I have had 4 dreams where my son has visited me. I did not write these down and do not have dates when they occurred, unfortunately.

The first one was around 6 months after he passed. I was having a dream that didn't have anything to do with him, I was at an outdoor carnival or concert, in a large parking lot. At a certain point in the dream, he came up from behind me and hugged me. He was around the age when he passed (22 years old). It was short, and I don't remember getting a good look at him, but I knew it was him and felt the love.

The second dream he was probably around 8-10 years old and we were in our finished basement where he used to have his computer set up. This time I was facing him and again we hugged. The feeling of love was immense.

The third dream I was in another room and heard my deceased son talking to my other son about a science project he had done. In the dream I couldn't really hear the words he was saying, but I knew he was talking. He wasn't trying to tell me anything. I just remember coming into the room he was in and hugging him.

The fourth dream I was in the basement of my childhood home with my 3 other children, playing pool or something, and I saw my son sitting up on top of a ledge or some sort of cabinet, around the height of my eyes. I walked over to him, he reached down, and we clasped hands, interlocking our fingers. This was the strongest feeling of love I have felt and the feeling stayed with me for a couple of weeks.

It's really hard to explain these experiences. They were definitely different than any other dreams that I've had throughout my life. The first dream or two made me sad when I woke up and realized that he indeed was not physically with me anymore. But as the dreams continued, and I had the fourth one, the sadness was less strong upon waking, and the wonderful, inexplicable, overwhelming feeling of love was much stronger so that it stayed with me for quite a while.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?     Yes   The feeling of love was so overpowering, it stayed with me for weeks afterward, but was hard to describe or put into words.

Did you ONLY sense an awareness of presence of the deceased without actually seeing, hearing, feeling or smelling them? Uncertain 

Did you hear the deceased or hear something associated with the deceased?   Uncertain          

Did the voice or sound seem to originate externally or outside of you, inside you, or did you not hear a voice or sound, but had a sense of knowing what was communicated?   There wasn't communication in the traditional sense, but a communication of love, that is really beyond description.                      

Did you feel a touch or experience any physical contact from the deceased?   Uncertain  

Describe where and how you were touched:     Since it was during a dream visit, this is hard to answer. While in the dream state, I definitely felt the hugs and the hand-holding.

Was the touch familiar or unfamiliar?   Familiar - I knew it was him.  

Was anything communicated by the touch?   Love.          He appeared in these dream visits in different ages.

How clearly did the deceased appear?   As clear as possible in a dream.   

Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which they died?   Different ages.        

Did you smell a distinct smell, scent, fragrance or odor associated with the deceased?    No                

Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?   Yes     I sensed that he was okay and that he loved me.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?   No.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience?    Experience was definitely real    Real because I have never had dreams like these before. They left me with a feeling unlike any I've ever had.

Was the experience dream like in any way?    Yes    Yes, because it was experienced during a dream.

Was there any emotional healing in any way following the experience?    Yes    The feeling of love stayed with me for some time.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?    The best - the wonderful, overwhelming feeling of love.

The worst - waking up and realizing that he isn't physically with me anymore.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?    Uncertain    I try to be kinder and more loving to others.    

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?    Uncertain   

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?    Uncertain    It made me more comfortable with death. It let me know that my son is okay, and that I will see him again. It let me know that love is the most important part of life. 

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

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?    No   

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?       Uncertain    Dreams seem to always be in an altered space or time. Like the fact that I was in the basement of my childhood home, which we moved out of when I was a teenager. And the fact that my children were with me in that basement, which they had never been in, and I was an adult.

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    Some thought it was awesome. But I don't think it influenced them in any way.            

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