Sense of Presence Experiences and Meaning-Making in Bereavement: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to explore the potential role that might be played by the reported experience of “sensing the presence of the deceased” in meaning-making processes in bereavement. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 participants who reported having had such an experience and the transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Seven overarching themes were identified, 3 of which were considered central: finding benefit in the continuation of the deceased, finding benefit in the continued relationship, and finding meaning through existential, spiritual, and religious sense-making. While participants found many benefits in what they experienced, finding meaning beyond immediate coping seemed to require the availability of spiritual/religious frameworks that could be adopted or, if available but discrepant, could meaningfully accommodate the experience.

Acknowledgments

We extend our sincere thanks to two anonymous reviewers and to Robert A. Neimeyer and Nigel Field for their invaluable and insightful advice and support in helping us to develop this article for publication.

Notes

¹This may be a surprising statement to readers unfamiliar with the wariness of some religious groups and traditions about any ongoing contact with (or attempt to contact) those who have died, given the supernatural focus of religion and spirituality. Nevertheless, the borders between (attempted/perceived) contact with the dead and sorcery are blurred within some religious traditions.