Sandy N's ADC

Experience description:  

The day before, I had been journaling about the fact that the next day was going to be Mother's Day.  I often journal in the form of a letter to my son.  I was reminding my son of the Mother's Day the year before.  We had spent much of the day helping our son in the sale of his car.  In the end, we didn't have time to go to the restaurant I had hoped to, and my son never gave me the card he had bought for me for Mother's Day.  As a result, it wasn't the greatest Mother's Day we had shared, but I told him in my journaling that it was okay, and I didn't hold it against him.  :) 

I included in my journaling some questions about whether or not God would allow Jacob to be with me in a special way on Mother's Day, now that he was no longer here the way he once was.  I told him how hard it would be to face my first Mother's Day without him. 

The following morning, (Mother's Day) I awoke at approximately 5 a.m. and just lay in bed.  I had opened my eyes briefly and realized it was still dark out, so I knew I didn't need to get up just yet.  Then I closed my eyes.  Because I am a light sleeper, I always wear ear plugs at night, and those were still in my ears.  As I lay there, I had a vision of my son standing on the side of my bed.  He bent over and kissed me, but as he did that, it was as though our minds blended briefly.  I could sense what he was thinking and he could sense what I was thinking.  Ultimately, we both were thinking about how we wanted to be together.  My heart was warmed to experience such a sweet vision on Mother's Day morning.  I began thanking God for such a sweet present for Mother's Day.  To me this was no Hallmark greeting; this was a greeting straight from Heaven.  

I started to feel my husband move about and get up out of bed.  Our little dog would frequently wake up in the early hours of the morning to go out, but I would never hear her because of my ear plugs, so I figured he was just getting up to let her out.  Before he returned to the room, I fell back to sleep.   

Later that morning, my husband said, "I think Jacob was here this morning to wish you a Happy Mother's Day."  He stunned me with that comment.  I asked him why he said such a thing.  That's when he explained that around 5 a.m. he heard our dog moving around, but she didn't go to the door and scratch on it like she normally did.  Instead, he could tell she was jumping up and down like she was greeting someone on my side of the bed.  She had never done anything like that before.  Normally, he would just hear her get up off her bed and walk across the floor and go to the door.  We have wood floors, so he could always hear her nails tapping on the floor as she walked.  After hearing her jump around like that, my husband suddenly had a very strong sense of Jacob's presence in the room.  He never saw anything, but it was such a strong presence that he actually whispered out loud and said, "Jacob, Jacob, I love you!"  I never heard any of this because of my ear plugs.  The dog eventually calmed down and settled back into her bed.  After a few minutes, she got up, walked to the door and scratched like she normally would.  That's when my husband got up to take her out. 

As my husband shared his account, I was in utter disbelief.  My vision of Jacob kissing me took place at the same time that our dog was jumping up and down and my husband was feeling Jacob's presence.  Jacob loved our little dog, and it would be just like him to greet her that morning as well. 

While the time I spent with my daughter last Mother's Day was wonderful, I have to admit that the kiss and visit from Jacob were unforgettable!!!!

Was this experience difficult to express in words?  No

Did you hear the deceased or hear something associated with the deceased?          No

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

On my lips in the form of a kiss.  Our minds also seemed to blend momentarily.  This part of the experience took place inside my body, while the viewing of Jacob bending over me took place while I was outside my body as though I were standing on the other side of the bed.

            Was the touch familiar or unfamiliar?   Unfamiliar because I had never experienced a kiss like this or a blending of minds.

            Was anything communicated by the touch?  As our minds blended, I knew Jacob's thoughts--he wanted to be with me, and he knew my thoughts--I wanted to be with him.

            Is there any possibility what you felt was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?  No, nothing else that I can think of.

Did you see the deceased?         Yes

He looked the same, even in the clothes he was wearing.  They appeared to be the kind of clothing I would expect him to be in normally.

            How clearly did the deceased appear?            Since part of this was more like a vision, I actually viewed the scene of my son kissing me from the perspective of standing on the other side of the bed, outside of my body.  That part was a bit hazy, but not just Jacob--the entire scene.  When I sensed Jacob kissing me and our minds blending, I couldn't "see" anything.

            How much of the deceased did you see?       I could not see the lower part of his legs since I was lying down or viewing him from the other side of the bed.

            Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which they died?       His age at death.

            How healthy did the deceased appear to be?            Jacob looked very healthy and normal, just as he did the day he died.

            Is there any possibility what you saw was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?           No, the room was dark.

Did you smell a distinct smell, scent, fragrance or odor associated with the deceased?      No

How long did the experience last?        Probably a total of one minute or less

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         Rather sudden, as though a movie was being played and someone hit the play button and the stop button.

Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?           Yes   I could sense Jacob's love for me and desire to be with me.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  No, other than he still wanted to see me on Mother's Day even though he had crossed over to Heaven, and he was still aware of dates here.

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:           For my husband and my dog to also respond to this situation without me suggesting what was happening is evidence to me that it was real.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Uncertain

While I was completely awake, part of this experience was more like a vision, which I have had before.

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           I was very happy to see my son.  I felt complete love and peace in his presence.  I also had a strong sense of connection at the moment our minds blended.  We have always had similar personalities and the same sense of humor, so this experience almost confirmed how alike we think.

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

I always knew my son loved me very much, but to receive such a special moment on Mother's Day just solidified for me his love.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      Best--being with Jacob   Worst--having it end

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

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Uncertain      I felt like Jacob really could connect with us in special ways.  I was less certain of that earlier.

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?            Yes     That family connections and love carry on into eternity.

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?            I felt very content and grateful.  I thanked God for such a beautiful encounter.  While I was sad for it to be over, I wasn't desperate to have my son return.  I was simply grateful for the moments we shared.  There is always a small let down after an experience like this ends, but it quickly goes away as I cherish the memories of the experience.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes

Yes, my husband who was in bed and awake, and our dog that was sleeping on the floor in the room.

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?    Yes

I believe each encounter like this carries with it a revelation about how life goes on.

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?         Uncertain

I don't know that this is a gift, but for the rest of the day, it was as though I had an electrical charge running through my body.  Everything I touched seemed to pop or crack--even cardboard.  Also, the moment I woke up later that morning, the electricity in the house went out.  I know this because I grabbed my clock as soon as I woke up, but it is a clock that runs on batteries.  Later when I realized the electricy had gone out, I could determine that the moment it went out was exactly the moment I grabbed my clock.  The flashing clocks showed that a certain amount of time had passed since the outage.  When I subtracted that time from the actual time, it got me to the exact minute I told hold of my clock upon waking.

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

Briefly, as I had the vision of Jacob bending over me from the perspective of standing on the other side of the bed.Did you meet or see any other beings other than the deceased?       No

Did you see a light?           Uncertain  The room was completely dark, but I could see Jacob bending over me clearly as though there was light illuminating the scene.

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     They were excited and supportive.  Some people cried because they know how much I love Jacob and they have an increased belief in ADC.

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

I have written about this and several other experiences at the memorial website I have created for my son.  http://jacobnyenhuis.memory-of.com

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