Ep. 60 - Grief, After Death Communications, and Healing

In this solo episode, psychologist Traci Stein discusses grief and the phenomenon of After Death Communications (ADCs). Grief is an experience that absolutely everyone will have, but most of us feel ill prepared to navigate. Yet, the research shows that most people believe in an afterlife, and over half of us report experiencing some sort of after-death communication with our loved ones - whether through feeling their presence, hearing, smelling or seeing them, or through “visitation” dreams. These experiences can be profoundly comforting and give us permission to move forward. In this episode, Traci also shares some personal experiences and invites listeners to share theirs as well. Citation for the article referred to in this podcast: Richards, T.A. & Folkman, S. (1997). Spiritual aspects of loss at the time of a partner's death from AIDS. Death studies, 21(6), 527-552. If you are struggling with grief or other mental health issues: SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service providing referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.   Here’s the link to the audio file:       Chapters   00:00 Introduction and Poem 02:15 The Challenges of Grief 06:01 Resilience and Coping with Grief 09:14 Beliefs about After-Death Communications 11:11 Common Experiences of After-Death Communications 13:36 Research on Spiritual Experiences 15:31 Healing Effects of After-Death Communications 19:55 Healthcare Workers' Experiences 23:51 Different Forms of After-Death Communications 25:48 Scientific Research on After-Death Communications 29:05 The Healing Power of After-Death Communications