It wasn’t a dream, it was reality

This story took place with a woman in Australia, it is written in first person, in the words of the woman with whom it happened:

“I hadn’t been feeling well for some time, and when I finally underwent comprehensive tests, I was presented with the worst possible news: The doctor informed me that I was suffering from a rare, but very serious, blood disease, one that is in fact much worse even than leukemia r”l. His prognosis was that I had at best a few days left to live. I lay in the hospital, miserable and depressed, and prepared for the end. My only brother, with whom I was very close, hadn’t visited me, feeling himself unable to face either me or my situation.

One night, I had a dream. In my dream, I saw myself standing at the beginning of a long dark tunnel (this is in fact a very common form of near-death experience). At the other end of the tunnel, I saw my grandmother (who had already departed from this world), and she was beckoning to me. I felt as if there was a powerful force drawing me towards her. Although I understood the significance of joining her, I was myself also agreeable to do so, eager to leave my misery and suffering behind.

Suddenly, I saw a man with a grey-white beard, standing behind me on my side of the tunnel (I subsequently identified him as the Rebbe). “Don’t go”, he called to me with great urgency, “hold on tight!”

I began to hold on tight (although it is not clear to what I was holding on), and then I awoke. I was visibly excited about what I had seen, to such a degree that, a nurse who came in to my room just then, questioned me about the cause of my excitement. I was, however, too uncomfortable to share my experience with her, and remained silent. Yet, shortly afterwards, when my mother entered the room to visit me, I shared the whole story with her.

My mother listened, without interruption, then said to me: “Wait, I’m going to call in your brother”. My brother was in the waiting room, having forced himself to come to take advantage of, what he believed to be, his last opportunity to see me alive. As soon as my mother returned to the room with my brother, she instructed my brother: “Tell her what you dreamt last night”.

My brother immediately began to relate: “Last night, I dreamt that I saw you at the beginning of a long dark tunnel. Suddenly, I saw grandmother at the opposite end, beckoning to you. I was filled with fear, when suddenly I saw the Lubavitcher Rebbe standing behind you, telling you to stay put and hold on tight. Then I awoke”.

We marveled at the fact that we had the identical dream, and I was filled with new hope and optimism.

Needless to say, I recovered. A few month later, when the worst was already behind me, I decided that I should pay a visit to the Rebbe, and express my appreciation. Accompanied by Rebbetzin Groner (wife of Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Groner), we took the trip from Australia to New York, and came to the Rebbe (while he was distributing dollars?).

When I was in front of the Rebbe, someone said ‘This is the lady who had the dream”. The Rebbe immediately responded “It wasn’t a dream, it was reality!”