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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 dream moon JO B on March 27, 2013 at 4:28pm
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i got my dad a homer simpsons speaking oniment a few yrs ago som tims it goes off on its orn wear no 1 prest the buton it shoust out loud i hop iv put th rght vid code in i no if i havnt its coz of my bad hand witing or me not bean gooood it computers it took me 2 yrs to lern to switch 1 on for the 1s h dont nolink http://vimeo.com/62548506 clip0619 embed code < iframe src="http;//player.vimeo.com/video/62548506" width="500" clip0619
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Comment by Storyas Fawnfeather on March 26, 2013 at 9:26pm
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Monique - you are not crazy. The same thing happened to me all the time for the first year after my dad died. He doesn't call so much any more, and I miss it, but he used to call me a lot for the first year. And, he often called when I really needed him too. Once I was at his and my Mom's grave and I was crying and begging them to let me know they were alright, and that night the phone rang near the time when my dad died. The calls started exactly 24 hours after my dad died. He died at 4:25 am and then the next morning at 4:25 am he called. Then, each time I'd really need him, he would call. I remember another time I was talking to a natural healer about how much I missed him and how I felt it was causing me some health problems, and he called me that night too. They do call. And, if any religious people tell you it can't happen remember that the bible says that now we see as through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12) - we don't really know what is over there until we get there, so I think it is wise to be aware of when these things happen to us and accept them instead of trying to deny them away. We need to be honest with ourselves that these things are happening.
I just wish I knew my Dad and Mom were okay now. It seems like after around a year the ADC's got a lot less and that makes me wonder if they move on some place else then, and I just want to know that they are okay.
JB - I've never gone on vimeo but will check it out now that you've made me aware of it. I've also had the same experience you had. A few months ago that I was hanging out with my Mom like when we were alive. I woke up the next morning just convinced that she was still alive and we were going to hang out that day like we used to do, and I was so excited like a kid at Christmas. Then, I realized she was gone and that day wouldn't be spent with her, and the grief hit me as hard as if she'd just died and I was depressed again for quite some time. I do think that sometimes she comes and spends time with me when I'm asleep.
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i dnt wish 1 to post it on hear or my dream post on hear but il will post it on hear i had 1 of thm dreams but it woz 2 strange i dremt abot my dad nocking on the door saying his bac but he looket yung again not gry and withy hair but he looket happey he gav me n d mum a hug but wen i woke up i thrt it realy happend
i no it woz a dream but it felt real i dnt if its a sine or som kind but iv sean othr postings on hear simlir to whot iv jst posted
thn wen i go on vimeo i sea stuf iv dremed i do i joind vimeo last yr thr the web site wish i got hooket on i got ooket on the landskape 1s it looks like heven it dose i jt hope iv put the rht code in fro 1 iv postedlink http://vimeo.com/dustinfarell/ landscapes:volume 3 embed code
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iv had a few burst in the bac yrd 1 went in the sky so fast u wud thnk it woz going strate to heven i just wish i cud of cort it on my mini camcorda but not so lucky i will catch thm brsting well i did 1 tim cort 1 burstng but i wont post on hear coz it woz a bot of foul lNGRAGE WEN I CORT IT
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What a gift, Eliza, that you got that song from your Mom. I believe it was from her. Once I went to the gravesite and knelt down and begged my parents to let me know they were okay. That night, my father called me on my cell phone. It was a very short call, but it was him. I knew he was okay and my Mom was okay.
I like the song your Dad sang, JB. Your dad sounds like he was so much fun. Have you had any more balloons break lately?
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me 2 eliza songs 2 r lik sines
my dad usd to sing a silly song he cud not sing but he always sung a silly song caled heven an hair u cud carl it it woz like ths
u will never get to heven wit sky blu hair
u wont get in side heven wth brite pink hair
and if yore bardly u hav curly hair
i dnt no wear he got the song frm jst wish i vidiod him singing it stivks in my mind a lot ths song
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Comment by Eliza on March 16, 2013 at 3:49pm
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I've had so many signs from mom. It is truly extraordinary if you are paying attention. The other day, I was driving home after a bad day at work. A song came on my iPod that mom and I used to play to cheer ourselves up if we were having a bad day. I said out loud, " I miss you, mom. I could really use your advice today." I pulled off to go to the store. Not one minute after I entered the store, the same song that had been playing on my iPod came on! Ii has the lyric, "I know it's going to be alright." It's not a very common song. I thought, "thanks, mom" and left the store smiling.
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JB - Many of the things that you said your dad has done, my dad has also done since he passed away. Many many many times the phone has rang and I just knew it was him. They started happening exactly 24 hours after he died, and each time it happened I knew in my soul it was him even if he didn't say anything. And, what made me know that my feeling was true is that the calls never showed up in my call log and all other calls show up in my call log. I even had him send me an email once after he had led me to some information that would help with the case against the people in the nursing home who had abused him. When I reported that information, the next morning I woke up and there was a weird email that let me know I had listened to him appropriately and done what he had wanted me to do to bring justice to what had happened to him.
I also had an experience when my dad was really bad. I was sitting next to his bed in the hospital and I felt my Mom behind me. I felt her so strongly that I turned to talk to her and when I didn't see her I remembered she had passed on. But, I still felt her, so I started talking to her. So, if I understood you right and you said that you felt your dad at the funeral, I totally believe that.
I've never had anything fall off the wall or anything with my parents, but I had an adopted nephew - he was the son of my best girlfriend of all my life who is still my girlfriend and thus is a sister to me - who died when he was a child. He loved cats. He loved to play with my collection of ceramic cats. One day I was sitting in the computer room off my kitchen and a shelf fell off the wall in the kitchen. The cat collection was on top of that shelf. When I went in the kitchen, the cats were all sitting up, unbroken and in a circle facing each other as if a child had set them up to play. I told his Mom and she told me weird things that had happened with him visiting her and told me it was him telling me he was okay.
I've had a lot of dreams like the one you talked about. I've had many dreams. When my Mom first died, she came to me in a dream and told me she was feeling much better now. And, I've had dreams where it felt like I was hanging out with her and then woke up all excited that we'd made plans to do something else and then realized that she was dead, and then I'd grieve all over again, because we were not going to be doing that thing together that I was looking forward to doing with her.
I think that everything that has happened to you is normal and is your dad's way of telling you that he is okay and that he is still with you. I used to worry if they were okay, but if they were not okay the last thing they would be worrying about would be making contact with us. They'd be focusing on getting okay. So, the fact that they make contact with us at all tells me that they are okay enough to have free time in which they can expend energy to do that. So, I think they are telling us that they are okay and they are still with us.
I have never had an experience like the one where the balloons pop. That has happened so consistently with you and so many times that there is no doubt in my mind that that is your father letting you know he is okay and that he is still playing pranks on people like he did in life- I think he is playing pranks on your by popping the balloons just like he did in life. I haven't had an experience like that at all. That is truly a gift for you.
It has been around a year and a half since my dad died. I still miss him so much. He does not call me so much or make contact so much, and I miss him. I just hope that means that he has moved on to something and I pray and hope and wish and desire that whatever that place is that it is good for him and for my Mom. I love them and miss them so much, but they have been gone long enough that they are not making as much contact as they used to. I fear that maybe my dad stopped, because one of the last times he did it I felt fear. I hope that he is not holding back from contacting me due to not wanting to scare me. I'd rather be scared a little bit by the contacts and know he is alright.
I know it has been very hard on you loosing your dad, because you were close to your dad like I was always close to my mom and like I got close to my dad after he retired and had more time to spend with me. I know so many people who don't have that closeness with their parents, but we did and that makes it hurt so much worse and be so much harder to get over. But, the good part of that is that we had so many more good times and so much more of a bond with them when they were alive. I will be praying for you as I know you've had many losses even though your dad is the one who hurts the worst, and I know how hard that is. I've had several losses to. My parents are the ones who hurt the worst by far, but the multiple losses just wear you down after a while and make you feel numb. I pray that we both are able to recover soon.
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my cat lucy missis my dad 2 chandra she dose she usd to sit on him foller him to the tolit lik him an bit e him
i bort her in to the hose she took to my dad strate away shes abot 12/13 now she folows me to the tolet now well she used to befor but my dad she wudfollor him all ovr
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Comment by Chandra G Brewer on March 12, 2013 at 11:45pm
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I had one after Christmas just before Valentines day it was of a Stuffed Lion and my dad use to always say he was a Lion and a king.. In my dream I had this feeling I was supposed to get this for my mom.The one that freaked me out the most was two days after my dad passed I called his cell because I swore I heard him speak on his voice mail so I just wanted to hear his voice again and well guess what I did not hear his voice and my mom told me that he had never recorded a message on his phone. But I tell you with my whole heart I heard my daddies voice and now i do not no more. My birthday was just the last week on March 6th and my daddy use to call me all the time to sing happy birthday to me and this year I made another year but did not get to hear his silly song and his silly laugh at the end. I miss you daddy and so does mom and your dog Brandi Mae miss you so much...
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