I got hit by a car on Valentine's Day 2017 in the late afternoon before sunset, in Providence, RI. I was crossing the street but due to snow piled up at the crosswalks, I did not cross in the crosswalk.

It was rush hour with strong sun glare. I was waiting patiently and a car going east stopped and flashed its lights at me. I did not want to cross but it was an awkward amount of waiting, so I crossed. At the center double line, I looked right and my last thought was, "I'm not gonna make it."

It was dark and I was on my back, floating forward. I wasn't a body but a dark mist, where I knew my thoughts were up here, and the end of me was down there. It was a wide tunnel, and it felt like floating down a lazy river. I had no memory of what just happened, and no question of why am I here. I felt complete serenity.

There was a singular other being there. I am atheist but this looked like a Central or South American deity depiction. "He" was mainly a mask, with markings as if a glowing edges Photoshop filter was applied. They were rainbow colors, no white, and I found it extremely beautiful. He had three thick slanted stripes on each cheek. The expression he made was both grinning from laughter and frowning from crying simultaneously. This emotion was expressed in his mouth, eyes, and brow. He was mischievous and a little bit sinister, but in a way I enjoyed. All while I notice his emotions, I feel total peace and calmness. (I wish I had done a drawing of him when I got out of the hospital because I can no longer remember further detail, but the pain was bad.)

This entity kept me company, it felt like. Like I had a buddy here, we talked telepathically. I don't know what we talked about. I just didn't feel alone. I didn't notice that he wasn't human. It felt like he was feeling all the emotions I wasn't feeling. The only clear words I remember are the final communication from me: "I have to go back for my babies."

That's it. I was immediately conscious and screaming, "WHAT THE F IS HAPPENING? WHAT IS GOING ON?" Despite the darkness I knew I was conscious, but I did not know I was cortically blind. I don't know if anybody helping me could tell, or if my eyes were open. My vision clicked on in the ambulance and I finally remembered that nagging thing I felt I was forgetting - my phone, I need to call my now-husband, he must be worried, where is my phone? Even then, I didn't realize I had been missing a vital sense, so I never told the hospital. They said I was hit in the occipital lobe and required seven staples, but otherwise I was fine and was released 4 hours after the accident. I did not require pain meds. I had zero scratches or bruises, which is really weird for me. I remembered this incredible experience while in the ER but I didn't tell any medical workers. I don't think I was actively dying but I can't know for sure. One day I will return, but hopefully not too soon.

Now I'm pretty sure everyone "goes to heaven." And if anyone doesn't, it's random. But I'd like to think in a full shutdown they get there eventually. None of this has affected my disbelief in "God" but I've always known there's tons of forces humans do not understand.