EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION 12/15/13:

Most people with whom I have shared my experience, say that I must have been dreaming. A small number of people have acknowledged that what I experienced was a state of 'Grace' or a transcendental experience.

I was in bed lying next to my husband and we were sleeping in the spare room because my sister and her husband had arrived in Australia for a visit and we had given them our room which was more comfortable.

I found myself in a Temple of Knowledge where there were many rooms, the scale of the building was immense and reminded me of a Palladian temple made of soft yellow colored stone, it was very solid with thick walls and high ceilings, there were no windows but it was lit with a soft gentle light. It was a library but not like any library that I've experienced. There were other rooms where other knowledge was being shown but this was just glimpsed and I had the feeling that this knowledge wasn't important for me at this time.

I was dressed in a finely spun hooded white robe (the only earthly fabric I can compare it with, is raw silk but soft and white. I had sandals on my feet. Sitting opposite me was a man of about the same age as myself, wearing exactly the same robe. He had dark hair and very beautiful brown eyes and I immediately registered that there was nothing sexual in our relationship - we were both there to learn. We were seated at a small table opposite each other and were sharing the knowledge and information from the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts that I had ever seen. There was a teacher present but unseen and information passed between each of us without the need for words, we communicated telepathically. The information that were shown explained the reasons for existence and answered every question that I had regarding the meaning of life. It was so simple, the answers I mean were so simple, and I thought to myself I must, I must remember this and tell everyone because there is no need to worry. As the man with the beautiful eyes and I were sharing this wonderful book someone placed another pile of even more beautiful books next to me and I said, Oh we have more than enough for our needs, why not give them to someone who needs them more than we do. As I communicated this, I was suddenly absolutely suffused through every fiber of my being with the most overwhelming feeling of love. I had never experienced this feeling in my life and I felt joy and peace and a total sense of being loved and accepted. It was the most profound moment and I have difficulty expressing the transformative effect that it had on me. Such happiness, such joy, such love, such peace. I felt blessed.

Suddenly I was taken with an unseen guide to a place high above the earth looking down on rivers and cities below. It was night-time but everywhere there pinpricks of light and I knew these to be people living on earth and each was joined as if there was a thread going through each of them and me and it joined us all together and the thread was LOVE. I suddenly was made to see that each of us is connected to the other and that we are all the same, no matter what religion, race, gender we are all the same. At that point I said, but if everybody realized that we all the same and that this amazing love that runs though each of us and ties us together, if everyone could realize this then there would be no more wars, no more killing and we would have peace on earth. And then I heard a physical voice, it said 'EXACTLY' and before it was finally finished the world "Exactly' was echoed by a myriad of other voices saying 'exactly'. Then I opened my eyes and my heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour and gradually I came back to the reality of being in bed with the sun shining and lying next to my husband and also being aware that this was no dream , it was far more real than anything I have ever experienced. I told my my husband and although he tried to be supportive I could tell that he thought that  I had just had a vivid dream. The thing was that I was so full of joy and happiness. At that time I worked in a bookshop and had a lot of difficulties with the other staff, who saw me a bossy and manipulative and I think they were right, because from that point on I changed. I suddenly realized that instead of blaming others for what was wrong with my life, that I had to take the responsibility for my own actions and stop judging and complaining about others.  From that point on I became more considerate of other people, I wanted to help others, I felt that I had been shown this wonderful gift in order to help - I hesitate to say 'God' but I really do feel that I now had to help God by helping others.

When I went to work for almost three weeks after this experience, I listened to people, really listened to them for the first time, little old ladies would come and confide in me and I knew they needed comforting in some way and I did my best to help them. For those few weeks I felt as though I was exuding love and light and felt on such an emotional high that I felt totally empowered. Gradually this dissipated and once again I fell into the everyday way of living but with an increased confidence in self.

As time has passed the memory of my experience has ebbed and flowed, sometimes remaining dormant but never forgotten. I have made mistakes and lost my way but now having had some physical problems I have again turned inwards and somehow the enormity of what happened to me has resurfaced and a need to understand why this happened to ME has made me start to examine my experience.

For example, I think that the way my vision was displayed to me was no accident. I am a lover of books and the fact that the means of communicating my experience in the Temple of Truth and Knowledge was through the gloriously illustrated example of Illuminated manuscripts was given to me that way because it was a metier that I could understand.

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

Was the experience difficult to express in words?....Yes....

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?....More consciousness and alertness than normal    When I was bathed in the experience of an all encompassing love....

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.    I have and had excellent vision and although the experience was incredibly vivid I regarded my vision as normal.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.    My hearing was the same

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, overwhelming love and relief that there is a meaning to life and my place in it and that there is a reason for everything and it comes from God.  

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    The presence was sensed for most of the experience in the Library but I physically heard the word Exactly when I was shown the Earth.

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?....No   

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....Yes. I was in a temple of Knowledge that was awe inspiring but felt real, afterwards I found myself outside this building, at a distance and could see other buildings in a glorious park like setting and I saw the words over the entrance to the library, 'Temple of Knowledge'

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?....Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning....Time lost meaning

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?....Everything about the universe....I understood everything and desperately tried to cling on to the knowledge that was shown to me because the answers were all so simple but try as I might I cannot remember them.

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....

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?....Yes....After the experience I knew that I was expected to help others

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:....Large changes in my life....I have learned not to judge others. I feel that I am an inadequate tool for God's purpose but for whatever reason if he wants to help others through me then I am happy for that.....

Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that occurred as a result of the experience?    Yes     Yes, I cannot tolerate organised religions, their hypocrisy and their untruths. I am more self confident, more compassionate and caring of others and try to help people and reassure them even if it's only by a smile to a passing Stanger.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?....Yes     I am more intuitive, I seem to sense peoples true feelings without being told and I feel it though I will need to help them. I know who will be phoning me 95% of the time.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes   Yes at first I told selected people and was generally met with disbelief, but now I often share the experience with people who I feel may need comforting in some way. Only one person supported my experience and he was a distant friend who immediately grasped that I had had a mystical experience

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?....No    

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:....Experience was definitely real    It was so all encompassing and I felt changed by it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:....Experience was definitely real....Many years have passed since the experience but it just as vivid today as it was then. It also gives me great comfort because even though the overwhelming ecstasy has dissipated, a little remains - enough to keep me connected to the source of love that we all share without realizing it.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?....Yes....My marriage did not survive and I find it difficult to have close relationships with partners because we differ fundamentally on what's important in life. I also believe, although this could just be me that I am of more use on my own than if I am in a relationship, because the relationships are too demanding.

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?....Yes    I now firmly believe in God but not in religion

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience?....No   

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?    Uncertain    I am not sure that the profound nature of the experience can accurately be described but it's as close as I can get it.

Experience description 2/3/2007:   

I was conscious that I was in bed it was early morning, my husband was lying next to me we  were sleeping in the study as my sister  & husband were visiting us from overseas and they slept in our bedroom. I have told people about the experience and they have said "You must have dreamt it" but I KNOW that it was not a dream.

I am a bookseller. I love books and I'm sure my experience was given to me in a form that I could understand.

I found myself in a temple of knowledge wisdom and truth, I was dressed in a fine spun cream robe similar to those of a monk, sitting opposite me was a man similarly dressed with beautiful brown eyes, we were sharing a book which appeared to be a vellum bound medieval manuscript, it was one of the most beautiful books I had ever seen but more than that the information it contained was about life and all the secrets of the universe were being discussed by a teacher who was not seen. I registered that there was nothing sexual between us (the man I was sharing the book with). As we studied, someone brought a pile of even more beautiful books and offered them to us. I said " we have more than enough, why not give them to someone who needs them more than we do. As I said this I was sent soaring high up above the earth, looking down it was dark but I could see the lights of cities. I was shown and told that each of us is bound to the others. I was told that it is like a thread that weaves and binds and goes through each of us. This makes us all the same. The thread that binds us together is LOVE. As I was told this my whole body was suffused with the most amazing feeling of love that I have never yet experienced on earth and I understood totally that we are all one . It was totally overwhelming. I said to the being or teacher or God, " Why don't people understand that we are all the same, all colors and races and religions, if only people understood this there would be no more wars or hatred or greed or selfishness. There would be peace on Earth. Then I heard a voice. It just said one word, it was a male voice. He said;' Exactly' then it was as if thousands of voices joined in and echoed Exactly.

I opened my eyes and my heart was palpitating. I felt suffused with happiness and love.

Any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?     No      

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes    

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No      

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           Semi awake

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Yes in a way but I know it was not

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Overwhelming love

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?           I heard a voice

LOCATION DESCRIPTION:  Did you recognize any familiar locations or any locations from familiar religious teachings or encounter any locations inhabited by incredible or amazing creatures?    Yes            As above

Did you see a light?           No      

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes    

Did you experiment while out of the body or in another, altered state? No      

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Yes     I read a book on out of body experiences which described a temple of learning that seemed similar to mine.



Did you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they different?          Yes     I understood and communicated without speaking

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   Yes    

Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?    Yes     As above

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     Yes. Instead of blaming others for what was wrong in my life I took responsibility

How has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices? Career choices?       I don't subscribe to any religion but have an unshakeable belief in God

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Yes     Yes I am more sympathetic to others and try to help as much as I can

Have you shared this experience with others?         No response            What emotions did you experience following your experience?          The feeling of overwhelming love stayed with me for about 3 weeks but then started to fade. But I was conscious that people gravitated towards me as if I radiated something powerful

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      It was a life changing experience. I felt that up until that time I had been almost sleepwalking through life

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        Words cannot accurately describe the experience. I feel that I have lost my way since then and need to remind myself constantly to be a better person

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No      

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

Please offer any suggestions you may have to improve this questionnaire.    Has anyone to your knowledge had a similar experience?