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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 teri marie on May 11, 2012 at 9:01am
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when i had to go through my daughters things there was a silver bell with a silver heart with a bow tied around the tip. when i was driving to our favorite coffee shop i heard a bell just ringing and ringing. the sound did not change as i drove i was so freaked but excited. the bell i took from my daughters things was at home. but the ringing of the bell was loud and clear in my car. in my car. i was so greatful. that was a good cup of coffee for sure...
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Comment by Sue Waxman on May 10, 2012 at 9:18am
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Storyas,
The stuff on TV is usually just for ratings not for real. Oprah has had some great spiritual healers on her show. Because she is very spiritual herself. Sue
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Storyas,
In my opinion it is not about finding a reputable medium. It is about gaining knowledge through different research you do on your own about life after death. Just like each religion - not one religion is more right than the other. In my home I have something that represents almost every religion because I belief a little of each and a lot of another. Sylvia Brown is definitely someone who profits from what she claims is her ability to contact those who have passed onto the next level. Is she for real - only she knows that. Victor Zammitt - read what he writes. I like what George Anderson has to say. He charges a fortune for a sitting with him. But I still like what he says. I know that my mother has called me 3 times on my cell phone. I know she is still my mom and that I can talk to her and she listens. Everything is the same except she no longer is in the body she occupied here on this plane. I miss her physical self every single day I cry for her. Every single day she sends me her love. I feel it. I don't need a medium or some stranger to connect me with my mother. We will ONLY know the ANSWERS when we leave our bodies and go onto the next plane, level or heaven. Whatever you want to call it. I believe in God. When you open your mind and heart you open your soul to communication with anyone you choose to. Please read Victor Zammitt. Talk to you later. Sue
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Hi. I hesitate to bring this up cuz I don't want to bust any of our bubbles. I believe we have after death experiences, because I had so many with my dad. But, I want to understand this more. I want to feel like I really know what is going on on the other side. I want to feel that I really know my departed loved ones are safe. So, I've been looking for books written by mediums that might give me a better idea. I started to buy some Allison Dubois books, but she had this horrible interview on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and after that she got a lot of bad press. In addition, the skeptic societies pulled up a lot of evidence that her readings had proven inaccurate by law enforcement. Then, I bought some Sylvia Browne books, but apparently she was convicted of some pretty heavy crimes in 1992 and her predictions have also proven to be less than 50% accurate according to objective sources. I know there are real experiences out there, and I know there are snake oil salesman who use those real experiences in a Hollywood movie type fashion to make them look in a way that will allow them to make money. But, in spite of those types of con artists, I know there are after death experiences. I come from the Appalachian Mountains, and many people there had the gift. They never asked for money. They never went looking for answers. They accepted what they received naturally and shared it and called it the gifts of the spirit like is in the book of Acts in the bible. And, there were snake oils salesmen even in the mountains who came through on their carts and set up a side show, and those with a real gift watched them from the sidelines with a disapproving look on their face. So, it is like with all things - anything can be used for good or evil. Gun laws for example: if you have a gun to hunt for food or to protect your family then the gun is good, but if you use the gun to commit murder then the gun is bad. I think everything has 50/50 polarity. Therefore, I won't go to the extreme of the skeptics and believe in nothing - I can't, because I've had experiences myself. But, I won't go to the extreme of the mediums who think they have all the answers either. So, my question is - has anyone found a reputable medium out there who has a good reputation, no criminal record, an accuracy rate, etc. whose books I could read. Someone previous recommend Iyanla (I forgot her last name right now), and I am ordering one of her books, but it seems from what I've studied of her so far that she is more of a motivational speaker than a medium. So, anyone have any recommendations? Thanks.
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Terrie - I haven't had the voices thing happen to me. I know a lot of people who the orb thing has happened to. Look at the website http://www.oursonbilly.com/ . That is about the son of another member, and they saw orbs, even heart shaped orbs, and made this website to show the pictures of it. And, I do believe it is happening. I've had other things happen - the phone ring at the same time my dad died or right after I asked him if he was okay but there was nothing in the call log to show a call came in, etc. And, Sue had posts on here yesterday about her mother saying something when she answered the phone, even though that never happened to me when my dad called, so I'm sure the voice thing can happen. I wish you luck with the paranormal investigators. Please let us know what happens.
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Comment by Terrie B on May 7, 2012 at 10:15pm
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For the past few months I have been captureing orbs in my photos............there are always 3
one blue, two white or silver in color. In March I decided to take my recorder out with me and recorded as I took photos........I talked to Candance my daughter who was murdered on July 11, 2011. I heard nothing as I walked outside taking the photos, but when I came inside and replayed the recording.............I heard a womans voice!
Near the end of the recording I said I'm going in now..................a womans voice can be heard saying "miss you guies" then a few seconds later................ "don't GO!!!"
There are other recordings I have made and all have the same female voice......replying to some of my questions. I have called a paranormal research group to come out and verify my recordings and to see if they can capture anything.
I don't go out so much now, I want to believe it is Candance, I miss her so much, but I just dont know.
Has anyone had anything like this happen to them???
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I've been sick lately, and it was really bad today. A lot of upper GI stuff that I think is stress. Today I was in enough discomfort that I was laying on the couch doing Reiki on myself, and it did help. While I was doing it, I fell asleep. While I was asleep, I had a dream. In the dream, I was with my mom. She was living some place else. For some reason I remember her saying Las Vegas. I was talking to her for a long time, but the only things i really remember saying are, "Can I come and see you where you are? I need to see you where you are? Everything is the same here as when you left but you are not here, so I need to see you where you are?" Then I said, "But, I can't do that can I?" I also asked her if she was still taking her cancer treatments and expressed how surprised I was that she was still alive. I've had many dreams since she died where I was walking behind her and begging her to do her cancer treatments and expressing surprise that she is still alive even though the doctors said she had no chance to live. The funny thing about these dreams is that my mom and I were very very close yet in the dreams its me following her around and talking and talking and talking and her not saying much at all. I don't know. I don't remember much more of the dream than that - I just know that as I was talking to her I felt real loss that she had moved on and real surprise that she had moved on cuz she was never adventurous. It was like in the dream I felt like she'd just moved to another city, and I was shocked that she'd make that decision. And, when I have these dreams I'm always so surprised that she is still alive and am very worried about her cancer treatments and why she isn't having them.
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Sue, thank you for the recommendation of Ilyana Vanzant. I'll look for some information/books on her later today. Also, thank you for sharing the story of how your mom called you. My dad called me a bunch after he died, but it has stopped now. I realize that during the months it was happening that I felt him around me all the time. I don't feel him so much now, and the phone calls stopped. I think he is busy with something else now. I just hope whatever it is that he is safe and happy. I knew it was him that called cuz my intuition knew it as well as the calls began at the time he died the day after he died and they never showed up on my call log even though all calls, even unidentified callers, show up on my call log. But, he never said anything. I think it was because I was scared for him to say anything, but I'm not sure why I was scared. The phone just cut off when I answered. Mimi- thanks for sharing about the text. That is the first time I've heard of a text. That is awesome. How wonderful. I had a dream just a few minutes ago. I'll write about it in another post. I think I'll run out of room on this post. I think we have a character limit.
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Comment by Collin Bentley on May 6, 2012 at 10:00pm
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I believe that we have help on both sides of this world. I think that when someone dear to us passes they have started a new chapter in eternity. I know that my brother is watching out for his family and that he is in a place where he can help. Kathy I am certain that your husband is watching over you, I know that if I pass before my wife I will use every inch of strength to make certain that my wife Cindy is alright. This must be a tremendous blessing. Take care and I hope you had a great weekend.
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I have found myself very anxious and had never thought of myself as anxious before. After some great meditations, I am thinking that this feeling is my late husband communicating that issues in my life are not right. Like guiding me. Whether it's just my intuition or not, I like to think of it as him highlighting issues that aren't right for me and the anxiety is his way of telling me to do something. I believe he would only want the best for me, and I should trust his judgement.
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