What is ADC?
In honor the novel The In Between we are bringing you a post about everything ADC. I’ll be honest, I had no idea what an ADC was! So I did a little internet-digging and found out a few basics to share with you all. An outline of What ADC is, how it works, and ways it can help people.
If you find this intriguing, or are just in need of a book that has ALL THE FEELS, don’t forget to read The In Between by Marc Klein and watch the movie when it comes out!
This heartbreaking story—perfect for fans of If I Stay and Five Feet Apart—follows a girl swept up in the magic of her first love, until it all comes to a tragic end that might lead her into the afterlife itself. Soon to be a motion picture on Paramount+ starring Joey King!
After bouncing around in foster homes for most of her childhood, seventeen-year-old Tessa Jacobs doesn’t believe she deserves love—not from her adoptive parents, and certainly not from anyone at school.
But everything changes when she has a chance encounter with Skylar, a senior from a neighboring town who’s a true romantic. Their budding relationship quickly leads to the kind of passion you only see in the movies. As her heart begins to open, Tessa starts to believe she might be deserving of love after all.
When tragedy strikes, Tessa wakes up alone in a hospital room with no memory of how she got there. And then she learns the horrifying news: Skylar is dead. As Tessa searches for answers, Skylar’s spirit reaches out to her from the other side. Desperate to see him one last time, Tessa must race against the clock to uncover the shocking truth of their relationship—a truth that might just lead to the afterlife itself.
"This story and Marc had such a big impact on me. Somehow my heart breaks and swells all at the same time while reading this. A powerful telling of love and loss.” —Joey King, star and producer of The In Between
Let’s start with the basics: What Are ADC?
ADC or After-Death Communication was coined by Bill Guggenheim and Judy Guggenheim [Hello From Heaven] and they define it as “a spiritual experience that occurs when someone is contacted spontaneously and directly by a deceased family member or friend, without the help of any medium.”
No one can predict when an ADC will occur because it is not up to the person that is experiencing it. The deceased loved one is the one who controls the when, where and how. The person experiencing it will always experience it directly, without rituals, mediums, psychics or therapists involved.
ADCs don’t just affect certain people—many people across religious beliefs, cultures, race, ages, and educational level have all reported experiencing ADCs. In Guggenheim’s book Hello from Heaven! There are more than 350 first-hand accounts of ADC from people who say their lives have been changed or even protected by a deceased loved one.
The types of ADCs
I have come to learn that there are many different types of ADCs! There are actually many different types, and I’m definitely no expert, so I won’t go into them all but instead share a few I found particularly interesting. These types of communications can overlap or be individual experiences.
- Sentient type: This is when someone senses the presence of their loved one. It is the certain feeling that a loved one is nearby even though they can’t be seen or heard. It’s said to be the most common form of contact yet the most overlooked because people tend to think they are imagining things.
- Tactile type: Feeling the touch of a loved one. This is said to be experienced by people who had a very strong physical and emotional relationship with their loved one and are able to recognize their familiar yet distinctive touch.
- Auditory type: Hearing their voice. There are two types of this communication.
- The one that has been said to be the most common is by telepathy, meaning people will hear their loved one in their mind. People have reported having two-way conversations with their loved ones using telepathy, called “thought transference” or “mind-to-mind contact.”
- The other way people have heard someone has been external as if a living person were speaking to them—their voice is audible via the ear.
- Olfactory type: Smelling them. People will smell their loved one’s favorite perfume, cologne, bath products, after shave, or their personal scent, basically a strong smell associated with the deceased person.
- Visual type: There are two types of visual ADCs: partial and full appearances. Appearances range from a “transparent mist” to “absolutely solid” with many degrees in between.
- Partial appearances: The deceased can appear transparent, translucent, or even nearly solid. People who have had this type of experience have said to see only a colored light outlining their loved one’s body or even just their head and shoulders.
- Full Appearances: In this case the loved one will make a full appearance to someone. People will see their entire body, from head to foot, completely lifelike.
And that’s just the beginning! There are even more types of ADC.
How does ADC effect people?
People take different meaning and understanding from their experiences. No two people handle grief and loss in the same way. Some are open and ready to except these kinds of communication without a second thought, others aren’t as open at first and question their sanity before coming to terms with the experience. ADC’s are sometimes regarded in spiritual way and sometimes as just a special thing that happened. No matter the type of ADC or experience people all look at it in an affirmative light, it has been described as healing and encouraging. Guggenheim’s research suggests that all of these communications have offered the recipients comfort, hope and love.
No matter anyone’s personal beliefs on the matter there are people out there who have been helped by ADCs, and who have found closure and reason. I just think it’s nice to believe that death isn’t necessarily the end. What do you think?
To learn more on this topic you can check out:
Hello From Heaven: A New Field of Research-After-Death Communication Confirms That Life and Love Are Eternal by Bill Guggenheim and Judy Guggenheim
A Systematic Review Of Research On After-Death Communication (Adc) by Dr. Jenny Streit-Horn
