Researchers Explain the Science Behind “Hearing the Dead”

According to Durham University, mediums who “hear the dead” may have a history of unusual hearing experiences – they are more likely to experience absorption, which is linked to altered states of consciousness.

In the past, we’ve talked about how science explains romantic attraction and what science has to say about the possibility that aliens are trying to communicate with us.

Now science offers us an explanation of the experiences of mediums.

There are countless beliefs about what awaits humanity on the other side of death. For some it is paradise or reincarnation, for others it is the soil of the earth or a new world. Then there are other divisions – those who believe that communication is possible, and those who don’t.

This research was conducted by Durham University to examine what makes some people more likely to believe.

In the current pandemic, more than two million people have died. While vaccination schedules are slowly coming back to life in some countries, others are still awaiting their first innoculations. More deaths are to come, straining the mental and physical health of the world’s population. This is an unprecedented situation, which has led the communities to support each other.

First, what is spiritualism?

One of these communities is the National Union of Spiritualists (SNU). Their website describes spiritualism as the “real” way of communicating with “departed spirits”: “Churches and spiritist centers provide many places where communication, through mediumship, is possible and many loved relatives and friends benefit from. this opportunity to continue to show an interest in our well-being and for us.

Interest in spiritualism is growing in the UK, with several organizations supporting, training and offering the services of practicing mediums. The SNU claims to have a congregation of around 11,000 people today.

Researchers surveyed 65 Clairaudient Spiritual Mediums from the National Union of Spiritualists and 143 members of the general population as part of the largest scientific study of the experiences of Clairaudient Mediums.

Dr Peter Moseley, co-author of the study at the University of Northumbria, commented: “Spiritists tend to report unusual auditory experiences which are positive, start early in life and are often able to follow. to control. Understanding how these develop is important, as it may help us better understand the distressing or uncontrollable experiences of hearing voices. “

Second, what have researchers learned about communication?

Through their study, the researchers gathered detailed descriptions of how mediums experience spirit “voices”, and compared absorption levels, hallucination propensity, aspects of identity and belief in the paranormal.

Less than half spoke to the dead everyday

They found that 44.6% of the spiritualist participants reported hearing the voice of the deceased daily, with 33.8% reporting a clairaudience experience during the last day.

Part of the daily routine for those who have done it

A large majority (79%) said that auditory spiritual communication experiences were part of their daily life, taking place both when they were alone and when working as a medium or attending a spiritualist church.

Inside or outside the mind?

Although spirits were primarily heard inside the head (65.1%), 31.7% of spiritualist participants reported experiencing spiritual voices coming from both inside and outside their mind.

Usually 21 when communication starts

Spiritualists have reported experiencing clairaudience for the first time at the average age of 21.7 years. However, 18% of spiritualists said they had experiences of clairaudience “as long as they could remember” and 71% had not encountered spiritualism as a religious movement until their first experiences.

Third, how do these experiences compare to the general population?

For the general population, uptake was related to paranormal belief levels, but there was no corresponding significant relationship between belief and the propensity to hallucinate.

To understand all of this, we must first understand what absorption is.

According to this research, absorption reflects an individual’s cognitive ability to engage in sensory and imaginative experiences in ways that alter an individual’s perception, memory, and mood with behavioral and biological consequences. In the words of Auke Tellegen, the psychologist who coined the term, it is a disposition or personality trait that allows a person to become absorbed in their mental imagery.

The researchers say their findings suggest that he doesn’t give in to social pressure, learn to have specific expectations, or that a level of belief in the paranormal leads to experiences of spiritual communication.

Instead, it appears that some people are particularly predisposed to absorption and are more likely to report unusual hearing experiences that occur early in life. For many of these people, spiritualistic beliefs are adopted because they align significantly with these unique personal experiences.

‘Learn and Aspire’

Lead researcher Dr Adam Powell, of Durham University’s Hearing the Voice Project and Department of Theology and Religion, said: “Our results say a lot about ‘learning and desire’. For our participants, the principles of spiritualism seem to give meaning to both the extraordinary experiences of childhood as well as the frequent auditory phenomena they experience as practicing mediums.

“But all of these experiences may result more from having certain early tendencies or abilities than just believing in the possibility of contacting the dead if enough effort is put in.”

Read the full study here.