Experience description:

At the time I was 21 and living in a house in the country near Florence. I was in bed, by myself, and I'd only just turned out the light to get ready to sleep. I found myself observing my body lying on the bed from the ceiling of the room (up high with the ceiling behind me). I observed with pleasant serenity my body lying on the bed. I can't say how much time passed but in a certain moment I was conscious of a state in which I found myself and I thought I was about to die.  Afraid, I decided that I had to go immediately back into my body and leaving the ceiling behind me I went back into my body that a moment before I had been observing from above the room.

All'epoca avevo 21 anni e vivevo in una casa in campagna vicino Firenze. Ero a letto, da sola, e appena spenta la luce per accingermi a dormire mi trovai ad osservare il mio corpo disteso nel letto dal soffitto della stanza In alto con alle spalle il soffitto osservavo con piacevole serenità il mio corpo giacere nel letto. Non posso dire quanto tempo sia passato ma ad un certo momento ebbi coscienza dello stato in cui mi trovavo e pensai d'essere sul punto di morire. Impaurita decisi che dovevo rientrare immediatamente nel mio corpo e lasciando il soffitto alle spalle rientrai nel corpo che un istante prima osservavo dall'alto della stanza.

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?      I don't remember.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      Normal consciousness and alertness   The experience was lived consciously the whole time.  From the beginning I felt abandonment and seeing my body and successively realizing that I was probably dying. It amazed me how the will to go back into the body was so strong as to make it possible.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   The comparison is between a previous moment of absolute tranquility and a subsequent one of serenity up to the moment in which I perceived that I was experiencing a totally new and impossible situation in everyday reality.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   No difference

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?   Serenity up to the moment in which I noticed being out of my body.  

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 encountered a dimension outside myself.

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?   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
The place was strange because I found myself stretched out in the air high above the ceiling of the bedroom.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
I don't think that time was a measurable factor up to the moment - in which I was thinking of being on the point of death - I hurried back to my body.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   Yes
I believe I experienced an unusual state of consciousness, that in my mind configured itself as abandonment in my life; death.

Did you come to a border or point of no return?   I came to a definite conscious decision to return to life
I noticed that my position was impossible and that I was observing my body from above serenely.  I thought of being on the point of death and I decided to reenter the body.  Also that I didn't know how I had gotten out.

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?   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  

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   The memory is vivid because it was an experience in a completely different reality from my daily one.  

My experience directly resulted in:   No 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   In reality I haven't modified my vision of reality nor my values.

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 different reality increased my interest in spirituality.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  Around 10-15 years after I talked with some people who responded with much interest.

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   I saw the experience as a real fact and charged with an unknown significant spirituality.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   I always realized the special character of that experience that never happened again, neither casually nor willfully induced by me.

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?   No  

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   I'd like to learn how to control out-of-body experiences.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?   Yes   I have no more to add.What could a national organization with an interest in near death experience (NDE) do that would be of interest to you?  To indicate methods, if they're believed to exist, to enter consciously, without the use of substances, into states of consciousness other than the usual kind.