I was taking a nap in the living room of their house 2 days after her passing and I woke up to tomato sauce cooking. I quickly asked my father if he was cooking and he said no. I actually had to get up, go in the kitchen and even outside to see where the smell was coming from. It was her sauce. No doubt.  The 2nd exp was on the 3rd day aft her passing. My brother had set up a memorial on a coffee table which had 4  candles. He was to light them all and leave them for 30 days lit. I woke up and one was lit and no one had lighted it.

When I got back to NJ I still harbored a lot of guilt about not getting there  b4 she died. One Saturday ( a week aft her death) I cried very hard, all day. I cried so hard it was like a machine was making the nose inside me. I kept calling her name, asking questions some out loud some in my head and rapid fire answers were seeming to come to me from her. I could see her 20 yrs earlier and she continued to answer my questions with very calming comebacks and interjected was her voice saying how I had to come to grips   with this...that she c/not stay here long. This lasted maybe 2 days and now a month later if I cry hard this scene even though it was internal cannot be recreated.

            If you heard a voice or sound, was it similar or dissimilar from the voice or sound the deceased made when they were alive?           no it was exactly the same voice she had when alive

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

Did you feel a touch or experience any physical contact from the deceased?            No

            Was the touch familiar or unfamiliar?   n/a

            Was anything communicated by the touch?  n/a

            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

Did you smell a distinct smell, scent, fragrance or odor associated with the deceased?      Yes

            What smell, scent, fragrance or odor did you smell?           explained in above section

            Was the smell, scent, fragrance or odor familiar?     yes

            Was anything communicated by the smell?   to me...it was a sense of family that was communicated by the smell

            Is there any possibility that the smell, scent, fragrance or odor was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?        no

How long did the experience last?        the smell of the sauce lasted about 1/2 hour. the candle stayed lit until my brother or father blew it out.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         each exp was the same in intensity from beginning to end

Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?           No

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:           Id always heard this stuff happening to others and it kind of scared me  but now that it has happened to me it was quite comforting.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No     

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           I felt very comforted that I smelled sauce on Christmas day. I felt she was around us and making us feel loved by her cooking which is what she lived for

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

I guess a little in that I have to recall her saying to come to grips with it and to not cry for her. she is fine. that's what she said

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      that it  made me feel she wanted us to know she was still all around us and sad that she is really gone

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?       No           

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?          No

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            All of it was comforting except the crying to her and hearing her voice. I didn't want that to end.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes

I only smelled the tomato sauce. My father, brother and I saw the candle lit

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?            Uncertain

when I saw the image of my mother, she had someone to her left but I couldn't make it out

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     well I was in my parents house when I smelled the sauce and saw the candle so my father and brother were aware

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