Near Death Experience

From: Samantha Moffat (samantha@hillsidemotors.co.zw)
Story type: Near Death Experience
Location: Waterfalls, Harare, Zimbabwe
Source: Form Submission
Date submitted: Fri May 14 10:34:17 2010

I woke up at 2am one morning, nauseous and shivering. I had a fever and had been taken ill for quite some time. My doctor had failed to diagnose the nature of my illness which was characterised by incessant vomiting, fever, dizzy spells and the occasional fainting episodes. At first, he thought I was either pregnant or it was a mild case of malaria, but after several tests he still could not get to the bottom of my mysterious condition. As the days went by, my symptoms got worse and my general health deteriorated. I resorted to taking time off work as I often found myself losing focus and dozing off at my desk.

On the morning in question, I woke up shivering but at the same time my body's temperature was higher than normal. It got to the point where I could not feel my legs nor could I fully open my mouth to speak as my jaws had become stiff. I remember letting out a faint scream as I slowly lost consciousness. Laying there, helpless and afraid, I recall making a silent prayer to God. In the prayer I asked Him to come to my rescue beacuse i was afraid of dying. Somehow i knew that I was about to die.

I had often read stories and articles about near-death experiences but none of that preapared me for what I was about to face. I remember desperately trying to stay awake but it was almost as if my body was giving up on life of its own volition.

As I lay there contemplating my uncertain fate, I saw my terrified cousin looking down at me. What frightened me most was the fear etched on her face. My head seemed to be spinning and it was as if everything was happening in slow motion.

In an instant, I felt myself sinking; deeper and deeper. I know it's confusing, how could i have been sinking when I was already lying on a bed... but yes, I REALLY FELT that I was sinking. At that moment, I knew I was DYING. It's difficult to explain but there was this instant awareness, like a kind of awakening that I felt.

I felt weightless and I felt myself going, leaving my body behind. I could hear my cousin screaming and shouting for me to wake up. It was as if she was moving in slow motion and her voice was miles away from where I lay.

I would be lying if I said I saw a magnificent and blinding light or a tunnel. I was alert and knew what was happening. I just remember sinking, deeper and deeper... It was as if I was falling slowly from the sky. Suddenly, I heard an unfamiliar voice calling out my name, "Samantha, Samantha..."

Weak and lifeless I gave an inaudible response. At this point, my cousin began violently shaking my shoulders in a bid to revive me. As I sank deeper and deeper into nothingness, I remember screaming out, "God!". Obviously it was a silent and desperate scream because my cousin claims I did not speak for those horrid twenty minutes.

I felt my soul, my inner self, leave my body and there was a second of comprehension. I was suddenly aware of myself. I knew who I was, where I was and what was happening. It would be terrifying to see yourself floating, or rather hovering, above your lifeless body but for me it was strangely unsurprising.

I could see my cousin frantically shaking me and screaming, tears flowing down her cheeks. Eventually, she gave up and knelt beside my bed as if in a desperate attempt for a miracle. I could feel her pain and sorrow and it tore my soul apart. I tried to reach out to her in vain. It was as if my soul was trapped over my body and could not move. All I could do was hover in the same spot. That is when I knew that it was not yet time.

After that, everything went black. I just remember waking up amid violent coughing spurts. I could see the disbelief in my cousin's eyes at seeing me awake. I could not feel my legs for some time after that but I just recall being thankful to God for giving me another lease on life!