The phenomenology and impact of hallucinations concerning the deceased

Abstract

Background People who have suffered the loss of a loved one may subsequently report sensory experiences of the deceased (termed ‘after-death communications’, or ADCs). Such encounters are common and can be a source of comfort to the bereaved. Nevertheless, there has been limited empirical investigation of this phenomenon, and consequently mental health professionals feel ill-equipped to support those who disclose them. Aims To map the phenomenology of ADCs, and identify covariates and effects upon the recipient. Method We conducted an online mixed-methods survey comprising 194 items about all aspects of ADCs. A purposive sample of 1004 respondents across three language groups (English, French and Spanish) completed the survey. Results The most common form of ADC was during sleep, but large numbers of cases involved sensory modalities of touch, sight, hearing, smell and sense of presence that externalised the phenomenon for the recipient. Variations in incidence with participant gender and language group suggest a psychosocial component. ADCs were typically regarded by the participant as deeply meaningful and comforting. Respondents reported significant increases in their sense of spirituality, but not religiosity. Conclusions ADCs are a common feature of bereavement that occur unexpectedly, and are independent of any underlying pathology or psychological need. For the person experiencing the hallucination, they are important and meaningful events that they interpret in terms of continuing bonds with the deceased. This adaptive outcome may be stymied where mental health professionals trivialise or pathologise disclosures about ADCs.

Shared Death Experiences: A Multicultural Survey

“…The prevalence of visual and visual-auditory experiences observed in our study is similar to those reported by Elsaesser et al, (2021); Penberthy et al, (2021) and the Shared Cross Initiative, (2021). The main difference was related to tactile experiences which were reported as more frequent in the above cited studies than in our one.…”

“…Similar to Elsaesser et al, (2021); Penberthy et al, (2021) and the Shared Cross Initiative, (2021), most of our participants were women. Does this finding suggest that women are more prone to SDEs/ADCEs, because they express stronger emotional bonds with their deceased?…”

“…Similar to the Shared Cross Initiative, (2021) and Elsaesser et al, (2021) studies, SDEs/ADCs were lived both in a dream state and in a normal state of consciousness and at a distance from the dead or dying person.…”

The Case for Postmortem Survival from the Winners of the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies Essay Contest: A Level of Evidence Analysis

“…In contrast to Delorme et al, we contend that end-of life, shared death and after-death communication experiences as well as reincarnation phenomena are currently investigated with good scientific methodology (e.g., Elsaesser et al, 2021;Masayuki, 2017;Penberthy et al, 2021;Shared Cross Initiative, 2021;Tucker, 2016), whereas phenomena like physical mediumship, electronic voice phenomena, and instrumental transcommunications require more advanced experimental designs in order to support their reality.…”

When the Truth Is Out There: Counseling People Who Report Anomalous Experiences

“…A third category concerns “encounter” experiences in which people have the impression that they are in contact with “another world.” This includes (6) Near-Death Experiences (NDE; van Lommel et al, 2001 ; Mobbs and Watt, 2011 ) occurring especially after comas or clinical death, and which some people (after “seeing,” for example, a tunnel or deceased loved ones) interpret as being a journey in the afterlife ( Parnia et al, 2014 ). A belief in life after death is also frequent in (7) mediumistic experiences which correspond to the alleged ability to communicate with the deceased ( Taylor, 2005 ; Kamp et al, 2020 ; Elsaesser et al, 2021 ). In experiences of (8) reincarnation , the person, sometimes a child, experiment with, and believe in, past life memories ( Stevenson, 1967 ; McNally, 2012 ); and (9) Mystical experiences can also be classified in this encounter category and correspond to an intense and global feeling of having “become one” with God or the universe.…”