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

Experience description #2:  

I was sitting up in bed when I heard a male voice say, "Put them together."  I thought it rather odd to hear those words because they lacked any meaning or purpose.  I even repeated the phrase out loud as a question, "Put them together?"  Those words made no sense to me. 

My telephone began ringing, and it was one of my closest friends who was calling to tell me she had just had her first dream about my son since his death 10 1/2 months earlier.  She was so excited and asked to come over to my house right away to tell me about it.  Her dream was wonderful, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was somehow supposed to be connected to this voice I heard, but there didn't seem to be any link. 

The night before, I had prayed with my daughter for her to have a dream about her brother, so I was anxious to see if she in fact experienced one.  It was disappointing to learn that she hadn't, but a few minutes later she came to me and said while she didn't dream about her brother, she had a dream that involved her brother's friend (who was in the accident with my son and was severely injured but survived)and that friend's mother.  My daughter said that in her dream she was told it was now time to see our son's friend who was in the accident with him.  Up to that point, we had not seen him because he had not been told that our son was in the accident with him and died.  Doctors had advised that he not be told until he started asking specific questions about the accident or our son.  Even though 10 1/2 months had passed, he had not yet done that. 

At the last minute, we decided to attend a different church where our friend is the pastor.  As a result, I had to cancel lunch plans with some friends for after church.  We ended up eating lunch at a restaurant near this other church which is an extra 15 minutes away.  As we were leaving the restaurant, we ran into the parents of our son's friend who was in the accident.  It was the first time we had seen them in over 10 months.  Again, since their son had not been told about our son's death, it was not possible for us to see him or it would have forced the question about where our son was. 

Because we had run into this couple outside of the restaurant, we were able to have a wonderful discussion without interruption or distraction.  As we spoke, it occurred to me that the voice I had heard that morning said, "Put them together."  That's when I realized it must have meant to put Jacob's and M____'s parents together.  I don't know whose voice it was that I heard.  It didn't seem to be my son's voice, but it was clearly male. 

When I shared with this couple that our daughter had a dream where she was told it was time for us to see their son, the mother began to cry.  She went on to tell us that in fact her son had learned of our son's death exactly one week earlier.  He had finally asked the questions that led to her telling him about Jacob's death. My daughter's dream had revealed the truth, and the voice I heard seemed to have directed the seemingly random actions on all of our parts to meet up at that restaurant that afternoon.  It felt like the voice I heard was something from the spiritual realm--like angels being told to do a certain task on our behalf.

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:   

I clearly heard a male voice say, "Put them together."  While it was very brief, it was perfectly clear.  Because of it's odd nature, however, it left me rather perplexed as to its meaning or purpose.

            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 believe it was from inside of me because I still had earplugs in when I heard it.  After I removed the earplugs, I repeated the words out loud to myself as a question.

            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 spoke so briefly, that it was hard to say that it was my son's voice.  I've heard his voice speak to me since his death, and there was never a doubt that it was him because it was a phrase he would say to me frequently.  These words were not similar to anything he had ever said to me before.

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

No.  There were no radios or televisions on, my husband was already out on his morning run, and my daughter was still asleep.

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

I had earplugs in at the time, but the voice was very clear and easy to understand.  It just seemed an extremely odd thing to hear since it held no meaning for me at the time.

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?       

I only heard the voice for a second or two, but the mystery seemed to unfold slowly throughout the morning and early afternoon.

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

The voice was sudden and brief, but as stated above, the entire experience took place over five hours or so.

Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?          

No

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

In my daughter's dream, she was told that we could now see our son's friend, which meant he knew about Jacob's death, but as far as we knew, he had not yet been told.  However, it was discovered that our son's friend did, in fact, learn about our son's death days earlier.

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:          

The events of that day played out perfectly and made complete sense of a nonsensical imperative statement.  I couldn't dream up something this amazing and perfect.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?  

No

Except, of course, for the part which was my daughter's actual dream.

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:          

I was confused, but also thought it was kind of funny to hear such a strange thing.  However, I was certain there was a purpose to these words that God had not yet revealed to me.  I shared with many of my close friends what I had heard and each time I said, I know God will reveal the meaning of that phrase eventually. I just had no idea it would be in a matter of hours.

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

Yes

This experience served as a confirmation to me that all of these things in life are not nearly as random and meaningless as they sometimes feel.  A drama (or comedy at times) is being played out every single moment of our lives.  We have a choice as to what role we play and how we play it, but there is always a bigger story than just our little lives.  There is an incredible mystery being revealed as our lives our woven together to form The Story.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?     

Best - to see how perfectly and accurately it all played out. 

Worst - can't think of anything

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

Yes                 Describe:     

I have a greater sense that God is working on our behalf in the spiritual realm in ways we can't possibly fully understand just yet.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     Life is not nearly as random as it once seemed.

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?            Yes     In the midst of our free will, God is orchestrating a beautiful symphony/story that is beautiful and makes sense.  Randomness is not nearly as random as we might think.  There is much more going on that we don't see or hear.

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?          Yes We were actually put together with Jacob's friend's parents, and we were told he really did know about Jacob's death, just as my daughter's dream had indicated.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            I felt excited because when God does these amazing things, I am always in awe of His goodness and sense of humor.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           No

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   Uncertain

It felt like I had briefly entered the spiritual realm and overheard a conversation taking place about putting us together with our son's friend's parents.

Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?    Again, it served to show me that there are things going on behind the scenes that we don't fully understand or recognize.

Did you become aware of future events?       Yes

While I didn't know what the exact event would be, when it played out, it made perfect sense that "Put them together," meant for us to be put together with the other parents we "randomly" ran into that afternoon at lunch.

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     Because I shared with many close friends about the voice I heard before anything else had happened, they were simply amazed to learn how the rest of the morning/afternoon unfolded and how perfectly it matched the voice I heard and my daughter's dream.  They were deeply moved by the personal nature of what happened, and their faith in God was increased.  So many of our experiences since my son's death have had this effect on many people.

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

I've written about this and several other personal 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 you ever in your life have a near-death experience, out of body experience or other spiritual event?           Yes 

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

Experience description #3:  

My husband and I were in our hotel room while on a trip to California. We were headed to Southern California that afternoon, which was one of my son's favorite places to visit. Thoughts of my son filled my mind all morning, as I knew how much he would love being there with us. My heart ached to have him near. As is typical of me when feeling that way, I spoke to Jacob in my mind saying, "Be with us, Jacob! I know how much you loved this part of the country." 

My husband was working on his iPad that morning in the hotel room. I didn't know it at the time, but he was sending out emails to family and friends to update them on the progress of the school we are building in Africa. We are doing this project through the foundation we established in our son's memory. Before he died, our son said he wanted to start a foundation to help people in need in Africa. He had been to Africa and seen the need firsthand. He was also quite an entrepreneur and had started to make a significant amount of money, even though he was only 18 years old. He wanted to share that money with others through a foundation, and he planned to hire my husband to run it. He even named the foundation before his death due to injuries suffered in a car accident. 

When my husband finished sending the emails, he closed the Smart Cover on his iPad. The Smart Cover automatically put the iPad into sleep mode. Then, he placed it securely in his zippered portfolio. We took a few minutes to gather up our things before heading out, but before we got to the door, music began playing quite loudly. We had no idea where it was coming from, but we recognized the song immediately. It was The Scientist by the band Coldplay. We knew the song very well because it has played randomly and very unexpectedly many times in the past when we were talking about Jacob or doing something directly related to Jacob. Coldplay was one of Jacob's favorite bands. The song, The Scientist, is very meaningful to us. If you were to view the band's official video of the song, you would see that it is about turning back time to undo the death of someone in a car accident. Here is a link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqWLpTKBFcU&ob=av2n 

The music was coming from my husband's iPad. He picked up his portfolio, unzipped it and carefully removed the iPad. The Smart Cover was still intact. The computer was "sleeping" but playing music at the same time. Since he doesn't have his iTunes on his iPad, my husband knew it had to be coming from the video of The Scientist that he downloaded a year earlier. However, he had not watched that video in months, and it's the only video on his computer. His iPad was on the main screen when my husband closed the lid earlier. To get that video to play, it would have required five taps on specific places on the screen. He had done nothing to initiate the video's playing. We could not explain how that happened, and how the song was playing while the iPad was in sleep mode. We tried playing the video and closing the Smart Cover to see if it would continue to play while the iPad was in sleep mode, but each time the video and music stopped. We tried multiple ways to get it to play with the Smart Cover closed, but nothing worked. 

We have no explanation for what happened other than to say Jacob was near once again or God allowed that to happen to encourage us in our work on Jacob's behalf and to comfort us. As always, we are grateful and give God praise for such things. 

The funny thing is, the night before at dinner, we were sharing with one of my husband's colleagues some of the stories of the remarkable experiences (ADCs) that we (and others) have had since Jacob's death. When we met up with her  the next day, she was amazed and excited to learn another one had just taken place. Also, many of our ADCs have come through Coldplay songs playing at special moments and in peculiar ways or places. My husband and I have wanted to see Coldplay in concert for years as a result of this, but they were never playing near us or at a time when we could attend the concert. A few months ago, Coldplay performed two blocks from our house. The date of the concert was September 24, 2011, the 5th anniversary of Jacob's death. We couldn't believe it! We were there, and it was fabulous!

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?          No

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?        About 4 or 5 minutes, the length of the song.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         It began suddenly and ended when the song was over. Of course, we spent the next few minutes laughing and trying to figure out what had just happened.

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

We both sensed Jacob's love for us and his joy about us being in a place he loved.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  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:           My husband and I experienced this together. We also attempted numerous ways to recreate the experience and none of them worked.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           My melancholy feeling of missing Jacob immediately turned into joy and laughter. I knew he was near or that God was allowing us to experience the joy Jacob was having as he knew we were in a favorite place of his, thinking about him and doing work to promote the school being built in memory of him.

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

There's always a little more healing with each of these experiences. It allows us to be patient as we wait to be with our son again.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      Best - Knowing that Jacob was near and aware of what we were doing. Worst - Nothing.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Yes                 Describe:      I had begun writing a book two years before Jacob died. He knew I was doing this and loved the basic story line. It involved communication from Heaven through a unique messenger. For several years after Jacob' death, I was unable to write. Through other specific and amazing ADCs, I have gotten the clear message that Jacob and God want me to continue writing the story. Writing has become my passion once again.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Uncertain      Our beliefs have remained constant, but are held with greater depth and strength. We are increasingly grateful for moments like these when we know Jacob is still very much a part of our lives but in an entirely new way.

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?            Yes     This experience, as well as several others, having given us a greater understanding of what death means for those who have passed and that God is very active in our lives as we grieve. We never expected these things to happen, but as they did, our ability to believe in them increased significantly. Perhaps we experience God's actions on our behalf more fully if we are open to them and grateful for His mercy and kindness.

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?            Elation. We were delighted to be reminded of how close Jacob is and how very aware he is of what goes on here... even now!

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes

My husband was in the hotel room with me. He heard exactly what I heard and was able to determine where the music was coming from. We both knew the music should not have been playing since the iPad cover was closed, meaning it was in sleep mode.

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?    Uncertain

Again, these experiences just remind us of the continuity of life and that death is not an end, but merely a transition.

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?         Yes     Positive and affirming.

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

As a young girl, I woke up to a male voice speaking my name, as if calling out to me to get my attention. Nothing else happened, but I never forgot that moment. I felt protected and loved as a result.

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

Please offer any suggestions you may have to improve this questionnaire.    Nothing I can think of at the moment.

Experience description #4:  

It was the night of Christmas Eve 2010. This has been a difficult holiday for us since our son's death because it was his absolute favorite time of year. He loved being gathered together as a family, listening to Christmas music, preparing and enjoying our traditional Christmas meal, attending the Christmas Eve service at our church and opening presents. He valued family time more than a typical teenage boy, so his absence on this day was especially painful. 

My husband, our daughter and I were gathered in our living room opening Christmas presents. Our dog was curled up on the floor next to us. At one point, our dog stood up and walked out of the room, which was highly unusual since she always liked to be near us. Even more peculiar was the fact that she went directly into a room that was completely dark and started barking. She rarely barks, unless she hears people talking loudly as they walk on the sidewalk alongside our house. In those instances, her bark can sound pretty fierce. Her bark that night was a series of short, clear yaps. No growling sounds accompanied it. It was a happy, playful bark. The room she entered was nowhere near the sidewalk, so we knew she wasn't barking at people outside. 

The three of us looked at each other with puzzled expressions on our faces. We all got up at once to see what our dog was doing. When we looked in the room where our dog stood barking, we saw her pointed toward the corner of the room with her tail wagging. Our daughter realized the dog was staring directly at a backpack sitting on a table in the room. That backpack belonged to our son. In fact, it is the backpack our son had with him at the time of his accident. It contains his dirty clothes from his weekend at home and some personal belongings. We've never been able to remove those items. Now and then, I still open it and smell his clothes, as only a mother would. 

After a short time of barking and wagging her tail, our dog turned around and darted out the door. She ran up and down the hallway jumping and twirling around. Something had clearly gotten her excited. My husband, daughter and I all agreed we sensed Jacob's presence, but it took our dog to get us to the point of truly believing it. However, it shouldn't have been so difficult for us to believe it. We have experienced his presence in profound ways on Christmas Eve other years. In 2007, we not only knew he was there, but I sensed exactly where he was sitting. My daughter and I both knew when he left, but neither of us mentioned it until the next morning. In 2008, A family friend saw him walk into church with us for the Christmas Eve service. It took her a few seconds before she realized it was not possible, but she knows to this day that she saw him. Despite the church being filled to overflowing, the seat next to my husband remained open. No one ever sat there. Our family friend said she knew Jacob was sitting there, even though at that point she could no longer "see" him.

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?          No

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?        About 5 minutes.

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

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

We sensed his joy that he always had on Christmas Eve.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  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:           Both my husband and daughter experienced it, and our dog did as well! (Perhaps even more than we did.)

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           I'd like to explain my response to #22. I was happy to be with my daughter and husband on such a special holiday, but I was also sad that my son was not there.

I laughed and stood in awe of what was playing out before my eyes. I knew Jacob was present, and that realization brought profound joy. It was as if Jacob was letting us know that he still loves to be with us, which is wonderful beyond description.

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

There is always an emotional healing to some degree after one of these encounters.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      All of it was fantastic!

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         N0 comment           

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?            Yes     As all of these experiences do, this strengthened my conviction regarding the reality of life after death.

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?            Love, contentment, peace, joy as well as pride in my son for the love he always had for his family and still has.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes

My husband and daughter were there and experienced the entire event as well. Our dog was the one that sensed Jacob's presence first, as you will see. I submitted another story (around Mother's Day 2008, I believe) that involved our dog sensing Jacob's presence, but it was not our golden retriever. In that account, it was our small dog that was much older. That dog was with Jacob for 13 years while our golden was with Jacob for only four years.

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?        

Yes     Very positive. Several people have said their own faith has been strengthened by the experiences we have had and have shared openly with others.

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?         Yes 

I've mentioned these in previous submissions.

Did you ever in your life have a near-death experience, out of body experience or other spiritual event?           Yes 

Mentioned in previous submissions

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