Continuing Bonds Through After-Death Spiritual Experiences in Individuals Bereaved by Suicide

Bereaved persons sometimes report after-death spiritual experiences with loved ones who have died, which may represent continuing bonds, though little research exists regarding this phenomenon among those bereaved by suicide. This study sought to examine the frequency and correlates of these experie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of spirituality in mental health Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 311 - 324
Main Authors Jahn, Danielle R., Spencer-Thomas, Sally
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 02.10.2014
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
after-death communication
bereavement
continuing bonds
Correlation analysis
Grief
postvention
Spirituality
Suicides & suicide attempts
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Summary:Bereaved persons sometimes report after-death spiritual experiences with loved ones who have died, which may represent continuing bonds, though little research exists regarding this phenomenon among those bereaved by suicide. This study sought to examine the frequency and correlates of these experiences among survivors of suicide loss. A majority of respondents experienced continuing bonds through after-death spiritual experiences, which take the form of dreams or feeling the presence of the person, among others. Generally, these experiences are regarded as positive and are often discussed with others. Implications suggest that these experiences likely represent continuing bonds with the deceased.
ISSN:1934-9637
1934-9645
DOI:10.1080/19349637.2015.957612