As Halloween and festivals like All Souls' Day and the Day of the Dead arrive, researchers note that deceased loved ones often stay part of people's social worlds. Many Americans continue to talk to, remember, and feel connected to family members and friends who have died.
Grief is often treated as something to get over, but continuing bonds with the dead are a normal, widespread part of life. Recognizing this can change how people support others after a loss, and it explains why remembrance traditions like the Day of the Dead endure across cultures.
✦ The people we lose often stay part of us, and that is normal.