An international team of researchers has conducted a study examining how people perceive the emotions of deceased loved ones during spontaneous after-death communications (ADCs) and how these perceptions influence their grieving process. The study, supported by the Bial Foundation and including researchers David Lorimer, Evelyn Elsaesser, and Sophie Morrison, collected 1,311 questionnaires in six languages between 2018 and 2024.
Spontaneous ADCs are described as unexpected experiences in which individuals sense or perceive the presence of someone who has died. These encounters can occur while awake or asleep and may involve sensory perceptions or simply a strong feeling of presence.
According to existing research, ADCs have been reported throughout history across different cultures. Estimates suggest that about 30 to 35 percent of people experience at least one ADC in their lifetime, with this number rising to 70 to 80 percent among those who are bereaved.
The recent study found that approximately three-quarters of respondents sensed some emotional state from the deceased during an ADC. Positive emotions were most commonly reported: calm and peace (45%), radiant with bliss (30%), eager to comfort (45%), and compassionate (26%). Fewer participants perceived negative emotions such as sadness (11%), agitation (6%), fear (3%), or threat (2%). Some accounts described initially distressing encounters that became more positive over time when multiple experiences occurred with the same deceased individual.
A significant majority—between 73% and 77%—believed immediately after the event that their contact was real. This conviction increased over time to between 83% and 90%. Researchers observed that this sense of authenticity played an important role in reducing grief-related pain, decreasing fear of death, and helping people feel more connected to those they had lost.
Evelyn Elsaesser stated: "The state of mind of the deceased was perceived as predominantly positive by participants in our study, which facilitated their grieving process," adding that "ADCs are experienced as deeply meaningful and transformative events, with the potential to ease grief, reinforce hope and reshape an individual's relationship with death and with the one who has passed away".
