EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

My father was diagnosed with AML in January 2017. After a long fought battle he suffered some complications and it was clear that he would inevitably lose his battle with leukemia. There is and never will be anybody in the universe I will love more than my father. We had such a special connection on any and every level imaginable it simply cannot be explained for words would never do it justice. No two people could ever hope to be as close as us. My father loved nature and instilled this in me from a young age. In the days just before he passed as I was gazing out the window alone in the hospital room with him mostly lifeless the most remarkable thing in my life happened. A large hawk suddenly appeared out of nowhere and began circling directly in front of my fathers window (on the 7th floor of UNMC) as if communicating with me a message. With each pass the hawk made I had a greater and greater understanding of its messages. The hawk was telling me how much it loved me, how it was going to be alright, how it was now free, how it would protect and guide me throughout life. And just as soon as I understood the full message of the hawk it made one last pass as if to say goodbye and turned its back to me and flew straight in one direction as far away as it could from that hospital room.

I am not one for religion in the slightest. I had come from a christian home, but shared not in this belief. However, this hawk changed my entire belief that science is the be all end all answer. This experience was much more akin to something of ancient/Native American's sacred belief (I am not Native American in the least). I eventually researched this symbolism and Native American text and discovered the hawk is considered 'the messenger of the God's' and 'The announcer of death'.

Since his passing I have seen more hawks than I ever have and have been left shaken from this event. Other numerous odd ins and outs happened. The day of his funeral on the way to the procession his favorite artist (Bob Seger) was singing as soon as we turned on the radio in our car ride over to the funeral home. When I went to have lunch with his old friends I walked into the bar and his favorite artist was singing again. Not that Bob Seger is uncommon music in any way, but to hear it around such meaningful gatherings was odd.

Lastly, I played cards with my girlfriend and shuffled the deck several times. After I dealt out 10 cards and even photographed them as this event shook me nearly as much as the hawk. I dealt out all 10 of the exact same cards almost in order. I looked into the odds of it happening and they are next to zero. The cards were 4,6,5,2, 7

Dad was born in 1946

Mom who passed away two weeks before dad due to breast cancer born in 1952

Their anniversary was the 7th of June

It was like their way of telling me they were together at last.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   Yes  Yes, father was dying from Acute Leukemia.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  No    

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?           2PM

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      More consciousness and alertness than normal   I could understand a message without words

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   I had just been watching the TV and drinking water

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   Didn't hear anything but the machines in my fathers room

Did you see or hear any earthly events that were occurring during a time that your consciousness / awareness was apart from your physical / earthly body?   Uncertain  

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   Love, protection, guidance, comfort  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   No  

Did you see an unearthly light?   No  

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice?   I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin
The hawk

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)?   No  

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?   Yes   The hawk was my father

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?   No  

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?   No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   Everything about myself or others
I understood my father would be alright wherever he was heading and that so would I.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   No

Did you come to a border or point of no return?   No

Did scenes from the future come to you?  No 

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly life (“life after death”)?   Yes   Yes from my father as the hawk circling beside me telling me all would be alright.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   It definitely does exist. How and in what way is beyond the understanding of our nature.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s meaning or purpose?   Yes   That life is difficult, but we must press on.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   Yes   That life is difficult, but we must press on.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   Yes   My fathers love for me was inseparable. It may have left his body and become part of 'IT' (the rest of the universe)

During your experience, did you encounter any other specific information / awareness that you have not shared in other questions that is relevant to living our earthly lives?   No  

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?   Yes   Dad as the hawk laid everything out all on the table for me to understand I could go on without him by my side. (Despite me still feeling the opposite) he made it clear to me it would go on.

What occurred during your experience included:   Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience   Not religious or affiliated with Native American/ancient symbolism in the least, but was left with a profound experience/communication

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience?   I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience  

My experience directly resulted in:   No changes in my life

Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that occurred as a result of the experience?   Yes   That ancient civilizations possibly understood the afterlife (if there is one) much better than us.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   No       

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  A few weeks after my dads passing with my sister and girlfriend. They believed me, but did not entirely know what to make of it.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?   No  

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was definitely real   On the outside looking in I feel like I must look like a nutball/wackjob! Especially considering how deeply rooted in science and reality I like to be.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real  

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   No  

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   No  

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience?   Yes   I still see hawks randomly quite often as I venture around the city.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   Just that I am sorry if I sound like a total head case, but felt like I needed to get this out and share my experience in the hopes others may be able to oddly enough have some similar connection.

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