Anomalous Experience

Can “sense of presence” experiences in bereavement be conceptualised as spiritual phenomena?

by Edith Steffen

Co-authored with Adrian Coyle. Published in 2010 in Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 13(3), 273-291. Please contact me if you would like a copy of this paper but experience difficulty in locating it.

This paper explores the possibility of conceptualising the frequently occurring experience of “sensing the presence of... more This paper explores the possibility of conceptualising the frequently occurring experience of “sensing the presence of the deceased” in bereavement as a spiritual phenomenon and examines how such a conceptualisation can be related to two recent perspectives in the field of bereavement research, “continuing bonds” and “meaning-making”. It is argued that “sense of presence” experiences are expressions of the continuing relationship with the deceased that can be spiritually understood but that pose various challenges for their meaningful integration into the bereaved person’s worldview or meaning structures – something that may need to be more explicitly incorporated into current theoretical frameworks. It is suggested that these experiences can be the catalyst for “post-traumatic growth” through a socially mediated and interactive narrative exploration and that this has important implications for bereavement counselling and therapy.

Sense of Presence Experiences and Meaning-Making in Bereavement: A Qualitative Analysis

by Edith Steffen

Co-authored with Adrian Coyle. Published in 2011 in Death Studies, 35, 579-609. Please contact me if you would like a copy of this paper but experience difficulty in locating it. From June 27 2012, a manuscript version of this paper can be downloaded from http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/25590/
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This qualitative study aimed to explore the potential role that might be played by reported experience of ‘sensing the... more This qualitative study aimed to explore the potential role that might be played by reported experience of ‘sensing the presence of the deceased’ in meaning-making processes in bereavement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve participants who reported having had such an experience and the transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Seven overarching themes were identified, three of which were considered central: ‘finding benefit in the continuation of the deceased’, ‘finding benefit in the continued relationship’, and ‘finding meaning through existential, spiritual, and religious sense-making’. While participants found many benefits in what they experienced, finding meaning beyond immediate coping seemed to require the availability of spiritual/religious frameworks which could be adopted or, if available but discrepant, could meaningfully accommodate the experience.

Sense of presence experiences and meaning-making in bereavement: A qualitative analysis

by Adrian Coyle

Co-authored with Edith Steffen. Published in 2011 in Death Studies, 35, 579-609. Please contact me if you would like a copy of this paper but experience difficulty in locating it. From June 27 2012, a manuscript version of this paper can be downloaded from http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/25590/

This qualitative study aimed to explore the potential role that might be played by reported experience of ‘sensing the... more This qualitative study aimed to explore the potential role that might be played by reported experience of ‘sensing the presence of the deceased’ in meaning-making processes in bereavement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve participants who reported having had such an experience and the transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Seven overarching themes were identified, three of which were considered central: ‘finding benefit in the continuation of the deceased’, ‘finding benefit in the continued relationship’, and ‘finding meaning through existential, spiritual, and religious sense-making’. While participants found many benefits in what they experienced, finding meaning beyond immediate coping seemed to require the availability of spiritual/religious frameworks which could be adopted or, if available but discrepant, could meaningfully accommodate the experience.

Can “sense of presence” experiences in bereavement be conceptualised as spiritual phenomena?

by Adrian Coyle

Co-authored with Edith Steffen. Published in 2010 in Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 13(3), 273-291. Please contact me if you would like a copy of this paper but experience difficulty in locating it.