Editor’s Introduction

Susan Stangl (real name) is a medical doctor and a faculty member of the UCLA School of Medicine. She has received an award for Excellence in Medical Education. This experience happened to her in April of 1999 around 7 am on awakening.

I find it quite interesting as apparent psychic impression usually involve images and feelings, but very rarely a long, exact sequence of numbers.

The Mystery Phone Number
Susan Stangl

I awoke one morning remembering a series of 7 numbers. After writing them down, I looked at the numbers and realized they were a phone number. There was no area code, however, so I was not sure whether or not it was a local number. I looked in the phone book for the local calling area and noticed that the number only existed in my own area code and not in any of the other local ones in my large metropolitan area. I did not recognize the number and I know I had never called it before, as I have a good memory for phone numbers.

I kept the paper with me and a few days later, while I was in my office one afternoon, I decided to call it. The person on the other end answered, “Optical Shop.” For a minute, I thought this might be a message to me to change my outlook on life, but I asked which optical shop it was, thinking I might know one of the doctors there. It turns out that a colleague whom I had not seen since medical school was a doctor in that practice.

I hesitated to call him, thinking that he might think I was crazy, so I sent him a note explaining what had happened and asking him to contact me, but that I would understand if he felt uncomfortable or thought it was too weird. I heard from him by e-mail. As it so happens, he is in the midst of a complete life crisis and many changes are happening to him personally and professionally. We are both avid cyclists and we have met several times to ride and have stayed in touch since then.

I know this is not an earth-shattering story, but on some level I feel that I picked up on something in him that needed contact with a friend from the past who had fond memories of him when his life was going well for him.

Contributor’s Comments on the Experience

I pay more attention to my dreams and follow up on “hunches’ that I have, whether or not they seem scientifically “sound.”