I had just had an acupuncture session for migraines.  I felt fine, nothing unusual and had stopped at the grocery store to get something for dinner.  I felt normal.  When standing in the check out line, I felt an "expanded awareness", that my spirit was outside my body and I saw before me a table with several people seated at it.  A man spoke-"we have been waiting for you".  I heard this audibly and saw the scene as visually as I saw the interior of the store.  I felt  my spirit being pulled toward the people seated at the table.  I had a moment of panic not knowing who they were, as I recognized no one, or why they were waiting for me and waiting for me for what purpose?  I was rational enough to question what would happen to my body if I joined them.  Would the body have died right there in the checkout line?  Actually I was terrified and fought to remain where I was.  It took quite a bit of will not to go, to remain where I was.  Soon the scene began to recede and fade from view- everything returned to what I called normal.  This happened to me again 12 years later when my spirit was being called somewhere else while I was well, awake and aware.  Again I did everything that I could to ground myself and stay earthbound. 

Is this what happens when someone dies?  Is their spirit called from the body to journey elsewhere?  Does this happen to people who are not injured or sick or in a traumatic experience?  Does this happen spontaneously to other people?  Would be interested to get someone's take on these occurrences. I do not believe that it was a psychotic experience because I was not on drugs legal or illegal and am actually pretty sane. And I have had experiences in the past with angels, am somewhat clairvoyant and clairaudient.  Perhaps the veil between this mortal life and the spirit world for me is very thin?

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   No 

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  No    

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    It happened spontaneously- I felt an expanded awareness, an all knowing and seeing that which others could not see

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      More consciousness and alertness than normal   It was as if my 5 senses were not just 5, but limitless.  That I could not see just where my eyes focused but all around me.  That I was not limited by just my consciousness or what I could see and hear.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   Vision was dual- I could see the physical world and the spiritual world at the same time

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   At the time I heard only the people in the spirit world.

Did you see or hear any earthly events that were occurring during a time that your consciousness / awareness was apart from your physical / earthly body?   Yes   I was aware of my physical surroundings.  Again, I was alive, awake, aware, not in a life threatening condition.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   terror of being taken away  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   No  

Did you see an unearthly light?   No  

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice?   I heard a voice I could not identify
I saw a table with unknown people at it and heard a man speak "We are waiting for you".

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)?   No  

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?   No  

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?   No  

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?   Some unfamiliar and strange place
I was being called to join people that I did not know in a place that I did not recognize

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
The encounter seemed like it lasted a long time but as I was standing in a check out line in a grocery store, it must have happened in a short time.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   No

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

Did scenes from the future come to you?  No 

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly life (�life after death�)?   Yes   I became aware that there is an existence outside the one that I perceive with my 5 senses and my conscious mind.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   I became aware that there is an existence outside the one that I perceive with my 5 senses and my conscious mind.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life�s meaning or purpose?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life�s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any other specific information / awareness that you have not shared in other questions that is relevant to living our earthly lives?   No  

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?   No  

What occurred during your experience included:   Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your exp   I have always believed that I have lived before, that the soul continues its journey and that there are spirits either from those who have passed or consciousnesses from those who are still in the body that can journey.  I believe that spirit is eternal and limitless.

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience?   I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of th   This encounter will never be forgotten, it will always be a part of my experiences in this lifetime.

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   My spiritual journey continues.  I am being presented with more validations of life beyond what I understand.

My experience directly resulted in:   No changes in my life

Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that occurred as a result of the experience?   No  

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   No   

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?     No, just confusion as to what happened.  Since then I cannot be hypnotized.  I think that I fear traveling when I am not ready.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  I share this only with more spiritually enlightened people.  Would definitely not share it with very religious people- by that I mean religious not spiritual people.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?   Yes   Talking to people first hand who have had an NDE.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was definitely real   This is not an event that I will forget.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   It is as real to me now as it was years ago especially as it happened again years later.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   No  

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   No  

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience?   Yes   Twelve years later, again well, awake and aware- at a luncheon and slide show of winning photography-I felt that I was being pulled into another dimension.  Again, fought to ground myself.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   No, I am confused as to what the experiences were.  And wonder if others have had what I might call a near death experience or near leaving this plane of existence experience spontaneously.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?   Yes