Our 39 1/2 year old son died in our living room in a hospital bed after a year long battle with lung cancer. He was under Hospice care.  After the funeral home removed his body for cremation and we had met with the funeral home to make arrangements for his service I went to my bedroom to lay down.  I was very upset and couldn't get to sleep.  I kept my eyes closed but my whole body was shaking from my crying. 

All of a sudden I felt a complete sense of calm and opened my eyes.  I was looking at the ceiling fan and saw it start to go around very slowly about ten times like it was being pushed around.  I did not have the fan on as I was very cold and even had a cover on top me.  I knew immediately it was Tim.  For the past several months he was staying in our upstairs bedroom until we moved him downstairs as he couldn't navigate the stairs and needed me closer to take care of him.  Our bedroom is downstairs.  In the upstairs bedroom he was constantly turning on the ceiling fan and I would come home from work and flip it off.  He would give me the devil for this but I was afraid he would catch pneumonia as his immune system was gone due to chemo.  He chose the fan as he knew I would recognize it as a sign from him.

That same day, my youngest daughter who was extremely upset and crying decided to take a shower while her 4 year old son watched his favorite cartoons.  When she came out of the bathroom she was speechless when her 4 year old said, Mom, Uncle Tim called, "he said to quit crying, everything is okay."

The four year old reported talking to his uncle Tim for the next several months.

He said him and Uncle Tim played "kick the can".  Our grandson never heard of that game before.  Tim and his friends would play it on their way home from school when he was around 8 or 9 years old.  Our grandson reported the game was "imaginary", he didn't really kick a can.  One day he told me he talked to Uncle Tim and I asked him if Tim had seen Jesus.  He said "yes".  I asked what Jesus looked like and my grandson said, Oh grandma, he's got a long beard down to here and pointed to way down his chest.  I asked if there were flowers in heaven and he said, Uncle Tim says they have flowers just like here but prettier.  I asked what color they were and he said every color and named off blue, red, green, yellow, black.  Sara, the four year old's mother has received telephone calls and hears a voice that sounds just like Tim say, What are you doing" and then nothing.  When she checks her caller ID, no call is registering.

We celebrated Tim's daughters birthday in December 2003.  Everyone was seated around the table and I got up to get something from the cabinet and noticed a movement.  I looked up in the skylight and saw a huge white dove like bird with black on the wingtips circling and circling.  I told my daughters and sons in law, "you've got to see this bird, I don't believe it." My two sons -in-law came running over but couldn't see anything even though I could still see the bird.  They made fun of me.  Later, my daughter and son-in-law left as my daughter had a headache.  When they got on the off ramp to their town (about 10 miles from here) they saw a big white bird with black on the wingtips in a tree right where they turned.  Lisa said, "do you think that's the same bird Mom saw?"  They drove on home and Lisa went to the bedroom to lay down and saw a movement at the window.  She looked out and saw a big white bird with black on the wingtips sitting in the tiny  tree coworkers gave her in remembrance of Tim.  She said the tree wasn't even strong enough for a little bird but yet this big bird was perched there.  When she yelled for John to come see the bird, it was gone.

Our cell phone rings when it is turned off, the television goes back on numerous times when we turn it off and my daughter's cd player goes on full blast.  Her washer dryer has been turned off after she started them and the dryer door popped open and the washer lid opened. Tim loved to do practical jokes.

We still smell cigarette smoke in the upstairs bedroom frequently and I smell his favorite cologne occasionally.

Have you had multiple experiences?   Yes

     Family members have had 10 or more experiences in the year since our son passed.

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?           

Yes

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:  

My grandson talked to his Uncle Tim on the telephone.  My daughter heard Tim's voice on the phone.

            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? 

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

The voice my daughter heard sounded exactly like Tim and used his normal greeting to her.

            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?           

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?          

Cigarette smoke and cologne.

            Was the smell, scent, fragrance or odor familiar?    

Smelled like the same smoke I smelled when Tim was alive.  The cologne was his favorite.

            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?       

Few minutes.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?        

Gradual - The bird seemed to circle several times before moving out of view.

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:         

I was fully awake and saw both the fan turn and the bird circle above the skylight.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?  

No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:          

I was surprised and then felt very excited.

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

Yes

After I saw the fan move I felt there was indeed a life after death and our son was safe and happy.  I no longer fear death.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?     

The best was knowing our son is alive with Jesus.  The worst is not being able to see him until I pass.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?        

Yes

            Describe:     

I am now attending church regularly.

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 experiences reaffirms my belief that we are children of God and will go to live with Jesus after we die.

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?     

Excited and happy.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?          

Yes

The fan incident was not witnessed by others.  The "bird" incident was witnessed by both me and my daughter.

Have you shared this experience with others?        

Yes

Some were skeptical but others had their own stories to share.

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

Yes

I shared a bit with the Embraced by the Light website.

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