Two weeks after my husband died, I was waiting in my car for my sister.  It was about 8 PM.  I was crying because I was going back to work the next day and not sure if I was ready emotionally.  I looked up and there was a really bright rainbow in the sky ahead of me, and I felt like he was telling me I was going to be okay.

The 2nd time, I was home baking for a weekend away with some friends, about 2 1/2 months after he died, and as I turned around from the oven, I thought I saw someone standing in the kitchen doorway, and it looked a lot like him, but he was gone almost instantly.

The third time, again about 2 1/2 months after he died, I was at my grandson's football game with my son and his family, and a butterfly flitted around us and then went out on to the field where DJ was and flitted around him for several seconds and then flew away.  At the same time, my son said, "There's Dad." and I said, "There's Bob."

The fourth time, on a workday, I shut my alarm clock off and fell back to sleep.  About 10 minutes later, I was woken up by someone yelling my name from what seemed like downstairs.  The doors were all locked and no one was down there. 

The most recent was during this past night.  I was asleep and I had a feeling that someone had their arms around me and was "spooning".  In my dream, it was Bob and he was not sick and he was whole again.  He said he missed me but he couldn't stay.  It felt so real, almost like I wasn't really sleeping.

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?          Yes

            Describe what you heard, how clearly you heard it and what was communicated:    The first time I heard him was when he hollered my name to wake me up.

The second time, last night, he said he missed me, that he wished he could stay but he couldn't, but he would be around.

            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?  The first time, when someone yelled my name to wake me up, it sounded like it came from downstairs, which is where he slept and where he passed away.  Last night, I'm not sure.  It wasn't really externally, but it was like he was talking to me in a dream, but it felt so real that it almost wasn't a dream.  I was aware that I was in my room, in my bed.

            If you heard a voice or sound, was it similar or dissimilar from the voice or sound the deceased made when they were alive?           No, it was the same.

            Is there any possibility what you heard was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?           Nope, no one else was here.

            Was there any possible impairment to your hearing at the time of the experience?   No.

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

He had his arms around me, and was spooning.

            Was the touch familiar or unfamiliar?   Very familiar.  Bob loved to snuggle.

            Was anything communicated by the touch?  Just how much he loves and misses me.

            Is there any possibility what you felt was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?  No, no one else was here.

Did you see the deceased?         Yes

He looked like he did before he got sick.

            How clearly did the deceased appear?            Solid.

            How much of the deceased did you see?       All.

            Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which they died?       No, he did not appear to be the age at which he died.  When he died, he looked much older than 57.  He looked like he did before he got sick.

            How healthy did the deceased appear to be?            He looked really good.  When he died, his arm had been amputated three years prior, his face, arms, legs, and back were covered in large infected lesions.  In fact, the woman at the funeral home thought we would be having a closed casket, he was that bad, but we didn't.  She prepared him and said that his eyeball was gone from his right eye and his nose fell off when she began to prepare him.

            Is there any possibility what you saw was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?           Nope, nothing else was there.

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

How long did the experience last?        Not sure, it was brief all times, except the rainbow, that lasted a little longer.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         I don't think they were either one, they just happened.

Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?           Yes

1st time with rainbow, I felt like he was telling me everything was going to be all right.

2nd time that he wanted me to have a good time (this was a yearly get away with the girls

3rd time, that he was happy to see us and to see me there

4th time, urgent, that I had to get up or I would be late for work

5th time, sad but more for me than for him

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  He didn't really give me any information, per se.

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:           Because it felt real to me, I truly do not feel that I imagined any of it.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Uncertain

The two experiences where I was sleeping, I know I was in bed, and I know I was sleeping, but it was almost as if the voice and presence were outside of the dream, if that makes sense.       

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           During the first four, I was happy and relieved.  During the one last night, I was so glad to see him but so sad that he couldn't stay.

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

Sort of, I was so worried about him, but I'm not now.  I know he's okay and in a better place.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      There was no worst part.  The best part was knowing he is okay.

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      

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?   Yes

Bob was sick for almost 10 years, so we knew he was probably going to pass before me.  He used to straighten the canisters on the kitchen counter EVERYTIME the red flower was not facing forward.  So we always said that after he died, I would know Bob had been here if the canisters were all facing with the red flower forward.

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?            For the first four, mostly happy.  Last night's, sadness, longing, loneliness.  I am crying right now.  It was a very intense experience.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes

My sister saw the rainbow, my son and his family saw the butterfly.

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?     Uncertain

Two times I was sleeping, so not sure.

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     Not sure.

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?       Prior to my husband's death, he would see people that have passed.  I experienced this with him, I didn't see them, but I was with him when he did.  Before that, I had no opinion about what happens to us after we die.  Now, even though I do go to his final resting place from time to time, I feel his presence more at home.

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