Direct After-Death Communication
It is possible for a spirit to communicate directly with a living person, such as a bereaved loved one. The person may sense a presence, hear a voice, or see a vision. Typically, the person feels a sense of connection and receives messages of reassurance, comfort, or resolution. Such communications are quite common. According to a 2023 Pew Research Center report, half of U.S. adults (53%) say they’ve been visited by a dead family member in a dream or some other form.
The term “after-death communication” (ADC) was introduced and popularized by Bill and Judy Guggenheim in their 1995 book Hello from Heaven!, which is featured in the Science-Based Awakening Library, below. However, this term can be misleading since it excludes spirit communication through an intermediary such as a medium, who effectively facilitates after-death communication by serving as a link between spirits and the living. I have titled this resource page Direct After-Death Communication to clarify that it excludes intermediaries.
Note: The terms “medium” and “mediumship” have been in use since the 19th-century Spiritualism movement. For more information, see the Mediumship resource page.
Possible Elements of After-Death Communications
Manifestations of after-death communications are varied. They include one or more of the following:
- Sensing a presence: A distinct feeling that the deceased is nearby, even without seeing or hearing them.
- Hearing a voice: Hearing the voice of the deceased, either externally or within the mind.
- Feeling a touch: Experiencing a physical sensation, such as a hug or touch, from the deceased.
- Smelling a fragrance: Detecting a familiar scent associated with the deceased, such as their perfume or aftershave.
- Visual experiences: Seeing the deceased, ranging from partial to full visualizations.
- Dreams and visitations: Vivid and realistic dreams of the deceased that feel different from ordinary dreams.
- Symbolic experiences: Encountering symbols such as coins, feathers, or birds that hold personal meaning and are interpreted as messages.
- Electronic phenomena: Lights flickering, electronic devices acting erratically, or receiving phone calls without a clear explanation.
Some people may dismiss these experiences as imagination or coincidence; nevertheless, research suggests that ADCs are often perceived as positive and comforting for the bereaved. Studies indicate that they can reduce the fear of death, increase belief in an afterlife, and aid in the grieving process.
For more information, see Books About After-Death Communication in the Science-Based Awakening Library, below.
After-Death Communication Resources
Video Presentations
- I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying | Dr. Christopher Kerr | TEDxBuffalo” (17:25 minutes)
Books about After-Death Communication
The books referenced below are a resource for you and those you love. They provide information about making contact with the spirits of departed loved ones.
Note: Book titles are linked to amazon.com, which offers numerous book reviews.
Arcangel, Diane
Afterlife Encounters: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Experiences
by Dianne Arcangel, 332 pages (2005)
Barrett, Sir William
Deathbed Visions: How the Dead Talk to the Dying
by Sir William Barrett, 136 pages (2011)
Botkin, Allan L., PsyD, and Hogan, Craig
Induced After Death Communication: A Miraculous Therapy for Grief and Loss
by Allan L. Botkin, PsyD, and Craig Hogan (2014)
Cardoso, Anabela
Glimpses of Another World: Impressions and Reflections of an EVP Operator by Anabela Cardoso, 223 pages (2021)
Note: EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomena, that is, communication from spirits that can interact with the physical world through electronic devices.
Electronic Contact with the Dead: What do the Voices Tell Us?
by Anabela Cardoso, 146 pages (2017)
Anabela Cardoso retired as a senior career diplomat to devote her life to Instrumental and Transcommunication (ITC), a method in which communication with spirits of the deceased happen via radio equipment, televisions, computers, phones, and other electronic devices. She has received thousands of communications.
Website: Independent.Academia.edu/AnabelaCardoso3
Video: Learning From the Voices of Instrumental Trans Communication with Anabela Cardoso
Castle, Nathan G., O.P.
by Nathan G. Castle, O.P. , 199 pages (2018)
Cohen, Alan
Friends in High Places: A Breakthrough Guide to Interdimensional Communications
by Alan Cohen, 245 pages (2021)
Cohen has written over two dozen inspirational books that have been translated into over thirty languages.
Website: AlanCohen.com
Dillard, Sherrie
I’m Still with You: Communicate, Heal & Evolve with Your Loved One on the Other Side
by Sherrie Dillard, 204 pages (2021)
Galland, Leo, M.D.
by Leo Galland, M.D., 140 pages (2018)
The spirit of the author’s deceased son appears and shares ancient wisdom with his father.
Guggenheim, Bill and Guggenheim, Judy
Hello from Heaven: A New Field of Research-After-Death Communication Confirms That Life and Love Are Eternal by Bill and Judy Guggenheim, 353 pages (1995)
Website: BillGuggenheim.com
Haraldsson, Erlendur, Ph.D.
The Departed Among the Living: An Investigative Study of Afterlife Encounters
by Erlendur Haraldsson, Ph.D., 264 pages (2012)
This Icelander is known worldwide for his field research.
Hart, Silvia
When Spirits Come Calling: The Open-Minded Skeptic’s Guide to After-Death Contacts
by Silvia Hart “Wright, 241 pages (2002)
Website: SylviaHartwright.com
Jackson, Laura Lynne
Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe
by Laura Lynne Jackson, 288 pages (2019)
New York Times bestselling author Jackson teaches how to recognize and interpret messages from loved ones on the Other Side.
Kagan, Annie
The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: How My Bad-Boy Brother Proved to Me There’s Life After Death by Annie Kagan, 191 pages (2013)
Billy’s ongoing after-death communications take his sister on an unprecedented journey in the wonder of life after death.
Kerr, Christopher, M.D., Ph.D.
Death Is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life’s End
by Christopher Kerr, M.D., Ph.D. with Carine Mardorossian, Ph.D., 248 pages (2020)
Dr. Kerr is a hospice doctor who draws on interviews with over 1,400 patients. He reveals that pre-death dreams and visions are extraordinary occurrences that humanize the dying process.
Website: HospiceBuffalo.com
Video: Hospice Doctor Reveals SHOCKING Deathbed Vision Accounts! (End of Life) | Dr. Christopher Kerr
Kessler, David
Visions, Trips and Crowded Rooms: Who and What You See Before You Die
by David Kessler, 163 pages (2010)
Website: Grief.com
Video: Visions, Trips and Crowded Rooms – CNN – David Kessler
Miller, J. Steve, Ph.D.
Deathbed Experiences as Evidence for the Afterlife
by J. Steve Miller, Ph.D., 230 pages (2021)
Moody, Raymond, M.D., with Paul Perry
Glimpses of Eternity: Sharing a Loved One’s Passage from This Life to the Next
by Moody, Raymond M.D., Ph.D., with Perry, Paul, 166 pages (2010)
Reunions: Visionary Encounters with Departed Loved Ones
by Raymond Moody, M.D. with Paul Perry, 213 pages (1993)
Osis, Karlis and Haraldsson, Erlendur, Ph.D.
At the Hour of Death: A New Look at Evidence for Life After Death
by Karlis Osis and Erlendur Haraldsson, Ph.D., 250 pages (1997)
There are 20 editions in 13 countries. This book is mostly about apparitions.
Peters, William J.
At Heaven’s Door: What Shared Journeys to the Afterlife Teach about Dying Well and Living Better
by William J. Peters, 247 pages (2022)
Ragan, Lyn
Signs from Pets in the Afterlife: Identifying Messages from Pets in Heaven
by Lyn Ragan, 123 pages (2015)
Number One Amazon bestseller
Website: LynRagan.com
Raudive, Konstantin, Ph.D
Breakthrough: An Amazing Experiment in Electronic Communication with the Dead by Konstantin Raudive, Ph.D., 391 pages (2021)
Originally published in 1971, this book describes the early experiments of Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) also called Instrumental TransCommunication (ITC).
Seeman, Erik R., Ph.D.
Speaking with the Dead in Early America
by Erik R. Seeman, Ph.D., 329 pages (2019)
Tate, Audry Sloan
A Guide to Afterlife Communication: How to Heal from Loss and Connect with Your Loved Ones on the Other Side
by Audrey Sloan Tate, 133 pages (2021)
Varga, Josie
A Call from Heaven: Personal Accounts of Deathbed Visits, Angelic Visions, and Crossings to the Other Side
by Josie Varga, 191 pages (2017)
Vaudoise, Mallorie
Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestral Veneration
by Mallorie Vaudoise, 213 pages (2021)
Video: 110. Honoring Your Ancestors
Vlahos, Hadley, R.N.
The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters during Life’s Final Moments
by Hadley Vlahos, R.N., 259 pages (2023)
New York Times bestselling author
Willis-Brandon, Carla, Ph.D.
Heavenly Hugs: Comfort, Support, and Hope from the Afterlife
by Carla Wills-Brandon, Ph.D., 248 pages (2013)
Dr. Wills-Brandon has published 13 books including a Publisher’s Weekly bestseller. She has collected nearly 2,000 cases of departing visions and visitations from deceased relatives and friends.