Children's NDE memories and life changes

P. M. H. Atwater writes: “Over half the child experiencers in my research could remember their birth. Whenever possible I checked out these stories with parents, mostly mothers. I never found an error. One-third had pre-birth memory—most of those beginning at about six to seven months in utero. Medically, it has been shown that the fetus at twenty-six weeks gestation experiences many sensations, including pain. This medical discovery of fetal awareness directly applies to the majority of children in my research who reported the beginnings of their memory as a soul resident in human form while still inside the womb. Some had recall of earlier than month six in utero, even of their conception, and of actively taking part as a spirit in choosing their own DNA. Most of those who spoke of remembering their conception also said they floated in and out of their mother’s womb until finally ‘settling in’ when fetal formation was more complete (around the seventh or eighth month).

“It’s scary what some children remember from their pre-birth experience in the womb. Things like debates and arguments, conditions in the home, even how their mother felt about her own life—and her thoughts! Emotionally charged issues are remembered readily, especially if the child’s welfare is threatened (like the possibility of an abortion or because of an accident or assault on the mother). And a missing twin—that ‘extra’ who was never born or died at birth or was reabsorbed by the mother because of being damaged or malformed—that being can return in a near-death scenario. On occasion, the one who was aborted reappears.

“Here are some statistics taken from my studies of 277 child experiencers, aged from around birth to fifteen years at the time of their episode:

Faculties enhanced, altered, or experienced in multiples         77%

Mind works differently—highly creative and inventive               84%

Significant enhancement of intellect                                          68%

Drawn to and highly proficient in math/science/history              93%

School harder after NDE or blocked from memory                    66%

Atwater adds: “I found no difference between males and females with regard to enhanced intelligence and spatial and mathematical abilities.”

P. M. H. Atwater, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of the Story (Hampton Roads, 2011).