Sensory experiences of the deceased in bereavement: history of a psychological concept

Sensory and quasi-sensory Experiences of the Deceased (SED), or post-bereavement hallucinations refer to the spontaneous sensation (such as hearing, seeing, or feeling the presence) of a deceased person reported by bereaved people. Despite being of interest in psychological research for over a century, SED remain poorly understood and often overlooked in clinical practice and broader society. This historical review examines the evolution of psychological and psychiatric perspectives on SED, tracing how their conceptualisation has shaped clinical theory, assessment, and therapeutic approaches over time, and under what influences this occurred. Finally, the paper situates SED within broader debates on the boundaries between normal and pathological hallucinatory experiences, highlighting their relevance to contemporary counselling and psychotherapy.