Glenna Stearman Park, 1960
It was the summer of ’57, and I was 15, having fun at Young Life’s Frontier Ranch in Colorado. Greer Gsell, East class of 1958, was showing me how to do a racing dive so I could participate in a silly-swim contest. Once we hit the water, we were supposed to float as far as possible without taking a breath. I hit the water and took a breath of water, again and again, trying to plunge the greatest distance.
I knew that I was drowning but felt really pleasant. I had a sense of going rapidly down a black tunnel which presented me with live action video-type images from my early childhood—maybe age two or three. I saw images of my sister Guyna and myself doing things together that I had not remembered. As I went down the tube, I was surrounded with images from my past, getting older as I was headed toward a warm yellow light. The light was at the end of the tunnel of memories and I felt peaceful, warm, and very happy.
I was experiencing a calming sense of peace and pleasure, but was curious about why I was there and what I needed to know about being there. A voice spoke to me through my thoughts and told me that religion was not important for my life, but that unconditional love and caring for people was everything. The voice told me that education and learning were very important, but that love and intelligence were the only things that mattered.
I was recovered from the water by Greer Gsell, who had been following me along the deck. He told me that swimmers at East used to practice swimming without breathing until they were out of breath. They watched each other closely and pulled each other out of the water if they recognized anyone going unconscious. Greer saw me sink to the bottom of the pool and pulled me out.
I became conscious as the voice was talking to me about love and the life guard and Greer pressed warm water out of my lungs. I became conscious of being on the cement deck in my own fluid from my lungs. They took me to the camp nurse’s office where I was changed and put to bed. I do not remember much except that I was stunned by the experience. I slept for maybe 30 hours. A camper from San Francisco apparently sat by my bed and when I woke up, gave me a stuffed animal—a rabbit, I think. I did not know him, but he was very kind. The nurse told me he had been sitting with me while I slept.
Junior year: I took swimming in gym class at East!
Editor’s note: Glenna has experienced several near-death events. Her second story on this topic will be published here in a few days. Have you had similar experiences? Tell us your story!
