My near-death experience began with feeling my spirit leaving my body as I descended into a dark valley where the outline of hills, high above me, was barely visible against a twilight sky. I felt an inner knowing to walk along this pathway deep within the valley floor, to get someplace I knew I needed to be, but could not describe what it was, or why I needed to get there.

The energy of this valley was very dark and foreboding. I felt that maintaining my focus on the path ahead was critical to getting to the place I was supposed to be, yet the temptation to divert my eyes from this path and look at my surroundings was incredibly powerful. I instinctively knew that I was in a place that wanted me to fear it, but I wasn't afraid as long as I maintained my focus on the path ahead and continued walking through the darkness and isolation of this valley.

During this journey along the dimly lit path, I finally gave in to the temptation to observe the gnarled and barren trees, appearing in my peripheral vision, resembling a neglected, dormant apple orchard on both sides of the pathway. Peering into the darkness, I discovered that these weren't trees at all, but rather the lifeless bodies of people planted into the ground, inverted, with their decaying arms and legs grotesquely entangled above the surface. What a horrific sight.

Rather than fear, I responded with a fierce determination, summoning the courage to continue along the path, undeterred by the threat on either side. In the silence that enveloped, I slowly began to realize that the silhouette of light that remained at the upper edges of the valley was quickly retreating into infinite darkness, the kind that was felt as much as seen. With an increasing sense of urgency, I quickened my pace, afraid that the remaining traces of light would be forever lost, and the path ahead lost within my spirit.

Now losing sight of all but a few remaining shadows, I encountered an immense stone wall, where the path ultimately led to a tall wooden door. I desperately ran my hands up and down its rough exterior, trying to locate its handle and pass through the portico. Just as my hands discovered the elusive handle, and I started to turn it, there appeared a small glowing object, first appearing to the right of my face, and circling about my head.

Its glow was the antithesis of the darkness surrounding me; I not only saw it, but felt its connection in an otherwise barren landscape. This warm presence began moving rapidly all around me, encompassing me in its warmth and protective light. My entire body felt immersed within a sphere of light. I could neither identify it nor name it with words, but it was familiar and comforting. I was no longer concerned with the door handle, but became captivated by this warm luminous presence.

While my heart was filled with relief and gratitude, I was suddenly returned to my body, back in the hospital bed, where I heard alarms sounding, a concerned nurse leaning over, instructing me to "breathe"...over and over. "You scared us...you stopped breathing."