What the Deceased Communicate, What we Learn About Their State of Mind, and how this Impacts Grief
Journal of anomalistics December 1, 2025 Evelyn Elsaesser, Chris A Roe, Callum E Cooper et al.
Spontaneous after-death communications (ADCs) occur when a person unexpectedly perceives a deceased individual through sight, hearing, touch, smell, or a sensed presence, often while awake, asleep, or in transitional states of consciousness. A long-term international mixed-methods survey in six languages collected 1,311 completed questionnaires. This complementary analysis of 235 German-language responses focused on the perceived state of mind of the deceased and its impact on grieving. Most participants who sensed the deceased's state of mind reported positive moods, with the contact centered on offering comfort and support. A minority perceived negative states, where contact focused on the deceased's difficulties and did not provide comfort, potentially complicating the grieving process. Positive effects on grief are attributed to the experience feeling real, the belief in a continuing connection, and the perceived messages.