My mother, who was my best friend, passed away in August 2005. Her death was very difficult for me, and I missed her very much (and still do.) I went into situational depression for several months afterwards, and was given medication by my doctor, but couldn't take the meds due to adverse effects. 

One evening, just three months after Mom had passed away, I had gone to bed, and I lay there crying like my heart would break because I missed my mom so much. I soon fell into an exhausted sleep. Suddenly I was having a very vivid dream. (I rarely ever dream!) I was in our church in Florida that we had attended for over 15 years. Some friends of ours were sitting behind me and asked me how my mom was doing. I turned to them and said, "Oh, didn't you know? Mom died a few months ago."  

As I was talking to them, I looked down the church aisle and saw my mother walking toward me. She looked so young and so beautiful and was dressed in a very lovely, colorful suit. She walked down the aisle and came and sat down in the pew next to me. She looked at me lovingly and said, "Honey, I saw you crying tonight. Please don't cry anymore. I'm right here with you, and I'll see you again soon."  

I woke up from this experience, and from that day on, I was no longer depressed. I still miss my mom, and I do still cry sometimes because she isn't here where I can call and talk to her or see her, but I remember that she said she was still with me and that I would see her again one day, and just knowing that brings such comfort to me. I truly believe that my mom came to me in my dreams and brought me a message of comfort when I needed it the most.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No      

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No      

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    During my dream.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness?    Normal consciousness and alertness

            During my dream.

Did your vision differ in any way from your normal, everyday vision (in any aspect, such as clarity, field of vision, colors, brightness, depth perception degree of solidness/transparency of objects, etc.)?  Uncertain      The colors of the clothes my mom was wearing seemed more vivid and she seemed more alive than I've ever seen anyone be.

Did your hearing differ in any way from your normal, everyday hearing (in any aspect, such as clarity, ability to recognize source of sound, pitch, loudness, etc.)?
            No      

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Happiness to see my mom, peace at the message she brought me.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?          No      

Did you see a light?           No      

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes     My mom. See above for details of what she told me.

Did you experience a review of past events in your life?    No      

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          No      

Did you see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or dimensions?           No           

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 reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? No      

Did you become aware of future events?       No           

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience?     Yes     I had several paranormal events involving my mom after her death, including an incidence where I was standing in my kitchen and felt her arms around me hugging me. I also had an experience which I shared here a few weeks ago in which I and my mom met and talked in a dark tunnel on the edge of a bright light while she was in a coma and I was under anesthesia.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I shared it with my brother a few weeks later. He thought it was definitely Mom visiting me in my sleep.  

A few years later, he had a similar encounter with Mom after he and I had an argument and didn't speak to each other for two years. In his "dream", Mom was in his truck with him, and she asked him what was going on between him and his sister (me). When he tried to explain why he was upset with me (which was over something really stupid), she just shook her head sadly and told him that we weren't kids anymore, and that he needed to forgive me. She then got out of the truck and walked off, sadly shaking her head. He told me that that experience was so vivid and so real that when he awoke, he jumped out of bed, and ran through the house trying to find Mom. Like me, he rarely ever dreams, and usually can't remember what he was dreaming about when he does dream, so it was really significant to him.