EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION 7720:

At the time I was a few weeks pregnant for the first time. At night while sleeping I traveled down the hallway/tunnel in my house in spirit. There was a misty darkness and a feeling of clumsiness floating along the hallway since my conscious mind was doing something new to it which was moving without the body. In the living room of my house I joined family members who had died within the past few years. My mother, step-father, and sister-in-law were all there. I did not see them visually but knew they were there for me. My attention was drawn to a can of soup on the coffee table that was open and hot. I didn't know what the can of soup meant but a phrase came to me: It never got out of the can. Then I am back in my bedroom near the ceiling. I then move quickly around in circles like a spiral and it was an intense feeling of whirling movement. I woke up in my body. Two weeks later I had some bleeding and went for a sonogram. Although there was evidence of pregnancy there was not a fetus. I later learned that some early pregnancies die and are re-absorbed without ever actually leaving the womb. Therefore the image of the hot can of soup was meant to say that the baby was alive within me but never would be born. I then understood that the baby was with my family who had passed on, that they knew ahead of time that it would never be born, and that the experience was a gift to prepare me for the loss and that they were there for me.

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

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  No    

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    Re-entering my body

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      Normal consciousness and alertness   It was both more and less. I did not hear sounds and my vision was either misty or focused; I did not recall seeing the regular surroundings of my house. It's possible I interpreted my experience as happening in my house when it was actually in some astral or spiritual dimension. It was more in that I was aware of existing outside my sleeping body and of people who had died. I was also intensely focused on the can of soup which I knew as symbolic and had intense feelings of the spiral movement at the conclusion.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   My vision was at times misty; and was unaware of the surrounding environment.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   Did not hear anything.

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?   Curious, comforted, bewilderment, excitement  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   Uncertain   I passed through a misty area on the way to the visit; I interpreted it as my hallway but could have been a tunnel.

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   Relatives who had passed on: Mother, step-father, sister-in-law: unborn child who was alive at the time as far a I knew but would soon die/be lost.

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

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?   Some unfamiliar and strange place
Not sure: I thought the visit happened in my house but may have entered another dimension; the surroundings were misty and vague.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   No

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?  Scenes from my personal future 
I didn't know what the symbol meant at the time but my family was telling me that my baby would not be born.

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�)?   Yes   Met with deceased family members. They communicated to me that my baby was with them and would not be born on Earth.

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?   No  

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?   No  

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 both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience   At the time I was exploring various spiritual paths and had a desire to understand more.

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 stands out in my mind as an important and exciting experience; one of a few other spiritual experiences.

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   Since then I have stopped the random exploring and reading and now I have settled on a spiritual path of daily practice and study on an on-going basis. I regularly have a spiritual practice upon awakening, talk to spirit throughout the day, and attend fellowship meetings. My texts are A Course in Miracles, A Course of Love, and The Holy Spirit's Interpretation of the New Testament; I also attend Zen meditation. I love reading NDERF stories.

My experience directly resulted in:   Slight 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?   Uncertain   It didn't change my beliefs but did affirm hopes about spirit and afterlife; It also affirmed my deceased family's caring and communicated that the spirit of the lost pregnancy was and would be with them.

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?     The out of body experience; the visit from deceased family; and the symbolic communication that I understood later.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  A few years later I shared it with a spiritual fellowship group and they accepted it as interesting and comforting.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?   Yes   I had always been a reader and so read about NDEs and other paranormal in the popular literature. My experience described here (and others) were distinctly idiosyncratic and not expected. If I were to make up experiences based on reading I would not have made up the rich personal and sensory experience I had.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was probably real   After I lost the pregnancy I knew my family had visited me to comfort and inform.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   Due to large changes in my life since committing to a regular spiritual path (A Course In Miracles) I now see the experience described here as a gift and a glimpse into the larger reality.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   My family relationships tend to be emotionally distant and not intimate. Because of the experience they exhibited that they care and continue to be involved in at least major events.

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 had out of body experiences. My step-mother sent me a communication after her death. One night I dreamed of a post-card with a picture of a group of people. Then my focus zoomed in on one woman with a big silly smile. I then realized it was my step-mother. At the time I did not know she had passed. I then called my sister and she said yes that she had passed a few weeks prior to my dream. I then realized that she had sent me a picture of her with her spiritual group - a postcard from heaven.

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

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION 7722:

I was staying with my mother in my childhood home and sleeping in my old bedroom because my mother had cancer and it was uncertain if she would live or go into remission status but the hospital would not discharge her without someone in the home with her. I don't recall why but at the time I had a prescription for a pain medication. Although I have since figured out that I do not do well on prescription pain medications because they make me sick, at the time I didn't know. After taking the medication and falling asleep I became aware that I was above my body which was lying asleep on the bed. My aware self was above the bed and aware of the room, my body, and itself. I then moved/floated toward the end of the bed and passed what looked like me sitting in a chair with it's head slumped over in sleep. I then turned as I reached the other wall and then faced the wall beside the bed. Now I was aware of the room, my sleeping body, my sleeping other self in the chair, and myself that was floating. As I faced the other wall I saw what appeared to be a formless being that was blacker than black. The sight filled me with terror and I felt paralyzed. I was more scared then I ever remembered being in life. It seemed as though the entity wanted to "get me," although I didn't know what the consequences would be if it got me. It was just a mindless terror of this shapeless black-black thing that seemed to be full of malevolence. I began frantically trying to escape, thinking I have to get back before it gets me; I thought I have to get myself back together or I would be doomed. In the paralyzed fear I concentrated extremely intensely on getting myself together and getting away from the thing. Then suddenly I woke up in my body in my perfectly normal room, lying rigid on my back with with my index fingers clenched together with all my strength over my chest. I immediately turned on all the lights and could not go back to sleep that night. As it turned out my mother did go into remission and lived a few more years.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   Uncertain  I had taken a pain medication and felt nauseated; did not think it was life-threatening.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  Yes     Cannot express the feeling of my self that was observing everything during the experience. Cannot express the depth of my fear.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    At the point just before becoming paralyzed with fear, I was aware of several aspects at once.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      More consciousness and alertness than normal   Was aware of several elements at once: the room, of my conscious self outside my body, my body itself, another part of me that was in the chair, and a fearful entity. My alertness regarding the dark entity was very intense.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   In normal life I do not see the physical and spiritual and several aspects of myself at the same time.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   I did not recall hearing anything.

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?   Yes   I knew my body was sleeping in bed below me.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   During the experience first I felt a calm observing; enjoyment of floating free; interest in the experience; and curiosity about what was happening. Then faced with the dark entity I felt extreme fear for my well-being. Upon waking I first felt relief at escaping and then curiosity and wonder about the experience.  

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?   Uncertain   Became aware of a presence that was fearful; but didn't know what it was. I was too scared to ask for introductions.

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?   No

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�)?   Yes   My awareness existed outside of my sleeping body and moved around the room independent of it.

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?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life�s meaning or purpose?   No   At the time I didn't know what the entity was but have since pondered on it. I think of it now as being composed of all my negative and destructive emotions. The experience showed me several parts of myself - my physical body, my un-awakened mind (in the chair), my un-healed anger and depression which does pull you into hell and can seem to keep you trapped until you reach out for release and healing, and my observer self that was aware of all. My biggest challenge has been to heal and I have done/am doing this with a spiritual path.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life�s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   Uncertain   At the time I didn't know what the entity was but have since pondered on it. I think of it now as being composed of all my negative and destructive emotions. The experience showed me several parts of myself - my physical body, my un-awakened mind (in the chair), my un-healed anger and depression which does pull you into hell and can seem to keep you trapped until you reach out for release and healing, and my observer self that was aware of all. My biggest challenge has been to heal and I have done/am doing this with a spiritual path.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   No  

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 both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience   At the time I was open and exploring spiritual belief systems. I was not expecting such a rich demonstration of aspects of myself.

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 th   The experience stands out in my mind clearly compared to other events. The dark thing certainly got my attention!

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   I cannot say that changes occurred because of the experience, but I believe it contributed to them. It showed me a demonstration of various aspects of myself including the negative junk I was harboring. I didn't know it at the time but life would get worse before it got better. After obtaining success in several things I wanted and thinking I had made it. I subsequently had some losses, a few long years of financial instability, depression, and surviving as best I could. This experience (along with others) gave me food for thought and helped to keep the sense of wonder and hope alive during the dark dismal times. I have since gotten it together, and have been released from life-long depression and anger with the help of God on a spiritual path that suits me.

My experience directly resulted in:   Unknown

Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that occurred as a result of the experience?   Uncertain   Pondering on the meaning of the experience contributed in the long run to getting on a good spiritual path and healing; but it didn't immediately or directly change anything.

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?     Being aware outside my physical body and of various aspects of myself; the dark entity or aspect of myself showed me the depth of my emotional distress that needed healing.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  Shared in a like minded spiritual group so response was accepting.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?   Yes   Was always a reader and curious. However, this experience and other personal ones could not be expected from reading. The experiences themselves are personal and idiosyncratic as well as unexpected in their particulars.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was probably real   I tried to be rational and think it was a dream; but it was no dream.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   Since committing to an on-going daily spiritual practice the healing and well-being experienced as a result has settled my mind as to accepting the greater reality of spirit as foremost and this physical experience as temporary.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Uncertain   My relationships did not change directly but the experience caused me to ponder it's significance over time and contributed to emotional healing and therefore to relationships changing; some falling away, new ones from fellowship, and others being informed by spiritual awareness regardless of their spiritual path.

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Uncertain   Again, not directly but was cause for thinking.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience?   Yes   Have had a few brief out of body experiences but not as extensive. One time I did wake up to see my (then) husband sitting at the foot of the bed but then realized he was also lying down sleeping. Since then I read that others believe we often are out of the body during sleep. I just happened to observe my husband's spirit that night.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   Although part of it was fearful and "hellish," it was beneficial for my learning and pondering. It could be thought of as a demonstration without explanation with the purpose of triggering meditation on the meaning.

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