Have you had interaction with dead relatives?

[Truthseeker]

Many Americans report interacting with dead relatives in dreams or other ways

46% of Americans report that they’ve been visited by a dead family member in a dream, while 31% report having been visited by dead relatives in some other form.

www.pewresearch.org

According to the above survey 53% of Americans say they have been contacted by a dead relative in a dream or some other form. My wife Sara is convinced that she was visited by my brother Lloyd shortly after he was dead. I had a dream which I didn't find quite as convincing that my parents and grandparents on my mother's side visited me in a dream, and we were worshipping Christ together since they were all Christian. I believe in Christ, so why not?

An interesting finding: Women are more likely than men to say they have had these kinds of interactions with dead family members. And people who are moderately religious are more likely than others – including those who are highly religious and those who are not religious – to have experienced these things.

Among religions, they only report on Christian denominations percentages, because the sample size was too small on the other religions evidently.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

While I believe that quite a few stories might be valid, I feel that personally, if I start seeing or hearing from dead people, and I'm awake, that it may be a sign I might be having a little bit of a relapse, myself, or just need to take my medicine and get some sleep. Or that I may have even become so invested in a belief system or practice, that I may "want" to see things, and therefore end up seeing or experiencing things.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I have not.

I find this interesting because shortly before my daughter died, we had discussed such interactions and she stated that if it was possible for her to interact with me after she died, she would. 16 years and no interactions with me, though my ex claims she had a vivid dream of her.

I've had dreams about dead relatives that were just that...dreams. Nothing in the way of a "crossing over" interaction. Just dreams like any others that involved living people.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Many Americans report interacting with dead relatives in dreams or other ways

46% of Americans report that they’ve been visited by a dead family member in a dream, while 31% report having been visited by dead relatives in some other form.

www.pewresearch.org

According to the above survey 53% of Americans say they have been contacted by a dead relative in a dream or some other form. My wife Sara is convinced that she was visited by my brother Lloyd shortly after he was dead. I had a dream which I didn't find quite as convincing that my parents and grandparents on my mother's side visited me in a dream, and we were worshipping Christ together since they were all Christian. I believe in Christ, so why not?

An interesting finding: Women are more likely than men to say they have had these kinds of interactions with dead family members. And people who are moderately religious are more likely than others – including those who are highly religious and those who are not religious – to have experienced these things.

Among religions, they only report on Christian denominations percentages, because the sample size was too small on the other religions evidently.

First, to answer your question, yes, I have. Second, I'm not at all surprised by the percentage of people surveyed who experienced a visitation from their deceased relative(s), whether in a dream or through some other personal connection. I have been researching and investigating paranormal phenomena for the past sixteen years, and part of what I study is the trend of acceptance of this phenomenon in contemporary society. In my opinion, the reasons why more people are interested in the paranormal are either because they are curious to know what will happen to them and to others after death or because they have personally experienced something paranormal and are seeking an explanation to make sense of this experience. The latter applies to me. And finally, the following information and articles demonstrate how the trend of people believing in paranormal phenomena has changed since the year 2000.

According to a survey from October 2021, 63 percent of its participants (2,000 people aged 21 and over) believe in the paranormal in some form. The people surveyed said the most common unexplained beings they believe exist include ghosts (57%), aliens (39%), and Bigfoot (27%). A third (35%) of the people surveyed said they have felt an unexplained presence in their home, prompting them to believe that they are being haunted. Here is a link to the survey: "Paranormal Nation: Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe in ghosts or aliens." For the record, there is a designated day each year (May 3rd) for people who believe in paranormal phenomena: National Paranormal Day 2023—A day for people who believe in ghosts and paranormal activities.

Gallup Poll: One Third of Americans Believe in Ghosts (2000)

Americans' Belief in Psychic and Paranormal Phenomena Is up Over Last Decade (2001)

Three in Four Americans Believe in Paranormal (2005)

Pew: The Number Of Americans Who Believe In Ghosts Has Doubled In A Decade (2009)

Brilliant Scientists Are Open-Minded about Paranormal Stuff, So Why Not You? (2012)

Spooky Number Of Americans Believe In Ghosts (2013; updated 2017)

Pew Research Center: 18% of Americans say they’ve seen a ghost (2015)

Paranormal America 2017 Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2017)

You Gov America: Many Americans believe ghosts and demons exist (2019)

Reports Of Paranormal Activity On The Rise During Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Orders (2020)

2 in 5 Americans believe ghosts are real and 1 in 5 say they've seen one, survey says (2021)

You Gov America: Two-thirds of Americans say they've had a paranormal encounter (2022)

 

[F1fan]

You mean like burying their bodies behind the barn? No. Why do you ask?

 

[Jedster]

I have not.

I find this interesting because shortly before my daughter died, we had discussed such interactions and she stated that if it was possible for her to interact with me after she died, she would. 16 years and no interactions with me, though my ex claims she had a vivid dream of her.

I've had dreams about dead relatives that were just that...dreams. Nothing in the way of a "crossing over" interaction. Just dreams like any others that involved living people.

I saw my late father 3 times in meditation during a few months after he died. The first time he looked very confused, the second time he looked more rested, the third time he had a Buddha-like smile. That was all in 1974.
Just the other night, when I had a rare dream, I saw him as a young happy self.
My mother died in 1992 and I have seen her once in a dream. She was sitting next to me on a sofa and looked strikingly well. She only glanced at me for a moment and said(in the glance), "I'm really busy, just get on with your life".
It doesn't make me believe anything, but enjoyed the experiences.

 

[Jimmy]

My heart of hearts tells me that death is final but it is kind of comforting to think that their spirit is still lingering.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

While I believe that quite a few stories might be valid, I feel that personally, if I start seeing or hearing from dead people, and I'm awake, that it may be a sign I might be having a little bit of a relapse, myself, or just need to take my medicine and get some sleep. Or that I may have even become so invested in a belief system or practice, that I may "want" to see things, and therefore end up seeing or experiencing things.

That’s a likely scenario, good of you to think rationally like that!

But I have no doubt that contact from invisible entities, can happen. I have too many close friends that, when they were younger, experienced such events, including two-way conversations.

Most had been dabbling in the occult, but not all of them. All said they were drug-free, I might add.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Pretty boring as to such in my life (i.e., none) - even though I'm sure both my dead parents would like to shout at me if they still existed in some form. Here is a recent article examining how some experiences might be explained:

The science behind seeing ghosts

Scientists and engineers have made some fascinating discoveries recently that might explain why we think we see ghosts.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Truthseeker]

First, to answer your question, yes, I have. Second, I'm not at all surprised by the percentage of people surveyed who experienced a visitation from their deceased relative(s), whether in a dream or through some other personal connection. I have been researching and investigating paranormal phenomena for the past sixteen years, and part of what I study is the trend of acceptance of this phenomenon in contemporary society. In my opinion, the reasons why more people are interested in the paranormal are either because they are curious to know what will happen to them and to others after death or because they have personally experienced something paranormal and are seeking an explanation to make sense of this experience. The latter applies to me. And finally, the following information and articles demonstrate how the trend of people believing in paranormal phenomena has changed since the year 2000.

According to a survey from October 2021, 63 percent of its participants (2,000 people aged 21 and over) believe in the paranormal in some form. The people surveyed said the most common unexplained beings they believe exist include ghosts (57%), aliens (39%), and Bigfoot (27%). A third (35%) of the people surveyed said they have felt an unexplained presence in their home, prompting them to believe that they are being haunted. Here is a link to the survey: "Paranormal Nation: Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe in ghosts or aliens." For the record, there is a designated day each year (May 3rd) for people who believe in paranormal phenomena: National Paranormal Day 2023—A day for people who believe in ghosts and paranormal activities.

Gallup Poll: One Third of Americans Believe in Ghosts (2000)

Americans' Belief in Psychic and Paranormal Phenomena Is up Over Last Decade (2001)

Three in Four Americans Believe in Paranormal (2005)

Pew: The Number Of Americans Who Believe In Ghosts Has Doubled In A Decade (2009)

Brilliant Scientists Are Open-Minded about Paranormal Stuff, So Why Not You? (2012)

Spooky Number Of Americans Believe In Ghosts (2013; updated 2017)

Pew Research Center: 18% of Americans say they’ve seen a ghost (2015)

Paranormal America 2017 Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2017)

You Gov America: Many Americans believe ghosts and demons exist (2019)

Reports Of Paranormal Activity On The Rise During Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Orders (2020)

2 in 5 Americans believe ghosts are real and 1 in 5 say they've seen one, survey says (2021)

You Gov America: Two-thirds of Americans say they've had a paranormal encounter (2022)

I just looked at "Reports of Paranormal Activity on the Rise During During Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Orders", and they quoted Jason Hawes there. I had forgotten his name. That is a ghost hunter I respect. He genuinely wants to look for natural causes first before he concludes if a haunting is real. I used to watch him and his team on the show "Ghost Hunters" on sy fy. Now that show is on The Travel Channel apparently. The Travel Channel has been converted to spook central, I've noticed. This is similar to a lot of The History Channel not being much about history any more, in my opinion, though they do sometimes have genuine history.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I just looked at "Reports of Paranormal Activity on the Rise During During Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Orders", and they quoted Jason Hawes there. I had forgotten his name. That is a ghost hunter I respect. He genuinely wants to look for natural causes first before he concludes if a haunting is real. I used to watch him and his team on the show "Ghost Hunters" on sy fy. Now that show is on The Travel Channel apparently. The Travel Channel has been converted to spook central, I've noticed. This is similar to a lot of The History Channel not being much about history any more, in my opinion, though they do sometimes have genuine history.

Jason Hawkes is one of my favorite paranormal investigators. I follow him on Facebook, in fact. I'd like to meet him some day. The closest I've come so far is having a mutual friend with him. Anyway, I've been watching Ghost Hunters for years now. It remains one of my top three favorite paranormal shows.

I just looked at "Reports of Paranormal Activity on the Rise During During Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Orders", and they quoted Jason Hawes there. I had forgotten his name. That is a ghost hunter I respect. He genuinely wants to look for natural causes first before he concludes if a haunting is real. I used to watch him and his team on the show "Ghost Hunters" on sy fy. Now that show is on The Travel Channel apparently. The Travel Channel has been converted to spook central, I've noticed. This is similar to a lot of The History Channel not being much about history any more, in my opinion, though they do sometimes have genuine history.

One more thing: I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but Ghost Hunters is also available on Discovery+. This is where I watch the show now.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Many Americans report interacting with dead relatives in dreams or other ways

46% of Americans report that they’ve been visited by a dead family member in a dream, while 31% report having been visited by dead relatives in some other form.

www.pewresearch.org

According to the above survey 53% of Americans say they have been contacted by a dead relative in a dream or some other form. My wife Sara is convinced that she was visited by my brother Lloyd shortly after he was dead. I had a dream which I didn't find quite as convincing that my parents and grandparents on my mother's side visited me in a dream, and we were worshipping Christ together since they were all Christian. I believe in Christ, so why not?

An interesting finding: Women are more likely than men to say they have had these kinds of interactions with dead family members. And people who are moderately religious are more likely than others – including those who are highly religious and those who are not religious – to have experienced these things.

Among religions, they only report on Christian denominations percentages, because the sample size was too small on the other religions evidently.

Yes.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

While I believe that quite a few stories might be valid, I feel that personally, if I start seeing or hearing from dead people, and I'm awake, that it may be a sign I might be having a little bit of a relapse, myself, or just need to take my medicine and get some sleep. Or that I may have even become so invested in a belief system or practice, that I may "want" to see things, and therefore end up seeing or experiencing things.

It can be frightening for a person to experience something unusual that they can't explain, but once they've ruled out all natural explanations, I think that it's reasonable for them to presume that their experience was likely paranormal in nature. In this case, I believe that further investigation is warranted.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

It can be frightening for a person to experience something paranormal, but once they have ruled out all natural explanations, I think that it is reasonable for them to presume that their experience was likely paranormal in nature. In this case, I believe that further investigation is warranted.

I'd just say that even if I believe firmly that a paranormal experience is real, there's just not much practicality to putting much weight on it. It's just an abstract thing, that's not something you can really debate due to the level of abstract, and it also can't really be explained to people who don't believe in the paranormal.

But, there's a lot more evidence of tricks of the eye and brain. I feel one can actually make a case for eye tricks, side effects of medicine, illnesses, and lack of sleep, being a cause.

That being said, if one reads my post carefully, they'll see that I implied that I believe some of these cases might be substantial enough to be real or deserve a second look.

 

[syo]

No. They avoid me because I blocked them. I sold my relatives.

 

[Eli G]

That’s a likely scenario, good of you to think rationally like that!

But I have no doubt that contact from invisible entities, can happen. I have too many close friends that, when they were younger, experienced such events, including two-way conversations.

Most had been dabbling in the occult, but not all of them. All said they were drug-free, I might add.

One question remains: how can you be sure that what appears to you is not disguised as someone it is not?

Even living people we see sometimes dress up; even online you may be having a dialog with a machine and you don't realize it. If the ghosts or spirits are invisible, how could you tell the difference between a supposedly dead human and something else ... like a demon?

PS: not debating ... just saying.

 

[Psalm23]

No. I have had dreams about loved ones and a beloved pet who had passed.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I think the influence and karma lingers, but dead relatives are well on to other things as everything essentially resets back to square one.

 

[Quintessence]

Yes, but that isn't saying much of anything considering interacting with the ancestors is kind of a normal thing in Paganisms, my own included.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

One question remains: how can you be sure that what appears to you is not disguised as someone it is not?

Even living people we see sometimes dress up; even online you may be having a dialog with a machine and you don't realize it. If the ghosts or spirits are invisible, how could you tell the difference between a supposedly dead human and something else ... like a demon?

PS: not debating ... just saying.

Here’s what always gets me: ghosts, whenever they are seen (by those given the ability), always have clothes on.
They say when people die, their spirit is the ghost.

But how did their clothes turn into spirit?! I thought only living things had spirit… how did their clothes get it? In my mind, when taking shape, they should all be naked.