I was definitely not thinking about Chiya per se when the phone rang, although clearly we all were thinking about her on some level since she was just discovered dead the day before, and I had flown with my husband and daughter from Colorado back to my parents' house the night before. The phone rang right around 8AM, and I was in my bedroom at the time, and I lunged for the phone because I didn't want it to wake up my 1 1/2 year old daughter who was sleeping in the room as well. I heard my Dad say hello, he must have picked up downstairs at the same time, and I didn't say anything, but clearly heard Chiya say "Dad?!" in sort of a half question, half exclamatory way, and the intonation suggested to me that she was going to continue on with something (ie, "Dad, so I wanted to talk to you about....") but the line went dead. The way she said "Dad" was very "normal Chiya" to me - it sounded like she was excited about something and wanted to discuss it, but it didn't sound very out of the ordinary at all, which is why it was even stranger, because she was, in fact, already dead (and I don't recall any significant static). In fact, it sounded like she could have been calling to ask about what my Dad thought she should do about buying a new DVD she was considering and excited about, or something equally mundane. That said, Chiya would have a tendency to get fairly animated about things that others might have thought were fairly commonplace; she had sort of youthful enthusiasm.

In any case, the line went dead, and I just sort of stood there for a second, than ran downstairs to ask my dad who he thought had called, and I remember that he just looked at me and I said, "Dad?", and he sort of nodded to me like, yes, he thought so too, and I said, just to be clear, "Dad, that was Chiya!", and he said yes, it sounded exactly like her to him too. Then we all kind of freaked out a bit and cried, because it was of course very odd, but yet there was really no doubt in my mind that it was her.

Are there rational explanations? I suppose. Could it have been a wrong number? I suppose. However, the fact that both I and my father, probably the most skeptical and pragmatic of our family, answered the phone, heard the same thing, and both thought pretty undeniably that it was Chiya, suggests to me that somehow, someway, it was. The fact that she sounded happy and animated was also comforting, of course. I also recall that all that morning after the phone call, my parents' cell phone kept ringing repeatedly with an unknown/unidentified number - my dad answered it a number of times but there was never anyone there. Don't know if that is related or not, but it seemed like it could have been - some sort of additional attempt at communication through an electronic means.

Anyway, that's my take. As far as your question about other subsequent experiences or anything prior to her death, I can't say I've really had any. I've sort of been hoping to, now, after that call, but so far nothing... My mother told me she typically knew when Chiya was calling and sort of had that intuitive feeling that morning, but that's just what she told me.

Let me know if you have any additional questions or any particular insights - I'd love to hear them!

Jess

Was this experience difficult to express in words?

No

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:     

See #3 above.

          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?        

it was simply a phone call: all the extensions rang, we all heard it, two people picked up at the same time. The voice originated outside of us, on the phone.

          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.

          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. Two people heard it at the same time.

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?      

We only heard the greeting "Dad?!" Then the line went dead.

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

Beginning and end very sudden.

Could you sense the emotions or mood of the deceased?         

Yes

Very happy, excited, perky and peppy.

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 occurred completely out of the blue, and was witnessed by multiple people.

          Was the experience dream like in any way? 

No

Describe in detail your feelings/emotions during the experience:        

It was brief. We simply heard her voice.

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

Yes

The experience "rent the veil" between this life and the next, making it clear there is simply a continuum of existence. This physical life is one plane and it is very close to other planes which are said to be in the "afterlife"; the barrier can sometime be clearly, verifiably crossed.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?   

Best, hearing from her. No worst.

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

Yes                Describe:    

I now see the different planes of existence as very much connected and infused with one another. My meditation practice has greatly intensified, because of my newfound realization of the interconnectedness of the various planes of existence, and the need to help the departed by "sending love", prayers, practices, etc. I feel a connection that is very strong and alive.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?            Yes    See above.

Did the experience give you any spiritual understandings such as life, death, afterlife, God, etc.?          Yes    See above.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?          We cried and hugged each other in a circle. The overwhelming thought for me was that we simply did not have ANY way to explain this; our present way of understanding the world did not allow for the experience we just had, but it had occurred. The bottom my paradigm of existence fell out. HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?

Was the experience witnessed or experienced by others?          Yes

Everyone in the house, fairly full of relatives, heard all the phone extensions ring. Two people answered it at the same time, one upstairs and the other downstairs, and both heard the passed over one say "Dad?!"

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

Only that the secular scientific model for life is certainly not the whole story.

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?           Uncertain

We have had experiences wherein we sensed her presence, i.e. dreams,  improbably finding lost items, intuitive sensations, etc. They would be hard to objectively verify, but subjectively they were suffused with emotional certainty.

Have you shared this experience with others?       

Yes    Some people are dismissive, telling you what it really was, like a wrong number. Others are probably skeptical, but listen and don't pronounce judgment. Many, however, are respectful and listen with curiosity and an open mind. Some have similar experiences in their own family lore.

Have you shared this experience formally or informally with any other researcher or web site?   Yes

Sent in the report to Emily W., a researcher at the Un. of Virginia.

 Is there anything else you would like to add regarding your experience?          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?  N0 comment 

Did the questions asked and information you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?           Yes