When I was 14 years old, I began using snuff.  This was a constant source of concern for my Grandparents, especially my Grandmother.  She would constantly draw my attention to horror stories of people who had died from cancer as a result of using snuff, and she admonished me daily to try and quit.  At the time, I didn't really take her concerns seriously.  I promised to quit, but never really did.  These warnings from my Grandmother continued until she died.  My Grandfather died first, when I was 25, then my Grandmother three years later, when I was 28.  I have never been the type of person to show outward emotion, and have considered myself fairly practical that I believed that there was now nothing I could do to comfort them, and that the best way to honor them was to try and lead a successful life.  Still, I missed them very much and still do.

One night about 18 months after my Grandmother's death, I had a very vivid dream.  It was definitely a dream, but I believe my Grandmother was IN the dream, not in it in the sense of a "character" in the dream, but in it in the sense that her spirit was in fact communicating with me.  In the dream, I was watching a ball game.  I was in the living room of a house I had never been in before, although I somehow knew the house to be mine.  I have come to believe that it must represent a home I will buy in the future.  Anyway, it was raining outside and my wife was outside, and for some reason she refused to come in the house even though I opened the door and called to her to come in.

When my wife refused to come in, I went back to watching the game.  I was watching with someone I knew to be a friend, possibly from the future, although I do not know who the person is.  In the middle of the game my Grandmother appeared in the living room.  I was happy to see her, and did not seem disturbed by the fact that I knew she was dead.  My friend wanted to meet her, and walked over to the kitchen door.  The door opened, and an arm reached out from the kitchen and pulled my friend into the kitchen and closed the kitchen door.  It seemed that the arm belonged to my Grandfather (also named Earl).  I didn't feel there was any menace in the act of pulling my friend into the kitchen, but rather got the impression that my Grandmother wished to speak to me privately about something very important, and wanted no one else in the room.

I do not know for certain if the arm was that of my Grandfather, it was only an impression.  But the person in the living room with me was most definitely my Grandmother.

She said to me, "Earl Henry (using my middle name as she always did) it's time for you to go."  I definitely knew in the dream that she was telling me it was time to die, time to go with her.  I protested for the strangest reason--I wanted to finish watching the ball game.  I was not afraid to die, and knew in the dream that it couldn't be bad if she had been sent to get me, but I wanted to see the game finish.  She said to me, "You could have watched the game, and done many more things if you listened to me.  But you didn't.  When I was alive I told you to stop using snuff, and even after I died I kept warning you to stop, but you just kept right on doing it, even though I begged you to quit.  Now it's time to go." I don't remember her after-death warnings that she mentioned, but I don't usually remember my dreams, so she may have appeared to me before.

She put her hand out to lead me, but I still complained that there was nothing wrong with me and I felt fine.  "Your thinking of the past, when you were healthy, but now the snuff has done what I said it would.  This is the present, and it's time for you to go," she said.

I asked what she meant about the present, and she took me to a calendar hanging on the wall.  She pointed to the date.  The date on the calendar read "February 10, 2010." I then realized I had become sick sometime between the present and this future date, and this was my (possible) date of death.  I stopped protesting, and took my Grandmother's hand to go with her.  In the dream I seemed to be in perfect peace, happy to go with her.  But I woke up in a cold sweat with my heart racing. 

I believe that my Grandmother spoke to me in this dream to warn me one last time to give up my habit, or I would soon die from it.  I have been trying ever since that dream.  Interestingly, at the time of the dream I had not been concerned about possible harmful effects of the habit, nor had I been trying to quit, nor was anyone giving me dire warnings about harmful effects, the way my Grandmother had.  The dream just came "out of the blue."

Was this experience difficult to express in words?         

No

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? 

In the dream I heard my Grandmother's voice clearly, externally.

            If you heard a voice or sound, was it similar or dissimilar from the voice or sound the deceased made when they were alive?          

exactly the same as my Grandmother's living voice

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

No

            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?           

Uncertain

I definitely took my Grandmother's hand, but don't remember if I actually felt the touch or merely perceived it in the dream

            Was the touch familiar or unfamiliar?  

Can't remember

            Was anything communicated by the touch? 

No, the communication was essentially verbal

Did you see the deceased?        

Yes

My Grandmother appeared old, but the way she looked when she was still healthy and vibrant despite her age:  not the way she looked in her last few years of sickness.

            How clearly did the deceased appear?            Substantial enough to touch, though faintly transparent

            How much of the deceased did you see?       Her entire form

            Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which they died?       Appeared to be old, but much younger than when she died

            How healthy did the deceased appear to be?            Appeared to be healthy

            Is there any possibility what you saw was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?           No

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

No

How long did the experience last?       

In dream time, about thirty minutes, although I guess in actual time it was probably seconds

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?        

The dream ended suddenly with my waking

Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?          

No

She seemed faintly disappointed in me, but mingled that she was happy to see me---like I had done something childishly bad, but not too bad

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

Well, that depends on if her prediction comes true

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:         

As a dream, it most definitely happened.  I am not at all sure if it was an actual visitation from my Grandmother, something from my own subconscious about her, or just a regular dream

            Was the experience dream like in any way?  

Yes, It was a dream

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:          

Initially confused, then mildly frustrated, then accepting

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

No

What was the best and worst part of your experience?     

Best:  seeing  my Grandmother

Worst:  the warning part

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

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

My attitude about trying to break my habit

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?            Uncertain, because I already believed in God and afterlife

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?            Immediately, somewhat fearful, but this passed

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           No

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

I seemed to be living nine years into the future, although I didn't realize it until my Grandmother pointed to the calendar

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

Possibly, concerning the date of my death

Did you become aware of future events?       Yes, see above

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?            Yes

My wife, a new friend whom I haven't met yet, and possibly my Grandfather

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes, Most believed it and felt it was a warning

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?       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