My mother had Alzheimer's.  She forgot my name, even though I lived with her and took care of her.  She lived downstairs and I lived upstairs with my boyfriend.  We were both caretakers.  When my mom wanted me, she would whistle for me at the bottom of the stairs because she didn't know my name.  Shortly after my mom passed, my boyfriend and I were asleep during the middle of the night.  We were both awaken at the same exact time by my mother's whistle at the bottom of the stairs.  We both sat up and said, 'did you hear that?'  It was exactly the way my mom used to whistle when she wanted either one of us.  The experience brought me a lot of joy.

I grew up very attached to my mom because of the many traumas during my youth.  I loved her very much.  It was extremely difficult for me mentally to witness her demise.  I never remember my dreams after I wake up - except for this one.  Shortly after she died, I had a dream that I was upstairs with my boyfriend.  My mom was downstairs calling my name.  I became very frustrated.  I looked at my boyfriend and said, 'why is she bothering me?  She's dead.  I was her in her casket.'  I had a sudden picture of her casket in my head.  I went downstairs to see what she wanted.  When I turned the corner, my mom was in her 20s and she was walking away from me.  She didn't let me see her face.  The dream was so clear.  It still is.  I believe she came to me.  But I'm not sure what her message was.  I'm still ashamed of my reaction when she called my name.  I was often frustrated, but I wouldn't let my mom see that side of me.

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?   Yes

          Describe what you heard, how clearly you heard it and what was communicated:     I heard my mom whistle like she used to whistle when she wanted me.  It was a whistle with a tune.

          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 heard the sound externally.  My boyfriend heard the same thing at the same exact time.

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

          Is there any possibility what you heard was from any other source present in the surroundings at the time of your experience?      No.  It was the middle of the night.  There were no other sounds.

          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

I saw my mom in the 2nd experience when I saw her in her younger days.

            How clearly did the deceased appear?            In the second experience - she was solid.

            How much of the deceased did you see?       I saw the back of my mom.  She was walking away from me.  But I clearly knew it was her.

            Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which they died? She died at age 91.  She was in what appeared to be her 20s when I saw her.

            How healthy did the deceased appear to be?           She looked healthy and youthful.

            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?      Not sure.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?          Not sure.

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

My mom appeared at peace.  Happy.

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know? No.  But I felt that she was communicating to me letting me know she was happy.  I felt she wanted to let me know she was ok.

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 the dream was real because I never remember dreams after I wake up.  The dream of seeing my mom in her youth is still very clear to this day.  I remember it as if I'm viewing it right now.  The emotions were also very clear.  Everything I was feeling I can still feel right now.

          Was the experience dream like in any way?  Uncertain

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:          During the experience, I felt somewhat frustrated.  My emotions didn't reveal until after I first reviewed it in my mind.  I was, and still am, upset with my feeling of frustration at my mom's bothering me when I thought she was deceased.  The experience of hearing her whistle for me left me with a full heart of happiness.  I know it was 100% my mom coming to let me know she is ok.

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

I still feel guilty from my frustration of taking care of my mom.  Alzheimer's is an emotional rollercoaster for family members who are full-time caretakers.  I don't know if I can ever get over my guilt.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?    The best was believing that my mom was communicating with me.  She know how much I loved her.  She had 5 other children who were not close to her.  The worst part was my dream and the frustration I felt with my mom for bothering me.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?          Yes                Describe:     I feel more at peace with myself and my life.  I have moments of anxiety due to other events in my life, but I have a sense of peace and love in my heart for others.