I was living in an old mill-village duplex apartment that I was renting.  I did not grow up in this area of town and my aunt had never lived in this home.  The location itself had no direct relationship to her.  For about a month or two before I had the experience I am about to relate, my phone (a single one piece land phone) had been ringing once per night at approximately 3 a.m. I jokingly said that it must be "Aunt Bebe calling," as this was the time of night/morning she had died.  Then, the night in question, I found myself sitting up in bed with the phone in my hand.  There was a SIGNIFICANT amount of static on the line, quite frankly, a roaring sound.  I heard my aunt's voice as if she were at a great distance, but I KNOW it was her.  I remember saying, "Oh my God!  What is it like over there?"  She said, "I like it better than I thought I would, but listen, Goose (her nickname for me), I can't talk long.  I want you to warn O'Neil about the brakes."  My cousin, Aunt Bebe's oldest child, is O'Neil.  He was 28 or 29 years old at the time. I asked Aunt Bebe, "WHAT brakes?" She said, "Just tell hi what I said."  I then said, "OK, I will.  I love you and I miss you." She said, "I love you too.  I have to go."  That was it, then just a loud roaring and I was sitting up in bed holding the phone and cried.  I was not under the influence of ANYTHING. The next day I told my mother about it and she said she thought Aunt Bebe, her sister, knew something about her son and I needed to call him and tell him what she had said to me.  I called O'Neil and told him about my "telephone conversation" with his dead mother and he became emotional and said he had to hang up the phone.  He called me the next day and said that he knew something was wrong with the brakes on his car, but had been neglecting to take it to the garage for repairs.  He said he had a friend follow him to a garage to have the car repaired and the mechanic said he basically "had no brakes left" and was lucky he had not wrecked.

Was this experience difficult to express in words? 

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:  

My Aunt Bebe whose voice I had heard almost every day of my life for 25 years, WAS on the other end of the TELEPHONE talking to me through a great deal of static.  She was short and sweet and to the point.  I thought she was upset with me for a few seconds, then realized she had told me she did not have much time.  I pictured her standing at some sort of pay phone in heaven and maybe there was a line forming behind her!

            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 heard her voice OVER the phone line.  Lots of roaring static, but she was clear enough for me to know it was her.

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

It was my Aunt Bebe's voice.  She was the ONLY person on this Earth who called me "Goose."  That was significant.  No one to this day has ever used that name for me since then.

            Is there any possibility what you heard was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?          

None.

            Was there any possible impairment to your hearing at the time of the experience?  

No, my hearing then was better than it is now and I can hear a pin drop in the middle of the night from one room to the next and wake up!

Did you feel a touch or experience any physical contact from the deceased?           

No

Did you see the deceased?        

No

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

No

How long did the experience last?       

Maybe one minute?  No more than two.

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

It ended like  short telephone conversation does, with farewells.  Then I was left holding the phone with the roaring noise and then a dial tone.

Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?          

Yes

Aunt Bebe was talking like a concerned mother wanting to get her point across.  She sounded a bit wistful -- not happy, but not angry or very sad. More resigned and businesslike.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know? 

Well, I had NO knowledge of my cousin O'Neil's brakes until this phone call with my dead aunt!

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 with my aunt the weekend she died at home -- hospice situation as medical professionals knew she was dying and there was no more they could do for her.  My mother and another aunt and I were at her bedside and "helped" her die, trying to keep her as comfortable as possible.  I closed her eyes after she died and noted the time of her death to tell the funeral home director.  She and I were shopping buddies and loved each other very much.  She knew I believed in ghosts and loved such tales.  I think she knew that out of all of her loved ones I was the ONE who would heed her message and warn her son, my cousin.  She had a message to convey and knew I would take the experience as reality.  It turned out that my cousin's brakes were gone and he could have wrecked and died.  He is alive and well today with his own family and very happy.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?  

No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:          

Initially I was amazed, but then thought that I did not want to miss out on what my aunt was saying via such a great distance and over all the static.  I remember it being one of those times in my life where I KNEW this was maybe the ONLY time "something like this will happen" so I'd better get it right.  I was curious and dissatisfied that Aunt Bebe could not spend much time answering my questions about the here-after.  I was too afraid.  I was sad when the connection was broken, yet still thinking, "Wow!"

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

Yes

It made me feel better about her death.  Aunt Bebe did NOT want to die.  She had her first grandchild and wanted to spend time with her and she resented dying to the end.  No acceptance phase.  She had wanted my mother to "go with her" saying she was scared.  After this communication I felt better knowing she had "survived:" in some form or fashion and was no longer suffering from the pain she had been in as she died.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?     

The best part was hearing my aunt's voice again after watching her die and suffer.  I knew she was OK.  The worst was the end of the phone call from her -- just knowing that was probably the first and last telephone call I'd have from her via "the other side."

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

Yes                 Describe:     

I am more aware of the dead being "just on the other side." They are listening and aware.
        
It just makes sense to me that after we die we STILL want to communicate to those we love and since we live in an age where telephones exist as a means of communication -- we turn to the use of it!     

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     I always believed in an afterlife.  It made me feel better actually, that we are not going to be stuck on some cloud playing a harp, but can still interact with the Earth -- with people we loved and left behind.

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?        Yes

I have made that compact with my daughter. No, I did NOT make such a compact with my aunt.  Knowing now that it is possible -- yes, I have made it with my daughter.

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Yes My cousin later shared that his brakes were ruined and needed to be repaired.  My aunt knew this and conveyed it to me.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            "Wow." Then questioned what had just happened and realized that it was not a dream.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?         Yes I have had more experiences similar to this since then.

Have you shared this experience with others?        

Yes     My cousin, O'Neil, listened to me and heeded his mother's warning. He made a great many changes after that and is doing GREAT to this day.  My mother believed me and it made her feel better about her sister's place in the here-after.

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, other than I knew I wanted to share it with others who believe as I do.

Were there any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?            No

Absolutely none.

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