My stepdad passed away earlier this week. After we took him off life support, while he was still alive, I did a meditation next to his bedside. In the meditation I talked to him about various things, and asked him if he was ready to move on. He looked hesitant, and I asked him if he wanted someone to go with him. He said yes, and I asked who. He immediately answered, "Brody"--his dog from many, many years ago. I was surprised that Brody would come to my mind so immediately, since I never knew Brody and hadn't heard my stepdad mention him in at least 20 years. I suggested that my stepdad call him, which he did, and out runs a dog that looked to me like an Irish Setter, but some part of me said, "No no, he's a Golden Retriever."
Later that day I told my mom about what I saw in the meditation, and she showed me a picture of Brody, a Golden Retriever that indeed looked more like an Irish Setter. Now, I had seen that photo before, though not in many, many years, and if someone had asked me to describe Brody before doing the meditation I don't think I would have been able to retrieve that information. (In fact, I probably would have guessed Chocolate Lab.) So all that was very curious and exciting to me in the sense that it underscores how our minds hold so much more information than we are ever consciously aware of or can access.
My question is ... Would that be classified as an example of "cryptoamnesia" or "subliminal perception"? Or both? Or neither?
Also ... I assume this is what would be classified as a "subjective paranormal experience" as it is a qualitative report other than something that could be "proven" in a lab setting.
And, incidentally, going back to the question of whether it matters if psi is real or not ... When I told my mom about the meditation (which was much more in depth than just the part about the dog), she cried out of happiness, saying that it made her feel better emotionally to hear it. Whether or not I was really "with" my stepdad in a paranormal sense, the experience provided some kind of solace for both my mom and me. In terms of scientific value, there seems to be some part of the human psyche that craves this kind of nonverbal, nonlocal connection, especially to loved ones who are preparing to pass over.
↧