When my mother was a teenager, she had a profound event that many researchers call a teen out of body experience. At just 14 years old, she suffered from frequent, painful kidney infections. During the 1960s, medical testing remained primitive by today’s standards. Consequently, even simple diagnostic tests required a full surgical procedure.
The Shift to the Ceiling
She clearly remembers the medical staff rushing her into the surgery room. As she struggled to breathe, a specialist approached her with a large needle. Suddenly, the world shifted. She was no longer in her body. Instead, she was looking down at herself from the high ceiling of the operating theater.
This out of body experience felt incredibly vivid and peaceful. While the medical team worked frantically below, she felt no pain. She simply watched the scene with a sense of calm fascination.
Beyond the Bright Light
I asked her if she saw a tunnel or deceased relatives, but she calmly said no. However, the room appeared remarkably bright from her vantage point near the ceiling. She didn’t feel a “call” to leave; she was just an observer of her own physical form. Then, as suddenly as the out of body experience began, she woke up in a quiet hospital room.
The Medical Mystery
To this day, my mother remains unsure if her teen out of body experience resulted from trauma or a severe allergic reaction. Doctors later told her she had nearly died due to an allergic reaction to IVP dye. Although my grandparents rarely discussed the event, the details of the story never changed over sixty years of retelling.
The Legacy of the Experience: Her peaceful account of this event always amazes me. It suggests that her time had not yet come. This story remains one of the most memorable examples of a true out of body experience, or was it a near death experience.
If you have experienced a similar phenomenon, please share your story with everyone here. For more information on the science of these events, you can explore current studies on Near-Death Experiences.
