Evelyn Elsaesser
Introduction
After-Death Communications are not an isolated phenomenon but occur in the larger context of other experiences related to death, such as Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) and end-of-life experiences (ELE), in particular death-bed visions (DVs) which occur shortly before demise. Through our work, we aim to contribute to consciousness research in general, and to the post-materialist hypothesis in particular, which proposes an explanatory framework for ADCs and other so-called anomalous phenomena.
A spontaneous After-Death Communication (ADC) occurs when a person, often but not always in mourning, unexpectedly perceives a deceased person through the senses of sight, hearing, smell, or touch. Very commonly, persons who have an ADC (called experients) solely “feel the presence” of the deceased person or perceive a contact during sleep or hypnagogic / hypnopompic states. ADCs occur frequently, with an estimated 50-60% of persons having experienced one or more spontaneous ADCs during their lifetime. Testimonies collected on all continents and for centuries suggest this phenomenon to be universal and timeless. Despite their widespread occurrence, ADCs, paradoxically, have been little researched and are still largely absent from the media and public discourse. As a consequence, experients usually have no frame of reference in terms of which to understand, integrate and benefit fully from this experience which doesn’t match mainstream conceptions of reality. Whatever the ontological status of ADCs might be, they are perceived as real by a great number of persons and therefore certainly deserve their place on the consciousness research agenda.
The objective of this research project is to gain a better understanding of the phenomenology and the impact of spontaneous and direct After-Death Communications. On the basis of a very detailed online questionnaire, the collected data have provided insights into the profile of the experients; the profile of the deceased person supposedly initiating the contact; the circumstances of occurrence; the type, unfolding and message of ADCs; and their impact on experients (particularly on their belief system and the grieving process). The research findings permit disclosure of this major but largely unrecognized social phenomenon to the scientific community and the public by means of publications, conferences, and media events.
Research objectives
The first objective is to describe the phenomenology of ADCs. The project answers the following questions: Who has an ADC? Under which circumstances? In what form (type)? How do these experiences unfold? What are the messages of ADCs? Who are the deceased persons supposedly initiating the contact? What was/is their relation with the experients? Are there phenomenological differences between countries?
The second objective is to analyse the impact of ADCs on experients. The following questions are addressed: How do people experience ADCs? What meaning do they attribute to them? What is the immediate and long term impact on experients? How do ADCs influence the grieving process? Does the national and social context influence individuals’ experiences?
The third objective consists in disseminating the research results as largely as possible to the scientific community and the general public. By collecting information about how ADCs occur and unfold, and by analyzing their impact on individuals’ lives, we aim at making these results accessible to people who face the death of a close relative, partner or friend, and to the broad public. Following an applied research orientation, we emphasize in our publications the relevance of our findings for the public.
Methodology and data
In accordance with the professional guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society (BPS), the survey methodology has undergone a rigorous ethical review to ensure the confidentiality and protection of the data generously provided by our participants. The project received ethical approval from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at the University of Northampton, Great Britain, in July 2018 (1).
In addition, in line with current standards of research transparency, the survey design and analysis strategy have been pre-registered with the Koestler Unit Study Registry at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland (2) .
We developed a questionnaire consisting of 194 questions (including follow-up questions after affirmative responses). Initial pages of the questionnaire describe the ADC phenomena and the project, outline ethical aspects, and explain how data would be used. These indications are followed by a request for consent.
Participants have the possibility to fill in the questionnaire without giving their name. All proper names and place names are anonymised. Once the data is processed by our team, the results of the survey are presented in a completely anonymous manner, excluding any individual identification.
We first invited participants to describe their ADC in their own words in a dialogue box. If the participants had experienced several ADCs, we asked them to describe only one contact, choosing the most significant one. The questions are then presented with multiple choice options. Many questions are combined with follow-up questions with a dialogue box.
The questionnaire is presented on a secure online survey platform and is available for a period of six months.
Data collected
We conduct our survey by language groups. To date, we have collected over 1,300 questionnaires in six languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese.
The findings of the first survey in English, French and Spanish, with 1,004 participants, illustrated by numerous ADC accounts, are presented in Elsaesser, Evelyn (2023) Spontaneous Contacts with the Deceased: A Large-Scale International Survey Reveals the Circumstances, Lived Experience and Beneficial Impact of After-Death Communications (ADCs), Iff Books.
The survey is ongoing. The next survey will be conducted in India.
At this stage of the project, this is already the most extensive multilingual survey of spontaneous ADCs worldwide.
In view of the testimonies spontaneously sent to the team on a daily basis, we have decided to reopen the surveys in the languages already surveyed. The links to the questionnaire in several languages are available on the “Current surveys” page.
Acknowledgements
We should like to gratefully acknowledge the kind support of the Bial Foundation, the Society for Psychical Research Survival Fund, and an anonymous benefactor, which allows us to conduct this survey.
(1) Ref: FHSRECSS00084
(2) https://koestlerunit.wordpress.com/study-registry/registered-studies/) - ref: KPU Registry 1046