Psychomanteum Research: Experiences and Effects on Bereavement

Abstract

A Psychomanteum Process involving mirror-gazing was conducted in a research setting to explore apparent facilitated contact with deceased friends and relatives, and to collect data on the phenomena, experiences, and effects on bereavement. A pilot study with five participants resulted in strong experiences and four apparent contacts. The main study took 27 participants through a three-stage process: remembering a deceased friend or relative, sitting in a darkened room gazing into a mirror while thinking of the person, and finally discussing and reflecting on the experience. Data were collected with pre- and post-questionnaires, a follow-up questionnaire at least four weeks after the session, interviews by the facilitators, and two personality measures, the Tellegen Absorption Scale and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Contacts with the sought person were reported by 13 participants. Participants reported that a variety of imagery appeared in the mirror, as well as experiences of dialogue, sounds, light, body sensations, and smell. Several specific messages were reported by participants who believed that they were from the sought persons. Twenty-one self-report items relating to bereavement were analyzed for changes between pre- and follow-up questionnaires. Using a Wilcoxon signed ranks analysis, statistically significant reductions in bereavement responses were found over the entire group ( p=.05 to .0008). These included unresolved feelings, loss, grief, guilt, sadness, and need to communicate. Participants also reported significant impact on their lives following the session.

Mirror Gazing for Cultural Bereavement: A MixedMethods Study into the Impact of a Restricted Sensory Environment Meditation Process (Psychomanteum) on Culture Shock in Expatriates

“…With lower power, results by follow up somewhat parallel Hastings et al (2002) andHastings (2012a). Studies share reductions in items pertaining to sadness, loss, anger, fear, and loneliness.…”

“…Many of Moody's (1992) 25 volunteers reported the healing and "smoothing over" (p. 113) of relationships as a result of discussing their lost loved one and sitting in a darkened, private enclosure; 12 experienced visions of the deceased and did not cognitively question the validity of the unusual sensory perceptions or eidetic imagery seen in and around the mirror. Research on elements that comprise the process, including scrying-an ancient information-accessing technique involving gazing into a reflective surface (Besterman, 1924(Besterman, /2005)-sensory deprivation (Bood, Sundequist, Kjellgren, Nordstrom, & Norlander, 2007;van Dierendonck & te Nijenhuis, 2005), and meditation (Lane, Seskevich, & Pieper, 2007;Manocha, Black, Sarris, & Stough, 2011) helps to explain the effects found during subsequent psychomanteum research (e.g., Arcangel, 1997;Radin & Rebman, 1996) to Moody's (1992) initial exploration, but it was Roll (2004), Hastings et al (2002), and Hastings (2012a) who directly investigated the psychomanteum's impact on psychological stress and painful emotions in the context of bereavement. Roll (2004) led 57 participants through a process involving a psychomanteum chamber and structured day of activities, including conversations about the deceased and a relaxing nature walk.…”

“…Limited resources prevented comparisions of the post to follow-up scores on individual items, although post to follow up comparisons of total scores proved nonsignificant. The present pretest to follow-up analyses will reflect longer term changes (e.g., Hastings et al, 2002).…”

The Possible Effects on Bereavement of Assisted After-Death Communication during Readings with Psychic Mediums: A Continuing Bonds Perspective

“…Even those participants who did not experience contact reported significant improvements in feelings of grief and sadness and the need to communicate (Hastings et al, 2002). As a whole, participants also reported significant alterations in unresolved feelings, missing the person, and feelings of grief, loss, sadness, guilt, and fear (Hastings et al, 2002).…”

Celebrating Now in Teaching-Learning

“…These techniques often involve long periods of time gazing into a mirror in a very structured environment. Statistical analysis in one study involving mirror gazing and bereavement indicated that there were strong self-reported shifts in unresolved feelings involving resolution, healing, and comfort (Hastings et al, 2002). The intent of Cushnir's (2005) mirror gazing exercise however, is not to resolve feelings of guilt or discomfort, but to offer ways of reintroducing one to self, to allow hidden thoughts to surface, and in so doing, learning to appreciate the now.…”