As I said earlier, I was sleeping alone this night because the rest of the family was away for the weekend.  When alone, I sleep more lightly and hear the creaks of the house.  I try to calm myself to get back to sleep, and as I laid on my side, with my eyes closed, I felt a presence next to my back and on my shoulder, as if someone had laid down next to me and put their arm over me.  I immediately recognized this as my mother, as she had appeared to me in this way shortly after she died 9 years ago.  At that time I was experiencing a tremendous amount of grief, and that experience lasted for what seemed a long period of time.  This time, the experience lasted only a short time.  I have recently been going through a difficult time, with my youngest sister enduring a difficult illness and a lot of stress within the family landing on me, causing me to question myself and my decisions.  I also turned 50 two months ago, and with all of these events, have been missing my mother greatly.  After feeling her presence, and saying "Mom" I felt such peace knowing she was still looking after me.  As I said, she was only with me a short time, but she did say "you are doing fine" which was a comfort.  Then, she was gone again.

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?          Yes

            Describe what you heard, how clearly you heard it and what was communicated:    After I realized she was present, I said "Mom" and she said to me that I was doing fine.

            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?  Hard question - it felt as though it was going on in my head.

            If you heard a voice or sound, was it similar or dissimilar from the voice or sound the deceased made when they were alive?           Her voice seemed similar.

            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

I am certain I was touched on both times I had the experience.  Both times I was asleep on my bed, and felt as though someone had laid down next to me and put their arm over me.  After I sensed that feeling, I realized it was my mother.

            Was the touch familiar or unfamiliar?   Perhaps this was familiar to me from childhood but not from adulthood, although when the contact occurred this same way on the second occasion, it was familiar.

            Was anything communicated by the touch?  Comfort was what was communicated.

            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?         No

This time I did not see my mother; the first experience I did.

            How clearly did the deceased appear?            the first time she appeared somewhat transparent but clearly her.

            How much of the deceased did you see?       All of her.

            Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which they died?       she appeared to be the same age as when she died.

            How healthy did the deceased appear to be?            Although she died of cancer, she looked very good at death and in her appearance.

            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?        The first time, it seemed long because we had a long conversation and at the end she said she had to go, which saddened me.  I never expected this second experience because of what she said the first time.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         This time, the short experience, was sudden both to start and at the end.

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

She seemed concerned about me and my emotional well being.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  No.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience?           Experience was probably real

            Please explain why you view the reality of your experience as real or not real:           I have advanced degrees of education and work in the law - reason and logic are my guideposts.  There is no other explanation for what I have experienced, and reading the experiences of others gives me comfort that I am not alone (or crazy!).

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Yes

Yes, at first, because of being asleep but not once I was aware of her presence.         

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           Excited, relieved, comforted.

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

I have a better attitude on the decisions facing me that affect my family and my life.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      Best part was knowing that she reached out to me, to comfort me, to let me know she is still present in my life.  The worst part, of course, is the end of the contact.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         No                

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     I am going to try to be less hard on myself and know that I do make good decisions for the family.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Sadness for the ending of the contact.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           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 become aware of future events?       No

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?         No

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?         No      

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?           No 

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