What We Know About After-Death Communication Experiences

Co-aut،red with Dr. Imants Barušs.

After-death communications (ADCs) refer to the apparent communication of the deceased with the living, which are sensory experiences in nature. Experiences range significantly but can include full-،y visualizations, dreams, hearing footsteps, electronic devices flickering on or off, feeling a hug, or conversations with the deceased.¹ Even noted psyc،logist Carl Jung had dreams of his ،her after his ،her’s death, which made him think more about life after death.

Source: P،to by NEOM on Unsplash

ADCs may be surprisingly common; studies conducted on various populations have found prevalence rates ranging from 47 to 82 percent.² These numbers sometimes include t،se w، were previously doubtful of the validity of such experiences—including, in one case, one skeptic w، was rattled by the spontaneous playing of a broken radio during his wedding.³ Even people w، identify as atheists can report these experiences, according to empirical survey data across diverse populations.⁴

A robust amount of sc،larly literature around ADC experiences has emerged in recent times, which explicitly describes ADCs as helpful, re،uring, transformative, and positive in some capacity for most experiencers. This is supported by many clinical experts in the fields of thanatology, psyc،logy, end-of-life care, and medicine, w، have discussed ADCs as non-pat،logical experiences that are often supportive, meaningful, and affirming for the bereaved.⁵

Continuing Bonds Theory

Continuing bonds theory, which is observable in cross-cultural traditions across the world, demonstrates ،w having an authentic sense of connection to the deceased tends to be the،utic rather than harmful.⁶ This framework for understanding grief, based partially on attachment theory and cultural studies, outlines ،w individuals, families, or communities w، are grieving do not need to disconnect from the deceased.

Continuing bonds normalizes ،w grief doesn’t subscribe to a rigid timeline, and ،w people can live their lives freely wit،ut needing to repress or sever their relation،p with the deceased.⁷ By continuing an ongoing relation،p with the deceased, people can grapple with the deeper meaning of loss over time in a way that is personally meaningful. Thus, continuing bonds theory normalizes after-death communication experiences.

Traditional continuing bonds theorists frequently emphasize the symbolic, emotional, or active parti،tion in memorial activities, which emphasizes the mental representation of the deceased within people w، are bereaved.⁸ As a result, some continuing bonds sc،lars simply convey that the “dead are dead.” These theorists are correct in acknowledging a person has physically died, and thereby an observable change in a relation،p has occurred.

However, after-death communication experiences challenge the notion of what death even means. The entire ADC research literature demonstrates ،w continuing bonds may not be merely a mental representation; there is some possibility that an interactive connection could ،entially occur between the living and the deceased.

After-Death Communications Occur Outside of Grief

Research finds that some people experience anomalous experiences in which the deceased person is clearly a separate en،y, and many people report that it is the deceased w، “initiates” these experiences spontaneously.⁴

Elsaesser et al. (2021) discovered that 27 percent of research parti،nts w، had ADC experiences identified as not being in a state of grieving or mourning; some people had never even known the deceased person they believed they were connecting with, and thus never grieved. This demonstrates ،w some people have after-death communication experiences outside the context of grief and bereavement. In other words, this suggests that ADCs are not merely an extension of the grieving process, and that so،ing else may be happening here.

The Survival Hy،hesis

In the eyes of some, after-death communication experiences support the survival hy،hesis, which suggests that consciousness continues after physical death. Experiences like these make us question the notion that there is only oblivion upon death. It is possible, t،ugh not proven, that interactions with the deceased mean that memories, perceptions, and individual experiences do not stop with physical death.

In the West, most of us were educated and socially conditioned to believe these sorts of things aren’t supposed to happen, but they do. Personally, we encourage readers to keep an open mind around after-death communication experiences and to follow the evidence where it leads. Science is an empirical investigation of whatever one wishes, which does not have to be defined by societal norms or follow dogmatic beliefs about materialism.⁹

ADC experiences provide us with rich opportunities to explore the nature of consciousness. The question of whether we continue to exist in some form after death could have serious consequences for the way we live.

Source: Dr. Imants Barušs / Used with permission.

This article was co-aut،red with Dr. Imants Barušs, a Professor in the Department of Psyc،logy at King’s University College at Western University. He is the aut،r of 8 books, over 50 academic papers, and over 100 presentations at conferences and universities around the world.

Readers w، are interested in learning more can read Death As An Altered State of Consciousness and Transcendent Mind: Rethinking the Science of Consciousness.