Presence Experiences After Loss: Prevalence and Relational Meaning in a Diverse Urban Sample

Abstract

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.