Woman survives horse-riding accident

Twenty years ago I was galloping a racehorse, on my own on top of a mountain when he lost his footing, the bridle snapped and we went headlong into the ground, with a ton of racehorse doing 30 miles an hour rolling over me. I woke up some two hours later with rain gently falling, looking down on myself. My crash helmet was smashed and someone told me that I would be all right but that I needed to get up as it wasn’t time for me to go as I was still needed by my daughter. I had a feeling that I was ‘halfway to heaven’, watching from above with a voice talking to me. I watched from this hovering position as my body raised itself and started to walk off the mountain and down a steep stony forestry track (some two miles). 

When I reached the forestry car park a man came to my body and helped me into his car and drove towards the main road. I was now hovering above the car as it approached my friend, who stopped the car; they transferred my body into her car and she drove me to the hospital, her husband ran up the mountain to recover the horse. I was examined by a doctor in the hospital but I was actually above the bed watching. They x-rayed my head and told my friend to take me home, this she refused to do. I was hovering above her, telling her to get another doctor. Another doctor arrived and I was wheeled into a small theatre and they undertook a thoracotomy on my collapsed lungs. 

 

As I drew my first breath I went back into my body and felt pain for the first time, some three and a half hours after the accident. The next day my consultant also diagnosed a crushed left leg as well as my fractured ribs, severe concussion, etc. She was enthralled with my story as it should have been impossible for me to even stand up, never mind walk–she likened my injuries to someone who had had a tractor roll over them. It was a life-changing experience, I have always felt a better person for it–there is without doubt a greater power. 

 

Some ten years later I was in a GP’s surgery waiting for my father’s repeat prescription when a man, someone that I had never met before, sat down beside me. He turned to me and said that he had had an out-of-body experience recently when he had a massive heart attack and now recognized someone like me who had also experienced it. It was quite something as he also felt that he had an aura around him, like me–and that it had made him a much better person.

Sartori, Dr Penny. Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences (pp. 6-7). Watkins Media. Kindle Edition. 2014.

Dr. Penny Sartori's research on NDEs

When I began my nurse training in 1989, I’d never heard of an NDE and it was never something I was taught. During my first year I recall looking after a patient on the medical ward; I had worked ten consecutive shifts, so I got to know her really well. On the tenth shift, while I was helping her to wash, she sheepishly told me that she had ‘gone to heaven’ when her heart had stopped in the coronary-care unit. 

 

I remember listening to her experience of looking down on her own body in the bed and going to a beautiful meadow where her dead mother was waiting for her. I thought to myself, ‘She must have been hallucinating or had too much diamorphine.’ 

 

I never gave it a second thought and I didn’t question her further; I simply listened. It was a few years later, after I had qualified as a staff nurse, that I was to realize the significance of what she had said.

 

Dr. Sartori ends her book with these comments:

 

Previous investigations into NDEs have focused on establishing a materialist cause for the experience, which has served to detract from the very important spiritual insights that may be gained. It is time to stop concentrating solely on pathologizing these experiences and reflect on what they can actually teach us about living.

 

One thing I’ve come to realize over the past few years is that heaven is not a location—it is a state of mind and is within us all. We just have to go within and find it.

 

Sartori, Dr Penny. Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences. Watkins Media. Kindle Edition. 2014.

 

 

Man in car accident sees deceased grandmother

While in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital the doctors inserted a feeding tube into my nose while I was intubated. The nutrients from the feeding tube filled my belly causing my stomach to spasm and all the nutrient went into my lungs because I was intubated. I felt my lungs fill and my breath shorten. The call-button was just out of reach when I realized I had no control and there was nothing I could do. I thought of my family and the life I wouldn't lead. My eyes swelled in tears as I took my last breaths. Then everything went black.

It seemed instantly that I was somewhere else. It was as though I stepped through a doorway in the back of my mind and into another dimension. I first noticed the floor or rather the absence of it. There was a thick mist or fog that covered the ground up to my knees. The very next thing that I noticed was the sound of music. It soothed me. I didn't know the song but it seemed familiar. It was symphonically orchestral and with brass, strings and woodwinds, but the sound was still subtle. The sound seemed to be coming from my right. So, I looked in that direction.

I saw a deep void of darkness, like an astronaut who looked into the stars from orbit. Then I looked in front of me and saw my deceased grandmother. She was standing just in front of the 'White Light.' The light radiated warmth, light, love and anything I needed to know. I also noticed other figures off to the left of me. They seemed peaceful in pairs holding each other and swaying with the music. My grandmother delivered the choice to me. I could stay with her or go back to my life. She told me that if I stayed, everything would be o.k. She said that if I went back to my body, it would be the most challenging experience I would ever endure. Then she showed me my grieving family. It was like I was transported to the moment when my loved ones were talking about me. I saw my other grandparent who were still alive. She was driving to the hospital to see me. My Papa was consoling my grandma saying, 'Don't cry, he's going to make it!' I also saw my best friends driving to see me at the hospital. They were saying how bad it was and how I didn't look like myself. I also saw my mother and aunt in the hospital watching over me. I saw their tears and the uncertainty in there expressions.

The night of the car accident there was a friend of my Aunt whom I had never met. She woke my Aunt up in the middle of the night to say that a young man my Aunt knew was in terrible danger. This friend of my Aunt happened to be a sensitive. My Aunt called my Mother right afterwards. My Mother had just got off the phone with the sheriff's office. My Mother had seen a vision of her mother and I laughing and having a good time. This was during the same time as my NDE. I also had a premonition dream three years before the car accident. 

NDERF.org, 8195

She lost consciousness during birth but found God

I was 8.5 months pregnant and suddenly developed toxemia poisoning. This was my 5th pregnancy, but only second birth. I had lost 3 other babies. I had a 5 year-old-son of my own and a 2-year-old that we had adopted as a baby when I kept miscarrying. I was rushed to a hospital emergency room when my blood pressure went way out of control. My face was so swollen that I could hardly see out of my eyes. The rest of my body swelled to the point that the doctor on call, mistakenly thought I was an obese person and yet I only weighed 135 lbs! Everything happened so very fast, such that I suddenly could not breathe on my own. I lost consciousness at some point. That is when I experienced being outside of my body and was watching how frantically they were working to get me to breathe on my own.

My next realization was that I was no longer frightened about not being able to breathe on my own. I was at peace and very aware of the steps the doctors and nurses were taking to save my life. I understood all the terms they were using and could comprehend that I was not alive as far as they were concerned. I became aware of is the state of each person's relationship with others in the room. There were suddenly no secrets and yet, there was no judgment on my part, but rather an unconditional love. I felt very much loved at this time and I wanted to extend that to the others in the room. But they could not hear me. I could hear and see everything! It made me think of the scripture that says, we 'will fully know as we are fully known.' Oddly, this ability continues today in terms of knowing the truth about people's relationships with others.

I was not allowed to stay in God's presence, which was so full of light and love. I was told, not in words, but rather a thought that I had to come back and continue to be a mother to my sons.

I suddenly became aware of being rushed to the delivery room and being guided through the birth which was so fast! Then I was sent to the recovery room and I wanted my Bible because I didn't want to lose that incredible sense of love and light that I had experienced. However, the recovery room nurse wouldn't let me have my bible! She said I needed to rest. I laughed and had the boldness to tell her that she had no idea what true rest was. I told her I had just been in God's presence and discovered a rest and peace, that no amount of sleep would ever bring. She didn't comprehend what I was saying but did acknowledge that I must have gone through a frightening experience since they 'lost me for a little while'. I tried to explain that I wasn't lost at all and that I felt more alive than I every had felt. I suddenly understood what 'living in the spirit' meant. I also came to see that we put so much effort into our physical being, when in fact life through the spirit is far more powerful and satisfying. Words cannot adequately describe the incredible life and power that I had experienced from being in God's presence. I feel at loss to help others understand that the reality we live in our physical lives is nothing compared to life in the spiritual realm. Words cannot describe adequately what it is like to be in God's tremendously loving presence. I did learn that I can give the same unconditional love to others as though it is flowing through me from God.

 NDERF.org, 8034

NDE survivor describes her life review

I was out of my body but not seeing with my eyes. I knew something had happened during surgery that was life-threatening. It was somehow understood that as a spiritual being, I needed to be outside of the body as it might not have been usable anymore. While I do remember a bright light about the place I went, I do not remember a journey through a tunnel. I remember floating toward a light. I arrived at a place with both, gorgeous wildlife and beautiful buildings. I don't remember being met by family members or friends who had passed. I do remember a sense of familiarity with the beings who greeted me; One of whom was a dog, my childhood pet.

The way I experienced knowledge and information wasn't through human means. I experienced a sort of fused knowledge, where I had access to different aspects of knowledge if I focused in on whatever it was I wanted to know. In this way, I'd immediately know the answer to what concerned me. The best way to describe information is through a series of emotional impressions which I accepted as truth because there was no concept of untruth or lies there. Physically, I did not have form in the usual way. If I thought that I should have form, I would assume a human form. If I didn't think about it, I was a contained essence, but weightless and maybe even made of light.

Two beings guided me into one of the buildings for a life review process. I believe these buildings were constructed as blending with the natural environment. They were open like pavilions. If I thought about them, I think they assumed more form. If I didn't think about them, they assumed less form. What I do remember is a screen as if on a table. The screen was like a touch screen. I never had access to this technology at the time of my NDE, so I didn't know a thing like that existed. I reviewed my life like a movie except that I could pause it and zoom into to different important times during my life. I could examine these times from multiple perspectives, such as the people they affected. When I think of this review now, I imagine it must have taken up a very long time in earth-time had I done the same thing here. However, at this place, the concept of time didn't translate very well. Time was now and it only passed in a linear fashion because I organized the different events as happening in a certain order when I reflect on it. It's extremely hard to explain, but it was nothing like time on earth.

After the life review, I was taken before more beings which seemed to be wiser than the two who brought me to my life review. I communicated with them about my decisions during my life review and areas where I could improve. While it was a collaborative process, I had deep respect and reverence for these beings. I felt that they loved me completely and without any judgment. In psychology there's a term to describe this called 'unconditional positive regard.' I felt completely sure that they had this feeling for me. This surety felt like a warm glow of light around me. The conclusion of these conversations was that it wasn't so much a decision of doing the 'wrong' thing in situations, or making unwise choices, but that the times of greatest challenge for me were times in which I could have acted but chose inaction. It was concluded that when I returned to earth, I must choose action and use my experiences and feelings to guide these actions so that they be an act of love.

Before I went back to earth, there was an agreement of some sort that I could stay in a certain area of this place, but I could not go deeper into this city. For example, I couldn't find out more information about the future of my life, even though I knew I'd forget upon returning if I did. Instead, I stayed in an area of beautiful gardens. These gardens were greener than green is on earth and the colors were vivid and rich. While I was in this place, I was weightless. I could access all knowledge I could think of. I also felt no pain because I didn't have a body. No weight, no pain. It was like it was impossible to be clumsy. It was also impossible to be anything other than truly myself. I felt as if I was more myself there than here on earth.

I spent what would be in earth terms, a great deal of time in these gardens talking to the people there. One of the people there was an ascended master. At the time, I decided to call this master 'Jesus.' But when I look back, it was as if this person was a spokesperson for God who had special access to divine intent. We talked for what could have been hours or even days on earth. It was always light there, as if it was continuously in the afternoon. This wasn't bothersome to me though. I believe it was like that because I thought it should be like that. Unlike being around people on earth, I felt completely energized and refreshed from the social exchange. I'm an introvert on earth, so this was a very striking difference for me. I do not remember what we spoke about except that it involved special knowledge, which I don't have access to on earth.

What I got out of this experience before leaving was that I must choose action instead of inaction. I must behave in a way that would help bring more awareness and love to the world. The ascended master told me that I needed to go. While I was never asked specifically if I was going back or not, it was understood that I was going to go back.

I do not remember the journey back to my body, but I don't believe I went back to my body and then woke up. I think I went back to my body and then gradually came out of anesthesia sometime afterwards. The first thing I remember when I woke up was that I was back in a hospital room. My father was sitting next to me. He commented that I was very lucky to have survived the surgery because there were complications during surgery. I can't remember whether or not I talked to him about my experience, but I think I made some simple comment like, 'I had a dream' or 'I had a vision'. 

NDERF.org, 8213

1982 NDE of a woman who'd never heard of NDEs

I saw and heard my husband cry and did not understand the reason. For me, everything was going to pass and I was well. I said to him: 'Manuel, I'm well! It’s over!' He didn’t hear me. I insisted. He went to grab the device to measure the blood pressure, put it on my arm and when it got the result he moaned. He tried it several times in vain because the device didn’t give any signal.

I continued to look at him and telling him that I was well. He didn’t hear me. I saw that he went to get a small mirror, which he put in front of my nose and my mouth but there was no vapor in the mirror. He tried it once and again. I continued with my attempts to speak to him, telling him that I was all right and that I didn’t feel any pain. I couldn’t explain why the mirror didn’t fog up but I worried more about calming my husband. I was well. He babbled, 'Please, Gracinia! Don’t leave me! Come back to me! I need you!'

Suddenly, I realized that I was looking at him from a more elevated point than would be possible if I were lying in bed. Finally, he stopped and bent over my body to cry: ‘Gracinia! (an affectionate version of my name) Don’t leave me, please! What is going to be of our son! Oh, my God!' (contrary to me, at that time my husband was a practicing Catholic in spite of some doubts, and he continued to be it for many years afterwards).

At that moment, I realized that something absurd was occurring. I was aware that I was watching the scene from close to the ceiling. I was not scared. I was intrigued. I tried to find an explanation but I couldn’t. I looked around stunned. I think that I stopped listening to my husband, although I saw him leaning over my body to cry.

I looked carefully around from the ceiling. I saw the ceiling lamp and the friezes of the closet doors. It was then that I saw a sheet of blue paper with twenty-five lines, covered with dust. It was a document that I had searched for and couldn’t find. I thought, 'It’s here. I looked around for it so much and it is here and covered in dust. I’ll have to clean more carefully.'

Below, my husband shook my body and I felt sorry for him. I did not think that I was dead, because I could watch the scene from a physically impossible point of view. I looked at the wall on my back and saw the clock. When I tried to see the time, I felt 'sucked' and left that space.

In the following instant, I was in a place and in total darkness. I felt a lot of fear and was disoriented. I remember I was going forward with my extended arms and rolling in all directions looking for a point of reference. There was Nothing and I was terrified.

I didn’t call God or the saints. To me, they did not exist. I didn’t call for anyone. It was then that I heard a voice: 'Don’t be afraid! We are here to help you!' I extended my arms in the direction of the voice but all I found a void. Another voice, and still another, said the same to me. I cannot tell how many of them there were. I felt their 'presence' but I couldn’t touch them.

At a certain point, I realized that I didn’t hear them with my ears but with my thoughts. How was that possible?

I realized that I didn’t have an option. I was in the darkness, not knowing where, and whatever it was that was there. I had no one to ask for help. These voices seemed like people to me because I could understand what they said to me. I mentally accepted their help. I was scared; I can even say that I was terrified. The total darkness disoriented me.

'Come! Follow us!'

Whoever it was that communicated with me was situated to the right. I felt something like an energy, like static electricity or magnetism, which I couldn’t define. I felt also that there were other 'energies' around me.

I asked 'Where are we going?' and they answered that I should be calm and to continue.

At a certain place, a point of minuscule light appeared in that darkness. They said to me, 'Look! That is where we are going!'  I had the sensation of 'traveling' in the projected cone of light, like when you use a lantern in the dark you project a cone of light. That is how I can describe that moment.I started to feel anxious. I wanted to be there, close to the light. To me, it was a star that would illuminate the landscape when we were closer to it.

We came to a point where the clarity illuminated everything and I saw a landscape. But I didn’t have time to look at its details because it seemed as if we were traveling at an unthinkable speed. I saw the Earth and the Moon in the distance. I saw the Sun moving away. I was amazed.

There were colors that I cannot define because they don’t fit in the palette of colors that we have on earth. There were tones that created layers like transparent, superimposed plaques. They were beautiful and I was ecstatic. Then more and more stars appeared that moved away as we advanced. I could see the light of the stars without any difficulty.

I remember understanding. It seemed to me that I saw the stars in parallel, infinite planes. I understood everything, so I no longer asked questions. I looked and marveled at the 'scenery'. The 'landscape' was formed by colors and the stars that we passed.

I looked at the light towards which we were heading. It was so powerful as the sun but its light did not hurt. I looked at it directly but did not feel discomfort. The same happened when we passed by any star. None of these lights hurt. As strange as it may seem, the more away I was from the planet Earth, the more the existence of my family ceased to matter to me. I didn’t think of my son and that was very strange.

I recall that I had a sentiment similar to one that we have when after a long absence and we come back home. I felt I was 'going back home'. I was at peace and as happy as I never had been before.

At a certain moment, the first light issued sounds which I cannot define. Sound came out in 'a wave', which I call so because it moved like the waves of the sea. It was a wave of light and energy that I don’t know how to define. I had fear but my invisible companion told me to remain calm and that nothing bad would happen to me. When the wave touched me, I felt it gave out love. It was a love so great that even if I added the love of my parents, my husband, my son, all the family and that which I felt for them, it could not be compared to this love more than a grain of sand to the desert. 

I wished to go to the source that emanated so much love. I changed focused from whatever surrounded me to center only on that strange star. I wanted to reach it soon and with each wave that touched me, I felt ever happier as if I always was part of that love.

I was close, so I thought, when the light said mentally to me: 'Stop. You have to go back! Your husband needs you and your son too!'

'But I want to stay! Please! I have never felt so much love in my life! Don’t send me back!'

'You have to go back! You have duties to fulfill! Your mission has not yet ended!'

In the following instant, everything vanished. The pain came back, I breathed and was on the bed, with my husband crying with joy. I was crying with sadness.

On the morning of the next day my husband took me to a doctor of good reputation. After a long examination, he informed us that I had had a cardiac and respiratory arrest due to an allergic reaction to the chemical composition of aspirin, and I was very lucky to have survived.

NDERF.org, 4332, translated from the Portuguese original report

 

"Going Home" words by William Arms Fisher

Going home, going home. I am just going home.

Quiet like some still day. I'm just going home.

It's not far, just close by. Through an open door.

Work all done, cares laid by. Going to fear no more.

 

Mother's there expecting me. Father's waiting too.

Lots of folks gathered there. All the friends I knew.

 

Nothing’s lost, all is gain. No more fret, no more pain.

No more stumbling on the way. No more longing for the day.

Going to roam no more.

 

Morning star lights the way. Restless dreams all done. 

Shadows gone, break of day. Real life has begun. 

There's no break, there's no end. Just a living on. 

Wide awake, with a smile. Going on and on. 

Going home, going home. I'm just going home. 

It's not far, just near by. Through an open door.

I am going home.

Sung by Sissel Kyrkjebo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ_2Xbvb0rQ

William Arms Fisher was a pupil of famed composer Antonin Dvorak, studying under Dvorak in New York City. A native of Prague, in 1893, Dvorak composed his most famous symphony, the Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World". It was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and was an homage to the United States, which had just passed its 100th anniversary of being a country.

 

Contrary to popular belief, Dvorak did not base the symphony on any existing folk songs. Rather, he wrote original themes based on what he'd heard of Native American and African American music in the United States. The symphony was met with immediate success at its premier on December 16, 1893 at Carnegie Hall.

 

William Arms Fisher took up the challenge, starting by penning words to the Largo melody of the second movement of Dvorak's symphony. He also published a volume of called "Seventy Negro Spirituals" in 1926. Today, many people assume that the tune was always an African American spiritual that was adapted to the symphony, but in fact the opposite is true.