Written by Mrs. H Sloan. Used with permission.

Heather Sloan is a former State Registered Nurse and Midwife. In 1976 she was admitted to Hospital hemorrhaging through an ectopic pregnancy during which she had a near death experience. It was not until the late 1980’s that she discovered that her experience had been given this title.

The following is her near-death experience.

My experience was in 1976. I was a young mother with an 18 month old baby to care for, no close relatives living nearby, and a husband at sea serving with the Royal Navy. I had severe abdominal pain exacerbated by ingestion of food I had coped with this pain for a month. 24 hours prior to admission I had been unable to drink. Consequently my physical condition was very low. I weighed about 6 stone.

It became evident that I required a laparotomy operation to ascertain the cause of the pain. It was in a side ward following this surgery that I had my experience.

I found myself lifted out of my body standing beside the bed, looking down on what I eventually realized was myself. My spirit was attached to my body by a thin wisp of cord which looked like it could break apart at any time. I was encouraged not to keep looking back but to move on towards the light. I felt reassured by my companion and found myself in the presence of an Angel a "being of light". I had grown up in a Christian background so did not find it too difficult to think this could be the God which one day we would all meet. However this was not how I envisaged God to be. This was a very kind, compassionate being of great wisdom and not the judgmental character I had been led to expect. I became aware that my every thought was shared with all in His presence and Himself. I was surrounded by many "beings of light". There was no place to 'hide' my thought process which I found quite discomforting because in life no one sees you in your entirety as an open book.

I started to see my life from its beginning. I was able to experience everything yet at the same time I was able to feel how my actions were felt and received by those I affected. All my transgressions were revealed and commonly experienced by the beings I was with. However at no time was I judged. The person who did the judging was me. In the presence of such perfection it was embarrassing to acknowledge my imperfections.

At this point I became aware that perhaps I was not returning. A period of distress occurred as I knew I had a small child at home. How could I leave her and my husband. All in my presence were very compassionate to my distress and it was decided that I would be allowed to return. I asked why this had happened to me and I was told that I had an ectopic pregnancy and that I had suffered a severe haemorrhage.

I found myself hovering over my body as two nurses were standing either side of my bed. For a short period of time I was concerned as to how I would return to my physical self but my companion reassured me that all would be well. There was a small jolt and I was aware that things were back to 'normal'.

During the day my mother and husband came to visit. I told them about my experience. In 1976 there was very little said about people having these experiences. It was not until some years later that, reading an article in a magazine, I realized that my experience had been given a name (NDE) and that many others shared it in common with me.