My brother Pat died in June of 2002. We were very close. He lived in Minneapolis...and I lived in Washington state. Every Christmas eve we would communicate and wish each other Merry Christmas. It would typically go like this. His family would open their gifts in Minneapolis...two hours ahead of us in time.....and he would call my family. No matter where either of us were in the world...we would always communicate on Christmas EVE...not the day before....not Christmas DAY...but Christmas EVE. On the evening of Dec. 24th. 2002 I arrived home from Christmas shopping to see the light blinking on the answering machine. When I listened to the message I heard a lot of static on the line. WITHIN the static.....I heard a voice...that was absolutely my brother Pat saying: "Merry Christmas Kippy" There was NO DOUBT. AND....to make it even more evidential...he used my nickname KIPPY.....that no one else called me. I told NO family members. But...one by one...as they came home....I said nothing and asked them to listen to the message and tell me what they heard. EACH one said....."It sounds like your brother Pat wishing you Merry Christmas! It was...and I consider it the BEST gift I have EVER received!

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 Response

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: Previously stated...I hear his voice. Although there was static on the line...his voice was VERY CLEAR

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? Externally...on the answering machine.

If you heard a voice or sound, was it similar or dissimilar from the voice or sound the deceased made when they were alive? EXACTLY the same and with the same intonation that he would have used while alive.

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? No

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

How long did the experience last? 10 seconds

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

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

Did the deceased give you information you did not previously know? No

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 physical evidence...a message...and 3 other family members agreed.

Was the experience dream like in any way? No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience: amazed excited

Was there any emotional healing in any way following the experience? No

What was the best and worst part of your experience? No worst part. Best.....that I heard from my brother!

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience? Yes

Describe: It has propelled me to search/explore the survival of consciousness. Spend lots of money going to conferences! Connecting with groups of folks who are mediums........and practice mediumship myself.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience? No Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.? Yes awareness of the continuation of life

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? Yes. You could re-listen to the message again and again

What emotions did you feel during the experience? joy, shock

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others? Yes

All family members subsequently listened to the message on the answering machine.

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 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. Varied. Some think I was fabricating/delusional/misunderstood the message or who it was from. Some....interested and excited and supportive. I don't know if they were influenced by my experience or 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 ...it was pretty straight forward!

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