Having said that, my NDE happened as I was sleeping.  I was having a dream, not unlike any other in my life, where I was being chased, very common dream.  I was driving and being chased by another car. It went on, as usual, my trying to get away from the "bad guys".  At this point in the dream the chase had stopped, I was out of the car and I was somewhat frightened, when three men start coming towards me with weapons.  I don't recall if the weapons were guns, knives or both.   

I was still frightened when in a split second I was in a "large palm" being "whooshed" up away.  I knew I was no longer in the dream and that this was separate from the dream.  I was laying flat in "the palm" as it(the palm) continued to bring me higher. I am 5'-8" tall and the palm was about 2-3 feet longer than I was at my feet. I kept hearing the continued "whooshing" sound as I was raised up and away, at a fast speed, away from the earth.  I kept looking down at the earth as it got farther and farther away.  I would raise myself up, grabbing onto the thumb of the palm, and looking over it as if I were in "The Neverending Story" type kid experience, if you know what I mean. 

As I was lifted up the earth got smaller and smaller to where it ended up being slightly smaller than the size of a basketball off in the distance.  I could see the galaxy stars swirling around the earth.  When we stopped our ascent up I saw the "ground", of where I was, was a brilliant sky blue color (even though it was the ground) and had a slight arch to it.  The sky was pitch black with about 15 stars left, the rest were below us. I was instantly consumed with the feeling of love, peace, joy, and just being overwhelmed with goodness.   

The ascent in the palm seemed to last for about 15 to 20 seconds, all the while hearing the whooshing sound going up, and my time being there, overwhelmed with joy seemed to be about the same.  I didn't not see a bright light or tunnel and I did not see deceased relatives, or anyone for that matter.  Just me and, I assume, the Lord.  Who else could the palm have belonged to, really? I did not have a sense of wanting to stay, because I knew I would return at some point.  I woke up at that point, amazed at what had happened, and again not having the desire to go back or sadness that I had come back.  I just knew I would return someday and not to that very place but to a much better place.  I feel I was brought "half way to Heaven" and describe it as that.    

I remember every detail about it as if it happened yesterday.  I really had never any fear of dying and after this experience I look forward to it at some point.  My COPD is much worse now and I don't think I will be here that much longer and, again, have no fear at all of passing.  Because I know where I am going.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   Uncertain  I do not know.  It happened during my sleep and during a somewhat scary dream. I might add that when it did happen I knew instantly that the occurrence was NOT part of the dream, but rather, I was taken from the dream, to safety???  I don't know.  Or was I have a medical moment by coincidence???  I just don't know but what happened during the NDE, as I call it, showed me it must have been more of a medical experience because of my knowledge of why NDE's happen.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  No     Not necessarily.  I did tell family members and friends, mostly through my Facebook post but really got no response. . .you know how it is when you bring up this type of thing.  They think you're losing it!!  HAH!  When actually we are gaining more than they, or I, could ever imagine.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    I had a normal level of consciousness during the ascend, in the palm, although, one of exuberance, and once we stopped at the blue ground.  It was when I was filled with the peace, love, joy was when I had the higher sense of what was happening.  I will say I never hear anything while we stopped there nor did I have any sense of smelling anything.  Just a beautiful sight and the whooshing sound while getting there.  I never left the palm but continued to lay back in it, with an occasional raising up to look around me and to gaze back at the earth as it got smaller and smaller.

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   Like I said, once I was consumed and overwhelmed by love, peace and joy I had the sense of the feeling being total and effecting every ounce of my being.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   My vision during the experience would only be more grand only because of what I saw.  It's not every day when you can see the earth and the galaxy beneath you and a strange and wonderful place before you.  I really don't think my senses, or attitude/personality changed as it was happening.  I was the same person who just got a reassurance that there is more to life than meets the eye AND certainly more to the afterlife for one to look forward to.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   No difference.  The whooshing sound was similar to what I would hear on earth.  By the way, I do have a hearing problem, where I do have hearing aids, but I rarely wear them.  But again I had no sense of any difference in my ability to hear better or worse.

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?   Uncertain   No events happening on earth.  Just that I was being taken away FROM the earth to another place.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   Being consumed, totally, by peaceful, loving and joyous feelings.  More than feelings really, my earthly feelings had nothing to do with it.  It was more of what the Lord put INTO me, not what I felt from previous earthly feelings and knowledge of them.  The "feelings" were a gift to me.  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   No  

Did you see an unearthly light?   No   Just the brightness of the blue surface.  Also use this statement to add to the no on question 17.  Just the brilliant blue surface.

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
My encounter with a definite being would be the "palm (the Lord) that brought me up.  He spoke no words to me, I heard nothing (except the whooshing up).

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.)?   Yes   Just the palm that rose me.  I assumed it was the Lord.

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?   A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
The place had a brilliant sky blue surface with a black sky with 15 to 20 stars. The entire time I was there I stayed in the palm.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   No
I didn't notice any change in time.   I did think it took awhile to get to where we were going. . .all the time hearing the whooshing sound of quickly being raised through the universe.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   Everything about myself or others
I really suddenly just knew the sense of life after death.  It was about me.  I will say, I think this happened because the Lord wanted to give me peace about my coming death from my COPD, as well as, my husbands coming death.  He has had advanced prostate cancer for three years and hormone refractory now for nine months.  I think the Lord showed me and gave me a sense of peace to not be afraid when these things happen.  He was giving me strength to carry on and do what I have to do.

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   I was brought from earth to another place and definitely have the feeling that I would return, after death, to not this place but the actual Heaven.  I was in what I call "half way to Heaven" because there was nothing there except me and HIM.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   The palm could only have been the Lords.  I have always believed in Jesus so I knew it was his. The Lord's.

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?   Yes   I was one with the Lords place.  Not necessarily with the Lord, although I was consumed with love, I was still not one with him so to say, but rather, with the afterlife.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life�s meaning or purpose?   Uncertain  

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?   Yes   I was consumed by it and it was a feeling I will never forget.  It was a love much, much deeper than any love felt, by anyone I'm sure, here on earth.

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?   Yes   Just the necessity to live life in a good way because that is what consumed me.  Love. I know I could never feel that amount of love here on earth but will elsewhere someday.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?   Yes   Just the sense that confirmed to me that we do find life after death and to look forward to it.

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   I know we go to Heaven if we believe but I had no idea I would be brought to a place such as this, or that such a place existed.  I thought you would either see the light, tunnel, etc., or nothing.  I saw a half way point if you will.

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   Life seems to jumble together, day by day and day after day.  Not much stands out.  I have the definite remembrance of my NDE plus the ghostly/spiritual experiences that happened around the same time.

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   I have been shown the afterlife, or the existence of it.  I am less fearful of death because I am 100% sure of Heaven, where before, I was 80% sure we went to Heaven.  I am less fearful of my husband departing and leaving me alone.  I have more strength to live life.  I have always been a strong woman but this gives me a stronger sense of my ability to depend on myself, and the Lord.

My experience directly resulted in:   Moderate 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?   Yes   I was reaffirmed that Heaven, and the Lord exists.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   Yes   I have always had ghostly experiences since the age of 15 or so but the two experiences I had had after my NDE were much more in depth.  An actually physical experience with a ghost, it touching me, holding me down and lying on me and the seeing of my husbands aunt here in our house.  All previous experiences had been hearing things, seeing thing flying through the air, etc..

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?     The entire experience but the whooshing up, my looking ove the Lords thumb to watch as the earth got smaller and smaller and then the overwhelming feeling of love that I had when there.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  I told my family and friends right away.  I think those who know I have had other happenings like this for decade either believed me or didn't.  Do they think I'm nutts?  I don't know.  I don't care.  No one really commented back to me.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?   Yes   I had hear about NDE from reading or watching TV.  I liked John Edwards and physics like him.  As a matter of fact I really didn't know where to go to ask someone about my experience and a few months ago I figured I would ask John Edwards on his website.  I found though you had to become a member, pay 35.00 per year and he would pick 3, or so, questions a month to answer. . .ya right, what are my chances of getting picked?  So I decided against that.  It was just this morning, watching Fox and Friends where the author of "Dying To Bo Me" (forgot her name) was on and I Googled her books name where I came upon a link to your site.  Thankfully so!!

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was definitely real   i knew it was real.  I knew it was not part of the dream.  I knew it was the palm of the Lord.  I just knew everything about it was real.  I had no doubt then and I have no doubt now.  As I say about my ghostly experiences, "I frightfully wait for the next exilerating(sp) experience".  Although, my NDE was NOT frightening at all.  I'm just showing a point.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   It happened and was real. Period. No question about it.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   I am less afraid of my husband passing on.  He is very spiritual and I wasn't that afraid to begin with but this NDE just made that more apparent to me.

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   I believe 100% as opposed to 80% now.

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 feel very fortunate to have had this experience.  It was wonderful.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?   Yes   I feel the questions were very thorough and complete.