The vision I had, however, was totally unlike any dreams I have had. It was almost 'more than' real, with 3-D sounds, deep tactile senses and �real time� vision. It is the first time I have ever been 'shocked' by the lucidity of a 'dream' (for lack of a better word). 

In my dream, I �appeared� outside a terraced house with a door in front of me. A lady dressed completely in white was opening it. She smiled in a friendly way and I floated into the house and into a room. I noticed a long couch, like a psychiatrists couch, in the left corner of the room (as I was floating near the door). Then a dog appeared lying down on the couch � it was a German shepherd dog, lying on its side. I sensed my hand traveling towards its uppermost (right) ear, but when I did so I heard a high-pitched droning/whining sound � like someone rubbing the edge of a fine wine glass. As I took my hand away the sound lessened, and as I put my hand closer it got louder. I sensed that there must be something wrong with the dog�s hearing. 

When I looked back at the couch, there was a black and white cat sitting on it and the dog had gone. I reached my hand towards cat in the same friendly way, but its right paw shot towards me. I jolted backwards slightly shocked (I hadn�t been expecting that, since it looked friendly enough) and this caused me to wake up. 

I woke up in bed and it was around 8pm. I had been sleeping for 2 hours and my wife was awake in bed next to me. I told her what I had seen, since it was so strange and a dream like that had never happened to me before. 

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Apart from being it being highly lucid (and my feeling that it meant something) there would have been nothing particularly exceptional about this. However, this is what happened on the next day when I attended my Reiki course.

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The next day (Sunday 2nd March 2003), I went to a Reiki teacher. I had never met her before, but we had spoken on the phone once when I arranged the course about one week previously. 

When I found her address, it was a small terraced house. I knocked on the door and �to my very great surprise � a woman dressed entirely in white answered the door. I was already thinking, �this is weird�, but only smiled and shook her hand as she invited me in. 

Fran showed me through to a long, small corridor. In the back room of the house she invited me to sit down. Her husband was in the room and he introduced himself, but I was more interested in what was in the left corner of the room � a therapist�s couch! Her husband asked �are you okay?� noticing that I was obviously thinking about something and was distracted. I told him I was fine, but as I did so I noticed the German shepherd dog that was in the kitchen! 

Seeing the dog, I was overcome with a very strange 'what the hell is going on' kind of feeling. Now there was no doubt in my mind that I had seen everything in this house � yesterday, before ever being here.  

Emboldened by seeing the dog, I asked Fran �Is there anything wrong with your dog�s ear?�. She looked at her husband then asked �What ear?� as if testing me. �The right ear� I said, half expecting her to ask me what on earth I was talking about. �The dog has an ear infection in that ear�, she explained calmly, �he keeps sticking his head under the gate trying to get to the cat�. 

Before I had even seen the cat, I just knew what it looked like! The Reiki course itself was fairly normal, but this was the strangest day of my life � not because it was strange, but because I had seen it all last night � BEFORE it had happened. I was also elated that I had had the sense to tell my wife of my dream BEFORE it appeared for real! 

With hindsight, I do not know why this happened to me, and I don�t know how. However, it was a definitive turning point in my life � the point that I knew for certain that life was far more exciting and deep than what most people would consider to be �normal�.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No       There was nothing threatening in any way.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    I was at a heightened state of consciousness throughout the 'dream' (though I hesitate to call it a dream)

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness?    More consciousness and alertness than normal
If your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience was different from your normal every day consciousness and alertness, please explain:            Sounds were 'felt' as well as heard in 3-D (the closest thing I have experienced is listening to a Michael Oldfield track that has a swirling 3-D effect to it), vision was 'simultaneous' and wide-angled, and I could 'discover' things (understand the truth in them) when it became clear what was going on.

Did your vision differ in any way from your normal, everyday vision (in any aspect, such as clarity, field of vision, colors, brightness, depth perception degree of solidness/transparency of objects, etc.)?  Yes     Vision was from a high angle (probably off the floor), plus it was self-focusing on what I was thinking about (I didn't need to move) I just needed to think where something was and I focused onto it immediately.

Did your hearing differ in any way from your normal, everyday hearing (in any aspect, such as clarity, ability to recognize source of sound, pitch, loudness, etc.)?
            Yes     Like a deep, rich form of hearing. 3-dimensional and capable of much better clarity, depth and range.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     No

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            I knew that I was not really there. This being so, I was amazed at how real it all was. This in itself led to me telling my wife about it (which I never normally do when I have normal dreams).

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Uncertain      I saw no beings, but when I went to the Reiki course my instructor told me that she 'saw' a man standing next to me in the room (the one described in my account) who was dead. I asked who it was and she said 'a friend of yours'. At that point I knew it was probably Al Marsh a friend who had committed suicide in New Zealand a month or two previously - I had been very concerned about why he died and didn't attempt to call me or my brother (we were both close to him, but especially my brother). I still don't know if he WAS there since I don't really know how I feel about ghosts etc. However, she should not have been able to know that anyway! I certainly said nothing, and when she said it I automatically went on the defensive (as far as giving her any information and body signals that she might use to read my body language and speech).

Did you experience a review of past events in your life?    Yes     I learned that there is definitely something more to life than what we think we know. I pride myself of being logical and scientific. My response to religion had always been logical too. After this experience, I knew for sure that what happened to me CANNOT have happened - in scientific terms. However, I DID see exactly what happened the next day - BEFORE it actually happened. I saw the same person wearing the same clothes, in the same house, with the same room contents, with the same dog, with the same cat and I KNEW that the dog had an ear problem - all before I ever came across them!

What does this mean? I think it means that we humans are capable of far more than we know.

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Yes     My wife can verify that I told her exactly what happened on the night BEFORE it happened. She remembers because I was so excited by it and told her what I saw in detail. I also asked her what it meant, and we agreed that it was probably my excitement at going to the course on the next day. She was as surprised as I was when it all happened again for real.

Also I told my Reiki instructor what had happened. No doubt she will be able to tell you approximately what I said (if she remembers!)

Did you see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or dimensions?           No
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?     Yes     I 'knew' that the dog in the vision had an ear problem (from the sound coming from it). I knew what the cat looked like as soon as the 'lady in white' mentioned the cat. Both turned out to be 100% correct, accurate copies of the reality I would see the next day.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? No

Did you become aware of future events?       Yes                My whole 'vision' experience was about future events. It was only the next day that I found out that they had been a prophetic vision of the future.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience?     Yes     I had a 'spontaneous' OBE experience about 1 month ago (in my bedroom) but when I found myself out of my own body I immediately though 'you had better go back to your body' - and at once found myself back in my body.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I told my wife about my vision and my recent OBE. I don't really know why they are happening - apart from my obvious new orientation towards a more spiritual life. 

I have come to believe that my afterlife (of which I now have no doubt), is of more importance than this life. Here, in this life, only love, faith, humility and giving are now of any importance to me. This is why I wish to dedicate the rest of my life to being a priest.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?    Yes     I have heard description of it and have read articles about several accounts. However, I didn't ever expect anything similar (and I do believe my case IS similar) to an NDE. The obvious difference is that in my case there was no death or even mild suffering.

How did you view the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:            Experience was definitely real    I knew that I had seen something BEFORE it happened. Fortunately for me, I had also told my wife before it happened too (that was lucky). There is NO WAY to explain this (without just saying that I'm a liar) without conceding that there is some mechanism somewhere (in these otherwise quite mundane lives of ours) that is truly wonderful to experience. 

In the days after it happened I half expected more to happen - but nothing more did happen (quite a disappointment at the time). However, this experience alone has re-directed me towards God and a spiritually-centered life - and one more accepting of others. I am also more accepting of the mundane and boring aspects of life. 

I don't know why this happened, and I don't know how - I just know that I am grateful for the experience. It may be that Al had something to do with it - after all he died only a month or two before this. I didn't see him, or 'feel' him (and I have never seen a ghost, nor do I expect to) - but it may be that he 'felt' my sense of loss. I kept thinking about him every day since he died, but being an emotional introvert I preferred to keep my feelings to myself. I don't know that this is the case, it is just speculation.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?            The whole experience was deep, rich and immensely powerful. The ability to see something before it happens is a truly astounding experience - especially as something you have already seen unfolds before your eyes for real. It is impossible to describe the sense of awe (at WHAT is happening), amazement (that it is happening to YOU) and wonder. How this happened and why are questions that are always on my mind - even over a year later.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:            Experience was definitely real    My experience has changed my view of the world, life, death and how I interact with others. I have become more spiritual, more seeking of God yet more accepting of other people from other religions and beliefs.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?           Yes     I can endure more hardship and prefer to let others hurt me rather than retaliate and inflame the situation. I have more humility before others and the world (e.g. animals, nature) and more interest in the positive than the negative.

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?            Yes            I have always believed in God (somehow), and have been a Christian (Orthodox) since I was 34. However, I now regularly pray, read religious literature and scripture and hold that religion is far more important than I ever imagined it would be in my life. Religion and spirituality are the only things in life that truly matter -especially the religious principles of love, giving of self, sacrifice for others, humility, etc.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?          I believe that experiences of this kind make you 'evolve' as a human being. Since my experience, I have more and more accepted and adopted the high moral principles advocated by Christ (and other religious leaders/prophets)

Did the questions asked and information you provided so far accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?         Yes     I believe that you now know (as far as you can) what my experience was like. I myself still don't know why it happened, but I am glad that it did.