter. There were hundreds of beings -- souls -- around me, and I felt the total complete love and acceptance. Such an overwhelming love, that I could never explain with words. I was part of them, I was loved, and accepted, and wanted, and at home. I felt that they were loved ones who had passed on, but no true recognition of who they were, they just all felt familiar to me. I wanted to go with them and learn all the answers to my questions, but a large being appeared before me. She felt like a female, and I gathered that she was an entity of great authority, because the others still hovered around, but in the background, all around us. She spoke to me without words, and told me "I am sorry my child, but you must go back. It is not your time, and you have many great things that you must do first before you will be allowed to return here." I can remember being angry that I would not be allowed to stay. I remember my will resisting, and wanting to stay. I wanted to stay in this place more than anything. Time and space did not exist. Gently, she placed her hands upon my shoulders and pushed me away. I was so angry and fought it. The place was so peaceful and full of love. I can remember the sensation of falling backwards, like being pushed backwards off a two story building. When my spirit re-entered my body, it was a horrible body slam, that knocked all the wind out of me.

I awoke to the paramedics resuscitating me. I was clinically dead for 6 minutes.

After the experience, I was very aware of the world in a spiritual sense. I sensed things that others did not. I saw visions of things before they happened, and sometimes after they happened. I daydreamed alot, and could never distinguish the daydreams, from the actual visions. The visions stopped when I was 13 after a particularly traumatic vision.

I do not know what my special purpose in life is, only that I have one, and that I must fulfil it. I do not know if I will even be aware of it when it happens.

I was involved in a MVA with a train in June of this past year (2002).
My passenger was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. I remained conscious throughout the entire time of the accident and following it.

My experience was the filling up of the car with white hot light. Alot of heat involved in the light. The passenger was surrounded in it, almost golden. I knew she was dead but felt almost detached like I wasn't involved. My senses seemed so intense and acute I felt pain from them, sight, sound, and smell especially. My nose filled with the scent of newborn baby's neck. (I hope this makes sense). It is a very sweet smell that babies only have for a few weeks following their births. I laid my head down for a moment and closed my eyes, felt warmer. But I felt such a PULLING at me...that I wasn't to just stop.

I could not get out of the car by the door, so I slid out the broken window like a snake and hit the ground. While lying in the ditch, I experienced sights, sounds, and smells acutely again. As before, I almost felt I was looking down upon someone else.

The only grief I felt was regret at leaving my children behind without warning and sadness at what they would have to endure following my death. I saw my cousin who was brought up with my family as a sister to me. She has been deceased since 1994. After I told the Ambulance attendant my children's names and what messages I had for them, I remember a feeling of snapping, almost. Like, a releasing of all will to live and letting go.

My injuries turned out to be fractures of the C7 vertebrae (neck), back, multiple ribs, pneumothorax (collapsed lung), internal bleeding from a tearing of my liver, head lacerations requiring stitches (50).

I was airlifted to nearest trauma center where I had other strange occurrences but am now willing to blame the heavy medication I was on following the accident.

In the labor room, I heard one nurse scolding another nurse because I was given two doses of Pitocin, a labor inducing drug. Everything that followed was a blur: the spinal bloc, the actual delivery.

Then I became aware that I was in a private hospital room. As in a dream, I floated to the ceiling. I recall turning to the right and being drawn to a warm, white light. I thought to myself that I felt exhilarated, free of all pain, and I had never felt so wonderful. I did not look down at my body on the stretcher/bed. I traveled at an angle, maybe a 45 degree angle. When I floated through the wall of the room, the immediate area was dark, non descript. Just ahead I saw a narrow tunnel. The warm light was visible at the end of the tunnel. My flying sped up and I was drawn to the light. I was not afraid. The tunnel walls were rough, looked rocky. The tunnel was narrow and become lighter as I approached the light.

Suddenly, I stopped just beneath a rocky ledge, on the left hand side. The mist was swirling and I had difficulty making out the figures in the background. Suddenly, my Uncle and my Grandfather stood several feet away, elevated above me. My Uncle did most of the talking. I say talking, but it was definitely telepathic. In a rush of words, I informed him that I thought I had just given birth to a baby. I wasn't sure that this baby survived the delivery. My Grandfather gestured that the baby was alive. I sighed a breath of relief. Then I told my Grandfather that my husband and I had adopted a baby boy. Told him that he was six months old. My Grandfather made a sound that I couldn't quite understand. Then my Uncle waved his arm and told me that I had to go back to take care of my babies. I hesitated and responded that I wanted to stay with them. “No”, my uncle insisted, “you must go back”. “It's not your time”. I reluctantly agreed and assured him that I had a duty to take care of my family. My Grandfather told me [telepathically], not to forget my Grandmother. He distinctly told me. I told him I would.

At that moment, my body was quickly sucked backward. I saw flashes of colored light in the tunnel; it was beautiful.

Suddenly I felt excruciating pain. Then, at that moment, I knew I was back in my body. I was very groggy, but I opened my eyes. My mother a nurse and, my husband were standing by my bedside. A day or two later, true to my word, I named my daughter in memory of my Grandmother.

While driving my truck I was suddenly looking at Satan, I was frightened and tried to turn and look for help or a place to run. I was unable to take my eyes from Satan. I must tell you that Satan looked just like me. Only the difference was at that time there was no recognition of self on my part. I did not know him to be me. I hope this is understandable?

While trying to turn and look for help I had the sensation of a horde of people behind me, only a sensation. This did the trick as far as relieving my fear. Then a question was put to me, "shall there be mercy?" I answered “yes”.

Immediately the scene changes to one of total sensation. I was floating in the ocean of gods love for me. That is to say, I was being permitted to know that he has, does and will always love me. I was permitted, what seemed likes many minutes, to enjoy His love.

The scene changes again, now I am feeling the effect of every selfish act, word or imagination I ever had, not as a form or type of punishment, more that I was experiencing the emotional reaction god had to my selfishness. I never knew what remorse was until that moment. The remorse was transformed into a kind of humility. Not the humility that one might expect of a saint or monk living in a monastery. No longer did I feel as if I were better or worse than anyone else, a leveling of the playing field, if you will.

It is certain to me, had I not said yes to the mercy question, I would be dead now. For the weight of my own selfishness would have crushed me.

The scene changes again, now I am being lifted up cradled or placed on ones hip as a mother or father may do to a young child, then I heard , I see, and I was looking at the earth. There is one earth with a dividing wall or curtain or some kind of veil. The veil made a complete circle around one earth, I understood this earth to be the world of everyday ordinary life. I was able to see some people walking up to and through this wall.

Others would walk up to it but could not or would not pass through. Some never seem to realize there was a wall at all. Outside the wall people were doing basically the same as those inside, living their lives. There seemed to be no distinction or biased on gods behalf. His love was equal for all.

Then I heard someone yelling, trying to get my attention. I looked up from the earth scene, what would be a due north direction, and there I see a line of people, they were talking, laughing, some seemed to be dancing, and at differing intervals the person at the head of the line would slide down into the earth scene.

The scene changes again and I am back driving my truck. For the next three or four days a variety of unusually and completely unseen events took place. Far too many to recount here. In closing I will say that being in his love was the best moment of my life. Feeling his remorse for my selfish actions, has been the worst moment of my life. It was a bittersweet experience. And I would not undo any portion of it.

About 3 am Sunday, September 8th, I stepped out of my hospital room and looked toward the end of the hall. My mind told me that if I could run fast enough, I could project myself into the warm, bright light I was seeing there and when I came through on the other side I would be at home with my husband and children. It was a light like none I had seen before, warm, glowing and bright like the sun. I could look right into it though and it invited me to run toward it. I ran as fast as I could and then hit that wall so hard with my head that nurses in other sections on that floor of the hospital heard it.

I staggered momentarily and fell on my back on the floor unable to move. I felt no pain and I saw three hospital employees (nurses, I guess) huddled over me. My life began to pass backwards through all the people I had loved in my life. I felt like I was on a downward spiral ride. I looked at each of the people kneeling next to me over and over again and every once in a while when I would think of a specific person, that person I was looking at would take on that image. As I recognized each face I would say the name of person and they would nod at me in an affirming way. My thoughts continued to reel backwards like a movie. It all started very fast, than slowed down and stopped when it came to Eric. Eric was my childhood boyfriend who was killed in a drunk driving accident when we were juniors in high school. I have believed for many years that Eric has been my "guardian angel." At that point, I shut my eyes and rested my head back on the floor. I heard people working feverishly around me. I realized that I wasn't breathing, but I wasn't struggling. I could hear the sound of my heart beating and it kept getting slower, and slower and slower...then it stopped. I heard someone say, "she's gone..." in a quiet whisper, then I sensed a white sheet being pulled up over my head. There was perfect silence and peacefulness, but I was not scared.

I opened my eyes and lifted my head...it was the only thing I could move. What I saw was a man's face just a few inches in front of mine. He had short brown hair and a light beard. His eyes were looking right into mine like he was trying to convey something to me with his thoughts. We did not speak. He did not touch me. We were alone together in a void of white light, everything else had disappeared. I didn't hear voices, but these thoughts came to my head. I was dying and being reborn all at the same time. I shut my eyes again and felt like I was being submerged under water. The thought I had then was that I only had to hold my breath a little longer. The thoughts in my head told me that I would hear a loud sound, see a bright light, that all I would have to do was breathe and that everything would be okay...but that my head was going to hurt pretty bad. All at once, that's exactly what happened. I exhaled with a gasp, opened my eyes and began to cry. There was major pain in my head and neck, but I could move my arms and legs again. The scene had returned to normal, but there were new hospital staff people around me and they were trying to decide what to do with me next. They eventually put me in a neck brace and on a backboard to take me for some tests and x-rays. Then they wheeled me back into my room to let me sleep.

For weeks I have tried to figure out exactly what happened to me on that floor. I didn't ask any questions to the nurses or ask to see my medical records. I actually believe that for a few moments that I was dead...or that part of me died. For awhile I thought it was Eric who I saw there in front of me, but I had my mind changed when I went to a church retreat a few weeks ago. There was a big picture of Jesus on one side of the cabin. When I looked at it, it was like a sudden flashback that took my breath away. It was the same eyes, the same face, the same expression, and I began to sob. I knew at that moment how Mary Magdalene must have felt when Jesus cast the demons from her. Jesus was at Memorial Hospital the night I was there and he came just for me...to heal me and to save me. Everyone was astonished that I had not seriously injured myself after such an impact. My doctors and nurses seemed dumbfounded that following morning that all that had been wrong with me was totally better. I didn't have a single episode after that and I was ready to go home.

I sit and think a lot. I think about that face I saw and I wonder where I was at that moment and what my true condition was. Mostly what I feel is thankfulness and love. In that moment I had lost all hope, I thought I was alone, separated from everyone on the face of this earth who cared about me. In that moment, there was only one person who could save me...little 'ol me, flat out on my back on the floor of a psyche ward. I sit and pray in quiet company of he who saved me, and weep tears of gratitude and offer words of thankfulness. It is not my body that was rescued, but my soul. My body was brought into this world March. My new spirit birthday is September.

One day, a very long time from now, I will look upon his face again as he welcomes me home for all of eternity. Until that time I will learn all I can about how to be one of his disciples. All that we have here is nothing compared to what awaits us in his Kingdom.

I Accidentally overdosed on pain meds I was given because I had broken my left ankle, leg bone had to have surgery (plate and screws were put in). I also had nerve damage (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy 3rd stage) I was in excruciating pain (accident happened June 4th, 2001).

On July 12th 2002 at 1am my husband found me in bed, blue, making a gurgling sound, not breathing just exhaling. He called 911 and started full CPR. I had to be shocked twice in my bedroom, bagged. I flatlined in the ambulance in my driveway, Paramedics had to start chest massages again off and on for about 35 minutes.

At the hospital I was put on a respirator and transferred to a trauma I.C.U. The E.R. Doc. told my husband she didn’t know if I would live or not or if I did, what the extent of brain damage I would have. That it would be at least 48hrs. before they would know. The CAT scan results were good. I woke up 15 hrs later (to the amazement of the ICU Doctor) confused but, in good health. I was taken off the respirator a few hours later. The ICU Doctor told me and my family that I definitely had some help from God. That he had never seen anyone in the shape I was in come out of it as early as I did and totally unscathed. I was given a paralyzing drug to stop my thrashing before I was transferred by ambulance to the Trauma Center of a different hospital.

Okay, this is hard for me (I am crying), this is what I dreamed? While I was unconscious. In the beginning I was walking somewhere and it was dark, it looks like a different Town or City. Someone is with me but I cannot see who. I now feel I cannot breath nor move, I am terrified, then I calm down and I am thinking where am I. At first I tell myself I must be dreaming. I think I am in a movie theater. It is so dark I can see nothing. Sounds crazy I know, but then I realize or I am thinking I have died. I am now in a house or building or something, there are other people but they do not notice me or speak to me. I am thinking that this is some sort of waiting room or purgatory. The noise I hear I cannot describe it is so loud, deafening! I am suddenly outside the place looking at some water, a lake I think, there are what looks like little demons of some sort, but they don’t scare me I ignore them. Then I am then in a different room with others and again I feel like I am waiting to go to heaven and the noise is still so loud. I am confused. I don’t feel I belong here and I am wanting God. I suddenly began to move (sort of like floating) towards a tunnel, the others I sense are mad because I am going ahead of them. I am sucked up into a tunnel that feels like and I get the sudden knowledge that I am in a birth canal heading toward a light, it is very quick and when I get to the light I see a woman in an ambulance. I am thinking that I am to be reincarnated as her child. I have never believed in reincarnation. She is African American and I am white. (I know that I am white and I am thinking how can this be how can I become her child now). The race difference doesn't matter to me. I am thinking she is a nice person I would like to be her child. But then I have a baby in my arms I know that it is her child and at first I am thinking that I am bringing her, her baby. I know that I am taking her baby to Heaven. I go through the light with her child and I come back through the light and now I am walking down the tunnel again I have a little girl of about five years of age holding my right hand and walking with me. I pass two women and it is the first time someone notices me, they smile. I pass a man who looks at me and says angrily why does she get to go! I ignore him I don’t know who he is referring to, the little girl or me and I don’t care. I go through the birth canal feeling again (it is painful both times) towards a bright light. I go through with the little girl when I come back through she isn't with me. I am scared because I don't know where she is, then I realize she is with Jesus. I feel good that she is with Jesus, but I feel sorrow for her mother. Then I walked back passed the three people and I myself. I am walking towards a light there is a woman with long dark hair in the light I am thinking that she is my grandmother only she isn't old anymore. She looks at me and tells me "It’s not your time, it just isn't your time". She is smiling. Then I am seeing a woman (she is beautiful with long brown hair) at the end of my hospital bed, and I can see myself lying in the bed, I am confused, I look at her and I am speaking to her and I don't know how because I can see myself in the hospital bed with tubes down my throat, hooked to machines. I am trying to convey to her the dream I had but she already knows and asks me while smiling "did you see the light". I answer “yes”. I look at myself in the hospital bed, then look back towards her and she is gone. Then I wake up.

I can't move yet because of the paralyzing drug. I hear my husbands voice but I can't raise my eyelids to see him. When I can move he realizes I am awake and tells me I am in the ICU at the hospital and that I overdosed on the medication, I don’t know how but I already knew what had happened to me. My leg that had been extremely swollen and red and purple and glassy for the passed 13 months including the day of July 12th from the nerve damage was now perfectly normal! No pain, just normal! My Doctor had no explanation other than by the grace of God.

I can't stop thinking about it. When I told my husband about the "dream" he asked me if I could think of him or our kids. I didn't. I could only think that I didn't belong there. Was it a near death experience or was I dreaming? I am very confused. I wish someone could help me understand one way or another. I have also suffered from Cluster headaches for the passed 22yrs once a year for 6 to 12wks. I was expecting them in November this year. I didn't get them. I don't know if I will get them but I am thinking that they are gone forever now. Any info. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening. P.S., Please, I don't want anyone to think that I was or am a drug addict, I am not. It was a terrible accident and I am thankful to God for my second chance.

I saw myself on a couch.

I had lost alot of blood because of internal hemorrhaging.

I saw a bright light, and I had never had such a feeling of complete peace. I did not know who I could tell this event to. It was such an incredible experience.

I sometimes feel that I should tell people so that they would know how wonderful it was.

Dec. 27, 1977 I was a self employed Stained Glass contractor. I'd had a call to bid on some new stained glass windows for a Church. I left home approx. 7 AM. I was headed around a curve and saw a log truck in the opposite lane. All of a sudden a car passed the log truck coming into my lane. I hit the brakes.

Next thing I'm floating and watching two ambulance attendants pulling me out of my pickup. I remember hearing "Well, we don't have to worry about this one." It started getting darker and I started moving faster and faster and still darker, like being in a tunnel. In the distance I saw a light, brighter and brighter. I was completely at peace and wanted to go to the light. Then I'm standing in front of a man. The most perfect man ever seen. The light surrounding everything. He was the light. Then he said, "You can't stay, there is something you must do".

Next, I woke up in the emergency room in the Hospital. I didn't know who I was. Now I laugh about it, but I pulled out my wallet, looked at my driver’s lic. and said “Hey I know what my name is. I've been in a head on collision.” After a conversation with the nurse and realizing what had happened, I had the nurse call my wife so I had a ride home. My face was cut pretty good and they took me by ambulance to see a specialist. Again I called my wife and told her where I was. I was angry because she wasn't there to give me a ride home. The doctor sewed up my face and wanted to put me in a room for the night. I told him my wife was on the way and I was going home.

We stopped on the way home to pick up my briefcase and my hearing aid from my pickup. I was shocked at the amount of blood in the pickup. Back home at 7 p.m. and back to work the next day. Afternoon of the 28th I went to the Medical Center for a complete checkup. Spent several days being sore and had the sutures out.

I have told my story many times and still wonder what it is that I must do.

I suffer from sleep apnea. Momentarily, I'll stop breathing for a few seconds then gasp for breath (my wife of 18 years has related this to me many times). This time I must have forgotten to breathe.

I also have very vivid dreams in color about flying (like a bird) and, ordinary life experiences, not of this life but, another in the past or the future. I can't be sure.

I dreamed I was driving a car, and crashed. I could feel myself slipping away. My sight faded to black. Then I saw my body lying on my bed as if I where floating above the bed. I became aware I was surrounded by the blue sky and a feeling of complete relaxation, without any fears. There was a rope I was following that looked to be made out of long strands of hair, twisted together. I think I was moving up as I could see the rope stretching into the distance above me to a brighter light and, below me to darkness. After awhile, I could see what seemed to be the edge of a city in the distance and I could here voices calling to me! I came up to a figure who was standing beside my rope path; he had long dark hair, curly at the ends, a full beard on his face. He was dressed in a purple robe, or coat with trousers or pants, flared out at the ends of the sleeves and pant legs. His clothes looked to be edged in ornate gold embroidery and he was surrounded by a large halo of soft light. He was holding a large and very old looking book and was smiling at me. He opened the book about half way though, moved his fingers down the page like he was looking for a name. Then he spoke to me, saying that I was there much too soon and that I should go back, but he would see me in awhile. He didn't say my name though, as if he knew exactly who I was, and we'd been friends a long time. So, I followed the rope back to the darkness; then I could see the earth below me (the same way it would look to someone in space I think, with the clouds, oceans and landmasses. I followed the rope right into my bedroom, and re-entered my body (weird feeling)! That’s when I woke up and jumped out of bed, shaking, and covered with a cold sweat.

Do I believe in an afterlife? Completely. I now think that we occupy our bodies here on this plane of existence and will be all going to a far better place when we leave this life. I don't believe in the idea that there's a 'HELL'-- I think this is something the churches dreamed up a long time ago in order to keep people in line and to always have a captive audience that would and does support them. That may seem like blasphemy to many religious people but I don't really care, not anymore.

I know where I was, and where I'll be going in awhile and I'm no longer afraid of death. Death is merely a step to a higher plane of existence for the spirit. And, when my time does come to pass I will welcome it, because that's when I'll be able to enter "That Great City in the Sky".

Thank-You for having a place to tell this.

I had bronchitis, what my parents thought was a very bad cold. I remember being on the couch in the living room. Later on that evening my parents put me to bed, but I don't remember getting there.

During the night, my mother came to check on me. I remember her shaking me. I was barely breathing.

Then I remember being in the car for a moment and then I was in the hospital.

I was out of my body in the corner of the room looking down at the doctors and myself. They were all running around me franticly. I remember shouting and people moving fast. But there I was above it all and it was peaceful and interesting more than scary. I was wondering what was going on.

While floating there, there was a something behind me, not so much a person but maybe a void or a strange warmth. It’s the kind of warmth that you get from a heat lamp, if you’re right in it its warm but, if you’re just outside, it is cold again.

Then there was a feeling or a voice, like when you're visiting and your mom calls out, “OK, time to go home”. And then, that was it. When I woke up I was in an oxygen tent.

Years later my mom told me that I was just squeaking air into my body and that the doctors said that if they had gotten me there 5 mins. later there would have been nothing that they could have done.

I always felt different as a child and even now. Although as a child you don't know why. At this point in my life I have more of an understanding.

I've always had a deep connection to animals. As a child I had a recurring dream that I was told by God that this was my job. That I was to take care of any hurt animal that came my way and he would always take care of me.

I was diagnosed with severe allergies after my first asthma attack, and animals were on the top of the list. We had 2 cats and a bird at the time and we had to get rid of them. I couldn't even go to a house that had a dog or cat without taking medication before hand. But as I promised, if I found a hurt animal, it came home with me. If it had fur or feathers it couldn't come in the house but we always made a warm home for it in the garage. My poor mom even helped me set up a tank for a bunch of baby snakes I found. The mother had just been run over by a car. The babies were squished out, still in their birth sacks, I got them out and put them in my pocket to bring home.

My love for animals continued, I took every medication known and even did years of painful allergy shots. I would get welts 4 in. across from the shots. I got thru college with a major of Animal Science, it wasn't easy. When I got out I took a job with a vet and then with a pet shop. I was having 2 of 3 asthma attacks a night, my doctor advised get a new job or get a coffin. I was on my way to a doozie of an attack. I got a new (non Animal) job.

My allergies have gotten better thru the years, and so has medication. Cats can still kill me though. cut my air right off. But I do have dogs at the moment. But...anything that has come my way and needed help has gotten it. It’s a vow I feel compelled to keep.

In August 1964 my daughter had just been born.

I hemorrhaged and lost three pints of blood, which the midwife had just been weighing and had left the room.

As I was lying there I started to leave my body. I floated above the bed gradually seeing my body growing smaller and smaller. I kept on looking at it as though I was viewing the inside of a doll's house with the roof off.

There was darkness all around me, no white lights and tunnels, just blackness. When my body on the bed was a tiny speck it was as though I realized what was happening and I told myself that it was not my time to go, and just as I thought this, I whooshed straight down into my body.

I was never given a blood transfusion and it took nearly two weeks before I was strong enough to walk.

Two years later I had a son in hospital and was given a drug to stop me from hemorrhaging again, and 17 months after that I had another son, again in the hospital.

My daughter has since had two daughters of her own, but five years ago
Contracted meningitis, was in a semi-coma for a month, and experienced the same NDE, but hers was slightly different to mine.

I didn't know I'd had a NDE till a long time later but always knew something had stopped me from dying.

Brought Back From the Brink of Death. Saved By the Holy Spirit.


My new house was built in Oswego Illinois on January 1995. I bought new
Furniture and decorated the outside with new shrubs and trees. On May 25th 1995 I was going to the hardware store when I tried to avoid another car merging into my lane. I swerved out of control, ended up going in the opposite direction. I hit an oncoming ambulance and a large tree.

Another ambulance was summoned; it took them many hours to stabilize me before transporting me to the hospital. I was unconscious at the scene and remained comatose for over 2.5 weeks. Injuries included acute respiratory failure requiring respiratory ventilator for 10 days, collapsed lung, multiple rib fractures and Traumatic brain injury. I was initially very impaired unable to walk, talk, swallow and the use of my right hand.

On June 12, 1995 I almost slipped the surely bonds on earth to touch
The face of God, but my spirit was caught by Jesus Christ who brought me back to earth. He gave me the power and strength to rebuild my body and spirit.

I first went to the rehabilitation hospital, I was there for seven months, and this was the first stage of my recovery. After the rehabilitation center, I started walking around the subdivision for about 2 years.

In 1998 I went religiously to the athletic club and started to rebuild my body and mind.

In the year 2000 I started doing water aerobics, yoga, kung fu in the sauna. By doing all this stretching my recovery has been accelerated to full recovery!

On November 9, 2002, I was whitewater kayaking on the Medina River in the Texas hill country with four other paddlers. As we approached what appeared to be a low-water dam, I went ahead to scout it. Then I saw a Ford Expedition drive across it, so I knew it was a low-water-crossing road. There was water on top of the road, so I tried to scoot my kayak across it, with me in it, but the water wasn't deep enough. I slid off the road, and turned sideways, with the road on my left. The boat capsized to my right, and I was upside down, held in the boat by my spray skirt. Since I had not yet learned to roll up, I pulled the spray skirt, intending to swim back up to the surface, but a strong current grabbed me.

I was pulled underwater and into a pipe (about four feet in diameter), which ran under the road. There was no air in the pipe. The water was running very fast, and it was very turbulent. I was trying to figure out what was happening, and I'd figured out I was in something, and opened my eyes just a bit and saw daylight, then I was spit out the other end.

My main concern as I stood up in waist-high water was my contact lenses, which were still in my eyes, but re-arranged. After blinking a few times, and having the lenses go back to where they should be, I realized what had happened, and then I got scared. The other four kayakers saw the incident and thought I was gone and would die. We found my boat and paddle downstream, but I don't know if they went through the pipe before or after me, or if they went over the road.
I never lost consciousness, and I didn't have time to be terrified while it was happening to me--I was still trying to figure out what was happening when the pipe spit me out.

When I went home, I had a strong sense of being glad to see my home, husband, dogs, and cats again. In the days to come, I developed whiplash in my neck, which my chiropractor fixed. I can only guess that it came from being knocked around in the pipe, but I don't remember. I was wearing a Kevlar-reinforced whitewater helmet and a PFD (life preserver vest.)

I'm not sure if this counts as a bona-fide NDE--please let me know! Everyone I tell about it, especially experienced whitewater kayakers, gets very wide eyes when they hear about it, and mentions that half the time those pipes are clogged with debris (which would have trapped and drowned me), and tells me I'm very lucky to be alive. I feel very lucky, and I thank God.

My sixth year of camp, my group was separated from the rest of the buses and put into a bus that would fit 15 people because there was no more room on the others.

It was the older group so of course we were jokers with the counselors that were with us for those two weeks.
My counselor said the next time we rode in the van I would be able to sit in the passenger seat because I hated the music that they would play, but he said: "No, sorry not this time sweetie". It wasn't that big of a deal anyway. So I sat on the first bench in the middle seat. We waved our goodbyes to the others at the camp and I was sad as usual.

We were on our way about 15 minutes behind the other busers so the counselor that was driving was speeding. I had known this guy for several years as he was there most of the years I was and he was a pretty crazy driver/person.

I was not wearing my seat belt at that time, never at camp and never driving with him. I suddenly felt like something terrible was about to happen and I put on my seat belt.

Let us call the driver Collin.
Well Collin thought he would put the van on cruise control at 140mph and then take a dare by putting both his feet on the dashboard. I screamed at him to stop and so did the counselor in the passenger seat. As he was taking his left leg down from the dashboard it appeared to be stuck, then suddenly a squirrel ran by us. Collin decided to swerve the van and so we hit the ditch straight on , bounced on impact 5 times and rolled another 100 yards.

It was amazing. I remember swerving off the rode and just taking a deep breath, thinking that this was it and squeezed my eyes shut. My entire life flew before me. I saw myself as a child, things I had never known
previously to me. As this was happening I saw someone smiling at me the whole time. I saw a golden light that made me blind but kept on seeing even though it was blinding even to the sun if it had eyes.

I then awoke hanging upside down in a state that was sort of a fuzzy haze.. I saw bodies everywhere, which I thought were dead. One person next to me had his foot caught in the seat which broke it and the other was bleeding from the head.

The guy who saved my life was lying there moaning from the pain. I later found out that he had broken an arm, a broken leg , stitches from head to toe, three broken vertebrae’s, broken ribs, you name it...But he lived, we all did.

My mother later told me that a police officer had said we were all suppose to be dead. The roof of the van was completely caved in and upside down mangled and crushed in all places. It's miraculous.

All I can say is that if I hadn't of worn my seat belt I would have gone through the window and died, or if my counselor had decided to let me sit in the front seat I would have died. But, something saved me from that...something that wouldn't let anything happen to me because something would have without me knowing it.

I was experiencing the third day of chest pain. It felt like something was trying to come out from my collarbone on the left side of my neck.

I do not remember out of body occurring before I was at the hospital though my memory during the hours before being taken to emergency were sketchy. The first out of body experience occurred while I was sitting in a wheelchair waiting to be admitted. I remember looking down and seeing myself hunched over in the wheel chair. The I was back in myself and remember looking up from the gurney, from my own eyes...but there seemed like allot of "interference" like when the TV is scratchy, the noise. The attending physician gave me something and everything became black. I was looking down on myself again. There is a chunk of time I don't recall. During that time I was taken from the emergency room to ICU. During that time I had my Experience.

I remember seeing these sparkles like jewels before my eyes. I remember trying to focus on the sparkles and as I did, this wall came into focus. The wall was alive with blues, purples, reds and oranges sparkling on it. I became aware of this golden sandy floor. My perception was of seeing from a height taller than my physical being. So in some part of my thought I knew I was floating. I looked around at the place I was and saw that I was in what appeared to be a huge cave or cavern. To my left and slightly behind me was this field of golden, sandy, boulders and beyond the boulders was this cliff wall that went so far up that the top was lost in the gloom above. I saw what appeared to be my physical self lying naked on the cavern floor leaning up against a boulder. And yet, I knew "me" too and, I was levitating above the ground.

I became aware of the light at the same time that I saw this coweled being appear. His cowl was of this strange sort of bluish gray color. I say "His" because the voice he would speak to me in was masculine and had the sense of being ancient. ... I do not remember if I approached the being or if He approached me but, I remember trying to levitate up to look in the opening of His coweled hood and this voice in my head telling me it wasn't important, and then dropping down and yet still trying to look up the sleeves for His hands. I do not remember clearly all the words that were given me. I know I was given a choice to remain or to return to my body. There was a task that needed doing that I was especially well suited to but that, if I chose to remain another could do that thing. (I don't remember or if I ever knew what the thing or things were). I saw past Him and there was a tunnel leading toward the dark and I remember the fear of that way.

And I remember the light far down the cavern whose shine was the source for all the light in the cavern and I remember a sense of yearning for that way. But, I chose to return.

I remember a whirlpool of sludge type composition, like the mud-laden water of a flood and there were large objects in that whirlpool.

The next thing I remember was hearing the nurses say that I would not be coming to for some time yet because of the morphine they had given me. The doctor walked over to check on me and leaning over me...I reached out and grabbed hold of His necktie... In that place where I had there was no pain and the temperature was just right. I had a sense of well being. I knew who I was though it was not important. I remember the sense of innocence and child like curiosity that I felt. I was definitely not afraid. Even when looking down the dark tunnel.

I was finally able to begin articulating about this place after I found a rock, calco-pyrite, while walking through a toy store with my children. The colors and the way it refracted light reminded me of my experience. I bought the rock and went home and drew a picture of the place I had been. I also looked up about the rock and found that it develops from iron pyrite being exposed to great heat and is often associated with sandstone.

I want to go back to where I was and look forward to the day that the tasks that I returned to this life to conclude are finished.

I had been sick with the flu for days and I wasn't taking very good care of myself. (I have a history of S.V.T's (super ventricular tacnycardia sp?).

On the forth day I felt better and I ate a piece of pizza with my family and friends. It didn't 'sit' well and I was soon in the bathroom. I was very hot and I took off my sweater. (I call my experience my Elvis Presley impersonation.) I was sitting on the toilet feeling very faint, I never feel faint, and I have never fainted. I yelled for my spouse, Dave. He didn't hear me so I yelled louder. I heard my friend Sheila tell Dave that I sounded weird and he better go see if I was alright. Dave came up and stood in the doorway looking at me. I told him that my heart felt funny. That is the last thing I remember of a 'physical sensation'. I guess after I said this I went stiff and started convulsing. I fell off the toilet and got wedged in between it and the standing shower. Dave said that my eyes were in the back of my head and my lips were blue. He yelled for Sheila to come help. Sheila worked as a nursing assistant. They got me 'un-stuck' and they got my pants up. They had me in a sitting position on the floor. Sheila said that she could not find a pulse.

What I remember:
It was completely black. I had no sense of a body. I was very confused. I explain it as the feeling you get if you’re very little and you lose your mom in a crowd. It was total fear and aloneness. For a second I thought I might be in hell, it was so empty. Then a PEACE came over me. I felt like I was totally loved, totally happy. I had no fears or worries or pains. It was wonderful. I started hearing music. Beautiful music and, I started seeing a mirage of colors. Suddenly I heard a faint voice. It felt like apparently I had been "moving" because I started to feel like I was coming down, like a helium balloon being pulled. I heard Dave and then Sheila, they were saying: “COME BACK” “COME BACK”!!!!" I was hearing this very quietly at first and than as I 'sank', it got louder and louder. I then felt my body and knew that Dave was screaming in one ear and Shelia in the other. They were inches from my head. I felt groggy and light and I said, "I want to go back” and Sheila said, "You aren't going any where but the hospital." They said I was very dehydrated and they gave me an I.V of fluids, they told me to rest. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything the rest of the day.

I was almost giddy for months, because I KNEW that there was something better after this. I have no doubts about death. I don't have any fears about what happens when this body is done here. I have a sense of Underlining peace in my life now. I'm thankful.

My near death experience happened after cardiac surgery.

At the time of surgery I was already critically ill in fact, I was dying from congestive heart failure caused by congenital cardiac problems associated with Holt–Oram syndrome. I had not experienced any major problems with my heart up until about roughly a year before my surgery.

I have been told since that the doctors involved in my case were not overly confident that I would make it through surgery because even as I was being anaesthetized, I was turning blue and my breathing was erratic. However the surgery itself went well and I was moved to the cardiac intensive care unit and all seemed well until I was extubated and allowed to breath on my own.

I began having breathing difficulties soon after and had to be re- incubated. To cut a very long story short, this happened three times in total over a six week period and I needed to have a tube with a balloon on the end inserted into my groin which went up to my heart and pulsated with every heart beat. During this time I did have brief moments of consciousness as the doctors took me off life support periodically to see if I was able to breath on my own but I think for the most part I was unconscious.

Firstly, I would like to share with you a rather odd experience I had during one of the times when was I conscious. I had only been breathing on my own for a short time and started to have difficulties, I was gasping for breath and getting quite anxious. As you can imagine it is very frightening when you can’t breath properly. I think I actually blacked out for a moment and when I came to there was a nurse with short black hair and features that could have been male or female, wearing a white uniform standing by my bed holding my hand and telling me to breath. The nurse kept saying “ Breath, breath with me, that’s right, big breath in and then out” This went on for a while and I think I dozed off and when I woke the nurse was gone but, came back a little while later and held my hand and told me to keep breathing. I went to sleep again and when I woke this time there were doctors all around me and I was put back onto life support. I never saw the nurse again but I remembered her/him when I woke up properly and wanted to thank her/him personally for being there and getting me through that rough patch. I described him/her to the nursing staff, my husband and family but everyone said the same. There was no one working there that fitted the description besides, all staff including most of the doctors wear blue theatre gowns with blue pants. Not one of them wears white top and pants. After much thought I realized that I had never actually heard the nurse’s voice, he/she didn’t speak out loud. I only heard the voice in my head. The hospital I was in was quite old and used to be an old quarantine station and it has been suggested that the person who looked after me was a ghost. Who knows? I do know I was awake and I vividly remember the nurse being there and what he/she looked like.

I also remember having what I can only describe as extremely vivid dreams. For instance, I can remember being in an ambulance in the hospital car park and hearing the heart monitor I was attached to beeping. I distinctly remember becoming irate with a nurse and hitting, scratching and yelling at her. There was also the time when I was planning to escape from the hospital but was aware of having tubes in my neck and elsewhere which would make it difficult to get out. I was also moved to other hospitals, including a psychiatric hospital and left on a trolley outside a hospital dinning area. None of this stuff actually happened. It was all just in my mind. Fortunately apart from somehow managing to pull out the urinary catheter with my foot, I didn’t do any damage to myself or anyone else.

During all this I was critically ill, doctors had told my family I had about a 25% chance of surviving and if I did make it through there was a high chance I would have sustained major brain damage.

At some stage, although I know I wasn’t conscious, I too had the thought that I was going to die. I remember hearing myself say, “ I’m going to die.” I wasn’t at all upset by this thought. Then there was a brief moment of darkness and next thing, I could see myself lying in what I think was a room. This room was full of light and even though it was a bright light it wasn’t like glaring sunlight more of a pleasant golden- white light. I felt very loved at that moment, very much at peace and even though I couldn’t see anyone else, I knew I wasn’t alone. After a little while I heard a gentle male voice tell me “ You are going to be alright, you are not going to die.” I should clarify that when I say I heard a voice, I didn’t actually ‘hear’ it with my ears, it was in my mind, more like a thought. That is all I can remember of the experience, except that it wasn’t at all upsetting or frightening in any way.


Straight after this experience I started to regain consciousness and was able to breath on my own. Sometime during the time I was ‘ waking up’ I had another experience I’d like to share with you. A couple of years before I became ill our 2 ½ year old son, Daniel had died from complications due to the same surgery which I have had. When I was still coming in and out of consciousness, I had the strong feeling he was with me, on one occasion my husband was with me and he said, I suddenly opened my eyes and was looking at something and reached out. I had reached out for Daniel, I couldn’t see him but I knew he was there, sitting on the bed with me, near my box of tissues. I continued to have the feelings after I was fully awake and even now it still happens occasionally.

My recovery was quite quick, within a couple of days I was out of bed and standing with support. I had this indescribable urge to go outside, it was strange really but I just needed to be out in the open air. It was an unbelievable feeling when I was finally well enough to sit on the verandah outside the ward. In fact I spent most of my waking hours outside, just sitting, watching the birds, the rain and people go by. I have never been a morning person but during those first few weeks of ‘ being back’ I would sit outside and watch the sun coming up and if it rained I couldn’t wait to get outside, just to watch it fall and feel it on my hands. I also took more interest in the sky and clouds and the beauty of a thunderstorm it was like I was really seeing and experiencing all these things for the first time. I must say, before this experience I was terrified of thunder and particularly lightening. I would hide wherever I could during a storm but now it doesn’t bother me half as much. I am much more in tune with nature and my surroundings now and take much more notice of even the smallest things.

I did go through a period of depression when I went home and for several years after on and off. Even now I have the odd bout of feeling down, usually during these times I have the feeling that something is missing in my life and that I am not fulfilling my purpose here on earth. I don’t really understand why I feel this way because I’m the happiest I have ever been in my whole life. My life has changed, my outlook has changed and I feel different about everything in general. I am no longer judgmental or cynical, there is no room in my life for the word hate, I’m a much warmer loving, kind, understanding and caring individual. I take one day at a time and I love my life!

The strange thing in my opinion, is that I do not remember anything about leaving my body and any tunnel effect. I only remember I was there in a complete internal light environment. I did not see any related person. I "communicated" with "something" that I did not really see but, it was there and told me that I had to return. I remember that I wanted to stay (I did not feel any connection with my family and found it completely irrelevant as an argument to return) It was not my time and I had still to do something on earth. Without telling me what and so, I still ask myself what I have to do. But, it will be clear when the time is there as I was told me.

Before sending me back I was allowed to ask something and I remember very well. I asked how the universe was composed and it was explained to me in all details. I remember that it was extremely beautiful and extremely simple and said to myself this information I must remember when I am sent back.

Being sent back, I remember very well that it was a very painful
experience to be put in a tunnel that becomes more and more narrow and also when dimensions more and more became restricted, I lost control over the information I got earlier (it felt as if my head was crashed).

I woke up in my bed and found the earth a terrible dark place that really frightened me at that moment.

Sometimes I think it was simply a dream but, the experience was so realistic. Especially returning was so painful that I am convinced it was a real NDE.

There doesn't pass almost a day in my life I do not think about it. I really am not afraid anymore to die but, you still can be afraid how to die.

About the knowledge I got there, I sometimes have the impression to have it in my fingers. I also have some unusual ideas/concepts about the universe. Not having physical and/or mathematical background enough I can not do anything with it. I suppose it is not really important or perhaps in the future I will remember something at the right moment (who knows).

I am trying to find an answer to, have I had a near death experience? If not, have you any idea what happened to me? I am Reiki practitioner master teacher in Australia. Before I had the experience I started to hear voices in my head, they wanted me to go and see a doctor and get help when the voices got out of hand. I did go to the hospital and they told me that I developed a disassociate disorder quiet common among energy workers, he said that it would pass shortly and prescribed medication for me.

Then a few months later I found myself sitting on the couch, when everything went frozen white, I was consciousness but I had no thoughts at all, I couldn't move, I know my eyes were open but all I could see was the frozen light. I could not see my surroundings at all. I could not hear anything or speak, as much as I tried. I knew that I was not breathing and had no heartbeat. I live alone and I have no idea how long I remained in that state. When I started to become conscious again, I felt as if I was dead. I somehow got to bed and stayed there for days. It took several hours to have a flow of thoughts in my head.

Three years have past since that event: I haven't told people about it. I still feel unreal and my body temperature is cold most of the time. Before this happened, I began to develope clairsentience. But, after the event I developed clairaudience, aura sight, past life recall, other people's as well as my own, a fairly good level of telepathy, and I can foresee future events, and have communicated with spirits. I now use all this in my healing work and I do psychic work and a little medium work.

Every day is a hard day to get by because I don't feel alive. I feel I am in a body but not alive.

As an energy worker I came to this conclusion. I feel as if I had died but either my spirit or crown chakra shut down so, I could not leave my body. I did not leave the body and return like most cases of NDE. I was trapped in it and could not get out. When I came to life I was so shocked, I just went to bed.

I know this does not fit in with NDE, can you tell me what happened to me? Is there a way I can feel alive again instead of a walking corpse?

Our family was going on an outing. My mother was driving, because my father is afraid to drive. My father is directing. They actually both drive the car--my mother on the left side of the front seat, my father on the right. My brother, two sisters, and myself were in the car. I was sitting left side, rear seat. The car was in the left lane, preparing to make a left-hand turn across the highway. I was dressed in my new plaid shirt and new rolled-to-the-top-of-the-knee cream-colored jeans. I was so happy we were going to the park. It was 1965, and I was 13 years of age.

The next earthly thing that happened when I was back in my body was an intense feeling of pain and a woman's voice by my left ear saying, "This one's awake." I tried to open my eyes and they opened. I saw blood on my lap. All over my new pants. I saw glass on my lap. I closed my eyes and started to cry. And the earthly drama continued. (I'm back. I just took a break.)

My thoughts will seem, actually be, disconnected during this writing. I've never been able to find anyone to talk to about this experience that even remotely understands what I am going through. This thing is like a thing that I've been carrying around for years that I do not know what to do with. I do not know what to do, how to live my life. Nothing on earth matters to me except my children and grandchildren. Today (I am 50 now. This happened when I was 13) I am on disability for depression and anxiety. I have a history of alcoholism and other addictions. Namely, benziodeazapines, smoking, food, credit cards. I probably could get addicted to anything that will alter my reality. I've been diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder, social phobia, obsessive, compulsive personality disorder (intrusive thoughts).
Now remember, these scenarios are put into earthly words for want of a word. There are no earthly words to describe some things, such as tunnel, colors, light, etc.

I was speeding through a black tunnel with reddish colors--so fast. (Now that's weird, I'm on the internet, but yet the phone rang three times, and I only have one line. I have to tell myself that there is a logical explanation somewhere. )I felt scared. I had no control, and the experience was horrible. It ended and I find myself in a place of black. A void. Time went on forever, but there was no time. Space went on forever, but there was no space. Time and space were one. Time and space did not exist. I felt scared. I called out. I realized there was no way out. I prayed. I couldn't kill myself, because I was already dead. (There is no earthly record that I was dead. I may not have had an earthly death.) I realized I had no control. I was to be there forever. I curled up in a fetal position. That soon, I'm in another place, walking (floating) with, I think it was, two "beings," for want of a better word. A place of great "light". It is soooooooooooooooooo beautiful. I feel so wonderful. I feel happy. I feel sooooooooooooooo much love. It is indescribable. There is so much love. The outstanding feature of this entire experience is the feeling?, knowing?, no , it's the love itself. A love I've never experienced on this earth. Never in my earthly life have I experienced the pure love. Not pure love. Maybe it was pure love. Or maybe it was "full" love of which we experience only minute aspects of it on earth. (See what this has done to me?) We were in this great light. But, it was different than the light on earth. I didn't feel it like the heat of the sun, and I love the sun. Nor was it like I had to shield my eyes. But, it was a great, magnificent light. We were walking, floating, over a field of wheat. We were "talking." (Another break. This is heavy stuff for me.) Much talk. Back and forth. I had sooo many questions. I was soooo happy and at peace. I can't say I felt like these beings were old friends, but I had the feeling of love and safety with them. Again, for want of a better description. We talked and talked and talked as we walked. I kept asking questions, and they kept answering my questions, as we kept walking. I'll mention that our talking was done by thinking. But, it wasn't intruding on ones thoughts. It was just the way we talked. We talked just by asking. But, it was all done without our mouths. The part I find sad, is that I cannot remember one thing that I asked or one thing that they said to me. I do know they were telling me about a place we were going to. I could see a (again, for want of a better word.) line, or border. Like a horizon, for want of a better word. It was a place of even greater light. We were headed there, and they were excited about it. Then they turned to me and told me I had to go back. We were still in the place of light. I told them I wouldn't go. They tried to convince me to go back. I was adamant. I was staying. Then, another being showed up out of nowhere. I had the feeling he was stronger, or had more authority than the others. Or was different in some way. He talked to me and tried to convince me to return. I still refused, and was steadfast in my decision. I was staying, and they couldn't do anything about it. I was staying. All of a sudden, there was this force pulling me backward. I resisted with all my might, but it was no use. It was stronger than I was. I kept being pulled backward. It was quick.

I woke up in my body, which takes you to the beginning of this writing. I had a broken neck. Where, I don't know. It doesn't show up on the x-rays. Everyone was so serious about it all during my hospital stay. I was in a neck brace and told to stay on my back. Of course, being thirteen years of age, I didn't listen. I have a scar on my face next to, and under, my eye where it was cut during the accident. When I was in the hospital, my mother was in the next room. She came over to visit me. I tried to tell her what happened. I don't remember what I said to her. She told me not to tell anyone, and that if I did, they would think I was crazy. So, I kept silent.

Time passed. I turned twenty years of age. I was married and living in Japan on an Air Force base with my husband and two daughters. My husband and I were looking at Johnny Carson on the Far East Network. A man by the name of Dr. Moody was on. He kept talking. I got so excited. I jumped up on the bed and said excitedly to my husband, "That's what happened to me." It was out. I wasn't crazy. Other people have gone through this. My husband just didn't understand. That's how it’s been whenever I try to process this "experience." They either want to hear the story for entertainment. If they want to hear the story, they want me to have special powers now. Or, they think I'm crazy. Or, they lend a caring ear, but don't know what to say. When I say I need help with this, they do not know how to help, and I do not know exactly what king of help I need. There are plenty of books on the issue, but I feel lonely because I haven't found an understanding pulse to talk to. So, where do I go from here?

During a difficult labour, trying to deliver a stillborn baby I was given a drug that I was highly sensitive to. Scoline, a muscle relaxant, derived from Curare. I reacted as if it were Curare and I became paralyzed for a long period of time. I only survived the experience on a heart/ lung machine. I was asked to sign the permission to have surgery in extreme pain after two days in labour. I was lucid at the point of signing and attempted to ask if they were about to administer the drug I had told them I was allergic to. I decided that I no longer cared if they 'killed' me since I had reached a point where I could no longer cope with pain.

The rest of the narrative is an attempt to describe 'feelings' rather than events. I 'found' myself floating in a dark void. I was conscious that I had no physical body. My thought processes were excited about my current location and attempted to validate it by answering questions which I perceived were coming from 'somewhere else' "How do you feel? " I feel like ...like a contented smile, not a laugh or a giggle. A contented smile." I perceived that the questions were coming from my dead baby. We spoke mentally back and fourth and I can't remember now the conversation but feel as if it still resides in my subconscious. The feeling I get was that the conversation was about what life is all about and is hard to put into words that justify it. The essence of the conversation was that we are all one thing.

I saw a light ahead of me that was getting larger. I perceived this as movement on my part. As I came closer to the light, the feeling of contentment was replaced with fear. The voice asked me again what I felt and I answered ; “fear”, "Why" the voice asked. I tried to understand the shape of the fear. I felt afraid to be absorbed into the light. I felt afraid of the loss of my ego and myself.

At this point I began to think of the people I had left behind. My husband and parents and, I saw them weeping. (Later my sister said that at the moment of my 'death' my mother, waiting at home jumped to her feet and shouted, "Ann's gone.") With this thought about my parents came a feeling of tumbling downward and I was conscious again.

I learnt later that it was at this point I was given an antidote to Scoline. After, the team had rushed in a consultant anesthesiologist. At first at my collapse they had not identified the problem, because the reason for emergency surgery was my very high blood pressure. My heart had stopped, but I was resuscitated and put onto a ventilator.

From that moment I felt as if the person I had been did die and that another person was sent to recovery. An older person perhaps.

A few days later I was emotional about the loss of my baby and felt a presence in my room. I felt as if I was awake in my bed, but fear of this presence paralyzed me. The presence, which seemed to be that of a very old woman, approached the bed and I tried to cry out but felt frozen. I felt as if her hand touched my face that, I would dissolve into fear/ madness. She reached out and I heard a voice say, "It's alright. It’s only Alice." I relaxed and she vanished. I was fully awake now, as if I had been asleep then, but it didn't feel as if I was.

When I was 12 I fell approximately 20-25 feet from a tree. The second I let go of the branch I blacked out.

The next thing I recall I'm standing on a ladder going up.

I looked above me and I saw a faceless being looking down at me. There was a bright, goldish/yellow light behind him, so maybe that's why it was faceless.

I heard my sister calling my name from below me, but don't remember seeing her. I may have.

I then looked over to my right and I saw my sister and my dad attempting to pull my body up the hill towards home. My sister was holding my hands and my dad my feet.

I then heard a voice in my head say "You can go or you can stay". I was in no way ready to die, so I thought, "I want to stay".

The next thing I know I was floating over my body looking down from behind my sister. I saw my dad attempting to go to his left, so they could pull me up the hill side ways but she told him to just hold my feet. I didn't hear her literally, just they were communicating.

I then started to sink back into my body. I was told that they walked me around the house, but I don't remember any of that.

I woke up in the ambulance and saw the male nurse at my feet; I was really dizzy and just messed up, so I went back to sleep. I didn't wake up again until in the hospital bed a few hours later.

First of all I am a diabetic. On Friday, November 19, 1999, I felt fluish. By Saturday I was vomiting and experiencing what I felt was only the flu.
(I had a strong need to be at my parent’s home.) Since my meter read good numbers I promised my mom if I was still the same on Sunday we could go to the emergency room.
As the night went on I asked my dad to please get my mom. I for some reason had a strong desire to have her near me. (I was on the couch) She came down and slept on the couch with me.

I felt my breathing hurting and becoming harder. I felt extreme pain all over my body and I couldn't stand straight. At one point I remember grabbing an alarm clock and thinking it was my glass of water. I fell asleep to suddenly waking up at about 8:10 a.m. That's when I told my mother it was time for me to go. That I loved her very much and not to feel bad because I never really got to be a happy girl. I also noticed a boy (about in upper teens) waiting by the coffee table. He kept trying to hurry me along with my mom. I kept saying things like (please excuse my French but I m telling you the whole thing) “---- off and give me another minute!”. My mom kept asking who I was talking to and tried to quiet me down. My sister upstairs said that I woke her and she thought to herself "what's up with her" to only have a voice go off in her head and say, "she's dying". She dismissed it and fell back to sleep. I kept telling my mom how much I loved her and had to go now. She only dismissed and said yes you need to sleep now and well go to the clinic later. Well, she laid next to me on the couch and said "god you’re cold" and rubbed my legs and feet.

By 10:00 a.m. my mom got up to use the bathroom and I followed. When she came out we both noticed how my arm was hanging funny off the couch. How I was ashed colored. In case you didn't notice I said: “I was on the couch” but, also next to my mom looking at myself too. She tried to wake me, checked for a pulse, shook me and began yelling at me. That brought my sister downstairs to only look at me and say "Mom, she's dead". My mom yelled at her to never say that and told her to call 911 and she ran upstairs to get my dad. I followed my sister to the phone and watched her and listened to her on the Tele with the 911 lady. (The whole time that boy is with me and telling me we had to go).

Next, my dad came down and started to shake and yell at me to wake up. Then my parents went into action and started CPR. My sister couldn't hack hearing the air come back up like it did. (She said that was the scariest sound she'd ever heard) I followed her out to the porch. She was waiting for the paramedics. They came and shocked me and then, I don't remember again until the ride in the ambulance when I say my dad in the front passenger seat of the ambulance looking back and watching the men work on me.

Then we made it to the hospital and I followed the doctor in where he told my parents that I was down to long and I would not regain and if I did it would be at what quality of life. Hell, they had the Red Cross on stand by for organs and a Reverend wanting to give me last rights. I remember hearing the prayers people would say in their heads as the Reverend prayed over me. I heard people’s personal thoughts about me. As all this was going on I m begging to please not let me go back because I loved it where I was and my life back there was such crap.

I remember being told that I was very much loved and believed in many wrong people and beliefs. I was shown who was true and who was not to me. I was told that I was beautiful and loved and would be missed. One thing I will always remember is being told how my mom was not ready for this. I was shown what would take place if I were not to come back. I saw her sitting in her bedroom with nothing but the feeling of dread and sadness. It's very hard to describe all the things that were taking place all at once. Then I remember my brother (he's in the Navy and was stationed in Chicago at the time) coming in the room and saying how he felt like someone just kicked him in the stomach.

Then , I just suddenly woke up from my coma that they claimed I never would wake up from and, if I did I'd be a veggie. I held out my hand to my parents who sat at my bedside day and night. They jumped out of their skin and they looked shocked to see me awake.

I remember reading the little board on the wall where the nurses of the shift would write their names. I remember reading Teri and Teresa and the day was Monday, November 22, 1999. I tried to ask “what happened to Sunday” but, the breathing tube kind of got in the way. I spent Thanksgiving in the ICU and had surgery that day too. I was exhausted like never before but I never felt the feeling I had before either. It's hard to explain but , I felt very peaceful, clean and content. I felt new in a way I guess you could say, I felt like no one or nothing could touch me and hurt me in anyway. I spent 11 days in the hospital. I was very weak but always demanded to go home. I became depressed a little and talked a lot about "my experience".

Then one day my sister and I were on the computer and she was blowing up a picture of what she said “had ghosts in it”. It was a picture of me at a cemetery by a witch’s ball. Well guess what, she was right about the picture and ghosts. One ghost got my attention though. It was the boy who was at my house the day I died. (The picture was taken 2 wks before my ordeal).

I went to the cemetery and right to his grave. Then I went to the library and looked up his name on the stone because I was interested on how he died. After that even more changed for me.

I just needed some to talk to that had been where I was. Of course I had no one so I pushed it aside and gave it a rest because everyone thought I was being too involved in the nde. But to this day, almost three years later, I still have the need to find out more about my nde and be told , I m not crazy and that yes nde’s do exist and not some brain flash or whatever critics are calling it now.

I’m sorry. I know what I know and it wasn't a dream. I have so much more I could say. I probably skipped over some things but, it's hard to write it all down. I would be more than happy to speak to anyone about this at anytime.

My life has truly changed. I even listened to some of the knowledge I was given and I’m not perfect but, have tried to hold on to that extreme patience I had when I first came back.

Thank you for allowing me to share this.

I was extremely depressed and unhappy in my marriage, friendships and job.

I actually broke the law by stealing from my boss in an effort to be heard.

No one listened to me so I finally ran away from my husband and two beautiful children and attempted suicide.

This attempt resulted in clinical death and I experienced myself looking at my body from what felt like above the bed. The last I remember before waking up was blackness and a feeling of nothingness. I woke up in the Intensive Care Unit. I was at that time despondent because death is what I still wanted at that time. I finally did realize that I needed help and against my husbands wishes I checked myself into the Psych Unit of the hospital. Even though I went willingly I fought treatment the whole way. I was angry and still wanted death.

Slowly I began to emerge from the depression and began to want life again. I had to fight with my husband to be able to go back to school, but fight I did and I am now an RN.

I also ended up pleading guilty to charges of theft of property. I received a suspended imposition of sentence, which I had to clear before taking my nursing boards. My record at this time is clear of any criminal doings. This has been a blessing. I have been so honest my whole life that the guilt over what I had done was almost unbearable. Through therapy I realized that the events that had led to this were the result of Childhood Sexual Abuse that I was just starting to remember at the time of the Suicide Attempt.

My life now is nothing like I ever imagined it could be. I began to have psychic visions and premonitions and my family thought I was totally crazy. As a result I left my adult children and my husband and moved to the Eastern US to start a new life. I had a friend that I had met online and she gave me a safe haven until I could get a job and start over. I am now a level 2 Reiki healer and very spiritual. I have daily contact with spirit guides and angels who help me with my healing.

I am the Director of Nursing in a Long Term Care Facility and feel that I am on the path that I am meant to be on. My life is so drastically changed and I am not the same person who made that suicide attempt. My life is spent in healing and loving. Meditation and prayer are daily necessities for me. I have no fear of death and have helped many to pass over in a much easier way than I ever thought possible. Even though my job is stressful and hectic many people tell me that I have a look of serenity about me and I have never been happier.

In November 1986 I was anxiously awaiting the birth of my first child. I had mixed feelings when I finally went into labor. When my water broke, it was not clear as it should be but me conium filled, meaning my baby was showing signs of distress. My doctor told me this is not uncommon.


As the hours went by, the pain increased. I was finally wheeled into the delivery room. By this time, the pain was almost unbearable. Again, a few hours went by and still no baby. Upon examination by my doctor it was determined that the umbilical cord was wrapped around my baby's neck. She attached a monitor to my baby's head and had some kind of monitor strapped onto my upper leg. When my baby stopped breathing, my doctor had to act fast. She said, "We have to get this baby out now!" Unfortunately, my tailbone was in the way. While pulling my baby out with forceps, my doctor broke my tailbone. By this point, the pain was so excruciating, I couldn't believe a body could survive.

I then felt "sparks" shooting out of my leg where the monitor was attached. I asked my doctor to "loosen" the strap, but she couldn't hear me -- in fact no one in the room could hear me. I know I was screaming, so why couldn't anyone hear me?

The next thing I know, a mask was put on my face. Then, the pain was gone. My baby hadn't been born yet, so how could the pain be gone? All of a sudden, I was looking around the room, but it looked different, I was looking at it from the ceiling. I watched as a doctor was working on me and as my obstetrician was pulling my baby out. I saw my daughter being born, not breathing. I made an agreement with my daughter at that time, I told her that if "she would start breathing, I would be there to take care of her." With that, I was back in my aching body "torn & bleeding" and my daughter let out the most wonderful cry.

Next month, my daughter will be a teenager (13) and I thank God for her everyday. I still have pain from this experience from the tailbone breakage (I still can't sit for a long period of time without pain). My daughter suffers from "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" which her doctors have attributed from the lack of oxygen she suffered when the umbilical chord was wrapped around her neck. However, this disorder is being treated successfully with medication. I would go through the same thing all over again for my daughter. Two years after my daughter’s birth, I gave birth to another daughter. I went into labor at 11:45 pm. Had one contraction, and she was born at midnight. I was up walking around less than 15 minutes after that.

I had been ill for a few days and it seemed to worsen, yet I was getting sicker and sicker and didn't realize it. Symptoms of my illness...it turns out I was slipping into septic shock from a severe urinary tract infection...worsened, but my mind was clouded. Finally I slipped into and out of a coma. A few hours later my sister discovered me and called an ambulance. At this time, I was having severe convulsions then lapsing back into unconsciousness.

I was taken by ambulance to the ER at the local hospital and was vaguely aware of my surroundings. My mother and sister were in the room along with the medical team. Finally, I lapsed back into unconsciousness and all sensation disappeared; yet I was alert to what was going on around me. I was slowly enveloped in red and felt as if I were floating, suspended in a reddish gelatin. A warm, glow came from outside the glow. There was no fear or no terror and I do not think the red was a bad omen. It was all so very comforting.

Sounds in the room around me became muffled and began to recede into the background and finally into the far, far distance. I was suspended in a state of pure light and moving away from any of my surroundings when my mother reached down and took hold of my big toe. She said, "Doug, are you still there?"

At that moment I stopped slipping away and slowly came back into the room. As I awoke I felt aware of my surroundings and the pain, but I knew somehow I would be OK.

I actually think that if my mother had not taken my toe, I would have been gone, but she brought me back.

I have since recovered but remember the profound experience as if it happened this morning.

Early in the morning on the Saturday following Thanksgiving 1967, I was squirrel hunting with two friends. We were all 13 years old and originally were going to be hunting with one of my friend’s grandfather. His grandfather was unable to go and we decided to go by ourselves.

We came upon an oak tree that had what appeared to be a squirrel convention going on. We triangled the trunk of this tree while the squirrels scattered in all directions. I had aimed at a squirrel in the tree top and was in the process of pulling my shotguns trigger when I was suddenly stunned by a huge concussion. I have always compared it to being slapped by the Jolly Green Giant. As I stood there stunned my first thought was that my gun had exploded. I remember looking down and seeing my green plaid shirt covered in blood. I then heard one of my friends yelling, " you've shot him". At that point it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that I was the one shot. The boy who shot me decided to run to a nearby house to get help.

I then laid down to wait for help and while laying there it occurred to me that an ambulance would have a hard time getting to me in the woods, so I decided to get up walk to the same house he had run to so I could meet the ambulance. The other friend followed me and kept asking over and over if I was alright. We came to a wooden fence on the edge of the man's yard that, I then had to climb over. The friend went to help me but got blood on his gloves and just stood there looking at his hands. I'll never forget the look on his face.

As I walked across the yard toward the house I could see the friend who shot me beating on the door and yelling. About this time the door opened and Mr. Davis & his oldest son appeared. (We all knew the people who lived there). He took one look at me and yelled to everyone to put me in his car so he could take me to the hospital. The car was a red 2door Ford fastback and I was put in the middle of the back seat. As we took off for the hospital, which was only a few miles away, Mr. Davis realized that he did not have enough gas to get there. At this time I became aware of the pain and a great difficulty breathing.

Suddenly, all the pain was gone and I no longer felt the need to breathe. I don't think that I was breathing at that point. The peacefulness of it all still gives me goose bumps to this day. I remember looking down and seeing this car pull into the gas station. I was looking through the back window and realized that I could see myself or body sitting in the back seat. While up above the car I could see the station attendant open the gas tank door and remove the gas cap and put a small amount of gas into the car. In his haste he never replaced the gas cap or closed the gas tank door. I know this because I watched it all. As we pulled out of the gas station I became aware of the pain and difficulty breathing again. This only lasted a short time before I found myself above the car again and in utter peacefulness. I looked at myself through the rear window once again. As we approached the hospital I found myself returning to the car. Once again I became aware of the pain and the difficulty of breathing. I did not understand what was happening but knew at that time that there was life after death. I turned to the friend who had shot me and told him that if I died I would haunt him. I did not mean it in a bad way, I was trying to tell him that there was more to life and I would be OK, though it was a poor choice of words. I just knew that I would still be me, in spirit or body.

I never talked about my experience for years, even though it was constantly on my mind. I was afraid people would laugh or think I was crazy. Then one day I read an article about a Doctor at Duke University who was studying near death experiences and I knew what had happened and that I wasn't alone. Over the years I have talked to a few people about it and most of them listened quietly and accepted what I said, but a few thought I was crazy. No matter how hard you try to explain it no one will really understand until they experience it on their own.

A few final words before I close. I was shot in the head from about 20-25 feet with a 16ga shotgun, #6 shot. They doctors estimated that I received 95% of the load. I was not knocked out, nor off my feet. In my youthful ignorance I did not even think I was seriously injured, much less near death. At the time I did not even realize that my left eye had been destroyed. The doctors could not believe that I had walked out of the woods with my injuries, nor that I wasn't knocked out by them. My friends were questioned about this afterwards and confirmed the facts. When I finally left the hospital I had a doctor tell me that I shouldn't ever feel sorry for myself about losing my left eye because statistically I was dead. I still have the pellets in my head and a few years ago a doctor did an x-ray because I was having sinus problems. After seeing the x-ray he returned and asked me "how did you survive that?" He then took me back to see it for myself and when I walked into the room all the other doctors in the clinic were standing there looking at my x-ray. He introduced me as the survivor and they proceeded to show me how close I really came to dying that day.

I cannot tell you the exact day, exact month, and I even have to think to tell the exact year, but the experience is with me in a complete sense and I can recall it in the smallest detail.

I was taken to the hospital suffering from severe asthma, and was basically drowning in my own fluids.

I knew I was leaving...I was going "home", not heaven, not hell, but "home".... it was so peaceful, so serene so beautiful. And I was given this knowledge that I was intrinsically a good person with a pure heart, and that I was very much loved. I knew this without the slightest doubt. It was so strong and so clear. And the feeling was of this overwhelming sense of acceptance, embracing pure love.... then there was this void that filled with light, not a tunnel, but as if in my mindsky was this all encompassing light, it did not hurt the eyes, though, it was diffused, but brilliant, and there appeared a spiritual being. She filled the space with her being, not in the physical sense but in her spiritual sense.... and on her face was serene beauty, but she did not have precise features...just this sense. Then, she reached out her hand to me, and I still remember her hand, her fingers just touching mine.... our fingers touched...and my life has never been the same...I wanted to go, but I wasn't ready yet, thinking of my daughter, and I spoke to her in a spirit sense and told her so, and she smiled this very accepting smile and I knew it would was acceptable that I stay, and that in some way I had been chosen and touched in a very profound way.

Since that time, I have begun writing poetry.... very powerful and good and people are amazed I have not been writing for years, but it is a feeling I must do it, that somehow there is this purpose this reason for it.

I know now there is such a thing as pure love...and am able to love in that sense, I know this without a doubt and understand faith and what it is, not logically, but in my heart

I know that we are all connected on this earth, in a way that perhaps we do not understand but we are.

I now believe in reincarnation and I question whether the spirit part of us ever truly dies.

I quite literally take on the pain of others now, I feel their pain with my whole being, and I do not always understand this, but I know it is real.

I feel young inside, very young, like a child at times, just learning about the world all over again; it is like the outside no longer matches the inside...that I have this young spirit trapped in an older body....
people think by my poetry I am 25-30 years old, which is what I feel.

I smoked before that. Even with asthma. I never even desired a cigarette after that time. Not once.

I know I am going to live to be very old. That my mind will not deteriorate, if anything, my lifeshell will. And that is another thing, I have noticed...I do not say body any longer, I say lifeshell. I no longer suffer from asthma, though my lungs are scarred. I no longer take medication of any kind.

Life flows through me now. I do not shut it out, nor deny it. I let it be what it is meant to be. I no longer have doubts of any kind about myself. I never felt such self-acceptance. I have traveled and found beauty even in darkness and wonder at it all and have such passion for life.

People tell me I am unique, different, spiritual, and sometimes I know they are frightened of what they do not understand, and I do not know how to tell them sometimes I am frightened too...

I cannot describe in words no matter how hard I try, the beauty the completeness, the overwhelming ness of it, and how life changing it was, and the loneliness of it sometimes, the feeling of being so all alone, knowing it is true, and knowing I will not let it be denied.

My mother and her friend drove me to a Hospital in Chicago to have a tonsillectomy in 1941. I was taken to the operating room by the nurse and placed on the operating table. The nurse placed a cotton mask over my nose and mouth and sprayed it with ether.

The next thing that happened, my mind left my body and I drifted up from the table and then through the skylight, still seeing the nurse and doctor over me. I then went upward over Chicago through the sky and drifted past star after star until, I suddenly woke up coughing and vomiting blood.

The same nurse then came with ice cream for me to soothe my throat.

Even though my parents later became "born again" Christians, I have realized that all religions are based on myth because I felt so wonderful drifting through space and never saw "heaven".

This occurred 61 years ago and I remember it as if it occurred yesterday.

I began to feel ill at work. I went home and threw up again and then, realized my heart had stopped. That was a strange feeling all by itself. I lost consciousness at 7:15 p.m. I was alone.

I found myself out of my body and in a new environment. A dark haired gentleman met me at the door of a very large complex and invited me in. It wasn't a dream. I remember every detail still, 10 months later.
He took me through the building and showed me different areas. He showed me a classroom and I saw a few people sitting at desks.
He took me to a room filled with ball gowns and he showed me a rack of them that belonged to me. He took me up on a roof and showed me many people out there. I told him I felt great fear in the people. He said they had come from the September 11th incident and they wouldn't come indoors yet.
He took me to a room that looked like a lodge kitchen. It had lots of card tables and a stove and cooking area. There was a grand looking Grey haired man making baked goods. I believe he was the head of the lodge or wherever I was. He looked like a fit Santa Claus. He was very loving and smiled at me. He communicated telepathically. He showed me a vision of my ex husband hiding stocks in the sand. Then, I was sent back.

I woke up thirteen hours later, still numb from the nose down and unable to get up. I called my friend who is a cardiologist and we took it from there.

I am not sure how to go about this, so I am just writing my memories surrounding the wonderful event. Here goes:

I was the COO of a complex homeopathic manufacturing firm. I chose to go to Sri Lanka to present this remedy to a M.D. who is a phenomenal professor of all forms of medicine. Whilst in Sri Lanka, I studied and became an Acupuncturist. The remedy was used with the acupuncture points to produce phenomenal cures. Unfortunately, there was alot of negative feedback of my work coming from my CEO. I placed myself in an internally suppressed frustrated mode, which built in intensity.

On the night of December 7, 1997, I had reached the apex of this internal frustration. I left the clinic early (about 10:00pm) and took a tuk-tuk back to my monk-like room. I showered, trying to shake the heaviness, which was weighing my head. I went up to the roof-top restaurant to have some nutrition and then chose not to. My colleagues had arrived and wanted to sit about and chat about the cases. I excused myself due to fatigue and went down to my room to sleep.

I slowly undressed and climbed into my bed [which was a foam mattress on boards] and placed the overhead mosquito netting about the bed. I was so frustrated and didn't know where to turn. I am a highly positive thinking, feeling, living and spiritual person, and have only the highest respect for the Universe/Mother-Father-GOD, and have turned to this source for guidance on a continual basis my entire life. IT has been my parent, mentor, guide, since my last parent's death when I was 3. That night my frustration with negativity exploded. And I shouted from the depths of my soul, under the loud drone of the window air-conditioner. I shouted: "GOD, I have had enough! I am sick and tired of all the negativity in my life!" Then I raised my fist for emphasis and continued with: "So I want this negativity to stop! And I want it to stop NOW! NOW! No more! Enough! STOP IT NOW!" Having expelled this fury from my heart and soul, and for some reason not feeling the least bit guilty for screaming at my source of direction, only feeling strangely justified in my anger, I laid down and closed my eyes. Normally, it takes me a long while to drift off to sleep. This night was different.

After closing my eyes, the next recollection was myself being in the presence of, in the arena of, enveloped in, PURE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Re-reading this, it sounds so lame. How can I explain? For all these years I just have not been able to describe this to fully honour its incredibleness, it's ISNESS.

A communication occurred, through instantaneous osmosis, rather than our human verbalization. The communication concerned my pre-natal chosen human life's work as well as some basic universal laws, which I had overlooked in my human form. Then it was time for me to return. I did not want to return to my human form. I wanted to stay enveloped in that phenomenal dimension of unconditional love. I argued. I shook my head at my nerve. I was gently overruled. I was still communicating my desire to stay home [for I felt I was home] when I received the communication that it was time for me to return. And God then gently "placed" his Energy at my thymus, and I was on my way back to my human form. I found myself crying out "nooo" as I glided backwards through the Universe. My "nooo" instantaneously changed to silent awe as I observed my breathtaking and radiant surroundings. I joyfully swirled earthbound and then, alas, the journey was much too short.

I arrived back into my human form with an ear piercing crash; the bed boards crashing loudly against one another. Within nanoseconds, I sat up in a lazy lotus position. I was laughing. Joyously, loudly and from the depths of my heart and soul. I was still connected with "God", still felt in direct communication, and placed my hands on my hips and stated: "God, that was very unceremonious of you!" My joy was almost overwhelming. Then as I looked around I slowly felt the "presence" leave, leaving me seemingly alone back on this earth's plane. I felt immense sadness. However, the anger was gone. I laid down, and shed quiet tears of sadness before entering a sleep state. When I awoke the following morning, I was not in top form. I was dizzy and my head, on my left side was in excruciating, pulsating knife-like pain cutting into my ear. My left arm and hand was numb and tingling. I arose and took care of an elderly female patient, which came to my room at 7:30 every morning before I headed to the hospital. I told her she would have to go to the hospital or the clinic from then forward, as I was not feeling well. I then informed the hospital through a colleague, that I was taking some time off. I then went back to my room and laid down. I do not know how long I visited "God". I stayed in my room for a week, barely able to eat, and unable to walk. I swore a colleague to confidence and had him administer to me my complex homeopathic to certain acupuncture points. He was concerned and wanted me to go to the hospital for a CAT Scan. I refused to go. He tried to scare me into going by saying I could die. I responded with: "I already have and was sent back. I have no fear of death. I would welcome it. I just choose to go this route for some reason. It is something I need to experience for some reason." So he kept my confidence and attended to me. It took two weeks before I could walk to the beach, which was about 1/2 kilometer away. Then I walked to the doctor and asked him to check me out, without telling him why I wanted the check up. After doing so, he asked me what happened, because everyone of my systems was almost defunct. He said I was almost the walking dead. I then told him what happened. He prescribed some homeopathic pills for my cardiovascular system, and performed critical moxibustion and acupuncture on all my systems. After three of his sessions, along with the continual complex homeopuncture, my systems were back on line. The only physical issue was my left hand and arm. So I had an American M.D./Acupuncturist, administer the painful point I knew had to be done. Immediately, my hand and arm became unblocked and back to normal functioning.

It took three years for me to not be homesick. It took four years for me to recall my communiqué. The changes in my life are delightful.

When I heard you on Coast to Coast I felt so relieved to hear that others are out there on this planet earth going through the same. I still find it so difficult to explain, because there are no English words to aptly describe the experience. I cherish my experience and find strength in the knowledge I therein gained. Also, is the intense loneliness due to not being able to share a common experience, along with the loneliness due to having a different slant on life that does not include the negativity and games with which we humans are so adept.

I'd like to share one of my major lessons. I learnt from my beatific communiqué one answer, which is directly related to the preamble to this experience. It's the old adage, "be careful what you ask for." Negativity. My old nemesis. A very simple answer. I learnt that according to Universal Law, this planet is based on duality. Hence negativity exists. When negativity no longer exists, one is no longer a resident of this planet as it presently works. The formula is for each of us to acknowledge the existence of this duality and then choose to disallow its existence to damage our individual paths. For each of us to instead use the negativity to help our awareness of the need for positive action, and to consciously work at infusing each of our lives with only the positive. In thus doing so, when each of us reaches this epitome of life, at some time in space, our planet will naturally shift from duality to understanding and living in unconditional love and harmony with all life, as we will have effectively removed the need for negativity.

Thank you for this opportunity to express, without feeling the condemnation of absurdity.

Who am I? An orphan who became woman, mother, grandmother, accountant (since age 20), Reiki teacher, Acupuncturist, numerous other natural health and life interests, Certified Metaphysical teacher, present student of Homeopathy whilst driving my own truck to pay for my past world travels and tuition, and living on 50 acres of land. Also a human being filled with Unconditional Love and Joy.

Namaste

I never talked about this in all these years. It was the most terrifying experience I have ever had.

Suddenly, I was falling down this pitch black pit. My stomach felt as if I was on a roller coaster, the speed I was travelling at had to be tremendous. It sounded very echoey. At my left side was a wolf. It was snarling and growling and foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal. I could feel its breath and spittle flying into my face. I knew this wolf was going to tear me limb from limb. I remember screaming for my father to help me over and over.

I realize all this took place in a very short period of time but it seemed I was there for a long time.

This experience is as real today as the day it happened even after all these years.

In 1989, a female friend of mine whom I had known since I was 5, died in a car accident. I was very upset. I went to the funeral and decided that at a later date I would return there with flowers to pay my respects. However, I became involved with a bad crew and my social life took over everything. Much to the detriment of everything else.

One night while asleep in 1992 I saw my deceased friend while I was out of my body in a room that had rows of church pew style seats. There was another person there, a male. He was holding out a white coat towards me saying if I wanted to be with her then I had to put it on. The coat was like dentists, whereby you put your arms in first and it fastens up the back.

As I began putting my arms in I felt frightened and quickly pulled them back out. I then "traveled" approximately 6 feet above the ground down a path with tall trees on both sides. Everything glowed with silver light; rocks, trees, plants etc.

I then woke up in my bedroom with massive chest pains and my pillow wet through with tears. It took me about 5 minutes to be able to get out of bed. It felt like someone had been stood on my chest.

I was very distraught and went to see the parents of my deceased friend to find out exactly where her headstone was as I felt she was reminding me not to forget her. As I arrived, her brother told me that the stone was not at the place where the service had took place but, was at a small chapel a few miles away.

As I approached the chapel I immediately recognized the row of tall trees and I walked into the churchyard and found her stone almost immediately.

I feel I was given the choice to pass over and that the post mortem for me would probably have read heart attack.

A few nights later I had another experience, this time involving a story about a whale, which seemed so real to me that, when I woke, I thought I had actually seen it on TV. This "dream" inspired me to learn (almost obsessively) about the natural environment. I turned the dream into a story, which I typed out, on a clunky old typewriter, sometimes for 8 hours a day. Towards the end my parents were worried because I was reading a lot of books and absorbing information like a sponge. I needed "input". I had no time for idle chat or banter. I wanted facts.

My knowledge base grew very rapidly and I decided to apply for an under-graduate degree in environmental studies. My own reading since the dream had given me the knowledge I needed to apply and I was successful in my application. This astonished a lot of people since I had originally studied construction at college. From this course I went onto do a teacher training course, however there were few jobs. I found myself quite unexpectedly applying for and getting a job working with children with disabilities. If you had said a few years earlier that I would be doing this job I probably would have laughed in your face but my whole outlook had changed literally overnight and these young people seemed to be the perfect teachers for things such as tolerance, compassion and the limits of the human experience.

I am a changed man. There is no doubting that. I feel I occasionally anticipate events. These are always serious or bad in nature. I don’t know why this is but it seems to be the pattern.

I recently learned that at approximately the same time I was having my "white coat experience" my cousin whom I had not seen for a long time was also undergoing similar experiences. He told his partner at the time that someone was offering him a “white coat to put on” in his dreams and that this had been happening for a few nights running. He told her that on this night he “would put the coat on”. So they went to sleep. My cousin woke with his partner slapping his face and shouting “breathe!”. He had stopped breathing and his lips had gone blue. Eventually he did breathe and he came round with no damage. He explained to her that he had put one arm fully in the sleeve of the white coat-that was all. He had not experienced any physical discomfort at all until he woke.

It was a few years later when I told him of my experience. When he was telling me about his, I interrupted him and said, " before you tell me what the white coat was like-I’ll bet it was one that you put your arms into first”. He was gobsmacked and shocked by what I said.

We feel we both had the chance to pass over because at the time, neither of us was helping anyone other than ourselves and hurting people along the way.

We have both changed a lot since then and feel the experiences were beneficial in many ways.

I had just come off the mid-night watch, taken a quick cold shower. I lay down for a few minutes as reveille would sound at 5:30 a.m., and I would have to get up again.

My neck and shoulders had not yet hit the pillow, when I realized, that as I touched my eyes, I was no longer myself. I was a presence, aware of the yellow lined green clouds and, was being invited to jump into the turquoise sky. I did have a feeling like a golden spider web that vibrated to the universal sounds and feelings. I was in love. I heard a voice tell me, I could “not remain” there, I would “have to go back”. I asked “why not” and was told that I would “have to finish what I had started out to accomplish”. I acknowledged okay and was back in the rack.

I noted the 1st class EM cover his eyes and head with his blanket and as he turned over. I noted his disbelief of what he had just seen. I had had a NDE without the aspect of Death.

I went on to finish the full week with less than an hours sleep daily.

I go there regularly and commune with God directly as the Presence plays with my hair and drops down to observe through my eyes at will. When I direct its attention to some problem or health problem someone has, I move out of its way and channel. The Healing takes place between it and the objective.

I have slipped on Ice and been lifted and set back very gently. I talk to God and a softbluish light appears in my cab and, when I try to shut off the light with the switch I note that it is not physical in our terms. It is the Quetzal of the Aztec's, The presence of James Redfield's Book Secrets of Shambahala.

Sometimes children that are not able to get out of their strollers, looking with focused intent, look around for someone and emphatically exclaim while pointing with their finger "GOD!" –

Today I teach others to see life through the point of the brain that does imagination and seeking. To use the Amegdela switch and attuning their attention become one with their brushes, medium and canvass. Allow their emotional energy to arise, with their spirituality. Intentionally focus with that feeling and wait. The Presence will transform it into 100% Time and Reality. I love it.

The Me in You, the You in Me, There is only "I AM.'

I was shot point blank with a 357 magnum & it hit below my right breast.
The bleeding was sucking chest wound. A person there had been born with an extra large thumb & he stuck his thumb in the wound -that was squirting out about a foot.
While I was on the ground a being that looked like a beautiful
angel came to me, above my head & asked me "are you ready to go?"
I answered “no I have too many things I have to do” & the angel said
"alright, I'll see you again" then I was taken to the hospital.

I had another nde later about 1986 related to internal bleeding.
I was taken to a hospital in California - they tell me I was dead 12 minutes.
I was supposed to be in a coma for the rest of my life.
During this time I left my body and went above the cities around the world then I went into the firmament in space.
Then, I came to a beautiful cloud in the midst of the dark space.
In the middle of the cloud was a massive marble table.
On the right of the table were three people dressed in robes.
On the other side of the table there were 5 people dressed the same way.
One of them seemed to be in charge & they were talking to each other.
Then they turned to me & the one in charge motioned for me to come over.
I don’t understand what happened then - it seemed like part of me stayed there & part of me went over to him & the others came over too.
The talking seemed to go on for a while & then I left & came back to my body. At that time a pastor friend was praying for me, holding my hand,
he felt my hand move & I came out of the coma!

In the years following I became a chaplain & had spiritual experiences
with people I was praying for & with.
One time I was praying for a lady that was near death - as I was praying for her I felt like electricity going through my arms.
Another time the same thing when I was leading a group in prayer.
And one time a man was praying for me in church & I had like a ray going from the bottom of my body going slowly all the way to the top of my head.
Once while walking in the back yard- I seemed to walk into another dimension- everything was so bright & beautiful & I had a great feeling of being in total peace- this has happened two times.
Another time I was praying for a disabled veteran- an amputee-
they were supposed to amputate more of his leg & after praying for him I found out later that they did not amputate anymore of his leg! Praise be to God!
I haven't heard of other experiences like this ndr.
I met my wife in a way I know god was involved & he sends us on what I call assignments. God puts us in situations where people need prayer & god, then we seem to go to a different areas of the country to a new assignment
I believe our biggest assignment is still to come.
I now know that there is a God & we all have a particular job to do! I hope I did a good job describing this.

My life is completely changed- what matters most now are spiritual matters.
And, I believe god has given me my job.

I was lying on the procedure gurney in the hospital. I was undergoing a cardiac catherization to determine if my arteries leading to the heart were blocked from cholesterol/plaque. (I was experiencing chest pains the whole week). I was not under anesthesia or sedation of any kind.

As I laid on this bed, the doctor and the team of assistants/medical technicians were inserting catheters into my groin area, all the while injecting contrast into my arteries and taking a series of pictures that would later be studied to determine if blockage indeed was present.

The doctor inserted the first set, went in, and took his pictures. He repeated this process two other times. The second time, as with the first, the catheter went in and came out effortlessly. I was wide awake the whole time and had not felt discomfort nor uneasiness the first two times.

As he inserted the catheter a third time, I began to sense a problem. The doctor snapped orders to his staff: "get me a _______, I need a #6 blah blah blah. Quickly" As I listened to all this commotion, I felt a slight fluttering of my heart. No pain, but anticipation.

Suddenly, I found myself in a dark space that quickly became a bright, diffused white room. I was in this place that seemed to be a room, in the presence of a being that I felt was a man. Although I could not make out any distinctive features, his figure was definitely that of a man. There was a feeling of peace, of well-being, of comfort. No sound was heard, he did not speak to me.

Just at the point that I was realizing that I was in this room (at first it was surreal, then, I defined the place more accurately), I felt a horrible pain all around my chest, and a strange smell. It was as if two burning stakes had been thrust into my heart. I opened my eyes, and heard a man's voice screaming my name in the distance. “Speak to me!”.... I remember being upset that I had been awoken from this place. I had no idea where I was. All I felt was this terrible pain in my chest. As I looked around, I noticed that the man that was calling my name was the medical technician. Slowly, I spoke. My first words were: "Where am I?" As I regained full consciousness, I realized I was still in the procedure room, and recognized the doctor. I asked him what happened, and he responded: "I'll tell you later". He left the room.

They hooked me up to various machines and stabilized me. After I was fully stable, the doctor came back in and explained what happened:
As he inserted the catheter in the third artery, he maneuvered it towards the heart. As he reached an intersection and injected dye to take pictures, the size of the catheter, coupled with plaque that was blocking that artery completely cut the flow of blood to the heart. My heart went into fibrillation and I flatlined. I died. He told me that he poked my face, no response. They had to use the defibrillator paddles, and administered 300 joules of electrical current to my heart. (That explained the pain I felt). He said I was dead for approximately one minute, no more.

Upon listening to this, I remember a series of emotions running through my mind. I was fearful that I would die again, and recalled asking for my wife, to say "goodbye". I recall thinking that I was not ready to die. I was very depressed.

This occurred on August 9, 2002 (Just last week). I haven't been the same since. What did I experience? Was it just the last dream of a dying brain? Or was it the prelude of the afterlife? Has anyone else had similar experiences, I mean of being in this white room with another presence?
It certainly didn't feel spiritual, but maybe I was dead for too short a period. Instead of having answers, I'm more confused than ever.

My family and I went to Florida on vacation. We were swimming on the Atlantic side. There was some undertow. My family were the only ones on the beach.

I was in about waist deep water and riding in the waves when I went under. I did not feel anything. I did not know anything was happening to me. I remember a swirling sensation. It was dark. When some people say it’s a tunnel, I can relate to that. I felt happy. I remember saying to myself, "I must be drowning. This is not bad at all." Then I heard a voice. A man's voice saying very direct and clear, "Not now". Then I remember thinking, why, must I get up. Then I felt the water as I lay on the bottom of the ocean. I pushed myself up and started to cough. No one noticed that I almost drowned.

It seemed like I was down there a long time. But, I guess not, since no one noticed I was gone.

I had the feeling that drowning was the way to go. No fear, no pain. This experience made me happy. I knew that there was more.

I don't know why I couldn't continue my journey. I question what do I have left here on earth to do.

This experience happened thirty some years ago but I can still remember it like it was yesterday.

I know this may sound strange, but I heard that same voice another time in my life. When I was about 13 years old, I had an eating disorder. I remember that same voice saying to me, "Stop, you are dying" and I did stop.

One time my mother's heart stopped and I didn't know it. I remember getting a feeling that I should send an angel. I saw a very stern looking angel. Just like an icon from Russia. I sent it to my mother. This was very strange for me to do. I found out years later that my mother saw that angel too and, her heart started beating again after 5 mins of being dead.

I had to go under surgery, because my tonsils had to come out. The surgeon and his assistants put me on a leather chair. I was very afraid, when they put a big nose cap on my nose and mouth, so that I could not breathe. I was around 5, 6 years then. I did not know what was going to happen with me. They told me to breathe, but I refused because there was a nasty smell coming out of the cap. Laughing gas I learned later.

I can remember everything exactly, like it happened a minute ago!
Finally, I breathed in and I felt myself sinking in a kind of dark spiral.

Then suddenly there is a kind of yellowish light, bright. It is all around me, it is like I see it without eyes. At the right there are light concentric circles, which are turning against each other. I notice there are small, very dark symbolic figures inside the circles, which are also turning with the movement of these circles. I am a little bit afraid of those figures.

Then I hear on the left very, very beautiful music, coming from far away. It is really a kind of angel’s choir, very warm.

Then I see, suddenly, from a birds eye view, a few doctors in green with lots of blood on their hands bending over something. I had no self-consciousness then. It was me.

I think to myself, “something has gone VERY wrong there!”

And then, I am in myself again and there is a burning pain in my throat and, much blood.

I sensed, I was only a young child, that something almost got out of hand. I am now thinking that maybe I got out of the narcoses too soon because, I felt a lot of pain and the surgeons were still busy with me.

When all was over, my parents gave me a pluche seagull and all was forgotten. I was a happy child!

I'd been spending alot of time with my mom in her final time and she spoke often of "Doug and Helen" who would come to visit her. Doug was almost always there, Helen only some of the time. These did not seem to be anyone we were aware of her knowing in her past. It got to where I could recognize when they were in the room, even where they were in the room as I could sense their energy and I could "see" them. Best description would be a displacement, kind of like when you see heat rising up off a pavement. But they felt different. I would notice them and then she would say, "Oh, Doug is here". In February (she died in April) her brother died. She had no short-term memory so telling her wouldn't have made a difference so we hadn't really told her and the day of his death she said "oh, Peter's here!". Prior to that she had mentioned many of her other siblings presence there, but never him. Again, it got to where I could recognize whom was there and when and then, she would comment on it.

As her condition degenerated and communication became more difficult for her, I began having dreams where she would come to me and talk about things only she was young and whole. Somehow in all of this she told me when she was going to die, and I told friends that she would cross over on April 19th. This is indeed when she died.

I was sitting in the chair one night just holding her hand as she slept. My Father was at the other end of the house watching TV. All the lights were off. As I sat there, I heard someone coming down the hall and come into the room...my back was to the door. They put their hand on my shoulder as if to comfort me. I assumed it was my dad. When I reached up to put my hand on his there was no physical hand there, yet I could feel it as if it were. These types of experiences continued daily.

In March, about a month before she crossed, it was during the day, I stood by her bed as she slept. I had been chanting over her. She started to breathe heavier and a light began to radiate out from her and encircle the two of us. It seemed to be whirling, for lack of a better way to describe it. Then, as it seemed to get thicker, she took a big gasp and arched her back and a red swirling light began to rise up out of her, around the area of her first or second chakra. As it rose up, it whirled around faster and got wider and a white whirling light came down from above and met it. They whirled together and expanded wider and wider until they both engulfed both of us, whirling faster and getting bigger. I felt nervous, but I stayed put, watching and feeling this intense energy pulse through me. This continued for several minutes until finally she gasped again, and it was like she was being lifted from her center in an arch and with that both lights, separate but combined, went up with a whoosh and she dropped back on the bed and slept as if nothing happened. I still felt like I was vibrating. I just stood there wondering what had just happened. Her condition began the final decline after this.

Within a couple of days I notice on my belly where there had been nothing before, I was developing a couple of moles...these were HER moles. My mom had always distinctly had these moles on the R side of her belly and now they were showing up on my abdomen. They are still there now. Also, My mom always painted and was quite creative, artsy. All the painting in our house were her works. I had never had much talent...perhaps more than average, but nothing to speak of. Since her death, I have discovered that I have quite an artistic talent. I have never had any art class, yet I am quite a skilled charcoal artist now. Charcoal was a favorite of hers, even though she was a better painter. Her talent has manifested in me as a charcoal artist. She also sewed all my clothing as a child. I have developed an uncanny ability to sew without patterns even. I can picture the patterns in my head. I just seem to know how to do all kinds of crafts now that I never had a clue about before.

About a month after her death, a small white light appeared in my room. It grew nightly from about the size of a tennis ball to that of oh, a basketball. I tried to figure out what source it had, if it was being reflected off of something or coming though the window and best as I could figure it was independent. It seemed to have a presence. I just watched it intently. After a couple of weeks I started to see faces in it. Vague but distinct at the same time. They didn't really have structure or definition yet there they were as real as I was. I just watched. The light began to get bigger again and then move from over in the corner to closer to where I slept, then adjacent to my bed, then hovering over my bed. The faces became more prominent and it would hang closer to me until finally one night it floated directly over me and an arm and hand reached out to me as if to take my hand. Unfortunately, I panicked and pulled the blanket up over my head. Then when I peaked out finally, it had moved back over to the side of my bed. There was a feeling of disappointment, but it wasn't mine. Over the next few days/weeks the light still lingered but the faces got fainter and the ball got smaller until it totally disappeared.

The day after the reaching incident, I was driving in a community I didn't normally visit and I saw a sign that said “Institute of Light” or something like that. I stopped and went in. The receptionist was on the phone and when she looked up and saw me she stopped short and told the other person she had to go. She didn't take her eyes off of me. When she hung up she just said (I hadn't said a word as of yet) "you just had a visit didn't you?" then "they thought you were ready, but apparently you weren't. They wanted to take you to show you the other side. It’s a rare thing that you can do this without actually dying. They thought you were ready to see. But apparently you need to learn to trust more. Don’t worry. You will have a chance again. They will make sure you are ready next time. Oh, and your mother wants you to know that she did some things with the way she raised you.... you know what she is referring to...things that she is sorry for. She sees now the impact it’s had and she wants you to know she meant well. She loves you and will be with you. And she wants you to know that you are following the correct path. Your beliefs are correct. Your understanding is correct. Your "knowing" is real. You really do "know". Believe in it. Trust it. Trust what you know. That is what she came to tell you about. Trust yourself. You know. You know. Keep practicing as you are and you will reach your destiny. Your path is changing. You will be practicing the metaphysical. That is your path. There are many lessons, it will be difficult, but you will do well. You will be a healer. You are a healer. Know this." I just thanked her and left. The interesting thing is that at the time, I had just started practicing Buddhism and was catching alot of flack from my family about not being a good Christian. I was also a scientist and this was ruffling my world. I had always believed in the metaphysical but there was no way I could openly admit this to my scientist friends. I could not be open about who I was and what I believed. It was a secret life. I was afraid of being laughed at. And here she was telling me I would practice the metaphysical. There was about as much chance of that as my becoming President.

Since moving 5 1/2 years ago, I was pushed and pushed and pushed until finally I enrolled in massage school. I have evolved significantly and am a practicing therapist. I focus on energetic healing and it has been phenomenal in my life. I am sensitive to "the other side" and the divine. None of my scientific friends laugh. They see how this is a part of me. It is who I was always meant to be. But mom is more than just with me. She is physically a part me. Sometimes I laugh and its her laugh...things like that.

(Sorry for my English as it is not my native language).
When I was about 20 years old I still lived with my father and my sister. I recently had lost my mother and for this reason I was very stressed. Since when I was I child I always have been sensitive and I could "feel" that God existed. In that period of my life I approached God in a stronger way, as I wanted to be happier and more serene (my relationships with my father and my sister weren't ok - they had a different mind, they were more "material" than I was).

One night, after a strong quarrel with them, I closed me in my room and, starting to cry, I began praying to God, asking for his help.I had all the eyes opened and suddenly I saw the Light coming to me from "inside of me" and from "outside" (it is difficult to explain, but I think Light is as inside as outside of me). I was very frightened, as I could realize it wasn't a dream. But after a few seconds Light began to "speak" and I understood I should not be afraid, as Light was the Being nearest to me. I understood that Light was God. The Light said that it is the Being with more power and beauty, the Being above everyone and everything.
The Light said to me that I had loved my deceased mother too much: it isn't good to love a human being more than God, as God is the more important aspect in our life. The Light said also that I am not like my mother, my father and my sister: She saw me different places where people go after their death and told me that She wanted me in a good place, assigned to what here we name "angels" = beings who work for the Light. Light told me that I am an angel.
I expressed my wish to "die", to go in the New World I could see, but She/He/It said that I had to wait more years before "dying".

That experience lasted here a few times (some seconds or one minute), but in reality in that moment I could feel the time disappearing. The Light then, went away saying that She “will always be near” me “during my life”.
After His "physical" abandon, I suddenly felt very angry with my mother, guilty of a too intensive relationship with her when she was alive (the "funny" thing is that before my contact with the Light I could never feel negative feelings for my mother!).

After that contact, I have abandoned the Catholic religion, as now I feel the Light and I don't need a religion any more.

I sometimes can speak with the Light, inside of me, especially when I am stressed: I feel Her presence and I immediately feel better. I sometimes express a wish to Her and it often becomes granted.

One scientist who phoned me (I wrote to an Italian NDE study group some time ago) told me that mine wasn't an NDE - as I wasn't in danger of life, but a "Spiritual emergency" - suggesting me to buy a book by Groff, who utilizes this term.

My life is better now. I don't live any more with my family. I have bought a house, I have a girlfriend, a solid job, and a big reptile house on the second floor, as I love reptiles and in particular snakes (that I like to breed and to study).

Even now that I am independent sometimes, I am depressed as I feel like a wall between me and other people. I sometimes understand how caged is my soul in this world (I feel many aspects of my life - certain social rules, some duties - very far from my spirituality): I would like to escape, but I am here and I have to wait.

At the opposite of these bad feelings, other times I live the happiness to have been contacted by the Light.
I hope to live all my life as Light would like and my biggest fear is to make some mistakes.

I was driving toward Pittsfield Mass. from Albany N.Y. to work in that area for the day. It was a beautiful spring day and I drove without really being aware of the trip--much like you can sometimes walk several blocks without being aware of even passing the corners.

Somewhere in the mountains (and while really driving without a thought), I heard a voice. It was as clear as any normal voice (not a thought or idea), and seemed gender neuter. The voice said "There is a God --- everything will be alright." (Although I heard this voice seemingly through my ears, it was totally non directional.) The following sequence of events then occurred, although the order may be slightly different than I relate here. I knew with absolute certainty that the words I heard were true. I then experienced an unconditional love of God for "me". This love is absolute.
It truly passes all understanding. It is the single thing in life I can really be sure of; and, it means " EVERTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT." "GOD IS IN CHARGE."

I never had the experience again, although I have recalled it many many times. An absolute joy accompanied this episode, of course. And, yes, I have related it on many occasions to friends and family. I am not a religious person but am convinced we have a creator who is a personal and unconditionally loving God to everything he creates.


P.S. The proceeding occurred long before I was ever aware of a NDE.
And although I suffered no trauma of any kind it seems similar in some respects to what I read happening in NDEs.

I was married May 1981 and working in a pulp mill in, B.C., Canada. It was in Feb 1982 and a Friday day shift. I was cleaning lime kilns by adding water to the lime dust and sucking it up with a giant truck mounted vacuum cleaner. The truck operator had wandered off and the 10 inch hose had sucked up against the side of the lime pit. I climbed down the ladder to try and kick the hose away (I did not know how to turn the unit off). I slipped off the ladder and the lime slurry went over my boots and filled them. I then made my way to a water hose and doused both boots with cold water. Next, I dried things off the best I could since it was almost quitting time.

Well, my legs began to tingle then, itch then, they really began to hurt. By the time my wife had picked me up I was in agony, my legs felt on fire. I went straight to the shower and turned on the water and started to peel clothes off. With my socks came full thickness of skin.

To shorten this narrative, I did go to the hospital and was sent home that night. The next morning the bed was soaked, my dressings were a straw color, and no, my wife would not let me go flying when I had trouble navigating my way to the bathroom.

So, back to the hospital at my wife's insistence and the same doctor was there. They started to slowly remove the old dressings and I can remember telling the nurse to let me do it as she was going too slow, next, I began to feel nauseous and laid back on the stretcher. My wife then noticed that I was no longer breathing and a Code Blue was called (cardiac arrest).

As for me, I remember the sensation of floating up to the florescent lights, warmly wrapped in a sheet. Before I went into the light I became aware of the resuscitation effort below me and a vague memory of me lying there with CPR being done. Next I traveled up through the light and now very clearly remember saying " Wow this is great! This is better than any drugs that I took in college! I more or less repeated this a few times as I continued upwards until I became aware of human forms off to my left with one standing right beside me. I could not make out features as it was to bright behind them. The person beside me put out his hand over my crossed hands on my chest and said to me " you have to go back, your time is not yet" I argued with him saying that it was to beautiful here and I did not want to go back. He then said " yes you have to go back, you have a wife and child, you have to go back" He kept repeating this until my mother ran into the ER.

The doctor said, "it was no use. He’s dead”. My mom screamed “NO!” and grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me down on to the bed. I woke up to find my mom crying over me and, her tears landing in my eyes and stinging.

It felt as if my spirit slowly entered my body. When I was fully aware and telling my mom and wife what happened, I could see the staff looking at me funny as if I was crazy, That stopped me from talking about it for years.

It wasn't until I became a Resp therapist and found out that other people had had the same experience. By the way, that was how I found out my wife was pregnant. I kept saying to her "you are pregnant!" My daughter was born in June that year and got married Aug 3/02.

I honestly feel that I was not meant to die that day as I have since helped save many others, and have witnessed to many others that were dying. From all this I got one very important "thing". I now believe in a spiritual existence or God where before, I did not have any faith and that has carried me farther than I thought I could ever go.

Since that time I have experienced some strange but amazing things working as part of the Code Blue team as a Respiratory Therapist, but that is a whole story in itself. Thank you.

I had been in labour with our first child for almost 18 hours. I was like most first time mums, exited.

I cannot forget what happened after giving birth to our son.

I suddenly found myself looking down at myself and my husband who was very distressed. I could clearly remember him shouting at the doctors and nurses asking what was wrong.

Apparently I had suffered a hemorrhage and went into what they described as shock. I recall wondering what all of the fuss was about as, I felt so calm and relaxed. I remember thinking I must go back because my newborn son needed me.

To this day I can vividly recall this experience and wonder what it means.

However, I feel it is important to mention that when I was pregnant with our son, I had seen what I can only describe as a ghost or similar. Since this experience I have been somewhat scared of certain things that I have seen and basically told my self that I do not want to see things that I cannot explain .I feel that this experience has some meaning and in a way feel fortunate that it happened. However, I am still not sure what it means and have basically shut down on receiving any other messages ,or whatever they may be .

Thanks for enabling me to share this with you.

July 12th, 2002,I went to the hospital for surgery on my foot. I came home about 7:00CST,became very sick, vomiting off and on all night till about 4:00 in the morn. I was so tired I only wanted to sleep. I thought I went to sleep. The last thing I remembered was, my daughter Michelle telling me, “Mom we can't give you anymore pain meds we do not know how much you still have in you."

I came to realize I am speeding through this long dark tunnel and the speed of light. Toward the end of the tunnel I can see the brightest most beautiful light, there is nothing like this here on earth. Between the light and me are this electricity colored green and amber. I feel cold, extreme cold, the nearer this electricity comes to me I am afraid. I am so cold, the light is getting nearer and so bright. I am warming up so warm the glow is absolutely brilliant. I feel so much love so safe, so protected. I heard myself saying "God please don't make me go back I am so warm. I have never had this feeling before, don't let me go". I see my life unfold. Everything I did or said to anyone is being shown to me. Everything someone else did to me I see. I then see my husband and myself sitting there. I see what I have said and done to him. I then see, what he has said and done to me. Somehow in my head comes these thoughts through this electricity," Life does not begin and end here on earth, your priorities are in the wrong place, its not the best car or house that counts its all about love for man and animal. Love your fellow man go to the four corners of the earth and express love is what is important not religion. Love thy neighbor, needy, homeless, sinners those that cannot do for themselves or know any better. Our creatures large and small are put here for a reason. It being to teach love, compassion, and respect. They know everything from the beginning of time to the end. If you cannot love and respect my creatures how can you love one another? How can you love me? Teach the world love, friends kindness goodness, and giving." I awoke gasping for air, my body burning, sitting straight up on my den sofa, screaming I couldn’t get enough air. I was afraid to tell anyone. People would say I was insane, I was scared.

My life has changed forever.

Although I had lots of dreams like lots of children do, my real dream was to be a world-class athlete. A gymnast, a track star, and even a bodybuilder, it didn't seem to matter at the time, but I knew I wanted to compete physically. My Dad knew too, that's why we raced up and down the Street, he was challenging me, developing me physically, supporting my real dream the only way he knew how. He supported me in everything I did. Even in Speech recitals, he wrote most of my speeches and would coach me as I recited them, another one of my child hood goals. Still, at twelve, my speech skills were being developed along with my athlete coordination.

When his mother died that year, I lost his support. I lost him. I don't know why. Maybe it was the way she suffered from lung cancer. Maybe it was because her death caused him to reflect on his own life. I loved her too. She was my friend and my grandmother. Hindsight is never gratifying and it doesn't make any difference. Our family life went downhill and within months my parents divorced. I lost my grandmother and my Dad the same year. I never raced up and down that Street again.

My hopes and dreams seemed to disappear. The loss of my grandmother and my parent's divorce created a void and sickness within me that I would not be able to correct for many years to come. I thought that all this had something to do with me. So in order to deal with my pain and loneliness and disapproval of myself I found my outlet through food, outside I struggled with the same old feeling of wishing for acceptance, love, to achieve my dreams and goals, to be liked and thought of as athletic, beautiful and popular like the other girls, the road to perfection. Inside I tore myself apart calling myself fat and ugly. I began to gain weight rapidly over the years using food to replace the pain and sorrow I felt inside.

At 15 I found an answer to achieve some of the outward appearance I was looking for. I met a girlfriend at work who loved food as much as I did. She said let's just eat as much as we want and throw it up. So started my years of Bulimia. During these years I fought a battle I did not think was possible to overcome. I dreamed of being like everyone else and wished with all my heart that it would be possible to eat whatever I wanted, like so many of the girls I knew. It seemed that if you were pretty and thin, you would get all the cute boys and find total happiness.

When I was 18 I met my husband to be, who was a good looking, avid athlete and bodybuilder, whom I spent the next 10 years of my life trying to reach the level of perfection and acceptance he thought I should be at. He was not really willing to give me guidance and show me the right way to accomplish these goals. His answer was that I should already be there. At 21 my husband was stationed in Germany on a military tour. It was here I started the quest for status; I was approached one day by the coach of the army powerlifting team whom asked me if I had ever considered weight training. Had I ever, I replied that I had wanted to with all my heart but my husband just expected me to know how. The next couple of years were spent off and on the army powerlifting team and having a baby.

After I had my baby my food habits did not change and I found myself constantly fighting the battle of confusion between what I saw on the outside and what I felt on the inside. It did not help that my husband had now given me an ultimatum (TO get my fat # in shape in three months or he was leaving) I struggled with this for many years until I found myself pregnant with my second child and going through a divorce. I decided while I was pregnant with my son I was going to achieve my dream. I did not understand the first step I needed to take was to ask myself whom was I doing this for (myself or acceptance from society) so I surrounded myself with people I thought would help me achieve this status. I wanted to be loved and thought of as beautiful so bad that I was willing to do whatever it took to reach this level of perfection. The trouble was that I didn't question my values, so when people said jump I said how high. I searched for the answers by what every one else told me was real. I was told drugs and steroids were the only way to achieve this level, so I believed what I was told. I had never really experimented with drugs or steroids before so my answer was to try whatever they suggest. What I didn't realize is that they didn't really know either. It was all about ego. So I blew up and got bigger; all I wanted was to be beautiful and thin, then I would be loved. I couldn't seem to reach this level of perfection.

So I was introduced to a drug that would make it easy for me to never eat if I didn't want too. I now had brought Methamphetamine into my life and moved forward on my quest for perfection by never eating at all. I was going to achieve fitness status. This phase of my life had brought a new understanding of how the world views each other, by what they see with their eyes. I was hooked! My perception and reality of life was distorted because I lived through the worlds eyes and not my own. I was so obsessed with thinness that I stopped eating at all. My game became harder and harder to keep up with. In the mirror all I could see was fat but in reality the world saw me as slipping away. I could not get thin enough.

I remember my mother saw me once after not seeing her for about three months; she starting crying her eyes out! She said, Sherry Marie, you are a skeleton! What are you doing to yourself? What has happened to you? I became very angry and told her that she did not know what she was talking about.

It was just about this time when I had made a decision to move to Las Vegas Nevada. I just knew I was going to be famous. I was going to go out there and be discovered. Now, I had been competing and doing some magazine photo shoots at this point but as fast as I achieved the status I lost it. I felt very lonely and empty inside. My passion for life began to dissolve into a darkness I could not seem to escape from. I started to get very sick; my tolerance for small circumstances in life became harder and harder to deal with. My children didn't understand what I was going through and every time I looked in the mirror I saw the image of a fat girl. I had walked over the edge of life and began to beg to die. What was this world about? Why are we here? Does happiness exist? I hate life! People are out to destroy each other! This is the dialog that started to run through my head.

There were experiences and events that began to happen that all I can do today is share with you. These events and experiences were very real and began to open me up to the reason for us all being here. I mentioned that I no longer wanted to live. I was not able to interact with the world any longer. I could not stand to be in another person's presence. I could not even stand the sound of my own daughter's voice. I very rarely left the house these days and every window and curtain in the house was closed.

When it became time to leave the house because I absolutely had too. The children needed food and whatever I had to get, I started to have experiences that I can only describe like this; it did not matter where I was at the grocery store, the gas station, or the gym. People would come up to me and tell me that God told them to speak to me. It started to happen so often that I thought I was going crazy. I began to beg God more often to kill me.

It was not much longer that I started to experience the visitation of spirits. How can I describe this other then to share it for what it is, the truth! I had had a best friend who had died the year before of drug overdose. He was very close to my children and me but he had begun to escape the pain of the world through drugs. His spirit began to visit me everyday and often. His spirit would plead with me, not to let happen to me what had happened to him. He would share with me my inner beauty and love for the world. He would tell me that I had much to share with the world.

It was not long after this when another spirit would visit me and share the same simple wisdom. I was here for a reason. I could not give up! Her spirit had once been a powerful figure in the world of the physical, but she too had been overcome by her own self-destruction. This spirit was that of Marylyn Monroe. At this point your mind might be thinking how could this be possible? I tell you this is true. I can only share with you the reality of my experience and the effect that it had on me. So strong was her spiritual influence on me, that she would visit me all hours of the day for those weeks before my NDE. It did not matter which room I was in at the time. She would speak to me through the TV, in the kitchen, stairway, and my room. When I would go to the turn the television on, there would be a documentary about her life on the TV.

What she would share with me was her wisdom from life. She told me that my life was very similar to her life. She told me that she too searched for love and acceptance through the world's eyes and through their acceptance. She too lived through the darkness of being surrounded by high powerful people in Las Vegas and other parts of the world. The world of darkness and the status that beauty can bring surrounded by high powerful men. What she began to share with me for the next couple of weeks was her wisdom of life. She told me that love was the only way. She told me always hold on to the love, never forget the love. For Love was our only answer for survival as a human. She told me not to let happen to me what had happened to her. She said that I still had a chance. She told me that Joe Dimaggio had been the love of her life in the time of her human experience. Once again she would share with me her love.

I am sure there will be much to be said about what I have just shared with you. I can tell you this; at this point I thought I was going insane. The events that happened next were two weeks before my NDE are what I still hold dear to my heart until this day. Some of this you might not grasp, but that is ok. I know what is part of me.

It was super Bowl Sunday 1997. I had spent a lot of my time in Las Vegas attracting High Powerful people from New York. They would travel to Las Vegas and I would hang out with them for dinner and company. I had recently started to experience another event in my life that I could not describe. I could read people’s thoughts. I could stand in a room with these men and telepathically read their minds. I could hold a conversation with one man, and hear the conversations of the rest of the group throughout the room. This confused me and I did not understand it at he time.

One of them men in the group that weekend asked me to visit him in his penthouse; he wanted to talk to me. When I arrived at his room he opened the door and asked me to sit down. He stared at me in the eyes for a few minutes, which made me uncomfortable. He then said to me; it's all in your eyes how much you love and care about people but you're a scared little girl. You don't even know who you are, do you? You are a bright star! You search for fame and fortune from the world. But until you can hold your head high and say; I don't care what the world thinks! You'll never be a star; you'll never be anything. Because, you will always care about what the world thinks! Be yourself! I looked into this mans eyes and I could swear I was looking into God's eyes. I could swear that God was speaking to me himself. Two weeks later the answer I found was self-destruction.

On February 13, 1997 I was given a wake up call, a second chance. I nearly lost my life due to bulimia, anorexia and drugs in which I experienced what we would call a near death experience. I like a lot of people who have told similar stories, was shown and told I was being given a second chance to finish my purpose. I was given a gift that no words can ever be spoken to tell you how grateful I am for the chance to share my story with you. I hope that my message will reach out to the people who need to hear it most.

I had found LOVE! I watched my spirit leave my body and release itself from this world of flesh. I could see myself traveling through a tunnel of light that was a freedom it is hard to describe in physical terms. I was moving freely at a high rate of speed, like a bird. Ahead the light became brighter and brighter until it overtook the darkness and left me feeling like I was in a fairy tale of brilliant light. This was the brightest light I had ever seen, but in spite of that. Unlike the pain one might feel when walking into sunlight from a dark room, this light was complete love and soft to my eyes.

It was everything all at once, love, freedom, release, and the oneness of all that we are. Suddenly I was in the presence of powerful spirits and love. I could feel them comforting me and preparing me for what was to come. Their love was that of complete serenity.

Then there was off to my left the source of all power. A powerful Being of Light was in front of me. As I gazed into its essence I could see all shades of color, as if a rainbow had exploded. I thought I was hugged with such a powerful source of love. Like a child held in its mother’s arms.

I felt comfortable in it’s presence, a knowingness that made me believe this energy had felt every feeling I had ever had. Looking at this Being I had the feeling that no one could love me more, no one could have more empathy, sympathy, encouragement, and nonjudgmental compassion for me than this Being. This being Was Love!

The source that was before me knew the pain I had experienced, knew that I wanted nothing more then to help others.

It was there that the source of God communicated with me. The communication was not that of what I could describe the way that you and I communicate here on this planet. But that of power. The knowingness of communication telepathically. I could hear everything through the senses. Spirits whom had lived my life with me in the physical flesh and had passed on before me were there to comfort and love me, as well as a group of spirits, guides and teachers whom all had been there with me to complete my journey and purpose for being on the planet.

Suddenly I was told by the strongest source of energy and love that I had much work to still do on earth. That I had not yet finished my purpose that I was being given the choice of destruction or that of my dreams and goals, my purpose. I was then shown what I can describe today of my life review. Everything that I had experienced in my life as a human up until that point. What I now believe to be what the bible speaks of as judgment day. It is not the brim and fire that seems scary in the bible, but that of an experience of you judging you. The reliving of all your choices, love, hate, anger, infliction on others. The difference is that in those moments that you created pain for others. You relive it as if you were inside them. You feel what it was like to feel the pain from their eyes. I was then given it seemed like a time of reflection on the events of my life. Some time to decide which choice to make.

I was then told that I was being given the choice to stay or to be given a second chance to complete my purpose. I was told that my purpose was a big mission. I was then told that I was being given a blessing to be shown that which I had not yet finished. At this point I could feel this group of beings eliminate or pull from me the negative energy of my life in the physical world and fill me with love beyond what I can describe I remember the scene was shown to me in a fairy tale city and setting. Somewhat like I had always wished for in my life while alive. It was so beautiful, How could I not try? She was so kind and beautiful. I could feel her heart.

At this point I watched a future that began to pass before my eyes as if it were a movie made to describe a fairytale and all that the princess ever wished for was granted. I was told that I was meant to lead that I was a healer sent to earth to pave the way for others to live. I was shown a movie of a woman who came to earth to help people find their own individual greatness. She would become very well known in life for helping people to discover their own uniqueness, movies, TV, publishing, changing the idea of how the world looks at women, opening up spiritual schools for children, helping the world to understand death, the importance of our internal power. I would become a trendsetter, travel to third world countries and open up humanitarian foundations for the homeless and people in tragedy and need.

My greatest creations would be that of opening healing centers for women and children. I would speak all over the world to large groups of people on topics like anorexia, bulimia, drug abuse, sobriety, and how to discover that unique power within.

This whole time I was comforted by the enormous love of the other beings. The spirit of my grandmother was also there. When she was alive, during the last year of her life in physical form. I had been afraid of her. I watched her go from a beautiful woman into a lifeless skeleton. She had died of lung cancer. During her last days, I was afraid to be around her, because she was not the woman I had known. She was frail and scary looking. After her death I had dreams for along time, as if she was haunting me. At twelve years old I had to sleep with my parents. I was sure she was haunting me for me being afraid of her. In my moment of awakening, she was there too. She communicated this memory to me by sharing with me her reason for being there. My grandmother’s spirit shared with me that she was watching over me and protecting me.

The next version the beings showed me was that of a man that was part of my life during these days of darkness. His name was Phil; I was told that I was to share with Phil possibilities that would happen in his own life. Phil was given the same choice as I here in the physical world.

I was then shown, why we are all here. We are here to experience the human experience. I was told if it were religion, we would all be hoping the religion we chose was the right one. We are not here to kill each other. We are here to help each other rise to the higher level of love. I was told I would leave a lasting impression on the world that the world would never forget. My whole life I was taught that sin and Satan was going to come get me if I did something bad. I was told that the sin and Satan we live is that of our own creation. That we are the true essence of God. That we are God creating God. "Ye are Gods." God lives within us and through us. God experiences it all right along with us. This is called free will that the greatest gift we were ever given was to create our own reality. To experience the biggest, grandest version of ourselves.

Teach the world to play, teach them to rediscover the children in themselves, teach the children to love each other and find the power of using their unique greatness together. I obviously chose to try again. I heard in my head that I had made the promise to return and share with the world my story. I was told to tell. I also remember the beings continually spoke to me through the words I AM. The last thing that happened was when I watched my spirit descend back into my body. I could suddenly see myself lying on my bed. I could feel a light coming through the window that was so powerful beyond words. As I watched my spirit return to this body on the bed. I could hear the last words spoken to me; "You must help the world to understand, that they must give of themselves freely without expecting and love is all there is!

When I recovered the people I had surrounded myself with no longer understood me, nor were they willing to grasp the connection we all have with each other. Phil called me crazy and now began to call me Scary . I was shown that Phil would leave me but that he would come back someday, sometime, and somewhere. One month before a court case of Phil's I described to him what would happen in this court case. Guess what? It happened just like I said it would. This only made Phil more afraid of me.

So as painful as it was I took responsibility for my actions and myself. I lost my hair; I went from 100 lbs. to tipping the scale at a whopping 190- lbs. I did not realize that I would not have these promises happen that day. I truly thought the promise the source gave me; that if I came back, all those events would happen that day. I was also told that I would become a very wealthy woman one-day, and that when I was, I would know exactly what to do with the money. I was told by one of the beings that I would never have to worry. That all the right people would come into my life at the right moment to help me move forward. A promise was a promise! Never did I expect to experience the opposite of this vision first. The world deserted me, laughed me called me crazy. I can only share the pain that I felt from this, but I had been given a blessing that no one or no thing can take away. So I decided to let go. I had suddenly recovered, lost all my possessions, my hair fell out from lack of nutrition, I gained almost 90 pounds in two months and I was currently homeless on the streets because my family and friends said; You made your bed, you lie in it. I did not like what I saw or, what I felt inside.

What I felt after kept me going for awhile. The state of absolute bliss I experienced was a feeling of oneness with all things. Once again, the negative energy from the experience of this world was eliminated from in the light. I was filled with love. How do I describe the feeling? Other then to say it is kind of like the movie the Highlander. I am everything, I know everything, and I am one with everything. From the day I recovered and up until now, my gift has been to experience the mystical. The blessing to be in tune with the almighty source of all things. I experience the mystical or my own description of it, is events that occur in our lives that are not easily explained. It could be something as simple as meeting someone in the moment and hearing them say things to you as if God were speaking to you directly through this individual, or hearing people’s thoughts in your head. Another thing I experienced after is I could be in someone’s presence and know what level of love he or she was at. I would know if they were lying or insecure or full of hate. I would have this prickly intense energy shoot up my neck.

An event I can describe in detail is of an experience I had six weeks after my recovery. I had a fitness event to attend in Palm Springs. Now, I had hardly any money left to attend this event but I went anyway. The promoter of the event gave me twenty dollars for gas to drive back to Las Vegas with. I stopped to get gas and realized I was not sure how to drive back to Las Vegas. I asked a man I saw standing on the side of the road if he knew which route to take to get to Las Vegas. He told me to take highway 10 back to Las Vegas.

Now in this day, I was still very new to all this, and in a sense a baby reborn. I drove for quite awhile lost in my own thoughts, when I saw a sign that read Arizona. I thought Arizona! I looked at my gas gage at that moment to see that I was almost out of gas. I knew that I had no money in my bank account and wondered what I was going to do. I pulled over at a gas station just to try and use my ATM card anyway. It read insufficient funds. So what did I do? I started to share my story with people. Yes, many thought I was crazy! I was still very thin at this point. Some people would throw 67 cents at me or 2.00 at me. I would of course put this in the gas tank. I still could not seem to get the right directions from anyone to get back to Las Vegas.

During this experience, I could hear the spirit speak to me and share with me great things I would do in the future. That I would help a lot of people to discover there true selves. I had now been lost for about 10 hours in the desert and seemed to be getting more and more lost. When I came to a gas station in which I heard in my head, try your ATM card. At this point I had just had a man throw 4 dollars worth of quarters at me and tell me I was tweaking! I said to the man, I was tweaking once but now I am high on life. I walked into the gas station store to a least try my ATM card again. I handed the clerk my card to discover that the card gave me $13.00 worth of gas.

I once again got into the car and traveled a distance when I came across a gas station out in the middle of nowhere. There were two old men sitting outside on lounge chairs in front t of the gas station. I pulled up and started crying. I told one of the men that I was lost, hungry, tired and could not seem to get the right directions to get home. He just stared at me for a moment and looked right into my eyes and said; I was sent to give you a message and the message is, "Tell your story, tell it lightly, don't be pushy, but leave an everlasting example and the world will never forget you." I started to cry again and did not know what to think of all of this. I could share many stories of these types of events in my life but this small description is just a simple story of what is going on all the time in our lives that just pass us by, or we neglect to see as reality.
I realized the denial, the blame, and the procrastination had to end. I needed to take control of my life. I had been given a gift, that gift was a second chance. It was about making a personal commitment to myself.

During the next 4 years I experienced adversity more then I can describe. The anger I felt at this source of energy I felt was enormous. I thought, I could I have been shown this to come back and experience ever loving hell. But, just when I was feeling these emotions some message, a person or an experience would happen to give me hope. What continued to drive me was the promise. The possibility of what I was shown. I wanted to be her. She was beautiful and loved people for who they were.

There are two motivating factors that drive us: Seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. This is the underlying picture that drives our attitudes and behaviors. A new life plan was in order. Your perception is the agent that will either hinder your growth or promote it. I needed to wake up and take a good look at myself. There was a whole world just waiting for me to enjoy. It was time for me to start really living and enjoying life. I began to look at my situation as a challenge. Many people think of change as too troublesome. They believe it's a negative aspect of life. Motivation means movement! Motivation means going places, not standing still.

My real challenge was to stick to my goal. When you look at life and it's many challenges as a test, you begin to see each issue you face as an opportunity to grow. I began to make decisions based on personal growth rather than in response to fear or necessity. I spent hours in the library researching religion and trying to understand why there were so many. I realized it doesn't have to take a miracle like I was given to make a change. It takes a little faith, willingness to trust you and the commitment to try something new. We are destined to grow mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If you convince yourself that change is bad, you are poisoning your future.

I have worked very hard to learn to love and accept myself for who I am on the inside. It has not been easy; it takes hard work! It takes allowing yourself to be human. It takes knowing that you are able, possible and willing. I would tell myself I could be victorious over weight or anything else in life. It has all been done one step at a time. My dream is to be a true role model to women and children and help people realize that anything is achievable at any age when you create from your heart and believe in yourself. When you are ready the teachers will come. The teachers have come one at a time.

I always ask myself; what example do you wish to represent in society? If you were to leave us today, did you accomplish what you set out to do? So here I am, finally here again 5 1/2 years later. I lost 70 lbs. two years ago and competed in my first all natural bodybuilding show in which I placed first in the Ms. Fitness model search and won the pro World Natural Ms. Figure 2000, along with many other dreams and goals.

I have finally learned to be myself at all costs, to trust my higher power to guide me in all circumstances and to surround myself with light like people who are stepping out to take up the important mission of role model in the next millennium to help create a world of unlimited potential full of love. I have recently decided to begin my project of opening women's healing and rejuvenation centers that will target all levels of fitness and brings a variety of fun and challenge to the spirit.

It is definitely 5 ½ years later and I am following my heart. I now know that all this has been for a reason. How could I have been that beautiful woman that day of recovery? She had to experience, heal and grow to share the message. I realize today, I am not here to convince anyone of my reality or what happened to me. I am here to offer hope, spread the message and teach others of what unlimited opportunities live inside them.

Hello. I found your site and am glad that I have
someone I can tell my experience to, it has haunted me
for more than 15 years.

I was living in Greece. While there, I frequently
visited an elderly relative who had in her living room
a large picture of Christ walking with two disciples
in the forest, one could only see the figures from the
back, I presume it is a well-known picture. She used
to grow ivy all around it and I remember thinking: how
tacky....

In August 1985 I had to have gallbladder surgery, also
in Greece. I "awakened" from the anesthesia in a
room, which I presume, was the "recovery" room, quite
primitive. I was in there by myself, no other
patients, and just two nurses. There was a large clock on
the wall and it said the time was 1:20 PM. I was
awake but I was very heavy and I could not breathe.
For a moment it panicked me and then suddenly I no
longer had the need to breathe. I saw the picture I
had previously described come alive, He was walking
with His two deciples and I wanted to go with them.
He suddenly turned around and with his finger motioned
to me to come to Him. I was thinking "Yes, wait for
me, I am coming" I felt euphoric. I was not
breathing and I heard a nurse say in Greek: She is
turning blue.... I felt an oxygen mask on my nose, I
struggled, I did not want it, I wanted to go to where
I was beckoned to come - I felt angry that they
brought me back.

This experience scared me so much that I was not able
to talk about it to anyone for a long time. Finally,
I asked a Greek priest here in town what he thought,
was I to die at that moment? He replied that if it
was a nice experience I should not worry about it.

About 3 years later I mentioned it to a Catholic
Father and told him how scared I was that maybe I had
cheated death. He said to me: "Have you ever thought
that He meant to say: Come walk with me?"
This did make sense and I am convinced He wanted to
tell me to believe in Him and walk with Him. I am
trying to do that and I just wanted to share this
experience with someone who has more knowledge about
these things. I have had anesthesia since and it has
never happened again. I now believe, however, that
there is someone out there looking out for us.
Thank you for letting me share this with you.

While being sedated for knee surgery something went wrong with the anesthesia causing me to go into cardiac arrest. I remember feeling very cold and then very quickly feeling free, carefree, and curious. I was watching the nurses and anesthesiologist talk and work on me from a corner of the OR. The only bright light was the bank of lights in the operating theater. I watched for what seemed like 5 -10 minutes but what was more likely less than a minute. I felt like I was being kept inside the OR though I was curious what was outside.

Then, with no voice nor instruction I felt it was time to go back down to the table and let them see I was OK. I have had no fear of death since then. The next morning the anesthesiologist came to talk to me to tell me I gave her quite a scare. I had seen her at work and knew how she had reacted, I had very pleasant feelings towards her. I pretended I knew nothing of the event.

The experience made me seriously question my religious belief, and gave me the impression that my soul is eternal. I told no one about the experience until 2 years ago when I confided in someone very special to me.

After the experience I have closely watched and listened to others who have had similar experiences and have always felt that mine was somehow incomplete in that I was not attracted to any bright light nor down a corridor or tunnel. I heard no voices and saw no one. I knew it affected me spiritually, but others have had more 'complete' experiences.

I have died twice - both as a result of undergoing, and during, gut surgery. Each was a powerful, renewing experience. I have been left in both instances with the question as to why I came back, since my physical health has been poor since before my first surgery in 1972. By Social Security's definition; I was completely disabled physically 30 years ago, and then again nine years ago when I became officially disabled/retired.

My experiences were both identical. I was drawn into an extremely intense light that is of a power not available to a human world. There was a deep sense of peace, coming home and renewal. Both times, although immersed in the light, I returned to life in response to a call from a source I don't understand today. I know I am here for a reason. Part of that may be sharing something I have learned others would like to know. I'm here today to "help", whatever that means. Understanding the meaning and contributing what I have to give has become my quest and aim.

I had only been married for a short time and was not wanting any more children at the time (I had a daughter, age 10 at this time, from another marriage). I had a IUD in order to prevent getting pregnant. During the night, I woke up, very ill and with high fever. I remember going into the bathroom and passing out. When I came to, my husband was standing over me. I was in the bed and he was screaming at me, and telling me to wake up. He was very scared and later told me he knew I had died.

I remember floating out of my body, toward a bright and beautiful light, feeling such wonderful peace and then I heard a beautiful voice ask me"Do you want to stay or go back" I answered "go back to take care of my daughter". Then I was awake and saw my husband standing over me, scared beyond words.

The ambulance attendants came later and took me to the hospital. I was in the hospital for 10 days and had a severe infection from the IUD. I never forgot that NDE experience and told no one for years.

Sometime later, I got pregnant and had a baby boy. His father and I divorced and I was granted custody of my son. The summer of 1989, I let him go stay with his dad and while riding his bike, my son was hit and killed instantly. I was out fishing when I saw the sheriff and some friends driving up. I knew right then before they arrived, that it was for me, that they were coming to tell me something about my children. The sheriff told me that my son had died and how. It was very bad. The minute I was told about his death and the circumstances, I had some sort of a peace, knowing how death really was--peaceful, serene, and glorious. That is the only reason I probably did not completely lose my mind from knowing the circumstances of his death.

I have since related this story to a magazine (maybe Life) years ago when they did a study about NDE’s. I have talked to many groups of parents since then that have also lost children and am able to tell them about my experience in hopes of giving them some comfort. I do not mind if you tell my story in the hopes that it can help others. I think I have described about all the details that I can remember and as accurate as I can remember. This is one thing I do know--I will never doubt that this was a true experience and that "strange" things like this do happen.

Why me, I do not know. I do know, that because of different things my son had said to me as he was growing up, I sometimes suspected that he was not going to stay long on earth. I would tell myself I was crazy and would forget about it or at least try to.

One thing that I did do because of this experience,.. My uncle was dying a very painful and horrible death. I stood at his bedside and talked to him, telling him to go ahead and cross over, that it was okay and he would be at peace. He died right then and looked very peaceful. A nurse was with us and she witnessed this experience. Thanks and hope this can be of some use to you.

I can remember it as yesterday. Me and my cousins were playing by the pool and they pushed me in. I remember struggling to stay afloat.

Then I was looking down at my reflection. It was so calm and peaceful as I slowly sank to the bottom of the pool. I could hear my heart beat. I saw my aunt come out of the house and running towards me.

As soon as she grabbed me I blanked out. As I came to she had given me CPR. I remember people's voices during the time she was giving me CPR.

On Aug 25, 1998 I had spinal surgery to correct flatback syndrome. A condition caused by the Harrington rods I had placed in my spine to correct scoliosis some twenty years before. My surgery was planned to be two procedures lasting approximately 10-12 hours where my surgeons were to access the back and later front of my body. Five hours into the posterior procedure something went wrong. I started to have excessive bleeding. To try to stabilize me the doctors started to give me large amounts of fluids, blood, and blood by-products. When it was all over I had received 9 liters of saline, 15 units of blood, platelets, albumin, clotting factors, and fresh frozen plasma. Still my heart rate was 240 beats per minute and my blood pressure was only 70 palp. My lungs filled with fluid and I was literally drowning. My doctors terminated the procedure and were not sure whether I would survive. I awoke many times that night choking on the fluid in my lungs, needing to have it suctioned out.

The next morning, I know it was morning because I could see the sunlight from windows in my room. I was looking around when a very strange feeling overcame me. At first I felt a bit cold, especially in my legs. The coldness seemed to start there and move up my body. Once the coldness covered me a feeling of peace, comfort and love encompassed me. I had NEVER felt anything like this before. There are not words to describe just how I felt. It was the absolute best feeling I had ever experienced.

I closed my eyes and was emersed in a state of total peace. I had no pain. I could no longer feel the respirator breathing for me, I no longer felt my many incisions, nor was I any longer aware of having my hands tied to the bed. It was as if none of what had happened to me existed. All the tubes and drains, all the machines and noise where gone.

God then started talking to me. He told me all that had gone wrong. He told me just how sick I was. He told me he knew I had wanted to end my life before the surgery and that he understood how much pain, disability and depression, I had suffered. He let me know he was very aware of how hard I had fought. He offered me a choice. He told me he had come to me to show me what death was like, that there was nothing to be afraid of. He said, the way I was feeling would be how I would feel for all of eternity. He told me all the pain and suffering would be over. I could rest if I were to follow him. The feeling was so wonderful, so peaceful, so calm, SO perfect.

The other choice was, I could return to the world and work my way through the pain and the long recovery. If I decided to do that, he said he would always be with me and nothing else would go wrong. It was my choice to make. He did make it clear that what ever I decided he would stand by me. He was satisfied, and I could be also, that I had tried my best. I was so overwhelmed by this wonderful state there was NO way I was going to turn my back on it. Yes, I was ready to die! Yes, I had had enough! Yes, I had fought the best fight I could and was more than willing to follow and enjoy this fantastic new experience.

He then instructed me to just close my eyes. Funny, they were already closed, but I did as instructed and imagined them closing. Just as my lids were coming together the face of my, eight year old, daughter flashed in front of my eyes. I had had a brief thought of my husband before that but, I discounted it immediately. He was a grown man and though my leaving him would be hard he would be able to survive without me. My daughter, no! My eyes flew open in my mind and I started to scream in my head. NO, NO, NO, I will NOT!!! leave my children alone, I also had an 11 year old son. Do not ask me how I know, but at that moment God smiled at me. I did not see a face or a form but I felt the smile and its warmth radiate through my whole body. God had not influenced me directly he had let me make my own decision. Maybe he put the image of my daughter before my eyes. I will never know. All I DO know is he was happy with my decision and I could feel it. I had become rather self-centered before the surgery, the struggle to live was my entire focus and my family had taken a back seat.

The warmth stayed with me a short time. Then suddenly with a jolt I could hear and feel all the machines again. The pain had returned. My hands were tired. The respirator whooshed. I opened my eyes and could see the hospital room. The first real day of my long recovery had begun. I spent several more days on the respirator till the fluid cleared from my lungs. A week after the first surgery I returned to the operating room and they finished the anterior portion. I bled again and needed six more units of blood but I knew I was in no real danger. God was present all of the time watching over me.

I went home from the hospital 4 days post op to celebrate my daughters ninth birthday.
Then three weeks post-op, while rolling over in bed, I dislocated two disks in my neck. I returned to the hospital. This pain was terrible and nothing controlled it. They tried morphine and trigger point injections. I screamed at God that he had lied to me. I was angry and very disappointed in him. He had not told me the whole truth. He had said my recovery would be long and hard. He had told me it was going to take all my strength to accomplish, but he had said nothing else would go wrong and here I was three weeks post-op and in terrible shape. Looking at another fusion surgery. How could he let this happen? How could he have abandoned me so soon?

It took me months to realize he had not abandoned me at all. He was giving me a reminder. I had been treated to a special gift. I had lived through it and forgotten about it as soon as it was over. I had not learned my lesson. I was embarrassed to tell others what had happened to me. I thought it was hokey. Being an ER nurse I had always wondered if near death experiences were real and here I had had one and wanted to forget about it.

Finally I spoke to the hospital chaplain. She told me indeed what I had experienced was just what I thought it was. We talked a long time. Still it took me many more months before I could tell others or share my experience.

God and I have had many discussions since that time, many good ones and many angry ones. The hard part of my recovery took over two and a half years. I am now almost 4 years post op and still struggle some days but have come to terms with my new life and the fact that I have a very special relationship with God.

I have returned to work, doing clinical research, and have told some of my patients, their families and/or other staff members about what happened to me. Assuring those facing possible death there is nothing to fear. The comfort I see in their faces as I describe the sensations and peace, as my tears flow down my cheeks, is what I was meant to do with my return. I reassure them grieving is for the living not the dead. We all miss those we loose. That pain is real, but those who go with God enjoy a state few of us living will ever know.

I will try to be as brief as possible.

In June of 1991, I was bitten by a brown recluse spider. I was hospitalized the day after and treatment began. I proved to be allergic to the medication used and my condition worsened. I started massive hemorrhaging and was transferred to another facility, which was better equipped to handle the situation. I was placed in Medical ICU and transfusions were started to replace the lost blood. I was comatose during all this time. I was not aware of being moved to another hospital until awakening five days later.

At some point during this time, I found myself crossing a bridge. I seemed to be leaving an area of darkness and the bridge led to a place of brilliant white light. On reaching the halfway point of the bridge, I observed a group of people in white clothing, possibly robes, who seemed to be engaged in a discussion of some sort. They were bathed in this white light which seemed to have no particular source. Everything on the light side of the bridge seemed to have the glow about it. As I paused on the bridge, one of the people looked up at me. I recognized him as a man I had met about three year’s prior. He held up his hand as if wishing me to stop my approach. He stepped away from the group who continued their activity, whatever it might have been. The man did not approach, but spoke to me and told me that my work was not complete and that I must return for a time.

At some point after this, I regained consciousness. My wife told me that the doctors were considering stopping my heart and putting me on life support to give my body a chance to rest. They were afraid I would exhaust all possibility of surviving if this were not done. Before they could proceed, I began to show improvement. This came within minutes of the procedure being started.

I was eventually moved to a room where I could have visitors. Two friends of mine who were mutually acquainted with the person I had seen informed me of his death, which had occurred a few days before I was hospitalized. Since he lived in another state there had been no communication between us in at least two years. I was unaware of his death until they told me about it.

I cut and pasted this from my online diary...I never spoke of this experience before writing it there this year. I wonder why I waited so long?
**************************************************************************
3/9/2002

When I was in my early twenties, I had something resembling a 'cancer scare'. I had precancerous cells on the cervix of my uterus, and I required a procedure called a 'cone biopsy'. This is typically not a dangerous procedure, but one must take care, afterwards, to avoid interfering with the surgery site...no bathes, no sex, no heavy lifting......


You'd think these were simple instructions, eh?


The 'No Bath' directive was easy....showers could take care of the daily requirement for cleanliness.


'No sex' seemed like a no brainer (“Are you nuts!"), after genital surgery...

but as the week wore on, and the initial discomfort gave way to a low ache and swelling in my vagina, I had a crazy, reminiscent quality to my walk... somewhat like a female cat, after a great night on the town. I sauntered around, 4 or 5 days after the fact, purring.


Life should always be like that...lol....


The prohibition I had difficulty sticking to was the 'No heavy lifting".

I had a toddler.

We heated the house by wood.

7 days after the surgery, I was hitching the baby on one hip, and loading in the wood on the other... absolute Earth Mother....if I had been an Aboriginal woman, I'd have been doing it half-hour after the surgery. (That's the stereotype, eh?. That's the illusion, lol...)


I went to bed that night, and awakened (luckily) in a small pool of blood. When I stood, the flood of red grew.

I held sanitary pads to myself, but they were spent in a very short time. I held baby diapers, and then towels, and then glasses from the cupboard to myself, to catch the flow. I realized I was bleeding to death. I called the ambulance, set out a flashing light on the rural road, and awakened a neighbor to watch my child.

The emergency folk arrived, took my story, and we set out for the 1 hour drive to the hospital.

On the way I lost about half my blood before losing consciousness.


Dying.... Or dead?


All I know, is I went from being terribly bone deep chatteringly cold and bleeding in an ambulance, to the brightest and warmest place imaginable. These are not facile descriptors... the light was like an explosion of golden yellow, accompanied by the most exquisite warmth. It is not enough to say it enveloped me...it WAS me, a mellow sun, a languorous day, a paradise of contentment. All was one. It was the most sublime pleasure I have ever felt. I basked in this place, even as I thought... "I am dying"....

I thought of my death at the same time

I thought of my life...but I was not thinking. Everything was happening at the same time... the sensuous basking in this beautiful light, my death, my life...


I was afraid for my daughter...


the EMT waved an ammonia ampule under my nose, I came back to the ambulance, and I gave them the phone number for my parents.

We arrived at the hospital, they repaired the erupted cervical artery, and took me off the oxygen. My blood was drawn, my values were low, and they gave me 2 units of packed cells.


I think of this as the time I almost died, or the time I decided not to die.

I am fascinated by the near death experiences of others. The random firings of an underperfused brain or Heaven?

Tales of the light and the tunnel and the beckoning figures....

And even as I vote in favour of the 'lack of oxygenated blood to the brain' Vs 'Heaven', I wonder...


What benevolent thing makes our last minutes like this:

welcoming

light

warm

and full of joy?

I had been suffering from depression for about a year. After 3 months of the diagnosis, I had my first overdose. However, it was nothing serious.

Six months later my boyfriend of a year and half finished with me. I had no money, no place to go, no friends . I was far from close to my family. My dad had been beating me up for 12 years since the age of six. I was really upset about the whole situation. My boyfriend could not handle my depression anymore. I could not handle dragging him down with me anymore. I knew that never in this world could I let him live his life cause I loved him too much . I didn't want to be a burden on anyone so, I decided that there was nothing left for me here. All I had was an underpaid job, no friends, no family and now no one who loves me anymore. I had to face facts that I’ve done my job here, worked hard to get somewhere in life but, always to no avail.

I tried calling 4 people. I could not get through to any of them and took that as a sign. I didn't call my boyfriend cause he would think I was doing that for attention cause he was out with his mates (we were living together).
Since there was no one to help me out, I decided it was time to die. I wrote a note to my family saying that I love them and to my boyfriend saying that I did this for me not for him cause I needed to rest. (Which none of them read it anyway cause the police have it and still no one knows about it)

I got myself forty two (42) ecstasy pills went back home put a Daft Punk CD full on, it was Monday September 17 2001 06.00am, put the pills on the bed and counted them again. I was sure it was going to be over soon.
I took twenty then five mins later took another 20. I was dancing really fast and went on the bed, found another 2 and took them as well.

Till then the only effect I was feeling was from the xtc pills so I called my mum to tell her I love her cause I knew that she was going to be really hurt. She told me 'come and visit tonight yeah?' That broke my heart but still didn't change my mind . I started feeling weaker and my knees were shaking uncontrollably and I was crawling on the floor to the settee. I managed to lie down I was feeling good, really good. My whole body was shaking like crazy. Four hours later my boyfriend and two friends came in, he was hysterical and I was reassuring him that I was fine and I knew what I was doing and that he should continue his life alone as he really wished and that I did this for me.
He called his mum and the ambulance.

While waiting, there was this sound in my head like really strong wind and I started seeing nice things which I don't have a clue what they were. There was a force that was like pulling me out of my body and I felt calm just calm. I knew it was time to go and it felt nice all I had in mind was no more rent to
pay, no more car installments no more hard work for pay, no more heartbreaks, no more problems. People will get hurt by what I did but, time will heal everything.

The ambulance took ages so my boyfriend decided to go with my car. I was slipping away, the light was getting brighter and his friend was slapping me so I would stay awake.

Last thing I remember was going to the hospital. The light was getting brighter. The force was pulling me up and even though doctors were calling my name I felt I had to go.

Then I woke up 3 days later and doctors said it was a miracle they were just waiting for me to die!

As a precursor to the story below, I feel that I should mention that I don't have a history of mental illness in my family. I have never acted in a manner described below before this experience. I had been depressed, but was feeling alot better. My wife and I had had marital problems, and divorce was something I often thought about.

---

After the fireworks show on July 4th 2002, My wife (who was pregnant and not feeling well) and I returned home. Just before she retired to the bedroom to go to sleep, She reminded me to take my Prozac--, as I had been bad about NOT taking in the past weeks. I did as she requested, then went to our family room to watch some television.

Some time passed, and I realized that my wife had fallen asleep. I decided to walk down our neighborhood street to see if some friends were having a party-- Highly likely since most Friday and Saturday nights warrant a party at their home.

There were several new faces at the party... and most were under the influence of alcohol, pot, or both. It appeared that I had some catching up to do--- and the beer had run dry.

I have only ever used illicit drugs on two occasions: this particular night... and one night about a month preceding (same person's home-- both during parties, both times=just pot).

It wasn't long before the pipe made it's way to me. I decided that if I were going to stay, I had to join in-- so I took my first hit.

The party went pretty much as parties go... Jokes, talk of buying more beer, horsing around, etc. From what I can remember, the pipe made it's way to me between 2 and 5 times. At some point, one of the guys rolled a joint-- and I took 2 or 3 drags of it. Next came the invitation to go inside for hits off the bong-- and mixed drinks.

Someone mixed up a rum and coke for me while I used the bathroom. I got lucky to get a seat at the table, as there were several folks standing. While I drank, the bong made its way to me 2 or 3 times. The Last time, I took a very large drag--- and wound up having a coughing fit afterwards.

As the last hit had its effects on me, I sat looking at the faces around the room. I noticed that I hadn't moved my entire body for quite some time-- only looking around with my eyes. I decided it would be fun to see how long it would be before someone noticed that I hadn't moved... so much time had passed, without being noticed, that eventually I worried that I couldn't move. With that, I made an effort, and got up.

It couldn't have been 3 minutes after I stood up that the party all of a sudden ended. I felt worried that I wasn't going to be able to make it home (only living 6-ish houses down the well lit street). I finally mustered the courage to walk home-- but only after the last folks left.

My walk home was uneventful-- I made it OK enough. I walked upstairs to the family room, removed my belongings from my pockets, undressed, and laid myself in the reclining chair to go to sleep.

As I lay in the chair, I felt as if every thing that I did required a deliberate action--- even breathing. I decided that before I closed my eyes to sleep, that a prayer was in order, so I proceeded to say the "Our Father"......

While saying my prayer, I either fell asleep or passed away-- I am not sure which. I remember saying "Lord forgive me for I have sinned" over and over. Eventually I realized that these words were not part of the "Our Father"... I tried to stop, and I couldn't. I could only keep repeating "Lord forgive me for I have sinned" in a pathetic tone over and over and over and over. After what seemed like repeating this phrase several hundred or thousand times, I feared that I was dead.

All around me was pitch darkness. I felt as if I was swimming endlessly upwards and if I was being constricted. All the time ...Lord forgive me for I have sinned. Lord forgive me for I have sinned... I thought of my family. This wasn't how I wanted to die! I thought about my pregnant wife, and my 2 children who were visiting grandparents in another state. OH how it saddened me to think of these things!

My next conclusion was that I was in Purgatory- a place that isn't Heaven nor Hell... but where souls go to be punished for their sins before being let into Heaven.

As this thought sunk in, I started to deliberately change the tone of my speech- "Lord FORGIVE ME for I have sinned". The more I thought about God and faith and my family, the more passionate I became in my efforts of saying "Lord FORGIVE ME FOR I HAVE SINNED".

During this entire time, I kept thinking about my family. About how I hadn't seen my children in 2 weeks. Although I couldn't change what I said, I had control over my thoughts. As I was yelling with fierce anger and passion; I thought to myself "Lord please give me another chance".

With that, I Yelled as loud as I could "LORD FORGIVE ME FOR I HAVE SINNED!!!!!" it sounded as if a choir-boy had yelled it in song-- and for a split second I saw an orangish-yellowish light, and I woke up in the Chair, still yelling at the top of my lungs the phrase I had repeated what seemed like millions or billions of times.

After yelling 3 or 4 more times, I realized that I was standing in the darkness of our family room. I stopped yelling and asked, "Alicia, are you awake?"

From the bedroom in a sleepy/irritable voice "Yes..?..!"

"Have you heard what I've been saying?"

"Yes... God forgive me for I have sinned. You were yelling it. Why were you yelling it?"

>From here I proceeded to explain the night's events and my dream/experience (?) to her.

As I explained to her, I felt as If the words I said were not controlled by myself. I felt an urgency to talk-- and all she wanted to do was sleep!

She told me over and over that I was frightening her, and to let her sleep. I didn't want to frighten her, but felt as though I MUST keep talking.

I asked about calling our Priest... she mentioned that there was a Mass at 9 in the morning, and I could talk to him then-- That wasn't acceptable, I had to keep talking!

She suggested that I call my Sister on the West Coast (a source of religious advice-- most of the time unwanted). I exclaimed, "That's a GOOD idea."

I sought out the phone... Changing my actions seemed deliberate, and my body felt as though it badly wanted to rest-- but I feared that I would surely perish if I didn't stay awake.

I used the caller-id phone to redial her number. My sister's husband answered the phone-- where I proceeded to tell my entire story again.

I kept them on the phone for 2 or 3 hours, sometimes yelling, sometimes crying... all the time praising the Lord, and insisting that I had been granted a special grace by God. At some point I concluded that the only reason that I was alive was because I asked for a second chance.

I still felt as though my words and actions were not being controlled by myself. At the time, I was positive that God was speaking though me. Looking back at the situation, it's possible (perhaps likely) that the drugs controlled my actions.

My wife, sister, and brother-in-law kept insisting that I get some sleep. And my wife desperately wanted to talk to my family without talking to me. I suggested that they call the police, surely I had gone mad-- and I thought that that would give me a fresh audience (as I wasn't getting through to them).

After what I guess I felt was too much hesitation, or perhaps losing control of the conversation, I walked out the front door (now 3ish AM) and proceeded to ring doorbells and bang on the front doors of my neighbors.

>From here the story only gets worse. I did many irrational things that night/morning.

I had convinced myself that I was a prophet, or saint... and that I would save the world. My tiresome neighbors didn't appear to believe me, so I convinced myself that I could not die-- and threw myself at an oncoming car.

There's a whole lot more to the story, but the significant parts have all been mentioned. The events that followed included the police, an ambulance and fire-crew, ..Trip to the hospital, and a trip to the psychiatric emergency room. I was released the on the 5th at 2:30PM after being determined to be sane. The Doctor that examined me concluded that the pot must have been laced with something