I was in water over my head and suddenly I could see myself!  There I was, in my swimsuit, my hands and arms crossed reaching up to my throat and chest.  My mouth was open and I was screaming under water. My long hair was flowing in the water well up over my head.  My eyes were open.  Then I saw my eyes open wide (in what?  disbelief?) when the "me" that I was looking at, looked back!  I was not in that body that was me, though I knew it was still me, but I was also across from that body, looking back at it!  Like I was looking at someone else, but it was me.  And to see your own eyes go wide, wow.

In the next instant, I was on my hands and knees and felt sand.  I crawled up out of the water onto the beach.  We were all gasping and choking, but were very fortunate to avoid tragedy that day.  The memory of that event will always be with me.  I have often thought about it, tried to analyze it, but it is without explanation, except that it seems to be that "something" must have left my body and was taking a good look at me/the situation and assessing what was going on, what to do.  In recent years I've wondered about something else.  When I saw the eyes in my body go wide at what it was looking at, what was it seeing?  I'd always assumed another me (in same body form), but who knows?  Although I was looking back at my own drowning body, I have no idea what form "I" was in at that point.  I don't think I'll ever know, but it is intriguing.

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

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes

How on earth can you describe seeing yourself as you drown and that you are looking back?!  At loss for words.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Yes

near drowning

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           fully conscious and alert

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   no

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

I don't know my own appearance or form apart from my body (see above), but I was aware of being separate from my body, looking back at it, but my body was also very much awake and looking back at me!

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            shock, disbelief

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?           no

Did you see a light?           No

Did you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they different?          Yes

very acute senses

Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?       Uncertain

I believe that the situation was being assessed as to whether or not "it" should return to my body.

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?   Uncertain

only confusion, doubt

How has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices? Career choices?       hasn't

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Uncertain

It is very possible that this experience has changed my life, but I wouldn't know it because I was only a child when it happened and had have nothing to compare it to.  It could have had an effect on me that I don't know about, I suppose.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes

I am very careful who I share this with.  Some look at me like I'm spinning a yarn and I resent that because I am an intelligent, practical, sensitive person who doesn't make things up.  Other people are fascinated or intrigued.  In general, it seems to offer hope that there is more to our existence, another level of being beyond this one.

What emotions did you experience following your experience?  puzzled, confused

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      no best part to it.  worst part -fear and panic at nearly drowning.  To this day I don't like going into water.  As far as the out of body experience, no best or worst part.  Fascinating, intriguing.  It just "was".  It must have happened very quickly - too quickly to say anything about "parts" of it.

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        Because this happened as a child, I feel this experience was untarnished by the events, experiences and knowledge that might have been in my head had it happened when I was an adult.  I had never read about such things, had no pre-conceived notions.  There was no time to think, my heart hadn't stopped (that I know of!), I was still very much aware of my physical body and what was going on around me.  I did not enter another plane, did not see any lights, see anyone, feel anything (except the panic), feel drawn anywhere, have any great revelations, make any decisions. It just happened, fleetingly, and then it was done.

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

Although the questions do tend to suggest that warm, glowing, "follow the light" stuff, which even I am sometimes skeptical of.