My mother-in-law, Delores,  lived in Orlando, Florida.  My wife and I had moved to Fort Myers, Florida and had lived here for approximately 10 years before Deloris's illness and death. 

Delores and I had occasionally talked about after life possibilities and once we discussed that whoever died first would visit the other after death.  While visiting my mother in law during her final week, I asked her if she remembered our agreement to contact the other should one of us pass away.  She looked at me as though looking straight through me. It was only then as I watched the expression on her face that I realized how stupid and insensitive I had been. 

Two or three weeks after her passing, I was lying in bed and could not sleep.  This was not unusual for me since I had always experienced a degree of insomnia.

Without waking my wife, I got up and moved to an adjacent room and laid down on the couch.  I wasn't thinking about Delores or anything in particular, just hoping to fall asleep since I would have to rise early for work the next morning. 

As I relentlessly tried to sleep, I suddenly felt a presence about 20 feet behind me, near the kitchen.  A cold chill swept over me and I was frozen in a near state of fear.  I could sense someone walking closer and closer until its presence walked past where I lay my head. I wanted to look but was too afraid - not very heroic for someone that had spent almost 30 years in law enforcement. 

Suddenly, about 8 feet in front me, Dolores stood motionless, staring towards the rear window.  She never looked directly at me, but her entire profile was fully visible. I could never find the words to describe her; she exceeded my most creative thoughts.  She appeared younger than before I had ever known her.  Her hair was longer than the short cut I had always been accustomed to and it hung about her shoulders.  Not a single gray hair was visible, just a natural soft brownish color. In spite of the differences, she was still the picture of herself.  

Her dress was different ... completely different.  It wasn't her normal style of clothing, it wasn't what she had worn at her funeral or cremation and it wasn't any form of robe.  It seemed to be a full length flowing dress of some form.   

Although I noticed her appearance and her dress, it really wasn't important.  It was the significance of her radiance that overwhelmed me.  Her body emanated a brilliant and glowing stream of light(s) that flowed through and from her.  It was magnificent and I can only describe it as looking through the galaxies. 

What troubled me was a sense of her "not wanting to be there" that I felt.  She never smiled or looked my way.  I almost felt as an intrusion.  We had always been so close and shared a love as though she had been my own mother.  Now, she stood there insensitive to me and in spite of my fear, I also felt a hurt as I realized there was no warmth or feeling from her. 

Without making a motion she spoke to me telepathically and said simply "You wanted to see me."  I could not respond, even in thought.  Neither did she.  My fear overwhelmed me and panic took grip.  I jumped up from the couch and literally ran through her, racing to the bed where my wife still slept. Waking my wife in near hysteria, I told her the story over and over. 

Some time later, I don't remember exactly how long, perhaps a year -- I had gotten dressed for work and was standing on the back porch feeling the morning sun.  My wife, a school teacher, was still in the bathroom getting dressed.  She called to me, "Tommy, do you smell that?"   "Smell what?" I answered.  She began to call me inside to see if I could smell what was her mother's favorite perfume. 

I stepped back into the house and walked to the bathroom where she was dressing. She was right, the smell of Shalimar, Delores favorite and almost exclusive perfume was extremely strong. Since my wife also liked Shalimar, I was convinced she had broken a bottle.  After accusing her, she protested that she hadn't bought any Shalimar in years, not since her mother's death.   

I noticed that the strong smell seemed to flow into the bathroom from the adjacent room where I had previously experienced my apparition of Deloris.  I told my wife how strong the scent was from outside the bedroom and I was going to follow it and see where it lead.  I walked out of the bedroom, pass the couch and into the kitchen, the scent was equally as strong.  As I followed the perfume trail through the kitchen, I could smell it coming from the garage and quickly opened the garage door.  To my shock, the garage was in full flames.  The heat was so fierce that I covered my face and ran back into the bedroom telling my wife to get out of the house immediately.  As I ran back towards the garage, it occurred to me that there was a water hose next to the garage door and I immediate began to spray water into the fire.  I was successful and put out the fire just as it was encroaching into the ceiling.  Another 2 or 3 minutes and the flames would have gone into the attic and sealed our doom.  The house would have been lost ... and perhaps our lives. 

Since that time, my wife nor I have had any experience with Delores but in my prayers I have often thanked her for saving our lives and for loving us.

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

            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?  The voice was telepathic but came from her being.

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

            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?            No

Did you see the deceased?         Yes

See details of narrative

            How clearly did the deceased appear?            Vivid ... Absolutely vivid!

            How much of the deceased did you see?       Entire body from a profile stance.

            Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which they died?       Younger ... before I had known her.

            How healthy did the deceased appear to be?            Her body was perfect.

            Is there any possibility what you saw was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?           Absolutely not.

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

            What smell, scent, fragrance or odor did you smell?           During the second encounter, the frangrance of her Shalimar perfume was extremely strong.

            Was the smell, scent, fragrance or odor familiar?     Yes -- Shalimar, her favorite perfume.

            Was anything communicated by the smell?   See narrative

            Is there any possibility that the smell, scent, fragrance or odor was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?        No

How long did the experience last?        The first experience was about 5 minutes.  The second experience was about 10 minutes.

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

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

Yes, during the first experience, there was a sense that she was not pleased.  I was saddened but my wife reminded me of how much Delores loved me and that she couldn't be displeased with me.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?  During the second experience, her presence saved our house and possibly our lives.

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 admit that as the years have faded, I sometimes wonder or question myself ... but the second experience involved my wife as well as myself and there is no question.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:           The first experience was panic and fear.  The second experience was total shock.

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

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      Fear was the worse and shame for having that fear.  The best was that I didn't lose my life or my family due to the fire.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Uncertain                  Describe:            I'm not sure how to describe it.          

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     Stronger convictions

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?            Yes     I have a stronger belief.

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  See my narrative

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Yes, the fire was real enough.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            The first experience I still had fear but gratefulness.  The second experience was complete Thankfulness.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?           Yes

The first incident, my wife was asleep.  The second incident involved the both of us.

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     Some believed, some did not.

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, I guess not.

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 

Several years later, my wife left me and we divorced after 33 years of marriage.  We were happy, I thought until the very end.  I sometimes wonder how it happened or why .... or why Delores didn't warn us.

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.    This was an excellent forum.  Thank you.  I've always needed to tell this story to someone besides family or a friend.  It alone, has been therapeutic.