Donald was killed in the line of duty when his police cruiser was hit by a train. His wedding ring was lost during the accident; probably was pulled right off his finger as he was thrown right out of his boots and socks. His fellow officers searched with metal detectors for it to no avail. I went back to the scene of the wreck to look for the ring and got out of my car with just my keys in my hand. There were still pieces of his car lying about and I began to toss them into a pile. At some point I felt the search was useless and thought I should just leave, but it was then that I realized as I was tossing pieces of the car, I had tossed away my car keys. I searched everywhere, including the pile of car pieces, looking for them and they were nowhere to be found. I sat down on one of the railroad ties and hung my head and began to cry. Then I looked upwards and through my tears, cried, "Donald, you have to help me. I don't know how I'm going to get home." I was very distraught. I looked down again and right between my feet, where I had been looking at nothing but grass and gravel just a moment before, were my car keys. At first I lost my breath, and then I was kind of spooked, so I left the area immediately.

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

How long did the experience last?        momentary

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

Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?           No

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  Not information, but he did give me my car keys. I know with every fiber of my being that those keys were NOT sitting between my feet before.

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:           There was no way I could have thrown my keys up by the railroad tracks, as the pile of car pieces I tossed together was much further down from where I sat on the railroad tie, and it was down in the ditch, not up by the tracks.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No          

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           When the keys were lost I felt abandoned and alone and foolish for thinking I could find something that 4 guys with metal detectors couldn't find (the wedding ring). Then I felt really foolish for having lost my keys and afraid one of the other deputies would drive by and think I was nuts.

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

just a comforting sense that he would be watching over me

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      The best was I got my keys back and the worst was I was spooked by it  at the time.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         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 as if my husband was telling me that he would be watching over me and when I really needed him, he could somehow be there, even if I couldn't see him or touch him.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I have only shared the story with my children and a few close friends, and only one person was skeptical.

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.    Can't think of any