~ 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

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Tags: ADC, after, communication, death

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Comment by dream moon JO B on January 12, 2015 at 3:23pm

Dreams link http://vimeo.com/11579069 Dreams embed

Comment by dream moon JO B on January 12, 2015 at 3:21pm

yes kellie iv had objects mve u put thn wear u thng u lft it lk keys or glases cse thy disper 2 a difrnt plase it dose my dad wz a rht joker hidng thngs or tap u on sholder or mk u jump for a laff pens seam 2 disper a lot 2 

   

Comment by Kellie M. on January 12, 2015 at 10:13am

Has anyone had objects moved?  We all came back from an event to find plastic yellow knives in the silverware drawer.  My kids swear they didn't do it.  I found that interesting. I think they were from my daughter's birthday party last year.  I am not sure of the significance except that she loves the color yellow. 

Comment by l on January 11, 2015 at 8:27pm

It is 1 year and 8 months since my father passed away.I have had fleeting one second dreams about my father after the last dream that I wrote about.. My mother had a fall a few months back and now I have taken up a job in a town far away from where she lives.. she is not keeping very well because she is suddenly living by herself and had anxiety attacks. I was with her all along since my father passed away and now for the past two months I am in another town.. I feel a lot of things frustration guilt and angry at not finding a job that recognizes my experience and pays me according to my experience and I am looking for other jobs but not much luck here and also I feel I should quit and be with my mother.. so there are a lot of things on my mind.. yesterday after a long gap.. I dreamt of my father... at first I saw my ex father in law running and going into a building.. I never liked him and the brief time I was married I had terrible issues with him.. then I am sitting in front of the building that he ran into and checking messages or showing something to some people on my cell phone and this man comes and hold my hand and calls me by a different name that I had never heard of and says to come with him some help is needed.. I know in my dream that he is a priest but he looks like the caterer we had hired sometime back.. I go with him and there is a temple/church there in the middle of a very crowded market place selling lot of meat and chicken; then I am in a car with my brother and family and I tell them that I have to drop this at the temple (I dont know what) and they say why dont you get down here and we will swing by again and pick you up.. I go through a narrow path in between a building and a baloon shop to the temple and nobody that was there previously is there and my maternal grandfather comes out of the temple/church smiling and passes me and doesnt say a word.. I am surprised to see him.. he dies many years ago and he had paralysis so his mouth was sort of to one side because of paralysis but here he looked fine and again I looked at the church and there my father was standing with his typical expression what took you so long kind of look.. he looked a little thinner and was wearing his usual shirt and pant and cap. In his hand he had what looked like he had just shopped for some knives/spoons/forks? and a plastic cutting board.. they were still wrapped as if he had just purchased them.. I ran to him but there was a fence there and I could not get in.. since I was reaching out to him he moved all the things to one hand (he was carrying the knife packet in one hand and the cutting board in another) and gave me his hand as if to shake my hand and was smiling.. I knew he was no more in the dream so I started crying and then he just disappeared into thin air..this dream was in the morning just before waking up.. then I woke up and I was so excited and happy after this dream and even though I knew he was no more I could not shake off the feeling of meeting him.. maybe if I had not started crying in the dream he would have stayed on.. does he want me to go back to be with my mother.. any thoughts on this would be helpful to me.. thanks...

Comment by l on January 11, 2015 at 8:09pm

I am here after many many months.. it is one year and 8 months since my father passed away..we had a music program in honor of my father many months ago.. he was very fond of music.. a few days/months after that I had a dream that my father was sitting in the front row of a group of men.. it was as if they were sitting/posing for a photograph to be taken. He was seated with a group of men and behind him standing were a group of men. They were all smiling. They were dressed in sort of clothes like a shawl wrapped around their shoulders and had head bands with maybe feathers... like a tribal costume.. the shawls they were wearing were white with red woven borders.. they looked very happy.. I felt happy and woke up...

Any thoughts on this will be helpful..

Comment by Shirley on January 8, 2015 at 11:02pm

Hello to all......Wanted to post a few words tonight and see how all of you are doing.  Hope days have gotten  easier for you to get through. As for me ,I am moving very slowly and trying to step forward just a little bit at a time. Has been almost nine months to the day since my hubby had to leave me behind and move on up to Heaven  Just do  not  understand why he has yet to visit me and let me know he is alright and enjoying all things anew up there with Jesus.  Would love to have one more hour to talk with him, but that is impossible so I will wait until he and I reunite up there . A smile, a smell, a touch, a whisper, a sigh,  a hug would just make my day and let me know he is still with me in Spirit. Please pray for me that I will receive my message before too much time has gone by. I miss him so much and still the tears start to flow at different times.    Good night everyone.

Comment by dream moon JO B on January 5, 2015 at 3:42pm

Comment by dream moon JO B on December 10, 2014 at 4:07pm

iv had a lot of ballons iv let off go bang dolly evn in sea thy wnt bang i did fr my dad ant i d or so a lot wnt bang

Comment by Dolly on December 10, 2014 at 10:16am

WOW Mary .. what a wonderful gift ... how I would love to spend time with my Brandon in my dreams... I do often 'sense' his presence.. at least what I THINK is his presence.. but to see him and hold him and be with him in my dreams seems like such a wonderful thing to have happen... it seems that it would almost have to change a person in a positive way like it seems to have done for you...

Comment by Dolly on December 1, 2014 at 7:18am

the other day I was especially missing Brandon and I smelled lilies again ... lovely strong scent... it came, went away, and came back.... no lilies anywhere.... so I guess it was Brandon sending ME lilies...

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