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The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences – Dr Penny Sartori

Martine Alexis from Swansea had a childhood NDE

Please forgive the length of this, but it's the only way I can articulate it! This has been very healing to write, so thank you for letting me!

Back in 1967, I was four years old and was admitted to hospital with a serious cerebral viral illness. I had basically lost the use of my limbs and speech functions. My parents had been prepared for 'the worst'. My NDE only really made sense to me in hindsight, at a much later age, but it was so real that I recall every detail, even now at the age of 49. Here’s a description of my experience exactly as it happened:

During the night, all visitors had long since departed, and the ward was quiet with only a few child patients and night staff. I was in bed, unable to move any of my limbs or speak. I did not feel good at all, I was frightened, and I would perhaps describe myself as 'slipping away'. The next thing I experienced was being up on my feet and running from the ward, along an upward-sloping corridor. Another child was beside me, running with me and holding my hand. I remember feeling excited and joyful. I can still feel and see the green linoleum floor of the corridor!

We continued to run, and I vividly recall waving goodbye to all the other children on the ward, who were in side rooms, on the corridor itself. Many were crying, and they seemed so sad and miserable to be there. I was just very glad to be getting away! We made it as far as the end of the uphill corridor, the other child still held my hand. There was a door at the end, with light coming from the door jambs, both upper and lower. I really wanted to get to that door! I remember looking back down the corridor, and whilst I really felt I wanted to go forward, at that point I started to think of and miss my mother (alive both then and now, and very close to me).

I felt a dreadful panic, it overwhelmed me. I suppose I would describe my emotions then by using the analogy of desperately wanting to go to a party to which I had been invited and was excited about, but not being able to go in case my mother didn't know where I was. I remember dropping the hand of the other child and apologizing to her. I never saw the face of the other child clearly, but I knew it was another little girl and I knew 100 per cent that I loved her.

In the background, a 'grown-up' voice was saying something like 'It's ok, let her go, she can go.  The next thing I physically experienced was the physical waking in bed and being coaxed into taking a very bitter tasting 'medicine'.

I would like to add that the experience did not frighten me in any way, then or now. In fact, I find it 'comforting' in a really visceral way. I have had no fear at all of death since, and never have. The legacy of the experience, however, has had a tendency to make me less 'involved' in life, as if I am only 'marking time'. Not in a sad way, but I am quite detached, happy to be solitary and I resist most attempts to keep me in 'permanent' situations which might 'anchor' me to the earth, emotionally and practically (like parenthood, long-term relationships).

Following the experience, I developed the ability to see, hear and feel things that were beyond physical. In short - psychic ability.

I know many people are sceptical about these abilities (which I find insulting and upsetting). However, time has proved me right on more occasions than I can count! In fact, I have worked as a professional psychic for more than ten years now. It is a huge relief and brings me great joy to use my abilities, after quite a varied career path, which included university and a secondary (high school) teaching post, none of which made me happy at all. I've found a place of peace - or the nearest I can get to it - until I can really 'go home' and finally get to the end of the corridor I ran along over forty years ago.