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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 September 30, 2012 at 11:28am
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jb - something led me to go back one more page, and to my great surprise, there was only one more post on the second page since the last time I wrote, and it was from you. You talked about a bus almost hitting you. First of all - thank God you are alright. Second of all, something similar to that happened to me. Where I live, there is one road from my house that has a big cliff to the right side of it and a big mountain on the left side. One day, I was going down that hill, and just before the curve I saw a dead dog laying in the road. My neighbor's dog had been missing. She was a young woman, and she was devastated. I turned to see if it was her dog, and I looked too long. My car was heading for the cliff. Suddenly, I felt hands (angel, my mom, other ancestors, God, the Holy Spirit - I don't know), but I felt hands on top of my hands. This shocked me so much that I turned immediately, just in time to see my car be steered from heading over the cliff and back onto the road and safety. The weirdest thing about it was that when it was happening there was a feeling of peace kinda like I felt when I was at the hospital with my dad and the Holy Spirit or someone was telling me my dad would be okay, and he was that time. It was similar to the peace I felt fill the room when my mom was dying and when I had to euthanize my dad's dog a few weeks ago. It is similar to the peace I feel when I sit next to people doing Tai Chi in the park. And, those hands steered my car back to safety. I called a friend of mine who is a pastor with a doctorate degree, thinking he would know something. All he said to me was kinda what I said to you in the earlier post - now we see through a glass darkly, that he couldn't explain everything that people told him happened, but he was sure glad to know that feeling of peace seemed to often be there, because that gave him peace and hope. So, I totally believe you were pulled to safety.
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jb - something led me to go back one more page, and to my great surprise, there was only one more post on the second page since the last time I wrote, and it was from you. You talked about a bus almost hitting you. First of all - thank God you are alright. Second of all, something similar to that happened to me. Where I live, there is one road from my house that has a big cliff to the right side of it and a big mountain on the left side. One day, I was going down that hill, and just before the curve I saw a dead dog laying in the road. My neighbor's dog had been missing. She was a young woman, and she was devastated. I turned to see if it was her dog, and I looked too long. My car was heading for the cliff. Suddenly, I felt hands (angel, my mom, other ancestors, God, the Holy Spirit - I don't know), but I felt hands on top of my hands. This shocked me so much that I turned immediately, just in time to see my car be steered from heading over the cliff and back onto the road and safety. The weirdest thing about it was that when it was happening there was a feeling of peace kinda like I felt when I was at the hospital with my dad and the Holy Spirit or someone was telling me my dad would be okay, and he was that time. It was similar to the peace I felt fill the room when my mom was dying and when I had to euthanize my dad's dog a few weeks ago. It is similar to the peace I feel when I sit next to people doing Tai Chi in the park. And, those hands steered my car back to safety. I called a friend of mine who is a pastor with a doctorate degree, thinking he would know something. All he said to me was kinda what I said to you in the earlier post - now we see through a glass darkly, that he couldn't explain everything that people told him happened, but he was sure glad to know that feeling of peace seemed to often be there, because that gave him peace and hope. So, I totally believe you were pulled to safety.
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Hi jb, Fran and Kali - I'm only going to respond to people on this last page, because I haven't been on for a couple of weeks and if I go back and read everything that I've missed since last time I was on I won't have time to do it.
Kali - thank you for sharing that picture. You know- my husband is a scientific type, and he always says it's only dust specs on the camera. He has to have an explanation for everything. But, my question is if it's only dust specs then why do these things happen most predominantly after someone passes away? Please check out this web page from a previous member: http://www.oursonbilly.com/ . I think this will show that many of these things can happen without it being a dust spec. In some of his orbs you actually see an image of Billy and some of his orbs look like hearts. Maybe you can also talk to the man who started this website. Maybe you can be a comfort to each other.
Jb - What did the person that you asked if this was a sin say? And, were you asking if it was a sin to receive messages from your loved ones or if it's a sin to see a psychic. From my perspective, the bible says that there will be people with gifts of the spirit and it says that now we see as through a glass darkly but when we get to the other side we will understand more. So, I don't know that I'd say it's a sin even to see a psychic even though they scare me a little bit, and I don't want to see one. The bible does warn us not to be involved in witchcraft, but what is the biblical definition of witchcraft? If we take it so far that we are pushing away people with gifts of the spirit, then we are not understanding the definition. The bible says to learn to discern the spirits - so ask God to help you discern the spirits. As for us receiving messages, that is not us seeking it out or us worshipping another deity that will give us the ability to do that. It is just something that is happening to us that has happened since the beginning of time, so I'd say that is how God set up the world to work. If you look at anthropology studies, you will see that this has happened throughout history. I come from the Appalachian Mountains. My Grandmother Kidd had gifts of the spirit. When someone was about to die, she would hear glass breaking when nothing broke. My aunt would see fire balls floating around the room when someone was about to die. Both of them would smell smells. To me, this is interesting, because they came from an illiterate part of the Mountains, so they were not privy to the research that was being done in the cities during the Victorian Era when my grandmother was a child and young woman and having these experiences without anyone making her aware they were happening to other people. Then, I start reading books about that time, and all of the research was talking about glass breaking and smells and things that had been happening to the women in the mountains who had the gift for as far back as anyone could remember - yet they had no access to information it was happening to other people. Thus, this proves to me that these are experiences that happen to everyone.
jb - I'd also like to say that your dad seems to be more aggressive in his attempts to contact you. The printer situation is a lot more aggressive than the balloons that happened before. Do you think maybe he is worrying about you, because you are grieving so hard, and is trying to help you stop grieving. Do you go out and do anything fun for yourself? Maybe it would make him feel better if you, even just every once in a while, went out and did something fun for yourself without worrying about anyone else. If I'm off base with that and have insulted you with that, then forgive me. But, that's just a pretty strong feeling I had when I was reading your posts, so I thought I'd share it. Maybe it means something. Maybe it means nothing. I don't know. I just know your Dad loves you a lot, so if he's worried about you, he's going to do anything to lighten up the situation for you. Maybe he is trying to be funny. Maybe he should send the papers flying across the room instead of printing on them, because that would make you laugh - like the card game we play over here called 52 pick up. When I was little, my dad would say, "You want to play 52 pick up." At first, I said yes, because I didn't know what he was going to do. Then, he put the deck between his thumb and fingers and press really hard until the cards starting flying one at a time, really fast, across the room. Then, he'd say, "There's the 52. Pick 'em up." Maybe your Dad should send the paper sailing across the room to cheer you up like 52 pick up, and then you'd be laughing your head off. I'm just saying that, because he was so funny like my dad in life, and I can see him doing the 52 pick up game too.
Fran, thank you for sharing about your experiences. They bring some peace.
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Comment by dream moon JO B on September 29, 2012 at 4:24pm
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it happend again with printerer and scaner but this time i wanet to print the dangeers of diet coke but it stared printeding out nurolgergey it did it did finaly print whot i neded out but insted of 1 copy of abot 6 pages it printed loads out i only nedeed 1 copy of it the only other diet coke adicyed in the family is my sister in law shes cut doon onthe sigarets and drinking 3 or 4 bottels a day like im drinking over 7 cans a day more of diet coke i thnks its my dad playing pranks on me and saying cut down on drinking that soft drink
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i sum times feal lke my dads warking arond in the house my brotherr felt it wen he woz looking after the cat he saed he felt like sum thnk ghoastely woz in the house fran kali iv had the same thng on sum fotos like a guradiaen angel and i thnink it is yore chriss bean yore dorters guradiaen angel yesterday the printa and scaner set it self off and start ed printing sum thng off i never even preset print i thnk its my dad playing pranks on us from hevan abuve
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Comment by Kali Grainger on September 24, 2012 at 11:31pm
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So I finally looked through the pictures from my daughter's baptism last sunday and most there are variously sized round orbs.. but from what I read they are usually dust specs. But in one of those pics (one of my sis and her bf holding our daughter) there is a bright mishaped orb right next to my sisters head... and the baby is staring right at it. There was nothing else she could have been looking at. I cried as soon as I saw it... I know it was Chris and Ellis saw her daddy on her special day.
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I am still waiting to communicate with Chris... the psychic I saw ensures me that I will. She said that I do feel him and hear him I just don't realize it... I want to feel him.. I want to talk to him in my dreams but I'm getting nothing... I thought I smelled his cologne/body wash a couple of times shortly after the accident but nothing since.
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the tv jupet chanels again but not for me for my mum wish spooket her out she woz watching 1 of her quiz shows wot my dad used to like egg heds but it jumpet on another chanel and the tv show woz abot hauneted houses and sprits and poltergisesed honting houses and other plases whise i thort woz very weid that it hapend and my dad liket them shows 2 its like he is trying to tell us sum thng from hevan abuv but i dont no wot it is i no he used to say wen i go im not going in them gates till we all go up ther i hope his makeing evry body happy up ther for them who is waiting out side heven gates his jokes wer funny even sum of the rude 1s wer funny his probely telling the kids up ther storys espesely his ghost storys wer good and now iv got lucy typing evry timee i cum on hear she jumps on the key pad in her cat langrage if any 1 has pets and thet start typing on hear they must want to blog as well well to day lucy as tryed to trip me up followd me to the bath room cry out side till i cum out
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there woz another lady on hear i wote to 1 of her blogs about the emal i asket if it woz a sin
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