Jan P's ADC

Experience description:  

When my father was dying of cancer I took him for his final visit to church to light a candle, (a ritual he did weekly). As we reached the front door of the church we noticed a dead monarch butterfly on the ground and had to step over it to go inside the church, which we did without mentioning it, but I knew we had both been uncomfortable in doing so. When my Dad's last hour came I was 2000 miles away so said my goodbyes to him by phone, then went to the church to light a candle for him ,(not a ritual for me), and then to the catholic cemetery nearby to be alone so I could cry. As I was sitting there in my car with the radio on the station played my father's favorite song, "Time to say goodbye", by Andrea Bocelli and I watched as a beautiful monarch butterfly flew in front of my car, and landed on a heart-shaped flower arrangement with the word DAD in the middle, and then back over to my car, landing on the windshield. For the next several weeks I would see butterflies on a daily basis, one of them landing on my shoe while sitting outside on my break at work. I would like to think that it was my Dad, letting me know that he is as free as the butterflies, and never too far from me.

Was this experience difficult to express in words?  Yes

It was hard to explain without worrying what others would think

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?          Yes

            Describe what you heard, how clearly you heard it and what was communicated:   his favorite song was on the radio

Did you see the deceased?         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:          Cannot accept it as a coincidence

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           felt sad at not being able to be with my Dad, and sad that he had suffered

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

can't really describe, I guess it helped me to believe more in life after death

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      there was no worst part

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

            Describe:      have stronger faith, take less for granted, value people more

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

more faith

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?            Yes

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes

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

Have you shared this experience with others?   Yes, ranged from gratitude to you're wacky

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