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You Are Going To Die

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Anonymous

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About 15 years ago, as I was beginning my professional career, I developed a somewhat severe case of mononucleosis. Nothing life threatening, but severe fatigue, fever, weight loss, strep throat for a couple of weeks. During the midst of all this, I awoke one night to find a brilliant white female face, almost like softly illuminated alabaster (but VERY lifelike), floating directly in front of me (about 25cm). I was too terrified to say a word. I had experienced hypnagogic illusions a few times in my childhood upon waking (all animals, BTW), but all had disappeared within a second or two. This image hung in the air for quite some. My best guess is at least 15-20 seconds. A very long time, under the circumstances. The eyes of this image looked directly into mine. I was too stunned to even blink. Being Catholic, my best frame of reference for the face was our traditional image of the BVM.

Then, quite different from any of my childhood apparitions, this image spoke (the lips moved very deliberately) in a clear and distinct female voice: "You are going to die (pause) but everything will be alright." With that, the eyes of the image closed, and the whole face faded within probably 5-6 seconds. Oddly, upon hearing the voice, I felt completely calm and at peace. I immediately arose from my bed to turn on a light and investigate, not in a panic but just filled with curiosity. I immediately took my temperature (normal), blood pressure (slightly low), and counted my fingers to make sure I wasn't dreaming (try it sometime in a dream). I was completely awake and quite alive.

I should have been terrified, but I truly was not. I stayed up for another half hour trying to take this all in. I then turned off the light and returned to bed. Within five seconds, I heard the same voice say into my left ear, "Really, you will be fine." I could feel (probably imagined) warm breath against my ear. I opened my eyes and no face was visible. That second voice shook me up a little – more than the face. I did a quick search around the flat, but nothing unusual. I was able to fall asleep about an hour after that.

First, I consider this simply a case of a hypnagogic illusion (waking dream), both visual and auditory. It was probably enhanced by my illness at the time. But it did have an endurance, clarity and effect that was quite different from my rare other experiences. I can still remember every detail of the face and voice. In a less enlightened age, I would have certainly considered this to be a “ghost” or “visitor” of some type. I offer this simply for your consideration as you ponder other reports of ghosts, night terrors, and waking dreams.

BTW, I recovered almost fully within two weeks and certainly did not die. Thank you. :p
 
Yes, but the vision will be proven right in the end.

Maybe she got her dates mixed up?

Mononucleosis - nasty!
 
Funny thing. At the time, there was an elderly gentleman who lived across the hallway from me. For a brief few moments at the time, I considered that it was a real vision and she had made a wrong turn. :D

That gentleman was, however, still alive when I moved out nine months later.

However, you are correct Lordshiva. It is a failsafe prediction.

Stilton
 
It just occurred to me while reading this -- supposedly, the human brain is hardwired for things like recognizing (human) faces. We recognize them as familiar forms at a very early age without having to learn to. I would assume that there are similar inherent faculties for voices too.

What happens if somehow these "circuits" instead of having a input stimulus and outputting a "recognized" signal, somehow either : a) spontaneously generate a spurious recognition or b) actually generate an equivalent stimulus within the brain.

This would certainly explain a lot of visions that seem entierly too realistic to be just a fevered imagination.



In your particular case Stilton, you were feeling very unwell and likely felt like you were going to die. That could have well been your unconcious talking.
 
Stilton said:
Funny thing. At the time, there was an elderly gentleman who lived across the hallway from me. For a brief few moments at the time, I considered that it was a real vision and she had made a wrong turn. :D

That gentleman was, however, still alive when I moved out nine months later.

However, you are correct Lordshiva. It is a failsafe prediction.

Stilton
Click to expand...

Maybe she's overworked and wants to take a break from all that doom and gloom and is getting the next decades visits in now?

Actually, maybe it was that man's time and she took a wrong turn but is only allowed to make one visit per call - maybe that old bloke is the luckiest man alive!
 
I am reminded of a story a researcher we had at work told me. (BTW, all that business of people being afraid to talk about their experiences - maybe that's true in general, but all I have to do is hint that I'm interested in weird stuff and people fall all over themselves to tell me their stories.)

When she was in high school, she had a number of poltergeist incidents, some of them (she said) witnessed by her brother. The most memorable was a lamp which unplugged itself from the socket and scooted across the floor at her. Shortly after the lamp incident, she saw a red glowing rift open up in the air and form itself into a demonic face, which boomed at her: "You are mine and I will destroy you!"

She was getting nervous as she told me this part (she was young and a little ditzy; I think this was her first job after finishing school), and beginning to freak herself, so instead of pressing her for details as I would have had she been calm, I said: "But it didn't. Whatever it was, you're stronger than it was."

"You're right," she said, brightening visibly. "I never saw it after that."

I guess the moral of this story and the hovering face story is, Don't believe everything the apparition tells you.
 
Absolutely.
These things are either a momentary aberration of the mind, or if they do exist, they're just having a laugh.
After all, how often do we hear of someone who gets killed by a demon? Only in Buffy and other such fiction do demons have any real power to do any harm.
 
Mythopoeika said:
Absolutely.
These things are either a momentary aberration of the mind, or if they do exist, they're just having a laugh.
After all, how often do we hear of someone who gets killed by a demon? Only in Buffy and other such fiction do demons have any real power to do any harm.
Click to expand...
There's always the Bell Witch. I think there have been other stories, too, of course none proven by forensics.
 
Going back to the original post, maybe Death has employed a team of image consultants.
I can just picture the meeting...

"Okay, well for a start I think you're going to have to lose the scythe and this whole skeletal look, it's just so old fashioned..."
 
Stilton said:
First, I consider this simply a case of a hypnagogic illusion (waking dream), both visual and auditory. It was probably enhanced by my illness at the time.
Click to expand...

I'd be inclined to agree -- I had rather severe Mononucleosis (Glandular Fever) myself about 3 years ago (tonsilitis and general malaise for about 6 months and then 2 weeks of horrible symptoms much like yours).

During those final two weeks I experienced disturbed vision, a sense of dislocation in the day plus some really nasty, vivid dreams at night (when my fever was usually at its height). I don't remember them now but at the time they really gave me the willies and it's the only time I've had "movie" nightmares -- in which you awaken with a start in the middle of the night and sit up, sweating and upset.

Bizarre experience though.
 
Heck, maybe you're dead now.

But it's alright, right?

On a serious note, I agree it probably was just that you felt so bad that you were gonna die, and you were delirious and having illusory visions.
 
I'd be scared if I had the same dream, but the disembodied face said "your're not going to die, you're going to live to a very very long time, but become increasingly unintelligible and incontinent".

Phew
 
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