S-2 The Exclusive, Universal, and Multiple Experiences of...

The Exclusive, Universal, and Multiple Experiences of After Death Communication (ADC)
James A. Houck, PhD

As part of a larger research study on comparing grief reactions and religious/spiritual coping methods among cancer, AIDS-related, and suicide bereavement, Houck (2004) asked 162 bereft people who reported that they have experienced specific types of ADCs, as it related to the most recent death of a loved-one. A frequency analysis indicated three common themes: Universality, i.e., ADCs appear to cut across lines of gender, age, religious preference, education levels, time since the death, and types of death; Multiplicity, people typically experience more than one type of ADC by the same loved-one on different occasions; and Exclusively, the majority of ADCs are experienced without the assistance of a third-party (e.g., medium, spiritualist, shaman, etc.).