Sonja W OBE
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Experience description:

This was an out of body experience, not an NDE.

In 1997 my husband moved to San Diego. I had to stay back in Switzerland in order to finish University. During the time of separation I used to visit 2-3 times a year for vacation (at that time the tickets were cheaper...).

During one trip back to Switzerland I was overwhelmed by sadness about having to say 'good bye' to my husband yet again and I felt sick an tired of all the separation.

I remember being on the plane from San Diego to Atlanta where I had to switch planes for the last leg to Zürich. On the flight I remember tears streaming during the flight. I was not crying, the tears just found their way out. At some point I was dozing off out of sheer grief and intense love and longing to see my husband one more time (I knew that the separation would be a long one this time because I was scheduled to have my state exams in 10 month during which time I had to study and prepare for the exams and would not be able to visit).

During my 'sleep' i felt intense love and had the strong desire to go and see him and I dreamt that I went back simply to look at him.

It was a weird dream, different in quality than a normal one. Not clearer, or lucid - just 'different'. It's hard to describe.

Anyway - we went down in Atlanta, I switched planes, got home and called him that I was home now and that all went well. Then he said to me (I had not mentioned the 'dream' to him) that something weird had happened. He told me that he woke up in the middle of the night , was immediately wide awake and then he saw me standing in the door frame looking at him.

We compared the time and it turned out that he saw me in his room at the same time I had my 'dream' on the plane.

I want to add that my husband is a scientist and does not look for or even expect anything like this. He told me this on the phone out of his own volition because he was astonished and needed to tell.

What I like most about this experience though is not that it was witnessed by a second person but that the driving energy that manifested 'me' in his door frame was Love!

I remember having had 'dreams' like this as a kid - and one out of body experience that happened two years after the Atlanta one was one where I was aware that I was 'out'. As soon as I had 'gotten' the message that I needed to get I was immediately back in my body and woke up with an elevated heartrate and with the awareness that I was not alone in my house. But I wanted to tell you the one on the plane because i was visible to my husband and because the driving force seemed to be love.

I am filled with gratitude for these experiences and thank God for the important work that you do!


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

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Thanks to the fact that my husband whose experience matched mine (being on the receiving side) this experience stayed im my memory. Had it not been verified by his witness I might have forgotten it by now. Or filed it away as 'unusual dream'.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It's hard to tell since it was so short. (And I was kind of caught by surprise...) Today I may be more 'prepared'?

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Normal consciousness and alertness Well, there was just a 'reality' to it that was different from a normal. But I would not say that I was alert.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I had not vision as in the 'i see things' sense. It manifested more in an intense feeling of love and seeking my husband's presence. I did not see his bedroom, nor any details of the surroundings. I was just 'transported' there in no time.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There were no auditory sensations.

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? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Love

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? No

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? Yes It was my husband whom I longed to see.

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

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
I did not experience any travel. i was just 'there'

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”)? No

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 felt it to be absolutely 'normal' to be here looking at my husband while my body was still on the plane

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? Yes Love was almost like the 'motor' of my out of body experience.

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 entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience

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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience: This experience as it stands out because it was witnessed increases my awareness that separation is but an illusion while we are here.

My experience directly resulted in: Moderate 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? It 's so cool that love actually can be the driving force toward (re)union.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared my experience with my husband only after my husband told me on the phone that he had seen me in the door frame looking at him. He has never been closed off to unusual experiences, although he is a scientist and does look for 'rational' explanations first before considering divine intervention. Today I share all the little and bigger experiences (dreams, synchronicities, angel encounters, experiences of being saved from harm by unusual occurrences). He also witnessed his father on his deathbed saying 'Wow - this is beautiful!' a few hours before he died and my husband believes that his father has really seen something otherworldly.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I was allways a very 'spiritual' kid and the presence of 'others' were always as normal as eating a sandwich.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened: Experience was definitely real

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time: Experience was definitely real

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience? Yes I always was grateful for my husband and believed meeting him was orchestrated by heaven. Now I feel more that the biblical promise that 'what has been bound on earth can not be loosed in heaven' holds deep truth.

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 I can count 2 out of body experiences that I know of.

Also being saved by angelic intervention happened a few times.

And meeting what I guess was my guardian angel just recently (in June 2017) was very, very profound! I had just fallen asleep, suddenly I slipped from a normal dream seamlessly into something else. I felt the presence of a loving being that held my hand with such tenderness and love and understanding. It was incredible - the feeling was so beautiful. I smiled, looked straight ahead to where a face must be, but there was nothing to 'see'. But I did not care about not 'seeing Him/Her' - I knew that the Angel knew that I knew (gosh - does this sentence even make sense?) It was almost physically palpable. It was like the space, or the air in front/above me condensed. It was so palpable that it felt like the mattress next to me being pushed down a little - the sensation of being loved was incredibly beautiful. He/She held my hands with such tenderness and love. I felt understood and MEANT! So awesome - i wish I am allowed to see Him/Her some day :-)

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? The thing about the love keeps coming up: I always felt love for my husband but during my 'out of body' on the plane it was like the Love made it's way through my sadness and 'won'. It's hard to describe. Love really seemed to be the transcendental force that overcame the bounds of physical limitations.

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

What could a national organization with an interest in near death experience (NDE) do that would be of interest to you? Maybe connect somehow with the Swedenborg foundation?

Or create a synopsis of NDEs of other centuries, other cultures (If that monumental task is not already underway?)

Or maybe make a compendium of NDEs from ancient times? There are a few in the Bible, but also Plato, Socrates and I believe Pythagoras had one.","No. Thank you for all the work that goes into this. It's so important!

God bless you