Quoth the Raven: Bereavement and the Paranormal

Abstract

The bereaved often have paranormal experiences: they feel the presence of or see the dead. This article examines the relevance to bereavement of the experiences and of the belief in a life after death. Many professional counselors dismiss the experiences as hallucinatory and the belief as a mark of superstition. This article, however, presents surveys of paranormal experiences and data from physical research that can be used to validate the experiences and belief and to help the bereaved restructure their lives.