Many years ago, my grandmother was shopping in a department store when she heard her father’s favorite song begin playing. She thought of him and at that very moment he appeared in front of her. She couldn’t believe her eyes. This was impossible—her father had died a week before. Yet here he was, standing right in front of her. “Don’t worry, Ruby,” he said. “I’m fine.” Then he vanished. My grandmother was a no-nonsense woman who wasn’t prone to fantasy or story-telling, but for the rest of her life she remained convinced that she had encountered the ghost of her father that day.
A recent survey revealed that over 40 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, while about half as many claim they have personally encountered a ghost. Humans have always believed in ghosts; recorded sightings go back to the earliest cuneiform writings on clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. In more recent decades, paranormal television shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, and many others have popularized a belief in ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural entities. After a loved one dies, some people are especially prone to seeing ghosts.
According to psychology, a common explanation for these ghostly experiences is that they are illusions or hallucinations. These are a side-effect of grieving the loss of a partner, family member, or close friend. Known as grief or bereavement hallucinations, they are a perception-like experience of someone who has died, and usually a reaction to acute grief. Grief hallucinations can seem very real when they happen. A person in mourning might see, hear, or feel the touch of the deceased person. Common experiences include sensing the presence of their loved one who’s passed, seeing an apparition of them, hearing the sound of their voice, and smelling their favorite food or fragrance. People report feeling their loved ones giving them a hug or a kiss, while a deceased spouse might even appear to get into bed with them. Grief hallucinations can happen when people are awake or asleep, as some are visited by the deceased in their dreams. Others even report seeing the spirits of their beloved pets. Hallucinations can be triggered by a familiar scent, seeing something out of the corner of one's eye, or hearing a song closely associated with the loved one who's passed.
When people experience grief hallucinations, they often keep it to themselves. They’re reluctant to share their story because they feel embarrassed and fear that no one will believe them. They may even wonder if they’re showing signs of mental illness. However, experiencing a grief hallucination doesn’t mean that the person suffers from a psychiatric condition, or that they were under the influence at the time the event occurred. We’re so attuned to the presence of our loved ones that, when they are no longer there, we still expect to see them and hear them. The sense of loss and loneliness is so great that we can be watchful for signs of them, and then our minds unconsciously fill in the gaps. We’re not yet ready to let go. As renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks writes in Hallucinations, “Losing a parent, a spouse, or a child is losing a part of oneself and bereavement causes a sudden hole in one’s life, a hole which—somehow—must be filled.”
It’s surprisingly common for people in mourning to experience hallucinations of their deceased loved ones. Various studies show that a staggering 30-50% of people have these experiences after someone has died. In fact, grief hallucinations are so common and benign that they are considered a normal part of bereavement. They are found across cultures, beliefs, and time, and they play an important part in the grieving and healing process. Grief hallucinations can be beneficial when they help those in mourning to cope and adjust to the change, and even maintain a bond with their lost loved one. During a time of distress and uncertainty, such an experience can be a reassuring sign, just like my great-grandfather appearing to his daughter to say, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Some people find the experience to be unsettling or even frightening although others find it provides comfort and solace, especially when it’s viewed in a spiritual or religious context. For many, these experiences are proof that there is life after death and that they will be reunited with their friends and family some day.
For those people who are finding it hard to cope with loss, however, it may be a good idea to reach out to a support group or mental health professional.
References
YouGov. Two in five Americans say ghosts exist — and one in five say they've encountered one. https://today.yougov.com/entertainment/articles/38919-americans-say-gho…
Finkel, I. 2019. The First Ghosts. Hodder & Stoughton.
Ratcliffe, M. Sensed presence without sensory qualities: a phenomenological study of bereavement hallucinations. Phenom Cogn Sci 20, 601–616 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-020-09666-2
Sacks, O. 2013. Hallucinations. Vintage Books.
Grief Hallucinations
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30.11.2023
Many years ago, my grandmother was shopping in a department store when she heard her father’s favorite song begin playing. She thought of him and at that very moment he appeared in front of her. She couldn’t believe her eyes. This was impossible—her father had died a week before. Yet here he was, standing right in front of her. “Don’t worry, Ruby,” he said. “I’m fine.” Then he vanished. My grandmother was a no-nonsense woman who wasn’t prone to fantasy or story-telling, but for the rest of her life she remained convinced that she had encountered the ghost of her father that day.
A recent survey revealed that over 40 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, while about half as many claim they have personally encountered a ghost. Humans have always believed in ghosts; recorded sightings go back to the earliest cuneiform writings on clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. In more recent decades, paranormal television shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, and many others have popularized a belief in ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural entities. After a loved one dies, some people are especially prone to seeing ghosts.
According to psychology, a common explanation for these ghostly experiences is that they are illusions or........
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