What Exactly Are Shared Crossings?
The spectrum of connection at end-of-life
A shared crossing experience refers to various phenomena that convey information pertaining to an impending death and/ or to the perceived continuation of consciousness after bodily death. This information often provides comfort and support for the dying before death, and for the living before, during, and after the death of a loved one. Shared Crossings are highly relational in that they are personal and deeply meaningful for those who experience them. Experiencers often feel that they have received a gift or transmission that was crafted specifically for them.
Shared Crossings typically consist of four common elements that their experiencers report:
The Shared Crossing Spectrum© was developed by the Shared Crossing Research Initiative's team of researchers. The Spectrum emerged through the thorough analysis of over 1,200 accounts. By no means exhaustive, the Spectrum illustration highlights the primary end-of-life phenomena that often occur (please find definitions below):
A shared crossing experience refers to various phenomena that convey information pertaining to an impending death and/ or to the perceived continuation of consciousness after bodily death. This information often provides comfort and support for the dying before death, and for the living before, during, and after the death of a loved one. Shared Crossings are highly relational in that they are personal and deeply meaningful for those who experience them. Experiencers often feel that they have received a gift or transmission that was crafted specifically for them.
Shared Crossings typically consist of four common elements that their experiencers report:
- Deep heartfelt connection between the dying, family members, friends, caregivers, or the deceased.
- Expanded awareness or heightened consciousness. In the midst of such loss, many express a deep sense of trust or knowing that "everything is okay just the way it is."
- Uplifting emotions of gratitude, kindness, humility, love, peace, and bliss.
- Life-affirming thoughts and feelings; expressing a greater appreciation, empathy, and wonder for the gift of human life.
The Shared Crossing Spectrum© was developed by the Shared Crossing Research Initiative's team of researchers. The Spectrum emerged through the thorough analysis of over 1,200 accounts. By no means exhaustive, the Spectrum illustration highlights the primary end-of-life phenomena that often occur (please find definitions below):
Shared Crossings (SCs):
Pre-Death Premonitions: premonitions regarding one's own death or the death of another. These may occur during waking states but if occurring in sleep, pre-death premonitions are much more salient than ordinary dreams especially in terms of clarity, coherence and importance.
Pre-Death Visions and Visitations: seeing a deceased loved one/s (or entity/ies) appearing in some recognizable form to the dying and/or caregivers, usually perceived as comforting to the experiencers.
Pre-Death Synchronicities: experiences wherein seemingly random and unrelated events or coincidences are viewed as messages related to or signaling an impending death. Phenomena includes unusual events of nature, peculiar animal behavior, or electronic devices malfunctioning in meaningful ways.
Terminal Surge: an unexpected and physiologically unexplainable surge of vitality at end of life that may manifest dramatic improvements in mental clarity, physical functioning, and/or human and spiritual relatedness, which has an affective dimension.
Shared Death Experience (SDE): experiences in which one or more persons witness and/or participate (i.e., “share”) in a dying person’s transition to a perceived continuation of existence after bodily death.
Direct Post-Death Communications: experiences wherein a person reports being in direct mental contact with a recently departed loved one. One experiencer expressed, "It's like he's in my head."
Post-Death Synchronicities: experiences wherein seemingly random and unrelated events or coincidences are understood to be communications (i.e., signs or messages) from the deceased. Similar to pre-death synchronicities.
Post-Death Visions and Visitations: experiences in which a deceased person appears to the living in some recognizable form. When occurring in sleep, post-death visions and visitations are much more salient than ordinary dreams and contain a clear, coherent, and purposeful message.
Pre-Death Premonitions: premonitions regarding one's own death or the death of another. These may occur during waking states but if occurring in sleep, pre-death premonitions are much more salient than ordinary dreams especially in terms of clarity, coherence and importance.
Pre-Death Visions and Visitations: seeing a deceased loved one/s (or entity/ies) appearing in some recognizable form to the dying and/or caregivers, usually perceived as comforting to the experiencers.
Pre-Death Synchronicities: experiences wherein seemingly random and unrelated events or coincidences are viewed as messages related to or signaling an impending death. Phenomena includes unusual events of nature, peculiar animal behavior, or electronic devices malfunctioning in meaningful ways.
Terminal Surge: an unexpected and physiologically unexplainable surge of vitality at end of life that may manifest dramatic improvements in mental clarity, physical functioning, and/or human and spiritual relatedness, which has an affective dimension.
Shared Death Experience (SDE): experiences in which one or more persons witness and/or participate (i.e., “share”) in a dying person’s transition to a perceived continuation of existence after bodily death.
Direct Post-Death Communications: experiences wherein a person reports being in direct mental contact with a recently departed loved one. One experiencer expressed, "It's like he's in my head."
Post-Death Synchronicities: experiences wherein seemingly random and unrelated events or coincidences are understood to be communications (i.e., signs or messages) from the deceased. Similar to pre-death synchronicities.
Post-Death Visions and Visitations: experiences in which a deceased person appears to the living in some recognizable form. When occurring in sleep, post-death visions and visitations are much more salient than ordinary dreams and contain a clear, coherent, and purposeful message.
