– beings of some sort – that glided to her side, levitated her and carried her to the locked door, which now opened by itself. She was deposited outside in the hot August sun.

You might hear voices calling to you. In 1989, after her plane took off, travel agent Shari Peterson prepared to loosen her seat belt and take a sleeping pill. But then she heard a voice w

A 1993 poll by Time magazine provided one of the most detailed looks at how Americans view angels. About two thirds of respondents reported that they believed in angels. Nearly half said they had a guardian angel. In fact, about a third declared that they had experiences with their angels. The great majority described the angel as a superior, non-human being -- the classic religious angel. But a minority, about 15 percent, disagreed. They considered an angel to be a departed human being.

How can you tell if, as the popular TV show put it, you have been “touched by an angel?”

Well, you may literally have been touched. Some report physical contact. A South Carolina businessman accidentally fell overboard. The boat’s skipper realized some eight miles later that he was gone, executed a perfect 180-degree turn and miraculously found the victim in the ocean nearly an hour later, still treading water and floating – but at the end of his strength. As he sank, the businessman felt hands grip him, support him and propel him to the boat.

You might see a dazzling being of light – the angel in its native glory. A 9-year-old Iowa farm girl accidentally locked herself in her father’s refrigerated meat truck. Some time later, slowly freezing to death, she shut her eyes and prayed for God to “take” her to relieve her of the painful hypothermia. Through her closed eyelids, she noticed a light. When she opened her eyes, she saw two shimmering columns of light – beings of some sort – that glided to her side, levitated her and carried her to the locked door, which now opened by itself. She was deposited outside in the hot August sun.

You might hear voices calling to you. In 1989, after her plane took off, travel agent Shari Peterson prepared to loosen her seat belt and take a sleeping pill. But then she heard a voice wh

assic religious angel. But a minority, about 15 percent, disagreed. They considered an angel to be a departed human being.

How can you tell if, as the popular TV show put it, you have been “touched by an angel?”

Well, you may literally have been touched. Some report physical contact. A South Carolina businessman accidentally fell overboard. The boat’s skipper realized some eight miles later that he was gone, executed a perfect 180-degree turn and miraculously found the victim in the ocean nearly an hour later, still treading water and floating – but at the end of his strength. As he sank, the businessman felt hands grip him, support him and propel him to the boat.

You might see a dazzling being of light – the angel in its native glory. A 9-year-old Iowa farm girl accidentally locked herself in her father’s refrigerated meat truck. Some time later, slowly freezing to death, she shut her eyes and prayed for God to “take” her to relieve her of the painful hypothermia. Through her closed eyelids, she noticed a light. When she opened her eyes, she saw two shimmering columns of light – beings of some sort – that glided to her side, levitated her and carried her to the locked door, which now opened by itself. She was deposited outside in the hot August sun.

You might hear voices calling to you. In 1989, after her plane took off, travel agent Shari Peterson prepared to loosen her seat belt and take a sleeping pill. But then she heard a voice w

er realized some eight miles later that he was gone, executed a perfect 180-degree turn and miraculously found the victim in the ocean nearly an hour later, still treading water and floating – but at the end of his strength. As he sank, the businessman felt hands grip him, support him and propel him to the boat.

You might see a dazzling being of light – the angel in its native glory. A 9-year-old Iowa farm girl accidentally locked herself in her father’s refrigerated meat truck. Some time later, slowly freezing to death, she shut her eyes and prayed for God to “take” her to relieve her of the painful hypothermia. Through her closed eyelids, she noticed a light. When she opened her eyes, she saw two shimmering columns of light – beings of some sort – that glided to her side, levitated her and carried her to the locked door, which now opened by itself. She was deposited outside in the hot August sun.

You might hear voices calling to you. In 1989, after her plane took off, travel agent Shari Peterson prepared to loosen her seat belt and take a sleeping pill. But then she heard a voice w

in its native glory. A 9-year-old Iowa farm girl accidentally locked herself in her father’s refrigerated meat truck. Some time later, slowly freezing to death, she shut her eyes and prayed for God to “take” her to relieve her of the painful hypothermia. Through her closed eyelids, she noticed a light. When she opened her eyes, she saw two shimmering columns of light – beings of some sort – that glided to her side, levitated her and carried her to the locked door, which now opened by itself. She was deposited outside in the hot August sun.

You might hear voices calling to you. In 1989, after her plane took off, travel agent Shari Peterson prepared to loosen her seat belt and take a sleeping pill. But then she heard a voice w

– beings of some sort – that glided to her side, levitated her and carried her to the locked door, which now opened by itself. She was deposited outside in the hot August sun.

You might hear voices calling to you. In 1989, after her plane took off, travel agent Shari Peterson prepared to loosen her seat belt and take a sleeping pill. But then she heard a voice whisper to her: “Fasten your seat belt. You’re in for the ride of your life.” Within minutes, an explosion tore a huge hole in the plane’s side – right next to her seat. She watched in horror as nine passengers were sucked out of the plane, but her belt, though strained, held her in place. The plane plunged 1500 feet per minute toward the ocean. Lights blacked out, and passengers screamed or quietly spoke final words to one another. Peterson prayed for help, and “in my mind’s eye,” she said, “I saw this hand just swoop out of the clouds ... go almost under the side and bring the plane down gently.” The violent descent stopped, and the plane limped back to safety in Honolulu amid the cheers of the passengers.

You may have a strong feeling to do or say something – even something that seems illogical at the time – which later turns out to be correct course of action. 10 nights in a row, Cincinnati office worker David Booth had nightmares of an American airlines jet flipping over and crashing down in a huge fireball. Every night booth woke up crying. The FAA took his dreams seriously and tried unsuccessfully to identify the particular jet – figuring it was either a Boeing 727 or a DC 10 from Booth’s description. Booth never had the nightmares again after May 25, 1979. On that day, actress Lindsay Wagner, TV’s Bionic Woman, had a strong negative premonition as she and her mother were about to board an American Airlines DC-10, Flight 191, at Chicago’s O’Hare ai