Post-death encounters: grieving, mourning, and healing.
Historical accounts and previous research have shown that bereaved individuals often report seeing, hearing, or feeling the presence of the deceased. We examined such encounters in the context of the grieving, mourning, and healing processes. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 individuals who reported a post-death encounter following the death of a loved one. Phenomenological analysis showed that participants went through an interpretive process in which they attempted to make sense of their experiences. The encounters profoundly affected the participants' beliefs in an afterlife and attitudes toward life and death, and had a significant impact on their grief. Finally, post-death encounters had a healing effect on the participants by contributing to a sense of connectedness with the deceased. We conclude that health care professionals and counselors should be educated about post-death encounters so that the bereaved can share their experiences in a supportive and understanding atmosphere.
Nowatzki
Nadine R
NR
Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. nowatzkn@cc.umanitoba.ca
Kalischuk
Ruth Grant
RG
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D005655:Funeral Rites; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D026443:Spiritual Therapies / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires