I
first became aware of the silhouette of a woman at the end of my bed, and
although I can't confirm if I was definitely awake at that moment, it felt like
I'd stirred from sleep (I haven't been sleeping well lately), saw the outline of
a person and as I watched, my grandmother's face and body came into focus. I
then turned away and put my head under the covers as it scared me. In the brief
time I saw her, what is puzzling and has led me to report it here, is that I saw
her as a much younger woman than I can remember. I don't know what she looked
like as a younger woman, not even from photographs, yet I described her
appearance, clothes and figure to a family member who confirmed my 'picture ' of
her was about right. She was watching me with a stern/serious expression - not
angry, or sad, but she didn't speak. She was quite a serious, forthright woman
in life but why she came to me (or I dreamed of her, as I cannot be sure) is a
mystery. We weren't close, she was so much closer to my sibling and cousins than
me, I moved away along time before she died. I have no idea what this may be
for/about
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?
No
Did you feel a touch or experience any physical
contact from the deceased?
No
Did you see the deceased?Yes
As I've said, she was younger - perhaps in her late 20's - early 30's. I am
not old enough to have known her at that age nor have I seen any photos. She was
also quite a heavy set woman all my life yet she was slim, strong and healthy
looking when I saw her.
How clearly did the deceased appear?
It was very brief and in a darkened room, although the curtains were open. There
were lots of stars last night, but no moonlight, yet I'd describe her as looking
as if lit by moonlight. (Grey rather than full colour, as a living person would
look in moonlight in a dark room).
How much of the deceased did you see?
From the end of the bed, I saw her whole body apart from what would have been
below the foot of the bed if a live person were stood there (so from around the
thighs up).
Did the deceased appear or not appear to be the age at which
they died?No, she was much, much younger and really healthy looking
How healthy did the deceased appear to be?
She looked strong, slim and stood tall. She also wore trousers and a masculine
shirt. All my life while I knew her, my Gran was quite heavy set.
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?It was very brief -
seconds
Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?
It is hard to answer this, but I feel like what happened was I turned over in
bed, opened my eyes briefly and saw her outline before staring a short while
longer to make out her face, which kind of materialised as I watched.
Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?
Yes
She looked stern, is all I can say. I wish I knew what message that
brought, but I can't make sense of it. She wasn't an overly smiley lady in life,
she was always straightforward but pleasant.
Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know?
No, there was no message.
How do you currently view the reality of your experience?Experience was
probably real
Please explain why you view the reality of your experience as real or not
real:Because I saw her in a way I never knew her, and it
seems to be an accurate depiction of her younger self from what I can gather.
Also, I almost never think of her these days and haven't thought of her in quite
a while, so I don't think it was a dream.
Was the experience dream like in any way?
Uncertain
I can't be sure whether I was awake but I definitely woke after it happened
as I got scared and couldn't get back to sleep for a short time
Describe in detail
your feelings/emotions during the experience:
It scared me
Was there any emotional healing in any way following the experience?No
What was the best and worst part of your experience?Tonight I'm scared to go to sleep! Yet in life my grandmother was kind and
wouldn't do me any harm
Has your life changed specifically as a result of
your experience?
UncertainDescribe:
It only happened yesterday so I'm unsure at the momentDid 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 frightened afterwards and slept quite fitfully after it.
In the morning, I just felt really intrigued, wondering why it happened and what
it might mean.
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?YesI
told my husband, who laughed it off and my older sister, who confirmed what she
remembers Gran looked like as a younger woman
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
While expecting my son 23 years ago, on the night my husband's
grandfather died, I awoke to see a series of floating, flashing *shapes* in
front of my eyes. It terrified me. These visions continued periodically
throughout the pregnancy - always at night, always waking me up from a deep
sleep. I also sometimes wake to see spiders, that I realise after a few moments
aren't real. Twice in my life I've had dreams that predicted a death.
Did the questions asked and
information you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your
experience?Yes