The second time it happened I wasn't sick and I was older and more alert. I remember more of what happened. I had been reading before I went to bed. I was visiting my older cousins for some holiday. I was reading some Catholic school stories. I put the book down and was tired and was going to go to sleep. Instead, I felt a strong light and a feeling of being pulled up. I felt a higher awareness, I could only describe the experience as knowing that God exist. After, the presence left I jumped out of bed and went downstairs and found one of my cousins. I asked her if she believed in God. I didn't tell her what had happened to me. I didn't think anyone would believe me. But, I had a lot of questions.  Several other times I had the same sense of presence, sometimes with the pulling up and above other times just a feeling.

Then when I was 21 I had a very intense experience that is accurately defined as a near death experience but I didn't have to die to have it. I was reading the aura of a very well known Lakota Medicine Man at a public event. His spirit helpers grabbed me and pulled me through a tunnel at an unearthly speed. I then popped out of the tunnel and was floating in space and light. I am sorry I don't  feel comfortable sharing the specifics of what happened then. I can say I felt safe and loved with the feeling of sacred presence surrounding me. As suddenly as I had been pulled through the tunnel I again found myself being sucked back through the tunnel. It all happen in a blink.

I can now with mediation choose to have an out of body experience

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes     Spiritual experiences are hard to express, words don't do the experience justice. Our culture hasn't been until recently interested in deeper emotional expression and our vocabulary is therefore limited.

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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    Every time this has happened to me I feel a sense of expansion, of my mind and my emotions. The sense of expansion grows and then seems to peak and then you return to normal awareness. It happens fast.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness?    More consciousness and alertness than normal

If your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience was different from your normal every day consciousness and alertness, please explain:            It a sense of overall expansion of your mind and your emotions.

Did your vision differ in any way from your normal, everyday vision (in any aspect, such as clarity, field of vision, colors, brightness, depth perception degree of solidness/transparency of objects, etc.)?  Yes     Everything seems clearer and more intense.

Did your hearing differ in any way from your normal, everyday hearing (in any aspect, such as clarity, ability to recognize source of sound, pitch, loudness, etc.)?
            Yes     I have a moderate to severe hearing loss. When ever I have expanded awareness experiences I notice my hearing seems to be clearer.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     Yes

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            The first time I felt fuzzy and distant from the experience. The 2cd time I was awed and amazed.