Visits from the deceased

[Bob Crowley]

I've often claimed that the night my father died he appeared in my room. We talked and argued and at the end he gave this blood curdling scream and then disappeared. When I was young I also had a peculiar experience as we were leaving the residence of a young aunt who had died unexpectedly.

I know two other people who were visited by someone they knew within a short time of that person's death.

A lady in a mutual charity with a counselling background said to me that "last goodbyes are 'common'". I presume she found that from her counselling experience.

Out of curiousity I wondered if there was any sort of survey on this kind of thing and it appears the Pew Research Centre did some research in the USA.

Many Americans report interacting with dead relatives in dreams or other ways

46% of Americans report that they’ve been visited by a dead family member in a dream, while 31% report having been visited by dead relatives in some other form.

www.pewresearch.org

Overall 53% of Americans claim to have had some form of interaction with a dead relative.

While Catholics seemed to score the highest (57% in a dream and 39% in another form, combined average 66%), even agnostics and atheists seem to have had their share of experiences (atheist 25/10 and agnostic 29/20, combined 26 & 24 respectively).

I was an atheist myself when my father died, although he predicted I'd become Christian which I did nearly 4 years later.

Anybody here had a visit from a deceased relative?

 

[Monowhite]

My only real instance with this was in Poland in which a couple of the people looking out for me said they saw 'something' following me across a frozen field.
The owner of the guesthouse nearby suggested it may have been some kind of 'mist'.
This was in May.
Whatever it was, apparently followed me to the main road, whereby my booked cab took me elsewhere. Apparently the 'mist' followed the cab for a small amount of time before diverting itself into a ditch.

Not sure what to make of it all to be honest.

 

[tturt]

We're not to practice "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." Deu 18

Think there's a difference when we try to contact them and when they initiate communication. Moses and Elijah appeared to the disciples recorded in Matt, Mark and Luke.

 

[Bob Crowley]

I'm talking about those incidents when the deceased initiate communication. My father turned up out of the blue, as did my young aunt. The same goes for the cases I referred to when I said I knew two other people who had "similar" experiences.

My first words when my father turned up were "How the hell did you get in here??!!" as the place was locked up tight.

I'm not talking about seances, mediums or seeking communication.

 

[Richard T]

Heb 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
The problem with talking to the deceased even if you do not initiate it is that you have no way of knowing it is them. I would say it is not, because they are judged and not just roaming the earth in between worlds like some movies suggest. However, a familiar spirit that was assigned to that person would know all kinds of information and could speak as if they were them. Often they might use some truth and some deception and or fear to get you to do something you otherwise would not do. So a deceased person appearance seems unscriptural. I less sure whether this would apply to a dream but I would be suspicious of any communication that occurs between the living and the dead.

 

[Bob Crowley]

I'm not quite so worried. Like I said I don't go round looking for these sorts of things.

For the record my last memory of my father was of him screaming his head off, and it was obvious something was coming for him. Then he just disappeared.

That will be 46 years ago next January and I still remember most of what we said.

I don't remember dreams, and in any case if I do have a dream it's a load of nonsense. But the business with my father took place in my bedroom, and I could focus on him or see through him. I still remember being able to see a chipboard bookcase through him. It looked like him, it sounded like him, his mannerisms were his, and at one point he lost his temper which was something I was all too familiar with.

At another point he said "Son, you've got to forgive me!" I snapped back "You treated me like dirt for 20 years and now you want forgiveness!!"

He replied "Son, you have to believe me! If you don't you'll destroy yourself!"

Do you think a demon is going to talk about forgiveness?

It was him, and I had a few things to forgive him for.

 

[Lost4words]

Several occurrences in my family over the years. I used to be really into these type of things but not now. I just concentrate on doing God's Will as best i can.

 

[Bob Crowley]

Same here, but I haven't forgotten them either.

 

[Michie]

I've often claimed that the night my father died he appeared in my room. We talked and argued and at the end he gave this blood curdling scream and then disappeared. When I was young I also had a peculiar experience as we were leaving the residence of a young aunt who had died unexpectedly.

I know two other people who were visited by someone they knew within a short time of that person's death.

A lady in a mutual charity with a counselling background said to me that "last goodbyes are 'common'". I presume she found that from her counselling experience.

Out of curiousity I wondered if there was any sort of survey on this kind of thing and it appears the Pew Research Centre did some research in the USA.

Many Americans report interacting with dead relatives in dreams or other ways

46% of Americans report that they’ve been visited by a dead family member in a dream, while 31% report having been visited by dead relatives in some other form.

www.pewresearch.org

Overall 53% of Americans claim to have had some form of interaction with a dead relative.

While Catholics seemed to score the highest (57% in a dream and 39% in another form, combined average 66%), even agnostics and atheists seem to have had their share of experiences (atheist 25/10 and agnostic 29/20, combined 26 & 24 respectively).

I was an atheist myself when my father died, although he predicted I'd become Christian which I did nearly 4 years later.

Anybody here had a visit from a deceased relative?

My mother got a visit from her grandmother before she knew she had passed. The next morning she got the call informing her of her passing.

 

[johansen]

I've heard somewhere that it was plainly accepted in the days of Jesus that the spirit of a person lingers on the earth for 40 days. Regardless, these experiences are so common I don't see much point in trying to prove if they are real or not.

My grandfather was a blacksmith. approximately 10 years after he died in 2006, i very clearly heard his voice say to me "you've got too many irons in the fire boy" -to some extent that was absolutely true, however it would be more likely the experience was my own mind. I am on the dissociative spectrum but didn't know that until 4 years later.

When my wife's grandfather died.. he started talking to her mom.. telling her to be nicer to her daughter (my wife). To pay for things instead of arguing about sharing the bill, etc. It was pretty clear to me it was her own mind, and she has since turned into a much nicer person, but still has a long way to go. -i do recall that he allegedly visisted her.

--this is a little off topic, but i've had two very solid experiences that were clearly "the person's angel" -one of them concerns a friend of mine, another concerns a woman. back in 2019 i very clearly heard something say to me "i am alina's angel. C needs to appologize to her" so i told C, and he did. she laughed the matter off as highschool drama.. but still holds a grudge against C for creeping her out.. 15 years ago.

alina was raised catholic, became an atheist. but has a large number of wiccan friends. i'm pretty sure its safe to say alina was never born again.

so does everyone have "an angel"? i dont know.

i know that i had one.. and in 2015 it told me it would be leaving me. it brought to my mind a half a dozen times it provided me premonitions to protect me, from not stepping on a nail, to "knowing" someone was in my blind spot, that kind of thing. when it told me that, i felt relieved.. like i had "Grown up now" and didn't need handholding. -i told someone this and they said "i would be devistated if i heard that"

 

[tturt]

I realize that you (BC) didn't initiate contact.

Know of it happening several times when it was entirely unexpected.

 

[Tom8907]

That is not a spiritual gift, that was a demonic experience.

These experiences do not line up with what God's word says about death.

 

[johansen]

in my experience anyways..

it seems everyone has these experiences. they just won't tell you about them. -and you can kinda tell when the're lying because the question will make them stop moving, or change tone of voice when they say "no that's never happened to me" etc...

Overall 53% of Americans claim to have had some form of interaction with a dead relative.

if i'm reading the study right, its 66% of catholics reporting they've ever had one experience, and 34% of all americans reporting its happened in the last 12 months.

34% in the last year is what seems high to me. either we have a subset of the population that attracts this stuff.. or... the remaining 33-45% just won't admit it. -my bet is on the latter.

my wifes mother is catholic for what its worth. and it wasn't just one occurance.

 

[NBB]

Probably demonic stuff.

And the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it

 

[johansen]

Probably demonic stuff.

And the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it

i liked M heiser's answer to a question regarding contacting samuel:

The OT prohibit contact with the dead, and commands weren't given for things that couldn't be done (e.g., there's no "thou shalt not breathe underwater" command).

 

[NBB]

i liked M heiser's answer to a question regarding contacting samuel:

The OT prohibit contact with the dead, and commands weren't given for things that couldn't be done (e.g., there's no "thou shalt not breathe underwater" command).

You can't contact the dead, 'there is a great abyss' etc between them and living people.
People who contact the dead are contacting with evil spirits.

 

[johansen]

You can't contact the dead, 'there is a great abyss' etc between them and living people.
People who contact the dead are contacting with evil spirits.

again..

commands aren't given for that which is not possible... there is no need.

the great abyss is between those in heaven and those in the grave...

earth is this hybrid middle ground. you wouldn't argue no one has been to heaven and came back, would you?

 

[NBB]

again..

commands aren't given for that which is not possible... there is no need.

the great abyss is between those in heaven and those in the grave...

earth is this hybrid middle ground. you wouldn't argue no one has been to heaven and came back, would you?

i don't believe that rule you say is true, there could be something you do that is a sin because doing it is evil, that has nothing to do if it's possible or not. Like invoking other gods, there are no other gods, but they do it anyway and it's a sin.

The only way you could contact a dead person if if God allows it, and God doesn't do that, like Moses and Elias with Jesus.
The body goes back to dust, and the spirit to God who gave it.

 

[timewerx]

Probably demonic stuff.

If this is true, then I've encountered "demons" who are warmer, more loving, less hateful, and way more spiritual than most Christians I know.

I see my late dad almost everyday in dreams doing nothing else but having simple fun and road tripping or traveling by plane in those dreams. Nothing extravagant. We also talk in dreams like he never died and he kept his Christian values and principles in those dreams. Always cheers me up. It feels like dad never died because I see him almost everyday in dreams.

Christians I knew and see personally avoid me because I'm poor and socially awkward even though I never ask them for money nor any help. I don't even talk much.

I feel like the Holy Spirit is trying to cheer me up in my difficult trials because no one wants to be my friend, not even Christians (in real life).

 

[NBB]

If this is true, then I've encountered "demons" who are warmer, more loving, less hateful, and way more spiritual than most Christians I know.

I see my late dad almost everyday in dreams doing nothing else but having simple fun and road tripping or traveling by plane in those dreams. Nothing extravagant. We also talk in dreams like he never died and he kept his Christian values and principles in those dreams. Always cheers me up. It feels like dad never died because I see him almost everyday in dreams.

Christians I knew and see personally avoid me because I'm poor and socially awkward even though I never ask them for money nor any help. I don't even talk much.

I feel like the Holy Spirit is trying to cheer me up in my difficult trials because no one wants to be my friend, not even Christians (in real life).

Dreams are different than apparitions. If you dream about your dad it could be the Holy spirit conforting i suppose.
I don't have friends either, between autism and other difficult stuff, only through God i have hope and some comfort.