I had a dream that I was walking along the sidewalk of my University town (I was attending the University at the time -- living about three hours from home).  I was passing a park on my left and approaching some houses which are older style small homes, brick, with small wooden verandas. Most are rented by students.  It was a very dark night with no stars in the sky, just the odd street light. I remember noticing there was no sound and my feet did not seem to be walking / moving.  My body moved effortlessly and with purpose although I moved fairly slowly like when someone uses a video camera and slowly pans over a scene.  I'm not sure where I was trying to go. I did not specifically see my body third person, which I normally do in dreams.  I always have sound in dreams.  This was definitely unusual not to have sound, a third person perspective, or a sense of my physical body.  The tree leaves were moving softly but there wasn't even a sound of wind. 

Anyway as I walked along one of the homes started to illuminate very brightly out of the front window -- a glowing soft yet very bright light which did not seem out of place or unusual, and I did not need to squint.  The front of the home turned into something like a drive-in movie screen which was as large as the front of the home, but I think I could see the edges of the home around the four corners of this screen.  There was a large black silhouette of a man's face in the screen, presumably he was in the home, being visible against the light.  The silhouette was of a man's face and a bit of his torso. It was turned sideways so I could see the profile of his facial shape.  He was the size of the front of the house, with me about 50 yards away on the street.  The face was old fashioned somehow and reminded me of Abraham Lincoln.  

The face remained in the home / screen, turned sideways with a profile and I think a bit of pointy beard like Lincoln.  Then he began to speak to me. It was deep and assertive but seemed to only be in my ears like telepathy.  The voice was familiar but I have never heard it before or again.  Somehow I knew the sound of his voice would not be heard by anyone else if they were to walk by etc., although I was entirely alone on that street. The sound just went into my mind.   

He asked if I knew who he was, and then said that he was Henry Longfellow the (dead) poet.  It seemed odd yet right. I was studying for an English degree and I read a lot of poetry, but I didn't know any of Longfellow's poetry or even a time frame for when he had lived.  He commenced to tell me about his experiences since death. 

He told me that the main thing no one realizes is that there is no such thing as time.  He told me to imagine a giant white trampoline.  I imagined it so easily that it was like a giant white trampoline was right in front of me, encompassing my whole field of vision, but somehow I could see him too as if my field of vision was warped or enlarged in perspective.  He told me that time is not linear or sequential as we think.  He said it does not go in a straight line.  He said that time can move back and forth and side to side, like a pebble bouncing on the large trampoline.  It can go any direction or any speed.  He said that everything and all of time exists at once simultaneously. The middle ages or olden days can happen at the same time as "now".  This didn't make sense to me and I still have trouble with the idea.  But somehow I knew he was telling the truth. 

He told me that he could see my whole life because my future life was happening  "then" -- just as much as it was going to happen in the traditional sense of the future.  My life was all in one moment for him to know, front and backward. 

He told me I would raise three boys but not be their mother, and that I would have two children of my own although one would have heart trouble and die.  He said I should be careful of my own heart health. 

He told me to tell the world about time because it could save some of our souls, although I am not sure how??? 

I do not remember how the dream ended. 

When I first had it of course it was very significant, but I had no idea about ADCs and no reason to believe it was "real" or that it actually meant anything meaningful.  I thought I may have been studying difficult (old!) poetry too much at school and that it made my mind get all confused.  I told a few people but largely forgot about it.  

Now that I am reading all these ADC, NDE etc sites I am always thinking of that trampoline.  People write in with near death experiences and say how time seems to stop and they can review or fast forward time / events at will. This rang a bell and reminded me of Longfellow's words. 

Strangely enough I still have not read any of his poetry and I have no idea what he even wrote about.  It's like he is the one poet I never studied in high school or university, despite countless English courses. 

I keep meaning to look him up but somehow I know that his writing would not be as enlightened as he was following death.  His pre-death thoughts and words do not interest me.   

I graduated and got married. I had a healthy baby boy and then miscarried my second pregnancy at around 4 months gestation.  I always wonder if that was the baby with the heart defect.  Then I got pregnant and had another healthy child.  This is what Longfellow told me. 

I divorced my husband and I am now in a long term common-law relationship with a man who has three sons.  I swear I never even made that connection until today, when I thought of his words "you will raise three boys who are not your own".  I have thought of the dream a lot in the past, but never really focused on that part and didn't make the connection that it came true.  My stepsons are a lot older than my own children (they are currently 22, 20, 16 and mine are 12 and 9), but all three boys have lived with us and I did "raise" them for the past five years. 

I have no heart trouble that I know of, but I am always cognizant of his warning.

Was this experience difficult to express in words?

Yes

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

Yes

          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?        

Inside me

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

No

Did you see the deceased?       

Yes

            How clearly did the deceased appear?            A very dark black silhouette from the naval area upward, turned sideways to show the left of his profile.  It was the size of the front of a home and illuminated with white.  It was pitch dark outside.

            How much of the deceased did you see?       chest up

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

He was calm and talking in a grandfatherly kind of way, yet assertive as if I must remember his words.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know? 

Yes, that time is not linear and all exists at once.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience?        

Experience was probably real

          Please explain why you view the reality of your experience as real or not real:  

I think it  may be a real communication since it was so unlike any other dream and it seems similar to what NDE experiencers say about time.

          Was the experience dream like in any way? 

Yes

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:        

I just listened calmly.

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

Uncertain

What was the best and worst part of your experience?   

Waking up so confused and feeling like I had definitely been out on that street.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         

Uncertain    

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.?         Yes    That we can continue to communicate.

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

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?          No

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?  Yes

Even as he spoke, I somehow knew no time had elapsed.

Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?     Uncertain

Did you become aware of future events?      Uncertain

I have always had a little psychic ability, but it hasn't changed much. He told me specifically that I would have five children etc., and this came true even though I did not "will" it to happen just to fit the dream.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?           Yes

I have submitted some ADC type experiences regarding my father.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?          Yes

I am starting to think maybe this was also a OBE and not necessarily a dream.

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

Did you see a light?         Yes

It was bright and white but somehow very comforting and soft on my eyes, the size of a drive in movie screen and rectangular or square.

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 thought it was cool but didn't specifically say if they thought it was "real".

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

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