Study Says That Over Half of Americans Say They've Interacted With Dead Loved Ones

I have felt the presence of the dead a few times.
I have also felt the presence of the Heavenly and of the demonic.
To me it just seems natural, not something to question if it can happen or not.

Pew Research

Around half of U.S. adults (53%) say they’ve ever been visited by a dead family member in a dream or some other form. And substantial shares say they’ve had interactions with dead relatives in the past 12 months:

- 34% have “felt the presence” of a dead relative
- 28% have told a dead relative about their life
- 15% have had a dead family member communicate with them

In total, 44% of Americans report having at least one of these three experiences in the past year.

Over Half of Americans Say They've Interacted With Dead Loved Ones

Over half of Americans claim to have communicated with deceased relatives either in dreams or other means — and the “moderately” religious are the most likely people group to say they've had such a supernatural encounter.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 53% of Americans say they've had interactions with loved ones who have passed away. Of these, 46% experienced the interaction within a dream, while 31% claimed it took place in some other manner.

Additionally, 34% of respondents said they've "felt the presence" of a deceased family member, 28% have spoken about their lives to them, and 15% felt that a deceased relative "reached out" to them. Just under half (44%) of participants mentioned having at least one such encounter within the past year.

The Pew survey, which gathered responses from 5,079 U.S. adults, took place between March 27 and April 2.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I want to know what dead relatives are telling them. The 15% who communicate.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: FlyersFan

I want to know what dead relatives are telling them. The 15% who communicate.

I had a cousin once who almost got in a car accident. While she was driving in her car she heard her dead father say 'be careful'. A few minutes later she had a very close call with another car.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: FlyersFan

I want to know what dead relatives are telling them. The 15% who communicate.

In my case, I 'sensed' the presence of an uncle I hadn't seen for a few months; I could actually 'see' or 'envision' him squatting beside me.

I thought I must be having some sort of mental break, as times had been exceptionally tough the past few weeks but decided to paly along-what the heck.

He seemed very upset and was crying. I could 'hear' his voice in my head, saying he was scared and didn't know what to do. I told him I felt the same way about my life right now, and didn't know what to tell him.

That was at 1:30 AM. The next morning at 10:30 another aunt and uncle arrived to tell me the uncle I 'felt' the presence of had died in a car accident the previous evening at 8:00 PM.

It's not unusual for me to get a visit right after someone I care about passes; I get a wave of extreme peace and they instantly come to mind, but this was the one and only time I ever 'talked' with or 'saw' a departed loved one.

My animals always tell me when they are going to depart this earthly plane; usually a few days to a week before it happens.....even if it's unexpected, like an accident scenario.

Death walks with us all, and since it is one of life's greatest fears it's only natural to want to tune it out.

originally posted by: nugget1
...saying he was scared and didn't know what to do.. .

yeah, I hope there is someone from the 'good side' there when I die to help me along. I don't want to get stuck not knowing what to do.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: FlyersFan

I want to know what dead relatives are telling them. The 15% who communicate.

Usually it's pretty mundane stuff. My aunt came to my mother in a dream and said, "I just thought I'd say goodbye." She died the next day.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I respect your right to believe the way you want. But I would like to mildly and with respect share with you what the Bible says with regard the dead.

It says that the day a person returns to the ground his thoughts perish:

"His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground; On that very day his thoughts perish."-Psalm 146:4.

It says that the dead don't know anything:

"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all."-Ecclesiastes 9:5.

It says that the dead do not make plans, have no wisdom, and there is no knowledge in the grave:

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going."-Ecclesiastes 9:10.

It says that the dead are asleep waiting for Jesus to return and wake them up:

"Moreover, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who are sleeping in death, so that you may not sorrow as the rest do who have no hope."-1 Thessalonians 4:13.

The Bible also forbids the consulting, or the contacting of the dead:

"There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, anyone practicing magic, anyone who looks for omens, a sorcerer, anyone binding others with a spell, anyone who consults a spirit medium or a fortune-teller, or anyone who inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable practices Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you."-Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

The lie that the dead are not dead but alive is a lie taught by Satan the Devil. And the Bible says that he is misleading the entire inhabited earth:

"So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him."-Revelation 12:9.

In Revelation chapters 17 and 18 false religion is referred to as Babylon the Great. Because many false teachings, including the immortality of the soul stem from that ancient city. All false religions have this core false teaching that misleads people. That is why she is said to have mislead everyone by means of her spiritistic practices:

"By your spiritistic practices all the nations were misled. Yes, in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.”-Revelation 18:23-24.

Those who are in contact with unseen spirits from the spirit realm are really being bamboozled by Satan and his demons who masquerade as dead people and fool those who do not believe Jehovah's words of truth in the Bible. Jesus said that the truth would set you free. One of the things it sets you free from is the lie that the dead are still alive:

"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”-John 8:32.

a reply to: randomuser


You post bible quotes saying the dead are asleep in the grave.
I can find plenty of bible quotes that show the dead aren't sleeping in the grave.
Believe what you want.

FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS OF THE DEAD
HERE ARE MORE QUOTES AND THESE SAY THE DEAD AREN"T SLEEPING.

Jesus said to the good thief as they were dying - "This day you will be with me in paradise".

Verses that speak of the dead sleeping use phenomenological language. For example, Daniel 12:2 states, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” This image is of people getting up much as a sleeper rises in the morning. The sleep being discussed is phenomenological sleep, not literal sleep (Daniel is not talking about living people who sleep on the ground). Because dead people look like they are sleeping, especially when lying on their deathbeds (and notice that people often die on beds, enhancing the sleep analogy), the Bible often uses “sleep” as a euphemism for “death.” In fact, this euphemism is common today.

In Revelation 6:9-10, John writes, “When he [Christ] opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?'”

Here John sees the disembodied souls of early Christian martyrs. The fact they are disembodied is known because they have been slain. Thus disembodied souls exist. The fact they are conscious is known because they cry out to God for vengeance. Unconscious people can’t do that. Thus conscious, disembodied souls exist.

In Revelation 20:4 John sees these souls again: “Then I saw . . . the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God and who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

Here again we have disembodied souls (they had been beheaded). John sees them coming to life to reign with Christ–hence they are in a pre-resurrection state. Some scholars argue that this is a spiritual resurrection rather than a physical one. Even if that were so, it would only strengthen the case for conscious, disembodied souls because, after having been beheaded, they would be reigning with Christ in heaven in a disembodied state.

SOURCE

The Bible speaks of death as sleep because the body looks as if it’s asleep when we die, not because the soul becomes unconscious

Acts 7:59-60, Stephen, before “falling asleep” in death, cries out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” That this doesn’t support “soul sleep” is clear from Jesus’ similar remark on the cross (Lk 23:46), which didn’t preclude his telling the Good Thief who died with him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk 23:43).

The Bible doesn’t teach the concept of “soul sleep.” Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man, for example, demonstrates that after death both the righteous and the unrighteous are aware of their fates (Lk 16:19-31).

The apostle Paul also teaches conscious existence after death. He speaks of his desire to depart this life and to go on to be with Christ (Phil 1:23). In 2 Corinthians 12:3-4, Paul tells of his being caught up to paradise and of his uncertainty whether this occurred “in the body or out of the body”–certainly an odd way of speaking if he didn’t believe in an immaterial soul or if he believed in “soul sleep.”

SOURCE

Other passages that allude to awake souls after death -

“Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ ” (Matt. 17:1-5).

“As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, [the] God of Isaac, and [the] God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled” (Mark 12:26-27).

“I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance” (Luke 15:7).

“When the poor man died, he was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. . . and he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames” (Luke 16:19-20, 22-24)

MORE phenomenological language, explained above. Jesus described the daughter of Jairus, who had died: “Do not weep, for she is not dead, but sleeping” (Lk 8:52). Jesus then “prayed” both to the dead (by addressing a dead person) and for the dead (by commanding a dead person to return to earthly life), because He was talking to a dead child, and saying, “Child arise” (Lk 8:54). The next verse states “and her spirit returned,” thus proving that it was separate from her body. NOT 'sleeping in the grave'.

1 KINGS 17:21-22 "Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s soul come into him again.” And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." Showing the soul went elsewhere (Sheol) and wasn't 'sleeping in the grave'.

There is a judgement immediately upon death -

Luke 16:22-23 -The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; [23] and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz'arus in his bosom.

Hebrews 9:27: “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment.”

2 Corinthians 5:8 8 - We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Phil 1:23 - I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. NLT I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.

Then there is the final judgement when the soul reunites with the body (I already showed the soul separates from the body at death) upon the return of Christ.

Well this for me is one explanation to explain all the very fast changes in culture and even gives insight of how anyone could possibly think things are better now. If they're this distracted, I don't see anything getting fixed anytime soon.

Oh .. and one other bible thing in case someone brings it up ...

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. Matthew 14:26, NIV

“Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” Luke 24:39, NIV

Jesus had an opportunity to say that ghosts do not exist. But he didn't. He said that 'a ghost does not have flesh and bones'. He didn't say 'don't be afraid because ghosts don't exist'. Very interesting exchange.

a reply to: FlyersFan

You know that when Jesus died he didn't go to paradise. He went to Hades, as Acts 2:27 states (the KJV calls this HELL.) The fact that Jesus died is the entirety of the Christian faith, for if he did not die, and was not resurrected on the third day, the entirety of the Christian faith is a farce. The evildoer at his side will be resurrected under Jesus' kingdom rule on earth, at that time earth will be a paradise.

That quote in Revelation that has the blood of the saints calling out to God for justice doesn't mean they were alive. It means that their slaughter is remember in God's sight. Just as when Abel died and his blood cried out to God:

"At this He said: “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground."-Genesis 4:10.

In fact that scripture I quoted in Revelation 18 not only says that Babylon the Great misleads all the nations because of her spiritistic practices (such as the teaching of the immortality of the soul) but it also says that SHE is responsible for the blood of everyone who has been slaughtered on the earth. Her blood-guilt before Jehovah is immeasurable, and she will be remember in God's sight. And he will give her the cup with which she gave others:

"By your spiritistic practices all the nations were misled. Yes, in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.”"-Revelation 18:23-24.

a reply to: FlyersFan

True they did say they saw a phantasma on the water in Matthew 14:26. They were quite startled. The word can be translated into English, spirit, apparition, false vision, phantom. It meant that what they thought they saw was not real. Not that it was a dead person.

Luke 24:39 uses the word pneuma, and that refers to an invisible spirit person. Not a dead person. The angels of the past were able to materialize human bodies and appear to servants of Jehovah, such as Abraham. Jesus was doing the same, he had materialized a body from the spirit realm and appeared in the flesh in the middle of his apostles while they were in a locked room. But he did not do this from the realm of the dead. He had already been resurrected when this occurred. When he was dead in the Grave he did not exist.

originally posted by: randomuser
You know that when Jesus died he didn't go to paradise. He went to Hades,

To Sheol and he promised the good thief that they'd be in paradise together that day. He said it. That day. They didn't 'sleep in the grave'

That quote in Revelation that has the blood of the saints calling out to God for justice doesn't mean they were alive. It means that their slaughter is remember in God's sight.

It is very clear. The Saints are alive and aware of what is going on.

Believe whatever you want. But you are just Jehovahs Witness proselytizing.

a reply to: randomuser

Nope. Jesus had a chance to tell them that ghost don't exist but instead He said that He was flesh and blood and spirits are not. It's very clear.

originally posted by: FlyersFan
a reply to: randomuser

Nope. Jesus had a chance to tell them that ghost don't exist but instead He said that He was flesh and blood and spirits are not. It's very clear.

It was very clear to them that he materialized a human body from the spirit realm. He was raised a spirit body, and when he appeared to his apostles he did so in another form other than what they were used to when he walked with them before he died. That is why they did not recognize his face when he walked among them after his resurrection. It was only his behavior and the way he talked that made them realize it was him. And also he literally materialized in the middle of them in a locked room. That means they were in a locked room where no one could just walk in, and in the middle of them a spirit from the invisible spirit realm materialized a human body among them. They didn't need Jesus to tell them what had just happened. They were there watching it happen. He only did it a second time for the benefit of Thomas who didn't believe it unless he stuck his finger through the holes in Jesus' hands where he was nailed to the stake.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I can't say that I believe (or disbelieve) in ghosts or communicating with the dead, but I can say I've had a few interesting experiences. One of those experiences is a recurring one over years. Take it with a grain of salt...

but many years ago, I was going through a time of introspection and happened to look at the clock. The time was 6:08PM. I then immediately thought of my mother, who died when I was 4 months old. I didn't make the connection at the moment, but being a genealogist, I have a lot of birth and death certificates of ancestors. Some weeks later, I was going through birth certificates and noticed that my own birth certificate said I was born at 6:08PM.

This has happened several times over the years, but not always the same way. Sometimes my mother comes to mind first, then I notice it's 6:08PM. Other times, I see the clock first and my mother comes to mind. It has been random and infrequent, so I'm never expecting it when it happens.

Like I said, take it with a grain of salt, but on a scale of mundane to hair raising, it has definitely registered an interesting.

Some other studies -

18% of Americans Say They've Seen a Ghost - Pew Research

Nearly one-in-five U.S. adults (18%) say they’ve seen or been in the presence of a ghost, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center survey. An even greater share – 29% – say they have felt in touch with someone who has already died.

Two Thirds of Americans Say They've Had Paranormal Encounters

USA Today - 41 Percent of Americans Believe in Ghosts - 20% Have Seen One

New York Times - 46% of Americans Believe in Ghosts

Martha Stewart - 45% of Americans Believe in Ghosts

a reply to: carewemust

Comfort and concern for two things.
I have felt/heard from dead relatives more than once.
It was a very positive things both times.

Also, angels visit us.

Like the OP, I have felt Heavenly entities, and those opposite.

a reply to: randomuser

NONE of what you posted has ANYTHING to do with what I said.
Again...

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. Matthew 14:26, NIV

“Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” Luke 24:39, NIV

Jesus had an opportunity to say that ghosts do not exist. But he didn't. He said that 'a ghost does not have flesh and bones'. He didn't say 'don't be afraid because ghosts don't exist'. He could have taught them that, but He did not.

Ghosts exist. Christ Himself pretty much confirmed it.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Just talk to people that work in Hospice and you'll see no matter what religion, what beliefs, they all
know there is something more. They have ALL experienced "something". They have all heard, seen, felt "something".

Most hospice workers aren't depressed and sad, it's quite the opposite, they are optimistic, hopeful, at peace.
They know this isn't the final show.

I shared my paranormal experience with a pastor and she said she too experienced it with her own family.