Peter R's ADC
Home Page Share Experience New Experiences


Experience description:

It was a normal day.  As I walked through the back hallway of my home, which was NOT the home my deceased wife and I shared, I smelled the distinct odor of burning leaves.  No smoke was visible.  There was no unusual visual manifestation that I was aware of.  I asked my wife to come back where I was and tell me if she smelled something.  She did and smelled the same thing.  We were unable to locate any normal source of the smell.  The smell persisted for about an hour.  We agreed that when we thought about it, the smell was actually that of burning Marijuana. 

She had a brother who smoked it and was familiar with the smell.  My deceased wife had been a Medical Marijuana user, because of her MS, and so I was also familiar with the smell.  I had been the licensed grower for her.  My current wife and I decided that Mary (my deceased wife) had apparently come by for a visit and had manifested the odor in order to let us know of her visit.  It was comforting to think that she did so, and confirmed my belief in the Afterlife.

 Was this experience difficult to express in words?          No

 Did you ONLY sense an awareness of presence of the deceased without actually seeing, hearing, feeling or smelling them?        No

 Did you hear the deceased or hear something associated with the deceased?          No

 Did you feel a touch or experience any physical contact from the deceased? No

 Did you see the deceased?         No

 Did you smell a distinct smell, scent, fragrance or odor associated with the deceased?      Yes

             What smell, scent, fragrance or odor did you smell?           Burning Marijuana.

             Was the smell, scent, fragrance or odor familiar?     Yes, it was familiar, because the final 7 years of my deceased wife's life, she was a Medical Marijuana user.

             Was anything communicated by the smell?   The smell was a distinctive calling card for her.

             Is there any possibility that the smell, scent, fragrance or odor was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?     We checked and found no normal source for the smell.  Neither we, nor our neighbors were burning leaves at the time.  It was the middle of summer.

 How long did the experience last?        approximately one hour

 Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         onset and ending were not gradual.  But, the smell was just in that back hallway, so it was hard to tell.  It isn't like we just stood around the whole time in the back hallway sniffing it.

 Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?           No

 How do you currently view the reality of your experience?           Experience was definitely real

             Please explain why you view the reality of your experience as real or not real:           The odor was quite distinct and only located in that one area of the house.  It was independently observed by both me and my wife.

             Was the experience dream like in any way?   No

 Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           At first, I was concerned that something might be burning either in the house or next to it.  Once we checked and found no observable source for the smell, I relaxed.  After we realized that it smelled like Marijuana burning, we decided that Mary might be "visiting" and were comfortable/pleased.

 Was there any emotional healing in any way following the experience?           Uncertain

 While I have not been conscious of a lot of grieving, related to the death of my wife, it was comforting to have this confirmation that she continues to exist in the Afterlife.

 What was the best and worst part of your experience?      It was comforting personally to know that Mary continues on.  There was no particular downside to the experience.

 Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         No      

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   No       Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?  Yes            It did not give me any NEW "spiritual understandings", but instead simply confirmed those that I already held.

 Death Compacts are when two or more living people promise among themselves that whoever dies first will try to contact the other(s).  Have you ever made such a compact?   No

 Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?     No

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            It was pleasing to have some verification of Mary's survival and continued interest in me and my new relationship.

 Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes

 My current wife also smelled the distinct smell of burning leaves.

 Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   No

 Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?    No

 Did you become aware of future events?       No

 Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?  No

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     No

 Did you meet or see any other beings other than the deceased?            No

 Did you see a light?           No

 Did any part of your experience seem to occur in a place other than the location described above?          No

 Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     People were respectful of the story.  Likely many of them discounted its reality, but likely some have been positively influenced.

 Have you shared this experience formally or informally with any other researcher or web site?            No

  Is there anything else you would like to add regarding your experience?       I have read and heard many other accounts of ADCs over the years.  I was not surprised that I had one also, although I had in no way been seeking one.

 Were there any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience? No

 Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No 

Did you ever in your life have a near-death experience, out of body experience or other spiritual event?       No 

Did the questions asked and information you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?                     Yes