Can people who die see and talk with living people after they are gone?

Although for centuries living people have reported seeing and talking to people who have died, there is no scientific proof that this can be done or that visiting with “ghosts” is possible. Although some people claim they have special skills allowing them to contact and receive messages from the deceased (such people are known as spiritualist mediums), their communications—usually conducted during meetings called séances—have generally proven to be fake. Sometimes, though, people who have recently had a loved one die feel that they can sense that person’s presence with them; they may even talk to the deceased. It is likely that these sensations arise out of very powerful feelings of loss and vivid memories of the loved one. For many people, believing that a physical connection continues after death lessens their sorrow. It is one of many ways through which people keep alive the memories of those who have died.