Experiences of continued presence: On the practical consequences of ‘hallucinations’ in bereavement

Hayes, Jacqueline; Leudar, Ivan

doi:10.1111/papt.12067

Cited by 35 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…In this study, the bereaved also expressed how important it was to have the experiences validated by learning that others have had similar experiences (Keen et al 2013). Research exploring the benefits of these experiences has shown that individuals who report them have less loneliness, feel less intense pain from the loss, and believe that they have received guidance or encouragement from the deceased (Hayes and Leudar 2016). Nevertheless, sense of presence experiences are not always healing and may be associated with increased depression or more severe grief in the short-term (Hayes and Leudar 2016).…”

Section: Sense Of Presencementioning

confidence: 88%

“…In the previous theories of grief, experiences such as sensing the presence of the deceased were considered hallucinations, denial mechanisms, or dysfunctional searching (Steffen and Coyle 2010). Hayes and Leudar (2016) argued that sense of presence experiences are not hallucinations because they are not symptoms of an underlying mental health condition, but rather they are rooted in actual experiences of the past relationship history and are not often problematic. Keen et al (2013) discovered multiple themes among people who experienced "a sense of presence," including the experiences being unique and personally distinctive to the deceased and the bereaved's prior beliefs, as well as understandings being congruent with the experienced sense of presence.…”

Section: Sense Of Presencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research exploring the benefits of these experiences has shown that individuals who report them have less loneliness, feel less intense pain from the loss, and believe that they have received guidance or encouragement from the deceased (Hayes and Leudar 2016). Nevertheless, sense of presence experiences are not always healing and may be associated with increased depression or more severe grief in the short-term (Hayes and Leudar 2016). In the cases where they cause distress, there had often been relationship challenges with the deceased during life (Hayes and Leudar 2016).…”

Section: Sense Of Presencementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A Qualitative Examination of Continuing Bonds through Spiritual Experiences in Individuals Bereaved by Suicide

Jahn¹,

Spencer‐Thomas²

2018

Religions

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Introduction: Suicide is a public health problem worldwide, and spiritual experiences may be important positive experiences or coping mechanisms for difficulties associated with surviving a suicide loss. Studies have found that continuing bonds through spiritual experiences are common among individuals bereaved by suicide. However, the literature lacks depth in understanding these experiences, such as sense of presence. Aims: The aim of this study was to qualitatively examine descriptions of continuing bonds through spiritual experiences after death by suicide. Method: A total of 1301 individuals bereaved by suicide provided 2443 free responses about their spiritual experiences based on four different prompts, which were analyzed using an inductive approach. Results: Nine common themes were identified, selected for interest, and reported: (1) a helpful sense of comfort; (2) a helpful sense of connection with the deceased; (3) intense sadness evoked by the spiritual experiences; (4) confusion regarding the spiritual experiences; (5) negative reminders of the deceased or negative meanings of spiritual experiences; (6) evidence of an afterlife; (7) general importance of the spiritual experiences’ meaning; (8) impact of and on religious beliefs; and (9) others’ responses to disclosure of suicide or spiritual experiences. Conclusion: For the overwhelming majority of participants, spiritual experiences such as a sense of presence have deep meaning and are often regarded as a positive source of healing and transformation after a suicide death.

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Section: Sense Of Presencementioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Sense Of Presencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sense Of Presencementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Qualitative Examination of Continuing Bonds through Spiritual Experiences in Individuals Bereaved by Suicide

Jahn¹,

Spencer‐Thomas²

2018

Religions

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“…Post-bereavement hallucinations may be particularly informative about the mechanisms driving the onset, and offset, of hallucinations, since they typically remit over time. However, although some researchers have theorized about the role of post-traumatic stress in this type of hallucination (Hayes and Leudar, 2016), empirical investigation of stress-related (biological, cognitive or social) responses is missing. In addition, understanding family members' and carer's responses to post-bereavement and other hallucinatory phenomena has received little investigation, but warrants further investigation given existing evidence that the presence of hallucinations in those with Parkinson's disease or dementia is a strong predictor of caregiver stress and nursing home admission (Oh et al, 2015; Cepoiu-Martin et al, 2016).…”

Section: Gaps In the Evidence Base And Directions For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hallucinations in Healthy Older Adults: An Overview of the Literature and Perspectives for Future Research

2017

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KEY POINTS ➢ Studies suggest a substantial minority of healthy older adults have hallucinatory experiences, in line with existing evidence on hallucinations in other age groups, though it is still unclear if hallucination prevalence increases or declines with age in older cohorts.➢ Stigma attached to both hallucinations and ageing leads to considerable under-reporting of these experiences in healthy older adults and may negatively bias how professionals, family members, and the public respond.➢ Why and when hallucinations in healthy older adults remit, persist, or progress to other clinical disorders remains poorly understood.➢ Current evidence points to a range of factors associated with hallucinations in older adults including decline in sensory or cognitive functioning, poor sleep, and psychosocial stressors (e.g., social isolation, loneliness, and bereavement), highlighting the need for accurate assessment and tailored interventions.Hallucinations, though common in youth and younger adults, are not the preserve of these age groups. Accumulating evidence shows that hallucinatory experiences are also present at surprisingly high rates in healthy older adults in the general community. Furthermore, stigma and misunderstanding of hallucinations, together with ageism, may lead to under-reporting of these experiences by older adults, and misdiagnosis or mismanagement by health and mental health practitioners. Consequently, improved public and professional knowledge is needed about the nature and significance of hallucinations with advancing age. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview, and critical analysis, of research on the prevalence, psychosocial, and neurobiological factors associated with hallucinations in people aged 60 years and over. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review of its kind in the literature. The evidence supports a dynamic conceptualization of hallucinations, in which the emergence of hallucinations is viewed as a balance between the sensory, cognitive, or social impairments accompanying advancing age and the degree to which compensatory processes elicited by these impairments are successful. We briefly summarize the implications of the literature for aged care services and interventions, and stress that far more studies are needed in this important field of research.

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“…BHs are reported by 40-70% of conjugally bereaved persons (Byrne & Raphael, 1994;Carlsson & Nilsson, 2007;Datson & Marwit, 1997;Grimby, 1993;Olson, Suddeth, Peterson, & Egelhoff, 1985;Rees, 1971;Schuchter & Zisook, 1993). While a classic term for these experiences is 'hallucination' (Castelnovo et al, 2015;Grimby, 1993;Olson et al, 1985;Rees, 1971), recent research often uses less pathologicallyconnoted terms like 'sense of presence' (Steffen & Coyle, 2010) and 'experiences of continued presence"' (Hayes & Leudar, 2016). The association of hallucinations with mental pathology has a long history, but the link is challenged by studies showing that hallucinations are common in nonclinical populations (Daalman et al, 2011;Larøi, DeFruyt, van Os, Aleman, & Van der Linden, 2005), resulting in a debate of whether hallucinations are pathological per se.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bereavement hallucinations after the loss of a spouse: Associations with psychopathological measures, personality and coping style

et al. 2018

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Bereavement hallucinations (BHs) were assessed in 175 conjugally bereaved participants 4 years post loss, to explore whether BHs were: (a) associated with psychological distress and (b) predicted by sociodemographic variables, personality and/or coping style. Participants with BHs scored significantly higher than those without BHs on prolonged grief, post-traumatic stress, depression symptoms, and emotional loneliness. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed avoidant coping, openness to experience, and length of marriage to significantly predict BHs, while detached coping was negatively associated with BHs. This study suggests that BHs may be an indicator of psychological distress in bereavement.

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Experiences of continued presence: On the practical consequences of ‘hallucinations’ in bereavement

Cited by 35 publications

References 46 publications

A Qualitative Examination of Continuing Bonds through Spiritual Experiences in Individuals Bereaved by Suicide

A Qualitative Examination of Continuing Bonds through Spiritual Experiences in Individuals Bereaved by Suicide

Hallucinations in Healthy Older Adults: An Overview of the Literature and Perspectives for Future Research

Bereavement hallucinations after the loss of a spouse: Associations with psychopathological measures, personality and coping style

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