2026/01/05 by Claire White, Anna Mathiassen, Ronald Fischer
Psychology · #Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health #Identity, Memory, and Therapy #Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs
paper · doi:10.1177/00302228251412708
crossref issued 2026/01/05 · crossref published 2026/01/05 · crossref published-online 2026/01/05 · openalex publication_date 2026/01/05 · crossref created 2026/01/06 · openalex created_date 2026/01/08 · crossref deposited 2026/05/01 · crossref indexed 2026/07/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Presence experiences—the sense that a significant person who has died is nearby or perceptible—are common after bereavement but remain underexamined in grief research. This study investigated their prevalence, interpersonal predictors, and interpretation in a diverse urban sample of adults bereaved in the past 24 months ( N = 239), using structured interviews and thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Over two-thirds of participants reported having ever experienced a presence, with nearly half reporting at least one occurrence in the past two weeks. These experiences were most commonly reported as a general feeling of presence, rated as both significant and welcome. Participants frequently interpreted encounters as meaningful attempts at contact and preferred disclosing these experiences to close social connections rather than institutional figures. These findings highlight presence experiences as common, relationally shaped, and culturally interpreted aspects of bereavement.