I was dreaming and suddenly became aware that I as awake. I was visiting a friend and patient who had died a couple of months earlier of Cystic Fibrosis. I was aware that I was visiting her in her 'new place'. We had tea and cakes etc although I don't remember physically eating, it was more in the mind. We chatted about people we knew, her life on earth, her parents, friends etc I knew we had covered a lot of ground. She disappeared for a minute and I was very aware that I had to go back. I became very lucid and began to question where I was. I reasoned that when my friend came back if she was 'ill looking and emaciated' like when she died in hospital then it would all be a dream. As soon as I thought that, my friend appeared again before my eyes. I looked at her closely. She was happy and her eyes were bright and I just knew then that I was seeing the 'real her' not the one who had cystic fibrosis on earth. She told me that it was time to go and that if I needed to I could contact her anytime as I had just done, (in my sleep) but in my heart I knew now that we had said goodbye and that I wouldn't need to again. We said goodbye and then I woke up.

Any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?     No      

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No      

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No      

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           Very alert, I was lucid and seemed to know it was not an ordinary dream.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No. It was a dream but I knew it was real.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     No      

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Happy to see my friend.

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?           No

LOCATION DESCRIPTION:  Did you recognize any familiar locations or any locations from familiar religious teachings or encounter any locations inhabited by incredible or amazing creatures?    No           

Did you see a light?           No      

Did you meet or see any other beings?           No      

Did you experiment while out of the body or in another, altered state? No      

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          No      

Did you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they different?          Yes     I knew that we were talking and communicating with our minds. It was very quick.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   No      

Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?    No response      Only that My friend was okay and happy.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?             Yes     I was aware that it was time to 'go back'.

Did you become aware of future events?       No      

Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?       No       Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?   No      

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   No      

How has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices? Career choices?       It told me that I should live my life here to the full and not worry so much about money etc

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Uncertain      It has reinforced my beliefs in life after death and life goes on.

Have you shared this experience with others?         No       What emotions did you experience following your experience?        I felt that 'to hell with it' life is for living and if I wanted to spend �80 on a trip to Lego land with my family then it was worth it as 'my friend would have done anything on her deathbed to be able to  go to Lego land'.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      I felt so alert on meeting my friend. I feel this 'alertness' is somehow subdued here.....No worse part.

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        Like I said, when I have had these experiences, I feel like we are somehow subdued here. I felt a heightened sense of alertness in my so called 'dream'.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No      

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

 

Experience description #2:  

I awoke in the middle of the night, conscious of an awful pain in my head, it felt like it was going to burst. I remember looking at the wallpaper thinking 'is this really happening? Am I awake? Yes.' It hurt more and more until suddenly I thought 'I can't stand this anymore'. At that point the pain began to quickly recede and I felt a strange tingly sensation and my immediate thought was 'I'm dying, I know exactly what's happening.' I didn't feel scared but felt really sad that I couldn't say goodbye to my sister and parents. Suddenly I felt myself shift and drop down and forwards out of my body. I found myself floating in a dark tunnel, moving towards a bright light. Suddenly a voice came from no where but I knew it was authority. It said "Go back, you are not ready to die yet, Lesley." As soon as I heard those words I felt as though I was being sucked backwards. I felt an uncomfortable jolt, opened my eyes and was back in bed. I was absolutely wide awake by then and was thinking 'what the hell just happened??!'

Any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?     No      

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No      

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No      

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           Extremely alert.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     Yes     I dropped very quickly out of my body. I was aware then that I was conscious but without a body.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            A feeling of peace, then obedience that the voice was to be obeyed.

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?           No

LOCATION DESCRIPTION:  Did you recognize any familiar locations or any locations from familiar religious teachings or encounter any locations inhabited by incredible or amazing creatures?    No           

Did you see a light?           Yes     It was very bright and I was moving towards it.

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes     Heard a voice.

Did you experiment while out of the body or in another, altered state? No      

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          No      

Did you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they different?          Yes     I knew I was hearing the voice with my mind and not with ears.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   No      

Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?    Yes     I knew that there was someone supreme to me that seemed to be more knowledgeable about my life than I was and that I had to obey.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?             Yes     I felt that being told I wasn't ready to die yet was a kind of boundary.

Did you become aware of future events?       No      

Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?       No       Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?   Yes     On going psychic awareness.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     I became obsessed with the idea of life after death and began to read widely about it.

How has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices? Career choices?       I am no longer afraid of dying because I now know that when pain becomes unbearable, it then stops hurting, that dying is natural and that life carries on afterwards and that someone is in charge of life.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Yes     I am still obsessed with life after death, a knowledge that there is somewhere else apart from here. I am no longer afraid of dying.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I told my sister the next day and she cried.

What emotions did you experience following your experience?  A hunger for knowledge about life/death etc

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      The physical jolt coming back to your body is uncomfortable.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No      

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

 

Experience description #1:  

I was having a dream and suddenly everything went black and I knew I was actually 'awake'. I struggled to understand where I was and it was as though a mist was lifting and everything became clear. Everything was very bright, the light was brighter than here on earth. I became aware that I was looking at my Granddad who had passed away a few years earlier. He was standing at a bar with a glass in his hand, dressed like he usually did, chatting to a bar man. In my head I shouted "Granddad!!!". He looked at me and his face lit up in pleasure and surprise as he saw me. Then his face just dropped and he looked shocked to the core. I felt confused. He said "what are you doing here??" I replied "I don't know" and at that point I took in my surroundings and thought 'where am I?' He looked very serious and said "go back, you're not ready to die yet". As soon as he said that I felt a big jolt to my body. I opened my eyes and I was back in bed awake, certain that it had not been just a dream.

Any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?     No      

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No      

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No      

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           Very alert, I felt it was not a normal dream, there had been a shift in consciousness.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     No      

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Happiness, then confusion.

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?           No.

LOCATION DESCRIPTION:  Did you recognize any familiar locations or any locations from familiar religious teachings or encounter any locations inhabited by incredible or amazing creatures?    No           

Did you see a light?           No      

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes     My Granddad and the barman, but the barman was irrelevant, I didn't know him.

Did you experiment while out of the body or in another, altered state? No      

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          No      

Did you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they different?          Yes     We were speaking with our minds, not senses. It was automatic.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   No      

Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?    No      

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?             Yes     I felt that the words "go back, you are not ready to die yet" was a kind of boundary.

Did you become aware of future events?       No      

Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?       No      

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?   Yes     Dreams foretelling personal and other future events, other near death experiences, ability (much later) to communicate with deceased grandparents.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     I hadn't ever thought about life after death before but after that I became a firm believer that life goes on.

How has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices? Career choices?       It has made me more spiritual.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Yes     I am much more spiritual now, it seemed to awaken the psychic part of me, I still have a huge thirst for knowledge on the subject.

Have you shared this experience with others?         No       I told my parents the next day. They were very skeptical.

What emotions did you experience following your experience?  Hunger to learn about life after death.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      Seeing my Granddad again. No worst part.

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        I still believe it actually happened 28 years on.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No      

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