~ Joyous Reunions With Deceased Loved Ones ~
©1995; by Bill Guggenheim & Judy Guggenheim
co-authors of Hello From Heaven! published by Bantam Books
Have you been contacted by a loved one who has died? After-death communication (ADC) is probably as old as mankind, but ours is the first complete research study of this field. These spiritual experiences are extremely common, and in many other parts of the world they are discussed openly and freely.
Between 1988 & 1995, we interviewed 2,000 people who live in all fifty American states and the ten Canadian provinces. Ranging in age from children to the elderly, they represent diverse social, educational, economic, occupational, and religious backgrounds. We conservatively estimate that at least 50 million Americans, or 20% of the population, have had one or more ADC experiences – and the actual numbers may be closer to double these figures!
We collected more than 3,300 firsthand accounts of ADCs from people who have been contacted by a deceased family member or friend. These are spontaneous and direct communications that may occur anytime and anywhere, but no third parties such as psychics, mediums, hypnotists, or devices of any kind are involved.
Based upon our research, the following are the twelve most frequent types of after-death communication people report having with their deceased loved ones:
Sensing A Presence: This is the most common form of contact. But many people discount these experiences, thinking, "Oh, I'm just imagining this." It's a distinct feeling that your loved one is nearby, even though he or she can't be seen or heard. Though most often felt during the days and weeks immediately after the death, you may sense his or her presence months and even years later.
Hearing A Voice: Some people state they hear an external voice, the same as when a living person is speaking to them. However, the majority of communications are by telepathy – you hear the voice of your relative or friend in your mind. When you have two-way communication, it is usually by telepathy. In fact, it's possible to have an entire conversation this way.
Feeling A Touch: You may feel your loved one touch you with his or her hand, or place an arm around your shoulders or back, for comfort and reassurance. You may feel a tap, a pat, a caress, a stroke, a kiss, or even a hug. These are all forms of affection, nurturing, and love.
Smelling A Fragrance: You may smell your relative's or friend's favorite cologne, after-shave lotion, or perfume. Other common aromas are: flowers (especially roses), bath powders, tobacco products, favorite foods, and his or her personal scent.
Visual Experiences: There are a wide variety of visual experiences, which we have divided into two broad categories: partial visual and full visual ADCs. Appearances range from "a transparent mist" to "absolutely solid" with many gradations in between. You may see only the head and shoulders of your relative or friend, or someone you love may make a full appearance to you, and you will see the entire body as well, which will appear completely solid. Some visual ADCs occur in the bedroom, next to or at the foot of the bed. Others may happen anywhere – indoors or outdoors – even in a car or aboard a plane. Typically he or she will be expressing love and well-being with a radiant smile. Loved ones virtually always appear healed and whole regardless of their cause of death. Verbal communication may take place, but not always.
Visions: You may see an image of a deceased loved one in a "picture" that is either two-dimensional and flat or three-dimensional like a hologram. It's like seeing a 35 mm slide or a movie suspended in the air. Visions are usually in radiant colors and may be seen externally with your eyes open or internally in your mind. Communication may occur, especially during meditation.
Twilight Experiences: These occur in the alpha state – as you're falling asleep, waking up, meditating, or praying. You may have any or all of the above types of experiences while you are in this state of consciousness.
ADC Experiences While Asleep: Sleep-state ADCs are much more vivid, intense, colorful, and real than dreams. They are very common. Both one-way and two-way communications are typical. You usually feel your loved one is with you in person – that you're having an actual visit together. These experiences are not jumbled, filled with symbols, or fragmented the way dreams are.
Sleep-state ADCs are similar to those that occur when you are wide awake. Your relative or friend can come to you more easily, however, when you are relaxed, open, and receptive, such as while you are in the alpha state or asleep.
Out-Of-Body ADCs: These may occur while you are asleep or in a meditative state. They are dramatic experiences during which you leave your body and often visit your loved one at the place or level where he or she exists. These are extremely vivid, intense, and real – some say, "more real than physical life." The environments usually contain beautiful flowers and butterflies, colorful bushes and trees, radiant lighting, and other lovely aspects of nature – and are filled with happiness, love, and joy.
Telephone Calls: These ADCs may occur during sleep or when you are wide awake. You will hear a phone ringing, and if you answer it, your loved one will give you a short message. Two-way conversations are possible. His or her voice will usually be clear but may seem far away. If you are awake, you will probably not hear a disconnect sound or a dial tone when the call is completed.
Physical Phenomena: People who are bereaved often report receiving a wide variety of physical signs from their deceased relative or friend, such as: lights or lamps blinking on and off; lights, radios, televisions, stereos, and mechanical objects being turned on; photographs, pictures, and various other items being turned over or moved; and a long list of "things that go bump in the night."
Symbolic ADCs: People frequently ask a Higher Power, the universe, or their deceased loved one for a sign that he or she still exists. Many receive such a sign, though it may take some time to arrive. Occasionally these signs are so subtle they may be missed, or they may be discounted as mere "coincidences." Common signs include: butterflies, rainbows, many species of birds and animals, flowers, and a variety of inanimate objects such as coins and pictures.
According to our research, the purpose of these visits and signs by those who have died is to offer comfort, reassurance, and hope to their parents, spouse, siblings, children, grandchildren, other family members, and friends. They want you to know they're still alive and that you'll be reunited with them when it's your time to leave this physical life on earth – and they'll be there to greet you when you make your transition. Their most frequent messages, expressed verbally or non-verbally, include:
"I'm okay ... I'm fine ... Everything is okay ... Don't worry about me ...
Don't grieve for me ... Please let me go ... I'm happy ... Everything will be all right ...
Go on with your life ... Please forgive ... Thank you ... I'll always be there for you ...
I'm watching over you ... I'll see you again ... I love you ... Good-bye ..."
You may be asked to give a message from your loved one to somebody else. We urge you to write down the message verbatim and to deliver it, if possible, because it may help the recipient far more than you realize.
Nearly all ADCs are positive, joyful, and uplifting encounters that reduce grief, provide lasting comfort and hope, and accelerate emotional and spiritual healing. We encourage you to trust your own experiences and to accept them as being real for you.
Unfortunately, some people react with fear when they have an ADC. This is usually because they are startled by the suddenness of the event, or they may have never heard of one happening to anybody else. Such people may assume they are "losing their mind and going crazy." And others find it difficult to reconcile after-death communications with their philosophical or religious beliefs.
Not all people are contacted by their deceased loved ones. We don't know for certain why some are and some aren't, but it seems that fear, anger, and prolonged heavy grief inhibit the possibility of having an ADC.
Based upon our research, we suggest the following: Ask for a sign that your relative or friend continues to exist. Pray for him or her and others who are affected by the death, including yourself. We recommend that you learn how to meditate, especially if you are currently bereaved or have unresolved grief. Meditation will enable you to relax and soften any fear or anger you may have. It will reduce your depression, improve your ability to eat and sleep, and facilitate your healing process. These deep relaxation exercises will also allow you to unfold your inner, intuitive senses. In fact, you may have an ADC experience while you are meditating.
Our research indicates that after-death communications are a natural and normal part of life. Therefore, we feel ADCs deserve the same public awareness and acceptance that near-death experiences (NDEs) have already received.
For most people, an after-death communication from a deceased family member or friend is valued as a sacred and profound experience that will be cherished for a lifetime. ADC experiences usually expand one's understanding of life and offer a deeper awareness of life after death. They consistently communicate an essential spiritual message: "Life and love are eternal."
Copyright © 1995 - 2009 The ADC Project. All rights reserved.
Webmaster: Will Guggenheim
Brett Bowman
Dolly, that was a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing. I wish that I could have known Brandon. It's unfortunate that so many want only to adopt infants. We are all little children. You gave Brandon so much love and it is not surprising to me that he would want to give love back in return. Yes, people will say those lights came on for logical reasons. It all comes down to faith. I know that my mom loves me enough to contact me in some way if she could or if she can. Maybe she can't. I don't know. But I have no doubt that she still loves me. Brandon had/has so much love for you that he would want you to know that he is healthy now. He would want to thank you. Either people who have passed can do these things for us or they can't. I don't know. I do not have my own experiences to draw on. I hope they can and I hope that they do. Regardless, Brandon still loves you. My mom still loves me. I know this.
I love being able to help people in need. I was very involved with Easter seals for a long time. I was a live-in caretaker at a place called, "Camp Easter." I was able to work with people of all ages and disabilities. It was an incredible experience. I now work with a group called, "Family Promise." we provide housing for homeless families, and from my end, companionship. Working with the elderly is a passion of mine as well. Here's the thing though. As awful as it may sound, right now all of these things just seem to make me miss mom more. I don't know why. If there is a psychiatrist on the site, maybe he/she could tell me what that is all about. My minister called me yesterday and asked me to stay involved with all of these things. He knows that I have a broken heart and am looking for a greater connection with God. He told me that I would find that by being involved with the body of Christ (people). I want to. It is very hard for me to even leave the house right now. I have to go to work of course. Last night I prayed to God that, if it were possible, that I could see my mom in a dream. I have prayed this prayer many times. I haven't had such a dream yet. My dreams about mom are usually very sad. Mom would not have wanted that.
I love your heart, Dolly. God is love and you are doing your level best to share love. That is what it is all about. Thank you, buddy. It may sound crazy... I don't know you but I love you.
Aug 4, 2017
Susan Smith
Aug 4, 2017
Brett Bowman
I'm new to this. What is the significance of a feather?
Aug 4, 2017
Susan Smith
Aug 4, 2017
Brett Bowman
It's funny. When mom was on Hospice I put her hospital bed out here in the sunroom. She loved to watch the birds visit her feeders. After her mom had passed, her sister told mom that whenever she saw a cardinal or a butterfly, that was grandma. Mom would just roll her eyes. I asked mom if she would come back as a butterfly or a cardinal to see me. She said, "Don't you think if I could do that, that I would just visit you as myself?" I could see her point.
Some people are different. Mom didn't need a sign of any kind. She just knew that grandma was in heaven with grandpa. That was enough for her. I wish I didn't need more than the memory of my mom, but it certainly seems that I do. I don't think that is a lack of faith. I just think that I love my mom so much that I can't let go.
Aug 4, 2017
dream moon JO B
brett i fond ths pics ths mit giv u a idea
Aug 4, 2017
Brett Bowman
I saw two feathers after my post today. They were not white nor very pretty. I would love to see one. I prayed so hard last night for a dream. I didn't get one. I feel odd asking God to let me communicate with my mom, even through a dream. I just don't know what the rules are. People tell me God's rules on these things but I'm not sure it's for them to speak on God's behalf. I just miss my mom. Lord knows I miss her. I'm also not sure it will get better. I have PTSD. This happened after a car accident several years ago. Well, I actually wasn't in a car. I was run over by a car. I eventually dealt with it. I was doing well for quite a few years. Throughout my mom's sickness and then her death, the PTSD came back full throttle. Anyway... a dream or a sign would help me tremendously I think. I can always hope and pray.
Aug 4, 2017
Brett Bowman
Susan, yes. We will never be the same.
Aug 4, 2017
Dolly
I will ask God too... to reassure you in some way you will know its Him doing it...amen..
Aug 4, 2017
Brett Bowman
Thank you, Dolly. You are a wonderful mom. God Bless you.
Aug 4, 2017
Susan Smith
Aug 5, 2017
Brett Bowman
Thanks, Susan. I took a nap a little while ago. I had a dream but it wasn't a good one. I forgot what it was as soon as I awoke. I prayed today and asked God to let her hear me. I said a lot of things, mostly cried. I don't know if she heard me or not. I hope she did. It took me quite a while to actually understand that my mother had passed. I mean, I knew right away, but only in the past few months has the weight of the reality sank in. If only there was a way.
Aug 5, 2017
dream moon JO B
2 say im sean feths flot in vac i did bac i did fealin low bt 2 s day i saw a whte fethr flton i did bt dnt cash it hts tim bt i saw it
dnt if its ocz i feal a bit odf 2 day not well btwz gt sean 1
Aug 5, 2017
Brett Bowman
Jennifer, I am sorry about the loss of your husband. It has only been three weeks and I can promise you that you are still in a state of shock. There is no such thing as meaning in nothing, especially when you are grieving. We all look for, hope for something. It may very well be your husband.
It sounds like you have a loving house with kids and your mom. Lean on them. The best way to make it through grief is to know that you are loved.
Aug 10, 2017
Shelley Sawhook
After my husband died we placed his ashes next to the computer printer. That printer went off at odd times, we even unplugged it and it made noises it never had before going off. The other day it began doing it again and then my Roomba started on its own. I like to think it is him, but unlike when my son died and I dreamed of him and heard him speaking to me, I don't feel him around. The grief is worse after losing my husband because it is compounded with the loss of my son, which according to the article could prevent or lessen contact. I just pray to see him and to see that he is ok and isn't mad about me shutting off the life support.
Aug 10, 2017
Dolly
Jennifer we lost our son suddenly in 2013 and many of the things that you describe are very similar to things we also experienced... we never ASKED for signs but we got them... you described the loud noise.. in our case it was the loud sound of a toy guitar being played .. just one little riff... my son was severely physically challenged and loved music so we got him all sorts of toy guitars that he could activate by just pushing buttons on the neck of the toy... I KNEW that particular little riff.. I'd heard it over and over played by him ... I was sitting at the computer with my back to his room when the guitar sounded... BUT when I went into the room and checked all the toys in there that particular guitar was NOT THERE.... another similar experience was with a light... we have a little mountain cabin where we lived with our sons for years before moving them into town and we still go to the cabin for a rest.. just me and my husband... there's only solar power there and its very remote and hard to get to.. we kept a manger scene there with a battery operated star hanging over it... just after my son died we went for a visit and the STAR was LIT... I know we didn't LEAVE it lit... but just in case we did [we were pretty much in a state of shock still] I asked God this one time for a sign... I asked Him that if it was Him or my son that had made the light go on that it would happen again.. and we KNOW with NO doubt that we turned the star off before we left... a week later we went back to the cabin and the light was on AGAIN !! and after that it never would work any more ... we also had an instance where our computer just up and played ONE song all by itself... there were no icons anywhere.. no programs open that played music.. and this one song played and then no more... it was by a group my son loved as a child.. the Chipmunks .. but it was a song I'd never heard them do before... it was called 'We are Family'... which was even more amazing to us because our children are adopted... we also had and still have unexplained aromas that would come and go with no source.. mostly lilies.. the flower I used to buy to put on Brandon's little memory table... but there were no more lilies anywhere anymore... but still the aroma would come and go... there have just been so many... unusual sightings of animals we had never seen by our cabin in all the years we have owned it...a whole FLOCK of baby woodpeckers landed right by the house... two scarlet tanagers landed right outside the front door.. and took turns feeding off the insects... they are a VERY shy bird and before this we had only ever seen them very fleetingly in the very tops of the trees... they are so bright that they hide from the hawks... so this was very unusual.. we also saw a doe and a very young baby right outside our side door.... they never come so close usually... we saw TWO fire rainbows near our house in town in the year after he died... I never even had HEARD of a fire rainbow before... and here we saw TWO.... at two different times.... I don't share these stories with most people because they either scoff at them or pass them off as my being in some sort of mental state at the time... but I know they happened and so many of them have NO explanation whatsoever... especially the lights and the song and the guitar and the lilies... I don't understand it and I don't CARE... I'm just so grateful that I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with them and I often ask God to do the same for others who are facing this grief....
Aug 10, 2017
Dolly
Aug 10, 2017
Dolly
Shelly... the things that happened after my son's death came right away.. but with my mom and dad it was later on that I had an experience... one was the aroma of roses that came and went... its a long story but there were no roses anywhere... I looked.. I thought it was a room freshener or something... we were practicing music in a little church.. just me and the family... and mom loved roses... and the aroma happened just as I was looking into a little hymnal and had turned to a hymn I never heard of before.. called In The Beautiful Garden of Prayer... right as I was looking at it the aroma started.. and after I looked everywhere for the source and couldn't find any I said 'is that YOU mama?' and immediately the aroma VANISHED ... and my mother's favorite hymn was Sweet Hour of Prayer.. AND my husband's dad's favorite was 'In the Garden'... and he had passed some time before this as well... so the song I was looking at was sort of a combination of the two... my husband had an amazing experience after his dad died too.. he was worried that maybe his did wasn't saved.. and asked God for reassurance... shortly thereafter we were in a little local restaurant and the juke box came on and played ONE song... it was 'A Father's Love Never Ends Amen'... do you know the words to that song? amazing... so people will call us crazy .. but I don't care... I just thank God for the reassurances that our loved ones are alive and VERY well.. with Him..
Aug 10, 2017
dream moon JO B
i fodn a fehtr agan 2 day i did a big 1 so i pict up im getn few 1s laty dolly
dnt no its coz iv had rolcosr yr ths yr dnt np
yrs bean wot u call sh>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>t u cud say nt goin2 pt swer word in bt bean a bad 1
Aug 13, 2017
Dolly
I have been smelling pipe smoke a lot in the last several months.... just all of a sudden really strong and I keep looking out the window to see if the guy next door is outside on his porch or yard smoking a pipe... but always there's cars in the way between us... weirdly I'm usually not dressed because I'm on my exercise bike so I can't run outside to see better .. if it happens again I'm going to get dressed and go outside... my dad smoked a pipe... nobody else around here does... dad died when he was 93 several years ago...
Aug 13, 2017
Dolly
I wish I would hear a guitar strum again or see lights turned on by themselves or a song on the computer by itself... none of these are happening any more it seems...
Aug 13, 2017
Brett Bowman
I always say, "Animals are people, too." Losing a pet can be every bit as painful as losing a person that you love dearly. There is so much love in my two little dogs. I cannot imagine that they do not go on. My dogs are getting old. They are both sick. I hope that when they die that they will run to my mom and stay with her. I can't imagine heaven being heaven without them.
Sep 1, 2017
Olivia G
My connection with my brother was pretty intense. He fixed things that were always breaking. Including putting in a new floor in the bathroom just months before he died. When something would break, my mother would call him to fix it and he would drop whatever he was doing and repair whatever needed repairing. I don't get feelings of him watching over me. But, when the dishwasher broke, I tried to fix it, and it started storming. I started crying because I'm not as savvy as he was. And when I put together the pieces of the dishwasher I had just removed, it started working again.
This kind of thing happens a lot. I want to believe it's Dane. But, I'm still in denial. I don't want him to be gone.
Sep 2, 2017
Dolly
I know what you mean Olivia... even though I loved every thing that happened that seemed to be somehow connected to my son ... things going on and off.. music playing and then disappearing... they also made me feel the loss of him so much it was like a double sided blessing... I longed for them but they hurt so much...
Sep 2, 2017
Crystal K
Anyone felt like the universe was giving signs that your loved one was gonna leave the earth soon? The three months before my mom passed away were really weird. I had moved out a year ago but I was living one block away from her. I would be with her and suddenly the thought of her passing would pop into my head and I would think about how I would survive without her in my life. Its like my subconscious felt something was wrong because I would go to her house almost everyday after work (which was new) and she also would call more than usual to check up on me. I felt expelled to record her sometimes for idk what reason its like something was telling me, "soon you wont be seeing her so you should record this very moment."
I had left in June, a month before she died on a 3 week trip to New Zealand, and on the day I left to the airport I cried after saying goodbye, which I would never do when I went on trips. I felt hesitant about leaving her but I didn't listen to my instincts. I kill myself for taking this trip cause in those three weeks was when she was hospitalized and later died 5 days after I got back.
I've been waiting to experience signs from her but I haven't or maybe I have and haven't realized it, but I always ask for clear signs because I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to supernatural things.
I wish I believed in Heaven and God (I believe in a higher power, just don't know what that is) cause then dealing with her death would be easier. I ask for a sign everyday that she's at peace and happy but that hasn't happened to date.
Sep 26, 2017
Brett Bowman
Crystal, I can't say that my Christian beliefs make things any easier. I do take solace in knowing that she is in heaven, but the finality of my mom's death is just as real for me. There is no way around it. It hurts terribly. About a minute before my mom died, she opened her eyes wide. She sat up in bed and was staring at the ceiling. She reached over her head like she was taking someone's hand. She then laid back and died. It was amazing. I still cried my eyes out when I realized that she was gone.
You can drive yourself crazy looking for signs. There is nothing in the world that is wrong with wanting a sign. We all want one. I still pray about it so often. I have not received one. Still, I take solace in the one million plus times my mom told me that she loved me.
My experience was different than yours in that I knew that my mom was going to die. But I still had those feelings that you described. Sometimes it would hit me like a brick, like I had almost forgotten that mom was going to die. We would be laughing and watching TV, and then suddenly it would hit me. My mom was going to die. Trying to imagine how I would live my life without her was an hourly event. And it has been every bit as hard as I feared it would be. Maybe even worse. Nothing in this world can prepare you for that final breath.
Lastly, I could tell you this until I was blue in the face, but it would not do any good. Do not beat yourself up about that trip. You didn't know that your mom was dying. Look at it this way. Every time I left the house to go out with my friends (when I was young), my mom would worry that something was going to happen to me. She would imagine a car wreck or a drunk driver. Still, she had to let me live my life. I had to let her live hers. We can all look back on things that we wish that we had done. There are so many things that I would have done differently. I keep wishing that God would grant me a do-over. I know that's not going to happen. But my mom KNEW that I loved her with all of my heart. I can promise you that your mom knew the same about you.
Lean on the love that you and your mother had and still have.
Sep 26, 2017
Susan Smith
Sep 27, 2017
dream moon JO B
i seam 2 getin feths all tim i do nw sum tims big 1s i get
Sep 27, 2017
Pearl Irene
Nov 7, 2017
Brett Bowman
God Bless you, Pearl.
Nov 8, 2017
Sam Hayward
Nov 23, 2017
Dolly
Wow Sam... so awesome.. and also Pearl.. at first after my son died I had all sorts of experiences that defied explanation but now going on 5 years later they seem to have stopped pretty much.. I never had such a personal experience like you two describe but have had music and lights turn on with no explanation and certain aromas just come out of nowhere and then disappear.. I do believe that somehow God allows us to be reassured when we're separated .. and I hold every one of those experiences very dear.. my greatest hope is that we'll all be together one day again and the experiences have helped me believe that this is TRUE...I posted a picture of the light that went on at our mountain house .. we don't have power there except solar panels.. and we only go there for rest about once a week...we live in town...this light was operated by a switch.. I know it was off when we left the house and when we came back a week later it was on... I was so amazed that I asked God to turn it on again for us if it was really a sign from Him or our son that he was OK and with God... and the very next time we came back to the house it was on AGAIN .. and ever since then it has NOT worked... so yes I believe...
Nov 25, 2017
dream moon JO B
iv got thes batry oprte canls 1 trns it slf on by it slf it duz
lk u dollly it wz off wen i lft wen i got in hose agan it wz on by it slf
Nov 25, 2017
dream moon JO B
https://youtu.be/zT1KYQhL_Jw
Apr 22, 2018
dream moon JO B
sum tims u bestt of goin 2 a spirtlshh churshh u r
Apr 22, 2018
dream moon JO B
bean goin 2 my locl spirtalshstt chirhh i hav i ha lovd 1s cum trhu it died evn 1 it died berfe i wz born im still goin 2 carryon goin i am
May 16, 2018
dream moon JO B
im stilll goin 2 spirtcelsh spirtchelst churchhs i am wish im getin ansrss i am lernn lotss on a/l i am
Jun 11, 2018
Amanda Stout
Hello, My name is Amanda, I actually came across this page literally by accident however I have a strong feeling it "wasn't accidental" I was actually looking for information about "signs" from loved ones because every time I am outside a dragonfly appears and just hovers around until I go back inside, at first I didn't think much of it but here recently I began really noticing the pattern and it's honestly every time I am outside at my home (many times throughout the day) so I decided to Google any information about this or if it has happened to others, maybe not a dragonfly but something similar and this site popped up. So I want to share some of the "Blessings" as I call them with you all, I want to apologize in advance for such a long post but there's so much I want to share and I've learned that it is very helpful for me to talk about my dad and share things with others even people I don't know. It was April 19, 2005 I was 25 when I lost my Daddy, he was 59, my dad was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes when I was 5 he was 39, the ER doctors couldn't understand how/why my mom was able to walk my dad into the emergency room, his blood sugar was 900 and all the doctors and nurses said he should've been in a coma with that high of blood sugar, dad spent 2 weeks in the hospital. It was a 20 year battle with this disease, like a rollercoaster there were so many ups and downs it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to sit and watch as literally attacked every single part of his body, from his kidneys, eyes, bones and limbs. In my eyes my dad was the strongest man I knew and to this day still is, many of you can probably tell by now I was a Daddy's Girl, he was my world and if you asked anyone I was his. It was April 18, 2005 my dad was still in ICU at the hospital (so some of you know the visiting hours are a lot different) I spent every visitation with my dad that was scheduled for an hour, so on the 18th it was the last visitation for the evening, he was sitting up sideways in his bed, feet dangling over the edge and I told him he looked and must have felt great that evening, he looked at me and his words have stuck in my head still to this day he said "Baby girl, your daddy is going home" my reply was one he probably heard a few times over 20 years, I told him when the doctor tell us you can. At 3:30am (7 hours after seeing him and his words to me) April 19, 2005 the hospital called and said I needed to get there that he was unresponsive. I sit right beside him holding his hand from the moment I got there, it was my mom who looked at me and said "he is fighting for you, you need to tell him it's okay" I can promise you those 2 words were the hardest 2 words I've ever said, it was that very moment he squeezed my hand and opened his big blue eyes as a tear rolled across the bridge of his nose 15 hours after the hospital called I watched as he took his final breath. Many, many months went by after his passing until one night I had a dream that was so real it had my shaking, I called my mom and began telling her, she quickly said I'm on my way, I need to talk to you, so she gets there and we talk. My parents had separated when I was 20, probably 2 years before my dad passed my mom had gotten pregnant and my dad took it extremely hard when he found out, he was angry with me (because I was happy, I always wanted a sibling, I was their only child, my dad had 4 others from a previous marriage but they were a lot older than me) and he said some hurtful things to my mom, sadly my mom miscarried but unknowingly to me until that moment she came to talk my mom told me everything from his hurtful words to the promise he made, my dad had told her after her miscarriage that she would have the son they always wanted but he would'nt be here to see it. It was exactly 2 months after my dad passed my mom found out she was pregnant, soon later she found out it was a boy and a few months later my brother Elijah, was born, (we are 27 years apart and just a little insight my parents were 17 years apart) in my dream it was me and my mom and she told me I needed to tell my dad we were leaving but I couldn't find him, then he was there and he said "Elijah is here because of me and one day Baby Girl you too will be a mommy". I think my mom was just as shaken up as I was when I had first called her to tell her about my dream. When Elijah was 2 he was playing and asked me if I knew his friend "Donnie" I thought to myself "Oh Lord, he has imaginary friends" probably about a week to a week and a half later, me and my mom were sitting at my house (of course this big sister had him spoiled, he had his own room and toy room at my house) and Elijah comes running out of his toy room and asked if I knew "Goat" I said yes bub I know what goats are and he said "NO, My Friend Goat, he comes to see me and plays with me, he told me he really loves you and misses you" my heart sank and I busted into tears, so did my mom, you see my dads name was Donald (that's where the "Donnie" came in) and his nickname was "Goat!!", my brother never met him, dad passed in '05 and Elijah was born in '06. In 2013 I reconnected with my old boyfriend whom I dated when I was 19, we've been married for almost 4 years now. My husband to this very day still talks about the time we went to my parents for dinner and my dad told him to have a seat, they needed to talk and dad told me to go help my mom in the kitchen that this was a talk between a father and his daughters boyfriend, my husband will say he was scared to death and he will never forget "that talk". Now I tell you that this was the very FIRST and LAST time my dad ever sat down a boyfriend and had "that talk" sometimes I wonder if daddy knew something John and I didn't know many years ago. There's been many things and different signs in these 13 years since dad has passed that's happened, I have learned not to blame others for things missing, I use to blame my poor little brother but I've realized over the years it wasn't him or others, my dad was a huge practical joker. My husband and I recently moved back home to West Virginia from Louisiana, we both were born and raised here (WV) we now live in the same town where I was raised. About a month and a half ago I was sitting up stretched out on my couch playing a casino game on my tablet and my husband was in another room doing who knows what (typical man thing) when something caught my eye, I looked up and standing in the dining room stood my dad, I even shook my head as if my eyes were playing tricks on me only to still see him standing there, nothing was said but a feeling came over me, it was as if my dad was saying it's okay, I'm okay, I'm still here with you (that's the easiest way I can explain it, like for the first time I felt Peace) So that brings me back to what I was first saying about coming across this site, since moving back each time I'm outside there is 1 dragonfly that shows up out of nowhere hovering around me almost close enough to touch. A little bit ago I told my husband about it, like I said just recently did I start noticing the pattern of this occurrence with the dragonfly. My husband was outside for about 20mins before I went outside, soon after I was out there like the snap of your fingers the dragonfly appeared, my husband looks at me and said "what the" I've been out here this whole time and never once seen a dragonfly. My husband doesn't believe in things like this well I can't say it's that he don't believe I just think he doesn't want to out of fear as for myself, I smile and say "Hi Daddy, I Know You're Here and I Love You Too".
Aug 20, 2018
dream moon JO B
sorry on yore loss amanda i am
i o othrr day i smellt bannass i did i new it wz dad but smell wz strongg coz dad lovd bannas he did
Aug 20, 2018
dream moon JO B
sum tims smells get strongr thy do
Dec 17, 2018
dream moon JO B
iv smeltt beef gravyy on off lastt few dayss dad luvd beef he did evenn beef gravy he did lk his arond
iv learndd lots off spook churchh i ahv hav
seertenn smellls let u no thy hear
evn told me i need to slow get a/r in my body sortedd to lk i ned new meds wish i get it i don
i no my fingrss can stopp me frm typin coz i cnt feal keyss on lt i cnt
but lst week it spookss i got few famlyy getin trju i did
i wishd id gon in 2012 i do
it mited of stopedd mom frmg frm getin alz/dem
en my uncle so on
but thy toldd me i need to stat put my slf 1st coz ea of a old fashin atchh tim to put me 1st coz iv put otgrss 1st fro to long wush wz so spott on iv alwayss put ohrers 1s selff lastt
now to put me 1st
i n wot i need to do
its sumthng iv needed to do for yrs sisnes i w z borb
Apr 23, 2019
Alma P
When I was younger I lost one of my best friends. We were 17 and he had been shot. I felt a huge heaviness on that day and could not explain where it was coming from.
Some time later, someone told me the story of him getting shot a block away from his house. They said the date and I remember the pager from that date. The sudden jolt flooded me... tears came out of my eye sockets and blood smeared into them. I saw blood on my face in the mirror. I washed it away...
Several months later, the grief would not leave me. I fell asleep with my window open one night. I dreamt of a building next to a smaller tree. Him and i were sitting together. I was in his lap. He said "everything is going to be ok" and he hugged me before I heard a woman calling his name. Then he had to go and I woke up.
Some time later, I finally mustered up enough strength and courage to visit his grave. I found it... and not 20 ft from that grave was the building with the tree exactly as i dreamt it. I will never forget it.
That year, my 18th birthday came and a single white butterfly followed me through the house, down the hall, and into my dark bedroom. My sister in law said that is too creepy. I went in my room and I felt a comfort. Bryan used to tell me that moths and butterflies are spirits of the dead coming to visit us. I remembered him telling me that as we once sat in his garage, he missed his father who had passed away, and it brought him comfort so we let the moth stay in the garage with us as we talked all night. He also told me that he had a reoccurring dream that he would go young one day and he needed to live as much as he could until then.
So... Before I fell asleep, I told that butterfly that I knew he was there for a moment and would need to leave again... so I opened the window, and thanked him before going to sleep that night.
I didn't realize just how good he was to me in life... I later found out that I had PTSD... there were nights when I had lost track of time and woke up hugging him... without being able to explain why. He never told me or let anyone tell me. He didn't want me to feel bad so he continued to cradle me when I'd have my blackouts. He cradled me when life was darkest... and when his light needed to move on... he made sure to leave me with just enough light to be able to rekindle my own.
Jul 23, 2020
dream moon JO B
grt storyy alma it is latley iv bean gein fethrs on door stepp fali in my bags or in my handd or hanbag i ahbv
Jul 24, 2020
Alexandra Tomko
I had a conversation with my son two years after his passing. I lost him during pregnancy and it haunted me that I would never know him and that brief conversation meant the world to me. He revealed things I hadn't even realized I had been asking. In addition, I had suffered from infertility for a decade before conceiving him and after his passing my marriage was falling apart. I was sure I would never have a living child. "The pregnancy won't be easy," he said at the end of our conversation. "The pregnancy?" I asked. "It will happen. Sooner than you think." It would be a girl, he told me. And he left. As I predicted, my marriage did in fact end in divorce, and I was not seeing anyone new, so I could not figure out what he could have meant. Two years after our conversation I was wandering late at night and I was assaulted. Almost immediately I knew I was pregnant. My daughter is five now and the light of my life. She is truly a miracle, one only my son knew was coming. That conversation was the main thing that allowed me to decide to try to live again, to see any beauty or hope or love. It changed - and saved - my life.
Aug 1, 2020
Brett Bowman
Alexandria, I wish I could click a like button. God Bless You.
Aug 1, 2020
Alma P
Alexandra Tomko -
That is beautiful... thank you for sharing it. I loved reading it. Its horrible that you were assaulted by another man... I'm sorry to hear that it happened. I have to say that, I am amazed by your courage and strength to be able to see the positive side of things even after so much strife. You're amazing
Aug 1, 2020
dream moon JO B
im still getin fethrs i am i no off dad evn off lovd 1s in spirtt i am
we all wsihh we cud hav lik buttenn we wud do we do 2 brettt we do
iv bean hear sine 2012
2 day i had beef gravy smelll i did i no it wz dad agan tobacoo smook famly it smokt it wz thm
i no i hear sness spirtss i do sine goin 2 spookss churchh iv fondd lots abot spirt evn my selff i hav
i no im not mad or nutss no mor i do
or itss al in my hed but iv had lotss of fethrss i hav evn fallin on me i hav i no spirt si arond me
evn all oldd mevrs will tell us if thy hear thy av had siness 2
Aug 24, 2020
John Locke
In '91 I had a dream that I saw my grandfather and he told me he was okay. I hadn't seen him in about 5 years and didn't know until a day later that he had died the same night of my dream.
Last week on the 23rd I was watching TV in my home and clear as day I heard a female voice call my name. It was so real that I looked away from the TV and in the direction of where I heard the voice. I thought to myself, "My mom just died" because she was in the hospital recovering from surgery but that turned out to not be the case. On Sunday I went to see her. She was asleep and the lights were out when I went in her room so I sat in the dark on the couch and started to look at messages on my phone. One of the messages was from a friend who knew the brother of a woman I almost married 40 years ago. She told me that she had died on the 23rd. I had loved her all my life.
I don't know if these things are truly contacts, coincidences or explainable by other means but it does give one pause to ponder the possibility of something more.
Dec 29, 2020
Pennywyze
April 11, 2019, 2 days after Jeremy passed, he talked to me. It was a quick, "Hey!", but I knew it was him. Fast forward a few weeks. It was 3 days until his family and friends gathered to say goodbye, and I argued with him from May 1 to May 5 (the day of his benefit) because I told him I was wearing a dress to the VFW Hall to say goodbye, and raise money for his cremation and trip back home (He passed away in North Dakota, and our home is in Texas.)
Anyway, he was very mad because I didn't wear dresses for the 16 years we were together, and he'd be damned if I wore one on May 5; I told him, "I became a completely different person when I heard you died, and I'm not about jeans, t-shirts and sneakers, anymore. Besides, I wanna see you stop me".
Until the week after Thanksgiving, last year, Jeremy talked my head off. This was something I found quite absurd because when he was alive, he was a young man of few words, but when he spoke, people stopped to listen. He had gotten even more quiet in the last 4 1/2 years he was around, and even more so right before the accident.
I very much believe God allows our loved ones the ability to talk to us when they pass in order to comfort us.
I couldn't ever figure out why anyone would want to keep physical possessions of someone who passed, but I never judged because I didn't know their pain. When Jeremy passed, I had a few things, but I lost them within the first year. Although I truly truly wanted to keep something of his, I believe if it was meant for me to have anything I would have something. Not only that, but I've since come to believe that keeping ashes, locks of hair, clothes or items from the wallet of the one who is gone, we're keeping their spirit bound to Earth. Just my opinion.
Jan 23, 2021
dream moon JO B
befro mom died on mom i herd belss thn sisr fones me to el me mon sgon shes gon in in to spirtt wolrd to transhinsin
i no i wz goan do my medism shpp classs in 202020 bt cov 19 bit a b; blockk o it
day she died me my nbor had a bea arond us a bird thorin ise it us
iv env had a few fethrd dropt it me
i no it min it feals nuum rae agan but pepep its got to no me in 9 yrs sisne iv beam hear no me
but iv du lot of aurtmatc art not relzin i dun in it till yes its famly iv dun
Apr 8, 2021