I had a dream in which I saw my deceased aunt.  I knew her when I was small , but I think because I was young she knew me better than I knew her. It felt nothing like an ordinary dream, as it was much more vivid.  It really felt like she came to visit, as if it this were very normal. We began to talk about many things that I do not now remember. It was an enjoyable conversation, and I was happy to see her, but then she became very serious.  She told me she had received permission to see me, but that we would probably not see each other again until I die.  She told me that she had come to warn me to be very, very careful on the following day.  She warned me that I would be in danger, and I would need to be very "in tune" and aware of my surroundings. She didn't explain what would happen, only that I would need to pay attention and be very careful. Then she left. 

The next morning I told my mom that aunt Kathaleen had visited me.  I told her about the warning, but I was confused because I didn't know what it meant.  My mom, who is very open-minded, replied that if Kathleen said I should be careful, then I should take her warning seriously.  My conversation with my mother happened in the morning.  Later that evening, I was driving in a dark, deserted, industrial part of town with a step-cousin in the passenger seat.  She had asked me to give her a ride to a friend's house, but we were lost.  This teenage girl was very emotional, crying, and talking about suicide. I was distracted because of what she was saying and because we were so lost. I had stopped at what I thought was an intersection, but it was hard to tell because it was not well-lit.  She was becoming more and more upset, and then she yelled very loudly, "I want to die right now!".  In the same moment as she said that, I heard a loud sound, a train horn.  I looked out the driver's side window to see the lights of a train coming toward us very quickly.  I realized then that we were on railroad tracks.  I quickly reversed the car off the tracks, narrowly avoiding the train, and we watched as the train sped past. In that moment I realized this must have been what my aunt was trying to warn me about.

Was this experience difficult to express in words?          Yes

We seemed to communicate without words, so putting the conversation into words feels incomplete.

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:    She told me she had received special permission to come see me, and that this would not happen again.  She said we would see each other again when I die, but not before.  She seemed very concerned as she told me that the following day I would need to be very, very careful.  She warned me that I would be in danger, and I would need to be very "in tune" and aware of my surroundings. She didn't explain in any detail what would happen, only that I would need to pay careful attention.  Then she said goodbye and left.

            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?  I had a sense of knowing what was communicated.  I do not remember a specific voice at all, but we were definitely communicating.

            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?            No

Did you see the deceased?         Yes

She seemed younger than I remember, and healthy.

            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?       She seemed younger that she was at the time of her death.

            How healthy did the deceased appear to be?            She was healthy, fine.

            Is there any possibility what you saw was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?           It was a visit within a dream.  I don't know.

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

How long did the experience last?        I don't know.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         I don't know.  First she just showed up, we talked, and then she left.

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

She was concerned for my well-being.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  Yes, a warning.

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:           It didn't feel like an ordinary dream.  It felt like a visit, as if someone were to just drop in unexpectedly.  She gave me a warning about the next day, and on the day after her warning, I did in fact find myself in extreme danger. That helped verify the reality of the experience for me.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Yes

Yes, it was a dream, or a visit within a dream?

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           I was excited to see her, and then confused by her warning, which seemed vague.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      It was reassuring to see my aunt was O.K.  There had been a lot of distress for the family because her death was unexpected.  She had gone in for surgery on a broken leg, and was definitely not expected to die.  The worst part was being a little confused about the meaning of her warning.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Uncertain                  Describe:            I try to me more spiritually aware. 

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     I take my physical safety more seriously.  There are things I need to complete in this life before it is my time to die.

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?            Yes     I believe God cares about us and the details of our lives.  He protects us from danger, but we need to pay attention on both a conscious and a spiritual level.

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?          Uncertain I was warned of danger, and then was in danger.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Confusion about the meaning of the warning.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           No

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

It seemed like we talked for a long time, but time seemed to shift somehow.

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

It seems like we talked about a lot of interesting things pertaining to the spirit world, but most of that memory seems to have been taken away.  The only strong memory that stayed with me was the memory of being warned of extreme danger.

Did you become aware of future events?       Uncertain

She gave me a warning about the next day, and on the day after her warning, I did in fact find myself in extreme danger.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?         Uncertain

I had an experience a few years after that, where I sensed specific guidance.  I was hiking, and I heard a large boulder falling down the mountain above me.  I was about to look up to see the falling rock, and I heard a voice in my mind specifically telling me to not turn to look up in the direction, but to step aside and look up over the other shoulder.  As I did that, the rock (about 1 and 1/2 feet in diameter) bounced in the exact location where I had just been standing.  It grazed my arm, but I was fine. I felt in that moment that I had again been warned in a spiritual or "psychic" way.  I have also had several other experiences where I have felt there were unseen beings surrounding me, protecting me.

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     Some were skeptical.  Most people in my church seemed open to believing me.  My mom believed me absolutely.

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?           Uncertain 

I have never experienced anything as dramatic as a near-death experience, just more subtle spiritual promptings, such as the sense that spirits (or angels?) are always around us, protecting and guiding us if we will pay attention.

Did the questions asked and information you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?               Yes