It had been about two weeks since my beloved son had passed away from an accidental overdose. I was extremely grief stricken. I was asleep. My son visited me in my sleep. He opened my bedroom door and stood there for a few seconds looking at me. He looked so happy. He was radiant. His skin looked so youthful. I remember thinking how healthy he looked. Radiant is the best word to describe his face. He came and laid down next to me on the bed as he had done many times before in the past when he was alive. I put my hands in his hair. I could feel the softness of it and I could feel the substance of his body next to me. He looked up at me and said "I am happy mom, and I want you to be happy too" He then laid his head back down and then I woke up. I knew he had just been there. I could still feel the softness of his hair in my hand. I did not dream this. I did not believe in an afterlife and never imagined in a million years that my son was "happy" now or that I should be "happy" as well. I feel so blessed to have gotten this visit. I know my son would not want me to  be so sad for the rest of my life. He came to me from somewhere to assure me he was ok.  I am still very sad about losing him and I am still grief stricken but I keep going back to this visit and remind myself every day that he came back to me to assure me that he was happy now and I should go on with my life. I don't know where he went but I am thinking now that this means I will see him again someday.

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?            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 son spoke to me. He said" I am happy mom, and I want you to be happy too"

            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 can't say I heard his voice spoken out loud but the words came from him.

            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?            Yes

My son laid down on the bed beside me. I could feel the weight of his body on the bed. I could feel his soft hair in my hand.

            Was the touch familiar or unfamiliar?   Very familiar

            Was anything communicated by the touch?  I always ran my hands through my son's hair as he laid on the bed next to me when he was alive .It was a time when he shared himself with me since he was really young. He came back to share one last time is how I see this now.

            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?         Yes

My son looked radiantly happy. His skin looked so youthful like before he started shaving. Like a young boy's skin.

            How clearly did the deceased appear?            solid

            How much of the deceased did you see?       All of him

            Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which they died?       He did look younger by a few years.

            How healthy did the deceased appear to be?            He looked very healthy. Before he dies he was looking a little tired around the eyes from so may years of bad sleep.

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

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

How long did the experience last?        just a few minutes

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?         It was sudden. He appeared at my bedroom door suddenly but it was a very calm feeling. He seemed to just disappear when he was laying next to me .I woke up instantly and knew he had been there.

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

My son was happy. He said so and I could tell by the radiant look on his face when he appeared at my bedroom door.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  Yes, he told me he was happy. I had no beliefs at the time in an afterlife so this was not in the realm of possibility to think this nor did I ever tell myself that I needed to be happy as well-Being happy again was never something I could imagine.

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 believe it was real because I saw my son at my bedroom door with a most radiantly happy look on his face. He said things to me that were not a part of any subconscious wishful thinking on my part.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No           

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           I was so surprised to see my son at my bedroom door. It all happened so quickly but so peacefully. It was perfect in every way.

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

Yes, because I know he is ok, that he is happy. I have had to bring myself back to this "visit" many times as the grief over losing him is still so powerful and heartbreaking. I tell myself that if I believe he really did come to me, which I do, than I have to believe that he is in a better place and that I need to go on with the rest of my life and that I will see him again. I don't know where that place is but now I know it is somewhere in another dimension.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      The best was seeing and being with my son again when I never imagined it possible.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Yes                 Describe:      It has changed in that I am blessed by an after life visit from my son. He looked happy and he told me he was. I believe this visit occurred.  There is no doubt in my mind. It is a life changing experience.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     I believe now that there is an afterlife. I'm not really sure what that would entail but I know my son came from somewhere to be with me briefly, to get me through the worst days of my life. I believe he helped me to face this life without him. I feel blessed to have had this "visit". My son and I were very close and he would not want me to be crying the rest of my life. I still cry every day, I can't help it. But I always tell him, if he can hear me , that I am working on moving ahead. That my memories of his love for me and his wonderful life are strong in my heart. I know now that I will be with him again someday. I still can't imagine how that will be but I hope I am as radiantly happy as he appeared to me. It is my feeling that he must be in a wonderful place. Another dimension. There are so many unanswered questions but now I have faith for the first time in my life that there is something else...

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?            Yes     It affirmed to me that there is an afterlife. That there is something else beyond this physical world. A place of peace?

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 was overwhelmed with happiness that my son came to me. It was not a dream. I knew it was a visit. I did cry too but having him come to me like that. Tears of grief, loss, love and gratefulness knowing there really was something else out there. I had never set much store by this theory before., that there is an afterlife. I am amazed ,if that is even the right word, that I was wrong. There is something else after we die. My son proved that to me.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           No

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     I only shared this with a few close friends and family. They all believed it to be so and cried with happiness. Some knew already in their hearts that there was something else after this life but some were changed by the experience in their thinking .

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

Please offer any suggestions you may have to improve this questionnaire.    No