My mother passed away on March 31, 2014 a week after having bypass surgery.  She had been chronically ill for several years.  The illness had complicated the recovery and contributed to her death. On May 20, 2014 my oldest daughter had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital two hours away for suicidal ideation.  After caring for my mother, handling details of her funeral and associated business afterwards, I was exhausted.  I was also going back to work, trying to deal with my grief, and having my child have an emotional breakdown. 

On May 21, 2014 around 5 or 6 in the evening I laid down on my bed to rest and fell asleep.  My husband and youngest child, age 5 at the time, were also in the home, in the living area, two rooms away from my bedroom.  From the time I went to sleep until the time I became fully awake was no more than an hour to hour and a half. 

During the experience, I heard my Mother in the living room talking to my youngest child. It was as if I was just awake enough to hear her speaking but, still somewhat asleep. I couldn't see her but, I just knew she was sitting in the recliner in the living room with my child.  It was a "gut feeling" as best as I can describe, that she was physically there and where she was sitting even though I couldn't see her.  I heard her tell my child that she was ready to go to bed.  I then heard my child ask my mother why she was going to bed?  My Mother replied to her, "I'm tired baby and ready to go to bed." 

It was then that I thought to myself that I needed to go prepare my oldest child's bed for her to sleep in, get an extra blanket since my Mother got cold easily and arrange the room and plug in the night light so if my Mother got up in the night, she wouldn't trip over anything and would be able to see. I got up from my bed, walked into the living room and seeing the recliner empty, thinking my Mother may have already went into my oldest child's room.  My spouse was sitting on the couch and I asked him, "Where's Mom?".  As soon as I said that, it was like full consciousness hit me (almost like "snapping out of it") I became fully awake and realized that she wasn't there. During the "dream" I felt peaceful and even until fully awakening retained that peaceful feeling.  When I became fully awake and remembered she was no longer alive, an overwhelming sadness came over me.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?     Uncertain   Although I did not see my Mother physically, I just "knew" she was there, where she was and what she was doing.

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:     I heard my Mother tell my youngest child she was tired and ready to go to bed.  It was clear and concise as if she were truly in my home two rooms away.  

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?   My Mother's voice was external, coming from another room in the house. 

If you heard a voice or sound, was it similar or dissimilar from the voice or sound the deceased made when they were alive?     It sounded exactly like my Mother's voice.     

Is there any possibility what you heard was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?   The only television on in the house was in the living room. There were no other televisions or radio's on in the home.  

Was there any possible impairment to your hearing at the time of the experience?   None.

Did you feel a touch or experience any physical contact from the deceased?   No                   

Did you see the deceased?   No                      

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 could sense she was tired.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?   None.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience?    Experience was definitely real    I have never had a "dream" or experience that vivid before. During the experience and immediately after, it was as if I just knew she was there in my home and alive.  No part of her being deceased entered the experience until I became fully awake.

Was the experience dream like in any way?    No   

Was there any emotional healing in any way following the experience?    No   

What was the best and worst part of your experience?    The best part was for just a brief moment, it was as if I had forgotten she had died.  The worst was when becoming fully awake, realizing that in fact it had been a very lucid "dream" and she is no longer here.

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.?    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?    Yes    When awakening from the ADE, I went into the living room and asked my spouse where my mother was.

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?     Yes    I have seen my Mother standing behind my in my bedroom, while drying my hair in a mirror. I also witnessed a ball kicked out of my youngest child's closet when she had been heavily on my mind that day.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?    Uncertain    Not sure.  It was like I knew I was asleep but, aware enough to hear things going on around me like my Mother and youngest child.  Even though I couldn't see her I knew where she was located in the house.

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    I told my sister and her reaction was neutral.  No influence.

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