After-Death Communication: A Parent Who Has Lost a Child

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the theory that dreams and visual or auditory perceptions may impact the healing and/or grieving process for parents who have lost a child. Literature indicates that the experience of communicating with the deceased is a topic that people do not often discuss because people in Western culture do not always accept the existence of afterlife communication; instead, they attribute the experience to the belief that they may be suffering from a psychotic disorder. The participants, recruited from the United States, included 6 parents who have lost a child by death and have had experiences that included dreams, visual experiences, or auditory manifestations. This study's research questions measured the impact that the visual, auditory, or dreamed experiences had on parents in the grieving process. The independent variable was the dream, visual experience, or auditory manifestation experiences of parents, and the dependent variable was the impact of those experiences on their grief. The theoretical foundation of this study was based upon Kubler-Ross's 5 stages of grief theory and on Klass's and Walter's continuing bonds theory. A semi-structured list and demographic questionnaire were used. Transcribed stories were collected and coded for themes such as communication in dreams. Data suggested a strong connection between positive grief management and the experience of After Death Communication (ADC). The results indicated that ADC can have a positive effect on moderating grief for parents and grief conclusion is not identical with grief resolution, but rather, that the process of engaging in perceived ADC mitigates grief. This insight into ADC may provide a contribution to professional psychological practice in understanding and supporting parents who have experienced the death of a child.