My mother passed away after a short illness, but i was not prepared for her death at all.  I was in a fog for quite a whole, sometimes in disbelief.  Not long after she died, I noticed a coworker throwing out a dead cactus plant one morning, and for some reason, I told her that I would like to keep the planter since it was a pretty blue color.  The plant was clearly dead, so I removed it and placed the pot of soil on my desk.  I had to travel on business for a week so left it as it was, sitting on my desk.  When I returned from my trip, I noticed that a stalk with a few leaves was coming out of the soil.  I almost plucked it out, thinking it was a weed, but left it.  The following morning, the stalk had grown about a foot  and was covered in beautiful, pink flowers.  I was shocked beyond words.  I showed it to my coworker, and she said that it had absolutely no resemblance to the cactus plant that had inhabited the pot.  Every morning, when I would arrive in the office, it grew in height and width, and became an enormous bush, covered in the most unique pink flowers.  Nobody knew what type of flower it was, and all who witnessed this event were as astonished as I.  I took a photo and emailed it to my sister, who had lived with my mother her entire life.  She immediately called to tell me that this bush grew in their backyard, and was my mother's prized plant.  I eventually had to repot it as it was now 3 ft high, and about 2 ft wide, and in constant bloom.  I brought a clipping to my sister, and she too now has the same plant in her home.  I cannot explain how a pot of dry, unattended soil created this beautiful plant, but I can say without any doubt in my mind, that my mother had everything to do with it.

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?            Yes

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

            Is there any possibility what you felt was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?  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?           Flowers

            Was the smell, scent, fragrance or odor familiar?     Yes. Again, flowers

            Was anything communicated by the smell?   No

            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?        No

How long did the experience last?        The plant still lives, 7 years after her death.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         Sudden.  A sprouted seed out of a dry pot of soil.

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

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

            Please explain why you view the reality of your experience as real or not real:           The evidence is evident to all who see it.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           Awestruck.

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

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     I do believe our souls go on, and that our loved ones are still with us in spirit.

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?          Yes I have photographs of the plant's progression.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Continually awestruck.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes

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     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