I am changing the names of the parents in this situation out of respect for their privacy.

I knew Bob and Sue, and I knew their son, but this man was wearing coveralls like mechanics wear, with his name on the left shoulder, and I could see R _ _ DY. This did not match the name of the son I was familiar with. Then I remembered that Bob and Sue had a son name Randy who had been killed in a motorcycle accident 20 years ago. I had never met him. In this "dream" the room was dark and I couldn't see the man's face very well, but I did notice his hair, and it was very dark and thick and grew in an odd pattern, much like that of his nephew, whom I knew.

The next day I talked with someone from the church who knew Bob and Sue and their family. I asked if there was going to be a dinner at the church the following Sunday, and he said there was, and that it was for the graduating seniors. I was disappointed that it was not for Bob and Sue's anniversary, but then I realized that Randy's nephew was one of the graduating seniors. Then I asked the friend if he knew when Bob and Sue's anniversary was, and he said, "No, but I know it's soon because they were just at the church board meeting, asking permission to use the fellowship hall for the party. It's their 50th anniversary." At that point I told him about the dream, and when I mentioned the mechanic's coveralls he told me that Randy had worked as a mechanic and also would have worn work boots like I saw in my dream.

Was this experience difficult to express in words?  No

Did you ONLY sense an awareness of presence of the deceased without actually seeing, hearing, feeling or smelling them?            No

Did you hear the deceased or hear something associated with the deceased?          Uncertain

            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 knew what he was saying without hearing an actual 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?            Yes

He sat on my leg and I had to nudge him off of it because it hurt.

            Was the touch familiar or unfamiliar?   Familiar.

            Was anything communicated by the touch?  No.

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

Did you see the deceased?         Yes

He was a young man with thick, dark hair, neatly cut. He was of average build.

            How clearly did the deceased appear?            Not sure.

            How much of the deceased did you see?       All.

            Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which they died?       Appeared his age at death, by my guess.

            How healthy did the deceased appear 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?        Seemed like about five minutes.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         He appeared suddenly, and after conveying his message he was gone.

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

Very calm and matter-of-fact.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  Yes. I did not know there was to be a dinner at the church. I did not know that his parents were having an anniversary. I did not know that he had been a mechanic.

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:          I had no reason to be thinking of Randy at the time this happened. I had no way of knowing the information he gave me in the dream.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Uncertain

I didn't feel completely awake, but the scene did not look like a dream. It was dark, and the setting was limited only to my bed.

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           I was wondering why he was telling me about activities at the church when I didn't even attend that church anymore. I thought he was trying to get me to come back to church, and I didn't want to. This was before I realized who he was.

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

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      The best thing was being able to confirm the information I received in the dream. The worst part was that I felt he had said more that I couldn't remember. I wished I had been more alert at the time.

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.?            Yes

The souls of our loved ones do not leave us after death. They continue to watch over us and take note of the major events of our lives.

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?          Yes

The facts were verified by a friend of the deceased, and later by the mother, although I did not get to talk to her myself.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Confusion. Wondering if it really could have been Randy, or if it was "just a dream." And if it was real, why did he choose me to visit?

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           No

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

Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?    No

Did you become aware of future events?       Yes

The dinner and the anniversary that he told me about did take place in a few days' time.

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 had other unusual experiences before and have had some after. The one described is the most amazing of all of them because of all the facts that were given which I could not have known on my own.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     Uncertain

I now know from experience that this is what was happening, but at the time I did not realize that. I felt like I was still lying in my bed.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes

Most are amazed by it, as I was. I don't know if it has changed their beliefs in any way.

Have you shared this experience formally or informally with any other researcher or web site?   Yes

Informally in chat rooms, message boards, etc.

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?           Yes, I have had out-of-body experiences and also had one encounter with Jesus.

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