Prevalence and Phenomenology of Sensory Experiences of a Deceased Spouse: A Survey of Bereaved Older Adults

TY - JOUR

T1 - Prevalence and Phenomenology of Sensory Experiences of a Deceased Spouse

T2 - A Survey of Bereaved Older Adults

AU - Kamp, Karina S.

AU - Steffen, Edith Maria

AU - Moskowitz, Andrew

AU - Spindler, Helle

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2021. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2023/5

Y1 - 2023/5

N2 - Sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED), also called bereavement hallucinations, are common in bereavement, but research detailing these experiences is limited. Methods: An in-depth survey of SED was developed based on existing research, and 310 older adults from the general Danish population participated in the study 6–10 months after their spouse died. Results: SED were reported by 42% of the participants with wide-ranging phenomenological features across sensory-modalities. In particular, seeing and hearing the deceased spouse was experienced as very similar to the couple’s everyday contacts before death. SED were endorsed as positive by a majority of experiencers, and the experiences were often shared with family and friends. Discussion: SED are conceptualized as social and relational phenomena, which may comfort the surviving spouse in late-life bereavement, but also provide tangible help to some experiencers. In clinical practice, SED may be considered a potential resource for the therapeutic grief process.

AB - Sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED), also called bereavement hallucinations, are common in bereavement, but research detailing these experiences is limited. Methods: An in-depth survey of SED was developed based on existing research, and 310 older adults from the general Danish population participated in the study 6–10 months after their spouse died. Results: SED were reported by 42% of the participants with wide-ranging phenomenological features across sensory-modalities. In particular, seeing and hearing the deceased spouse was experienced as very similar to the couple’s everyday contacts before death. SED were endorsed as positive by a majority of experiencers, and the experiences were often shared with family and friends. Discussion: SED are conceptualized as social and relational phenomena, which may comfort the surviving spouse in late-life bereavement, but also provide tangible help to some experiencers. In clinical practice, SED may be considered a potential resource for the therapeutic grief process.

KW - auditory-verbal hallucination

KW - continuing bonds

KW - post-bereavement hallucinatory experiences

KW - sense of presence

KW - survey

KW - Bereavement

KW - Grief

KW - Hallucinations/epidemiology

KW - Prevalence

KW - Humans

KW - Spouses

KW - Aged

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106407537&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/00302228211016224

DO - 10.1177/00302228211016224

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34018434

AN - SCOPUS:85106407537

SN - 0030-2228

VL - 87

SP - 103

EP - 125

JO - Omega (United States)

JF - Omega (United States)

IS - 1

ER -