I’m adding my retrieval experience from the class.  Sorry it took so long to write it up, but here it is.

The helper began to fade in and I was confused at first because he seemed to be wearing a costume with a cloak and hat. I thought at first it was the dress of someone based in rural Spain, but then it became obvious that the helper was dressed as a monsignor, or a higher level catholic priest.  This immediately pushed a few of my buttons since I was raised catholic and left it as soon as I left home. I looked down and saw that I was dressed as a rather old fashioned nun, which REALLY pushed more buttons.  I found myself standing, then sitting by an old, hunched over, rounded back/shoulders  male, heavyset and tubby, round faced, with hardly any hair, just some thinning and straggly toward the back. He was in a wheelchair in a  basic nursing home room, and one that was not particularly modern.  I thought it could be local, and maybe from the 70’s or 80’s.  The man was really out of it, almost comatose in his level of non- responsiveness.  I figured really advanced dementia, Alzheimer's, or something similar. I asked what his name was and they said this was Father Shultz.  He had no money, so I didn’t get a year. He had the feel of a very traditional (women have their lower place), somewhat ego driven, but nice person before his illness and aging.  He didn’t respond to me talking to him, so the helper indicated to touch him.  I rubbed his hands, and then his face, then his hands again trying to get him to notice me.  That didn’t work either.  I turned to the helper for suggestions and he gave me a rosary. I took it and put it between the priest's fingers and pressed them on the beads, and moved the beads in his fingers so he could really feel them. He started to finger them and that worked, they and the room disappeared.
 
I figured I was done, but there was still time left and I remembered Bruce said we could follow them to the afterworld.  I’d not done this before – visited under other circumstances, but not really followed a retrieved person back.  There, the helper had already turned the priest over to two other helpers.  I found them tucking him into a bed in a big room that had other beds, some empty, some had occupants.  The helper faded out of his monsignor outfit into a white gown even as I watched, and he turned much younger looking.   When I asked, he said to call him George.  I asked why they picked me for this retrieval, since I was uncomfortable with the catholic bit.  He said that I was ideal because of my background and that I would understand the situation better than most.  I asked what would happen with Father Schultz next.  He said that he would be taken to the catholic section.  I asked it that was with Jesus and the whole strict catholic belief system.  He said yes, and asked if I would like to visit and began walking me there (or somewhere), and saying I could speak with him (Jesus).  I was shaking my head no, to not bother, he was busy, etc. and I’m not all that interested in the catholic section, when Jesus was with us almost instantly, and said he was happy to see me.  There was a perceptible rise in the energy level which was very cool.  I asked if Father Schultz would stay in the catholic section, that it seemed so limiting, and well, sad.  Jesus said no, that he would eventually come out on the other side.  That was good news and I felt better about it. Then Bruce called us back.

After I shared with my partnered classmate, she suggested I look for  Father Schultz on the internet since the computers were several yards away where we were sitting.  I did and a Father Schultz obit popped up immediately.  Even better, the photo would look just like him if you added ten or fifteen years, bent him more, and lost more of his hair. He wasn’t local though, he died in New Jersey in 2013 at age 90.  Also, I had thought he was stuck back in the 70’s or 80’s because that is what the room looked like, but if this is the correct person, he was stuck in 2013, so I was wrong about that.  There was no indication of his state of mind when he died.

By way of background, I started doing retrievals years ago when I read one of Bruce’s first books.  I’ve “seen” dead people since I was a teenager.  I stopped retrievals and the entire subject cold turkey, except for family and friends, a few years ago.  I'm going to look for my notes on that crazy retrieval and will post it.

I have met Jesus before on rare occasions  - during another retrieval, once through a Reiki experience, and also during a mediation.  Each time was pretty intense, but, he feels like a warm, welcoming, personal acquaintance/friend (Of course it could just be all that catholic training… or a guide pulling my leg...)

Bruce, the class was great!  I learned a few points that really helped me understand some happenings  – stuff that had made me think I was a little crazy and that I was making it all up, to the point of keeping further retrievals limited to people I knew personally.  It turns out, those sticking points that bothered me so much could be normal parts of retrievals. Who knew. So thank you for that. I needed to take your class a long time ago.  Am looking forward to your next one!

Mary Jo

In answer to you question about earlier experiences with dead people, the first I noticed was my grandma, and that was when I was in my late teens.  (I really hadn't had much experience with death earlier, and where I did, it never occurred to me to pay close attention, or that seeing them was even possible.) I went with my mom to the funeral home where she was making arrangements for the showing.  While waiting by myself with the casket, I could "see" someone dancing and twirling around in the funeral parlor room in front of grandma's casket, very strange, and I might have been fearful if the emotion was anything but sheer joy.  She was young, pretty, and wearing an old fashioned white fancy long dress.  It took me awhile to figure out that it was grandma, because she was so young and happy, and not the old lady I knew. But she let me know it was her.  I refused to go to her funeral because she was just too happy about being dead. The experience blew me away.

After that I started paying attention, and the dead person  always attended their service. They each handle it differently though.  Some stay in front or to the side, or the back, some go through and sit with family members, and seem to talk to them.  One of my aunts looked like she was attending her wedding - she was formal, stately, beautiful (still old though), and sat in a place of honor right in front of the church.  One kid ran around to all his friends, and up and down the aisle, until his older sister (who also died as a child - genetic issues) who had come and sat with the family, got him, taking his hand and she lead him away about 3/4 of the way through the service.  Interestingly, the older sister looked like a teenager, although she had died as a child too, but she would have been a teenager if she had lived.  Anyway, it is interesting. 

Apologies if my questions are taking this thread off topic. It is just that it is so rare that people post this kind of actual specific experience here in step by step detail. I certainly understand if you post nothing else immediately, and I greatly appreciate what you have contributed here.

Vicki, In answer to your comments, I only saw grandma after she had died and mom went to the funeral home to make more arrangements for (presumably) the showing/service/funeral.  I didn't see dead people when I was younger that I know of. I never paid any attention, and wouldn't have paid attention then except she was right there in front of me, and so joyous.  Mom never worked at a funeral home - that could have been interesting.

Regarding me knowing that it was his sister who lead the little boy away, you have a point, and I could be wrong. I'd never met the deceased sister, had seen pictures of her as a child, but at the time I knew it was her.  Beyond that, she looked a lot like her older sister, several inches taller though, wore her hair long, unlike her living sister's short blunt cut. She stayed beside the family through most of the service, and was pretty noticeable because she wore a quite plain, long white dress with puffed short sleeves. I was a bit surprised when she showed up because I'd not seen that happen before, and I did wonder about the age, but I'm sure it was her, so that would mean she grew up over there.  I don't know if this is what usually happens, this has (thankfully) been my only experience with a child's funeral service, and only experience with a deceased child growing up.  So, not enough to assume it always happens that way.