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Our ADC research project

We are currently conducting a long-term international research project on the phenomenology and impact of spontaneous and direct After-Death Communications (ADCs). The project started in February 2018

On the project website www.adcrp.org, you will find all information about the project, including project publications, our ongoing surveys, a Media section, News, and many videos and podcasts in four languages (English, French, German, Spanish) by team members.

We are conducting our survey by language groups. In the first part of the project, we conducted the survey in French, English and Spanish.

 

1,004 questionnaires were completed

French: 440 | English: 416 | Spanish: 148

→ Over 2 million words in response to the questionnaire

→ The largest multilingual survey on spontaneous ADCs worldwide

The results of this survey, illustrated by numerous testimonies, are presented in my book Spontaneous Contacts with the Deceased and in articles in several languages published in scientific journals (see https://www.adcrp.org/publications).

The same survey is being conducted in other language groups. For more information, please consult the project website.

 

Definition of ADCs

A spontaneous and direct After-Death Communication (ADC) occurs when a person, frequently but not always bereaved, unexpectedly perceives a deceased person through the senses of sight, hearing, smell or touch. Often, the person experiencing an ADC (the recipient) simply senses the presence of the deceased or perceives a contact during sleep, while falling asleep, or upon waking. The very fact that the ADC occurred gives recipients the unshakable conviction that their loved one has survived the death of the physical body.

ADCs are spontaneous, allegedly initiated by the deceased, without intention or solicitation on the part of the recipient, and they are direct, without the intervention of spirit mediums, use of devices (e.g. Instrumental TransCommunication ITC), or other processes.

ADCs are common. The literature indicates that 50-60% of people have experienced one or more spontaneous ADCs in their lifetime. Testimonies collected on all continents and over centuries suggest that this phenomenon is universal and timeless. Despite their widespread presence, paradoxically, ADCs have been the subject of little research and are absent from the media and public discourse. As a result, recipients generally have no frame of reference to understand, integrate and fully benefit from this experience, which does not correspond to the dominant conception of reality prevailing in our Western societies.

 

Introduction

ADCs are common. Every day, a large number of people experience these contacts and do not know how to name them or place them within their conception of reality. Given the frequency and nature of these experiences, it is time to stop calling them unusual, extraordinary or paranormal and to recognize them for what they are – common, normal and healthy human experiences. The widest possible dissemination of current knowledge about ADCs is essential, both for recipients and for everyone, as we may all experience an ADC one day. Informed and diverse information will provide a common language and shared knowledge of this frequent yet little-debated phenomenon. A better understanding of their phenomenology and impact is essential, as these experiences offer a new perspective on death, and consequently on life.

Our first survey in French, English and Spanish clearly demonstrated a significant impact on recipients' beliefs, their conception of death, their fear of their own death, and their conviction of the survival of consciousness after physical death. The impact on the grieving process is also evident and intrinsically positive, since a majority of our respondents attested to emotional healing following the ADC.

The research project aims to bring together science and spirituality by shedding light on this major societal phenomenon. ADCs are not an isolated phenomenon but are integrated into the broader context of other death-related experiences, such as near-death experiences (NDEs) and deathbed visions.

 

Project concept

Our research project has three objectives.

1st objective

Description of the circumstances and phenomenology of ADCs

  • Who experiences an ADC?
  • Under what circumstances?
  • In what form (type of ADC)?
  • How do these experiences unfold?
  • What are the messages of ADCs?
  • Who are the deceased persons who allegedly initiated the contact?
  • What was/is their relationship with the recipients?
  • Are there phenomenological differences between countries?

2nd objective

Analysis of the impact of ADCs on recipients

  • What do recipients feel during an ADC?
  • What meaning do they attribute to them?
  • What are the immediate and long-term effects?
  • How do ADCs influence the grieving process?
  • Does the national and social context influence individuals' experiences?

3rd objective

Dissemination of research results

  • With this research project, we wish to contribute to raising public awareness of the ADC phenomenon. By presenting data collected on the circumstances and manner in which ADCs occur and by analyzing their impact on individuals' lives, we make these results accessible to people confronted with the death of a loved one and, more generally, to anyone interested in this subject. Furthermore, we participate in the dissemination of scientific data at the academic level.

In accordance with the professional guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society (BPS), the survey methodology has undergone rigorous ethical review to ensure the confidentiality and protection of the data generously provided by our participants. The project received ethical approval from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at the University of Northampton, Great Britain, in July 2018[1].

Furthermore, in accordance with current research transparency standards, the survey design and analysis strategy were pre-registered with the Koestler Unit Study Registry at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland[2].

 

The questionnaire

To achieve the three objectives of the project, we needed a very detailed questionnaire. We developed 194 items (including follow-up questions triggered by affirmative responses) to cover all these aspects.

The survey in French, English and Spanish is complete. We are using this same questionnaire for the surveys we are currently conducting and those we will conduct in the future for other language groups.

We first invited participants to describe their ADC in their own words in an open-text field. In cases where participants had experienced multiple ADCs (which was the case for 80% of them), we asked them to describe only one ADC, choosing the most significant one. Then, questions were presented with multiple-choice options. Many questions were followed by supplementary questions with an open-text field.

Two to three hours were needed to complete the questionnaire. Despite this significant time investment, very few participants dropped out. We concluded that they appreciated being able to describe their ADC and its consequences in a safe, non-judgmental setting, knowing that it is not always easy to share these experiences with those around them. ADC recipients often face disbelief, even skepticism, when describing their experiences to loved ones. This is painful and frustrating, as they cherish this experience and wish to share their joy of having experienced this unexpected contact.

The questionnaire was presented in French, English, and Spanish on a secure online survey platform. It was available online in all three languages for a period of six months respectively. The survey was announced at team members' public conferences, on social media, and information about the research project along with the link to the questionnaire was posted on my website. Overall, we did very little promotion of the survey. We were all the more delighted with the large number of people who completed our questionnaire.

 

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Bial Foundation (grant 169/20), the Society for Psychical Research Survival Fund and a benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous, who are making this research project possible.

 

Project team

Evelyn Elsaesser

 

 Expert in death-related experiences, author | Switzerland Team leader
Chris A. Roe Professor, Lead Exceptional Experiences & Consciousness Studies Research Group, University of Northampton | Great Britain Principal investigator
Callum E. Cooper Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, Psychology, University of Northampton | Great Britain Team member
David Lorimer Programme Director of the Scientific and Medical Network (SMN), Editor Paradigm Explorer | France Team member

 

Scientific committee

Professor Emeritus Kenneth Ring, University of Connecticut, U.S.A.
Professor Peter Fenwick, M.D., F.R.C. Psych. Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London, U.K. Mental Health Group, University of Southampton, U.K.
Professor J. Kim Penberthy, Chester F. Carlson Professor of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, Division of Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA

 

[1] Ref: FHSRECSS00084

[2] https://koestlerunit.wordpress.com/study-registry/registered-studies/) - ref: KPU Registry 1046