The Website of PMH AtwaterOne of the internet's most comprehensive sites on the near-death phenomenon!

One of the internet's most comprehensive sites on the near-death phenomenon!

Vera - A Child's Acceptance

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your books. I just finished my second one and plan to keep going.

When I was around ten something happened to me.

I don't know if this qualifies as an NDE. I think it's more like a nearing death awareness. I didn't have the colors, fields, flowers, bright light so I didn't die.

I was at the beach on Lake Michigan in Chicago with a male family friend his 8 year old daughter K. and my 8 year old brother, S. The man, Henry was sitting in the sand letting us swim and splash around. There was a life guard high on his platform near him. There were other people in my immediate area. It was a bright hot day and I got separated from K and S.

Somehow, I had gotten further out where I was not standing on sand anymore. I couldn't swim and tried to dog paddle but was having difficulty getting air. When I went down I could not hear anything but when I came up I did not try to scream for help or alert anyone. One time I thought I would look at Henry to see if he could sense my distress but I had a zoom lens view of him way over on the sand. I could see his face. He was lying on his left side, head on bended elbow, looking around the beach and smoking a cigarette oblivious to my problem. Then I zeroed in on K. and S. who were now halfway between Henry and me. My hearing zoned in to them and they were splashing and laughing and playing. It seemed I was very far out. For some reason I didn't panic but was calm and just seemed to surrender and allowed everything to happen.

I was really aware. One thought I had was: OK, so this is how it's going to be for me. After a few seconds, minutes? I discovered that my body had "moved" or something moved me onto a sandy part where I could get a foothold and breathe. I remember wondering how that could have happened but I knew a wave didn't bring me further in. I then got out of the water and sat on the beach and didn't say anything, for some reason I knew not to I never told anyone until I was 55 years old, and only then my therapist and husband. I am now 60.

After this experience, I began having intuitive experiences and paranormal experiences which continue today. I have always thought about this experience as a defining moment in my life. I remember it like it just happened yesterday. I just wonder if this experience could have ignited "things" in me.
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