My Dad was terminally ill with cancer and towards the end of his life, was rushed to hospital on several occasions.  He was discharged home one Saturday.  At 03:00 hours the following morning, I woke up feeling panicked - short of breath and experiencing palpitations.  I wondered why I had woken (and if there was a spiritual reason for this) but concluded it was anxiety around his illness, and went back to sleep.  Three hours later, my Mum came downstairs to find Dad lying on the floor beside his hospital bed.  I rushed to their house, arriving minutes after he passed away at 07:10 hours.

MAIN EXPERIENCE REFERRED TO ON THIS FORM - Around two weeks later, one of my sisters went to see Dad in the Chapel of Rest.  I wrote him a letter, in which I asked him to communicate with me and that day the funeral director placed the letter in his hand.  That night, whilst watching TV with my boyfriend, I commented to him that I felt Dad's presence and specifically that he was standing beside my side of the sofa.  Roughly an hour later, two lamps on opposite sides of the room went off and on.  The TV, which shared a socket with one of the lamps, didn't so much as flicker. 

It didn't occur to me straight away but my boyfriend highlighted that this had taken place after I had sensed Dad in the room.  

Dad knew I believed in the afterlife, and I feel he was responding to my request for contact to reassure me that he is still around, just in a different form, looking after our family until we are reunited again.   

I'd also like to add - the day before Dad's funeral, 14/12/23, I was feeling incredibly anxious about the following day.  I looked into my garden and my bird feeder was covered in birds.  Usually there is only 1 bird on the feeder, very rarely there might be 2.  I took this as another sign from Dad.

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

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?       No

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

How long did the experience last?      Presence was for a few minutes, then the lights for a few seconds.

Was the beginning and end of the experience gradual or more sudden?       Sudden - I suddenly felt his presence but kept wondering if this was wishful thinking on my part. The atmosphere of the room changed and I suddenly felt comforted in the midst of the trauma of grief.  I highlighted the feeling to my boyfriend.  There were no further experiences until the lights went off around an hour later.

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

I felt uplifted temporarily - no mean feat given how depressed I was about my loss.

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:   It was too much of a coincidence that the lights went off after I sensed Dad's presence.  Plus if it had been a brief power cut, the TV would also have been affected.

          Was the experience dream like in any way?  No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:  I definitely felt uplifted when I sensed his presence and similarly when the lights went off.

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

It has helped me to a degree, but I still grieve for the loss of him in this life - I know I can talk to him but I miss our time together here and our phone calls together.  I am also sad that he had to suffer with cancer towards the end, even though I know he is not suffering now.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?          When I felt Dad's presence, I was conflicted between knowing it was real or if it was wishful thinking on my part.  I acknowledged it but wish I had conversed more, both then and after the lights switched off.  I loved the fact that Dad must have read my letter and was responding to it.  I don't think he was sure about the afterlife, but I felt he was saying 'It's true!  All will be well.'

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience? Yes                Describe:     I was a non practicing Catholic but I know believe love and compassion matters more than organized religion.        
           
Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?      Yes    I have read more about the afterlife and how this existence is 'earth school.'  I know believe these teachings, that we are here to love and learn before returning to the next life.

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?         Yes    It gave me more personal proof than what I have read in books over the years

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

Following this experience, my boyfriend and I are trying to decide what sign we will send each other, depending on which of us passes away first.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?          Happy as it reinforced my belief that life continues and this separation is only temporary.

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?          Yes

My partner was with me at the time and is also a believer in the Afterlife

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?      No

Have you shared this experience with others?       Yes    I told my immediate family.  My sisters believe it; Mum is unsure but has borrowed some books from me about ADCs. I also told a friend after she told me she believes in the afterlife and had also lost her father.  She found it fascinating and wants to learn more.

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?   I found out after Dad passed away that he said to my sister, 'I'm going to be with my mother soon,' during the last week of his life.  His mother passed away in the 1990s.  I don't know if Dad was saying this generally, or whether he'd had any dreams / visions of her.

Although I have always been interested in the Afterlife, I was very afraid of death but I'm not now, as I'm certain Dad will be waiting for me when my time comes.  Since he transitioned, I have invested in numerous books about the dying process / NDEs / SDEs / ADCs and I now have a greater understanding.  Although I still grieve, it has provided comfort, and I know Dad has more access to me than he did in this life.

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