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After Death Communication
~ Joyous Reunions With Deceased Loved Ones ~
©1995; by Bill Guggenheim & Judy Guggenheim
co-authors of Hello From Heaven! published by Bantam Books
Have you been contacted by a loved one who has died? After-death communication (ADC) is probably as old as mankind, but ours is the first complete research study of this field. These spiritual experiences are extremely common, and in many other parts of the world they are discussed openly and freely.
Between 1988 & 1995, we interviewed 2,000 people who live in all fifty American states and the ten Canadian provinces. Ranging in age from children to the elderly, they represent diverse social, educational, economic, occupational, and religious backgrounds. We conservatively estimate that at least 50 million Americans, or 20% of the population, have had one or more ADC experiences – and the actual numbers may be closer to double these figures!
We collected more than 3,300 firsthand accounts of ADCs from people who have been contacted by a deceased family member or friend. These are spontaneous and direct communications that may occur anytime and anywhere, but no third parties such as psychics, mediums, hypnotists, or devices of any kind are involved.
Based upon our research, the following are the twelve most frequent types of after-death communication people report having with their deceased loved ones:
Sensing A Presence: This is the most common form of contact. But many people discount these experiences, thinking, "Oh, I'm just imagining this." It's a distinct feeling that your loved one is nearby, even though he or she can't be seen or heard. Though most often felt during the days and weeks immediately after the death, you may sense his or her presence months and even years later.
Hearing A Voice: Some people state they hear an external voice, the same as when a living person is speaking to them. However, the majority of communications are by telepathy – you hear the voice of your relative or friend in your mind. When you have two-way communication, it is usually by telepathy. In fact, it's possible to have an entire conversation this way.
Feeling A Touch: You may feel your loved one touch you with his or her hand, or place an arm around your shoulders or back, for comfort and reassurance. You may feel a tap, a pat, a caress, a stroke, a kiss, or even a hug. These are all forms of affection, nurturing, and love.
Smelling A Fragrance: You may smell your relative's or friend's favorite cologne, after-shave lotion, or perfume. Other common aromas are: flowers (especially roses), bath powders, tobacco products, favorite foods, and his or her personal scent.
Visual Experiences: There are a wide variety of visual experiences, which we have divided into two broad categories: partial visual and full visual ADCs. Appearances range from "a transparent mist" to "absolutely solid" with many gradations in between. You may see only the head and shoulders of your relative or friend, or someone you love may make a full appearance to you, and you will see the entire body as well, which will appear completely solid. Some visual ADCs occur in the bedroom, next to or at the foot of the bed. Others may happen anywhere – indoors or outdoors – even in a car or aboard a plane. Typically he or she will be expressing love and well-being with a radiant smile. Loved ones virtually always appear healed and whole regardless of their cause of death. Verbal communication may take place, but not always.
Visions: You may see an image of a deceased loved one in a "picture" that is either two-dimensional and flat or three-dimensional like a hologram. It's like seeing a 35 mm slide or a movie suspended in the air. Visions are usually in radiant colors and may be seen externally with your eyes open or internally in your mind. Communication may occur, especially during meditation.
Twilight Experiences: These occur in the alpha state – as you're falling asleep, waking up, meditating, or praying. You may have any or all of the above types of experiences while you are in this state of consciousness.
ADC Experiences While Asleep: Sleep-state ADCs are much more vivid, intense, colorful, and real than dreams. They are very common. Both one-way and two-way communications are typical. You usually feel your loved one is with you in person – that you're having an actual visit together. These experiences are not jumbled, filled with symbols, or fragmented the way dreams are.
Sleep-state ADCs are similar to those that occur when you are wide awake. Your relative or friend can come to you more easily, however, when you are relaxed, open, and receptive, such as while you are in the alpha state or asleep.
Out-Of-Body ADCs: These may occur while you are asleep or in a meditative state. They are dramatic experiences during which you leave your body and often visit your loved one at the place or level where he or she exists. These are extremely vivid, intense, and real – some say, "more real than physical life." The environments usually contain beautiful flowers and butterflies, colorful bushes and trees, radiant lighting, and other lovely aspects of nature – and are filled with happiness, love, and joy.
Telephone Calls: These ADCs may occur during sleep or when you are wide awake. You will hear a phone ringing, and if you answer it, your loved one will give you a short message. Two-way conversations are possible. His or her voice will usually be clear but may seem far away. If you are awake, you will probably not hear a disconnect sound or a dial tone when the call is completed.
Physical Phenomena: People who are bereaved often report receiving a wide variety of physical signs from their deceased relative or friend, such as: lights or lamps blinking on and off; lights, radios, televisions, stereos, and mechanical objects being turned on; photographs, pictures, and various other items being turned over or moved; and a long list of "things that go bump in the night."
Symbolic ADCs: People frequently ask a Higher Power, the universe, or their deceased loved one for a sign that he or she still exists. Many receive such a sign, though it may take some time to arrive. Occasionally these signs are so subtle they may be missed, or they may be discounted as mere "coincidences." Common signs include: butterflies, rainbows, many species of birds and animals, flowers, and a variety of inanimate objects such as coins and pictures.
According to our research, the purpose of these visits and signs by those who have died is to offer comfort, reassurance, and hope to their parents, spouse, siblings, children, grandchildren, other family members, and friends. They want you to know they're still alive and that you'll be reunited with them when it's your time to leave this physical life on earth – and they'll be there to greet you when you make your transition. Their most frequent messages, expressed verbally or non-verbally, include:
"I'm okay ... I'm fine ... Everything is okay ... Don't worry about me ...
Don't grieve for me ... Please let me go ... I'm happy ... Everything will be all right ...
Go on with your life ... Please forgive ... Thank you ... I'll always be there for you ...
I'm watching over you ... I'll see you again ... I love you ... Good-bye ..."
You may be asked to give a message from your loved one to somebody else. We urge you to write down the message verbatim and to deliver it, if possible, because it may help the recipient far more than you realize.
Nearly all ADCs are positive, joyful, and uplifting encounters that reduce grief, provide lasting comfort and hope, and accelerate emotional and spiritual healing. We encourage you to trust your own experiences and to accept them as being real for you.
Unfortunately, some people react with fear when they have an ADC. This is usually because they are startled by the suddenness of the event, or they may have never heard of one happening to anybody else. Such people may assume they are "losing their mind and going crazy." And others find it difficult to reconcile after-death communications with their philosophical or religious beliefs.
Not all people are contacted by their deceased loved ones. We don't know for certain why some are and some aren't, but it seems that fear, anger, and prolonged heavy grief inhibit the possibility of having an ADC.
Based upon our research, we suggest the following: Ask for a sign that your relative or friend continues to exist. Pray for him or her and others who are affected by the death, including yourself. We recommend that you learn how to meditate, especially if you are currently bereaved or have unresolved grief. Meditation will enable you to relax and soften any fear or anger you may have. It will reduce your depression, improve your ability to eat and sleep, and facilitate your healing process. These deep relaxation exercises will also allow you to unfold your inner, intuitive senses. In fact, you may have an ADC experience while you are meditating.
Our research indicates that after-death communications are a natural and normal part of life. Therefore, we feel ADCs deserve the same public awareness and acceptance that near-death experiences (NDEs) have already received.
For most people, an after-death communication from a deceased family member or friend is valued as a sacred and profound experience that will be cherished for a lifetime. ADC experiences usually expand one's understanding of life and offer a deeper awareness of life after death. They consistently communicate an essential spiritual message: "Life and love are eternal."
Copyright © 1995 - 2009 The ADC Project. All rights reserved.
Webmaster: Will Guggenheim
Comment
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Comment by Storyas Fawnfeather on October 5, 2013 at 7:18pm
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Dolly - I will go on and tell about my Dad now and see how long I can talk about that before I start bawling like I just did telling about my Mom. My Mom and Dad were two very different people. My Mom was a very loving and warm person who was very down to earth, so I can see nature coming to her. My dad on the other hand was very mechanical. He had never even been able to go to school and could not even read, but there was not one thing he could not fix. He could look at a broken engine or bicycle or something and just know how to fix it. With him, I got all kinds of electronics stuff. He called me on the phone and stuff like that. No one believes me, but I know it is true. And, like you, those messages stopped a few months after he died, and I miss them. I'm hoping this just means he's gone on to some place that is really great.
Kristin - I don't know if all mediums are legitimate. I guess those who want a fortune I'd be less likely to trust, because it shouldn't be about money. But, I did go to one who saw me for free. He was doing Reiki on me, and he bent over and whispered in my ear that my Dad was with me and told me some things my Dad had to tell me that no one could know other than me and my Dad. And, then I asked him if my Dad was alright, and he said yes as he got the most shocked look on his face like he was shocked that anyone would even consider that someone on the other side would not be okay.Well, that's some of my story about messages from my Dad.
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Dolly - your post made me think of some things. I guess the universe knew my Mom was going to die before she died. She kept having weird animal experiences that last year she was alive - they began right before she got diagnosed. Deer would come up to the house and watch her through the window. Some Native American lady who could not speak English came to her yard and was walking all around her yard picking herbs and my Mom was following her trying to talk to her. And, all of these things left my Mom with such a special feeling that she just kept talking about them. Oh, and I almost forgot the most important one - a turkey adopted her. It was a wild turkey and would not let anyone else near it but my Mom. It would knock on the door with it's beak every morning to get my Mom to come out and feed it and it would play ball with my Mom. If my Mom threw the ball, the turkey would pick it up with it's beak (it was just enough out of air that the bird could get a little piece of it in it's beak) and bring it back to my Mom. As I look back, I think the other side was engulfing her long before she went. And, when she was dying, there was a double rainbow outside her hospital window for a long time - if I remember correctly like a couple of days it seemed like it was there off and on. But, I can't talk about this any more, because it is making me cry.
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Kristin,
I had a encounter with my friends dad who passed 1 month before my husbands death on May 8, 2013. It took 1 week to tell my friend. Her family was open to it. My friends family wants to know if I have any more communication. I know a lot of time has passed and maybe you were not asked to deliver a message like I was but I do think the family would feel some comfort. I think you should contact them. I think he is wanting to let his family know he is okay. Give details, I am sure there are things that only certain people will know. Provide the information and let them do with it what the will. I still have signs from my husband and am blessed. It brings me a lot of comfort. Kevin has even came back in a dream and told me "Now I now what you mean when you say you just know things." He laughed and said you are right. That is one thing my husband never said. I was right. The night before his accident I had a dream about being a single parent. I remember clearing saying why am I dreaming about this, we were in the best place in our relationship that we have ever been in. That morning something was telling me to give him a kiss before I left for work. I never did. The worst mistake of my life! Little did I know hours later he would no longer be with me and I would be a single parent of 4 children. Like you I would love to meet with a medium. How do you trust someone. Trust your gut.
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Comment by dream moon JO B on October 5, 2013 at 4:33pm
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i hav dreamt of othr loved 1s it has past yrs ago 2 kristin i thnk its thr way of sayng iv cum 2 sea u mk sure u hav not fogot me
we hav had fotos fall off wall or cabnits wit out virbtrasion we hav
i no 1 nite a few mnth bk i cnt foget it it wz abot 2 or 3 in th morng we had thndr lifhg we did i thrt i saw jesus or god it th end of my bed
but it wz bad thndr ligh wish carsd a lot of damgi 2 fone lines or treess stuff it did
wen u sea sum bird wen thy open thr wings thy look lk angels thy do ths man point ths out 2 me a few mnth ago
now iv thrt abot it ever sisne i hav
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Comment by Kristin Renee on October 5, 2013 at 3:43pm
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Actually Dolly, I think the amount of time that has passed is part of the problem. He died 11 years ago. Perhaps they have found peace or had experiences or dreams of their own even. Or maybe I'd just be opening old wounds for them. It's a touchy subject especially since he died so young. Plus he gave me no message of any kind to pass along so I'm not sure what I would say.
I'm curious - What about mediums? How do you feel about them?
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I think your comment was directed at me Dolly?
I did question whether I should message his brother about the dream but I didn't want to risk upsetting them and sounding crazy. It's morbid to ask if he might've been wearing that hat and windbreaker on the night of his car accident, but I wonder.
Storyas, I don't know if they really meant anything but they were so unlike my average dreams. Someone suggested that maybe the kid from high school was present to validate for me that the experience was real. It's hard for me to emphasize enough how vivid his face appeared. And when I told him that he had died in a car accident, I was struck by his complete lack of reaction like that was no big deal.
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Kristin - I don't know what to tell you that your dreams meant. Did you have any ideas if they meant something? Did you have a feeling of what they might mean?
I grew up in a very fundamentalist church, so I was always taught to believe in an afterlife. I still believe in an afterlife, but I don't think it's anything like what we think it might be. I think it's better, and I think it's good for everyone. I don't think there is any punishment or anything like that like my church ground into us. I've had a lot of after death experiences - many more with my dad than with my Mom - but I've had them. They all hit me so deep. The ones with my dad haven't really been dream though, they have been things happening in real life like the phone repeatedly ringing at the time he dies and the me hearing beautiful sounds like wind chimes.
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Jo B - that picture is gorgeous! I LOVE it!
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i dream stuff 2 kristin i wz havg so mny dreams of my dad oth lovd 1s i strd my own grp u can join it if u wont 2 its thr 4 evry 1 it is
i crt ths pic by acsnt i did
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Dolly - thank you so much for your kind note. I am just crying since I read it, but it is good tears. It is so nice to have someone express kind words about me and express that I did good instead of demanding that I do more. I really need to get off of here right now to digest what you said and cry my tears, but I will be back later today to talk more and to read Kristin's comment. Thank you so much, Dolly.
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