Experience description:

For a period of five days after surgery, I was in a semi-conscious state. My body was not responding to the antibiotics, and I did not have any energy to fight for my life. I began to leave my body and spend extended period of time outside of my body. I never experienced a light, but I did experience a presence. I rather haunted my usual day to day places and activities, but when I tried to speak to people I was visiting I was yanked back into my body. While outside of my body, I was taught that love was the most important thing in life and that the second thing I needed to learn was forgiveness. Often times I tended to "hold a grudge". Again I did not have much energy to fight for my life. This was made apparent to me by my physician who asked "if I was going to live or die?" My thought was you are my physician you should know. But then he told me that if I was going to live I had to work harder at it and try. So very reluctantly I began to put as much energy into living as I could.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   Yes  I had gone back to college, I was preparing to go to class, I became weak, nauseous, and within the hour was going into shock secondary to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. I managed to call my husband and he took me to the hospital. I was hospitalized immediately and within 24 hours taken to surgery for exploratory surgery. The infection was so overwhelming that I never experienced post-surgical pain. I remained in a semi-conscious state for close to five days. Ultimately I was hospitalized for two weeks.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  Yes     It was difficult to remember all the places I had been and what I had learned, but I knew the experience was very important and not just induced by illness.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    Probably at the same level throughout the five days.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      Normal consciousness and alertness  

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   I am not sure.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   I am not sure.

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?   Uncertain  

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   I was at peace outside of my body. I did not mind that I had left it.  

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 encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin
I was clearly being instructed by a power greater than myself on life lessons.

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?   Uncertain  

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?   Yes   My flaws were pointed out. Traits that were tripping me up were pointed out. I had a persistent habit of holding a grudge, and I was being instructed to learn forgiveness.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?   Some unfamiliar and strange place
It seemed like limbo.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual
Everything went fast. I knew things without being told. I was quickly yanked into my body.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   Everything about myself or others
Again, important life lessons were being imparted to me.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   Yes
I must have reached some type of boundary because I could never progress past the out of body state I was in. I either was yanked back into my body or wandered around in what could be the astral plane without progressing any further.

Did you come to a border or point of no return?   I came to a definite conscious decision to "return" to life
I think it was the moment that the doctor asked me if I was going to live or die.

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?   Yes   Just a presence greater than myself. The feeling of needing to learn life's lessons.

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   Again, the importance of love and forgiveness.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life�s meaning or purpose?   Yes   I do not know. I was desperate to remember as much of my experiences as possible, and I know I was instructed on a lot of things, but am uncertain what those things were with the exception of love and forgiveness.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life�s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   Uncertain   I do not know. I was desperate to remember as much of my experiences as possible, and I know I was instructed on a lot of things, but am uncertain what those things were with the exception of love and forgiveness.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   Yes   Absolutely the most important aspect of my experience was to love one another. That was the main lesson.

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?   Uncertain   I cannot remember all the lessons I was taught.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?   Yes   I had a sense that my time was not done, I had work to do. That was why I could not progress past the plane of existence that I currently was on.

What occurred during your experience included:   Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience   I was very surprised that I only existed in an out-of-body state and did not progress toward an end point.

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 the experience   It is unforgettable. I cannot speak to any events prior to my illness as being as memorable. I vividly remember my illness and going into to shock, going into surgery and then existing on a plane of existence that was between heaven and earth.

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   I immediately forgave those I had issues with. I learned not to hold onto grudges. I learned the act of forgiveness and I have never held grudges since.

My experience directly resulted in:   Large 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?   Yes   Great belief in needing to love others and forgiveness.

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 was the ability to travel anywhere in the world. I was aware, but could go anywhere my mind wanted. I remember walking down a friend's office hallway and saw my friend. But when I tried to speak I was yanked back into my body.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  A few weeks. I told my friend that I had tried to talk to. My friends were accepting of my experience.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?   Yes   I had read a few books about the subject. I do not think I was influenced by what I read because what I experienced was not like what I had read about.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was definitely real   I knew when it happened it was real, I have known for 23 years it was real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   Because it wasn't dream like, it seemed important that I remember as much of what I was taught as possible.

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   I have recently been having out of body experiences. I work the emergency room and after a 24 hour shift, even if I get to sleep, I like to nap in the morning. I have been working ER for the past 5 years, but only recently I have started having out of body experiences (last 6 months). I can travel to locations and also seem to travel back in time. These experiences do not have the feeling of dreams.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   An odd thing happened after my illness. I had never had an irregular period in my life. In fact my periods were normal after my illness. However, roughly 8 weeks later, I literally must have ovulated on the last day of my period because I became pregnant. I felt that my illness and experiences were linked to her arrival. Has she been an angel of light? No, she has been a total challenge. Go figure.

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