Abstract
Grief is often understood as a process that culminates in detachment, with "saying goodbye" positioned as both an emotional and social necessity. Yet many bereaved individuals describe a different experience, one in which supernatural post-death contact allows them to receive messages from their deceased loved one. Drawing on 22 in-depth interviews and 47 anonymous open-ended surveys, this study explores how individuals who experience unsolicited post-death communication interpret these encounters and integrate them into everyday life. Analysis revealed three interconnected themes: resistance to saying goodbye, interpretation of encounters as specific messages from the deceased, and emotional stabilization following continued contact. These experiences facilitate adaptation by allowing participants to remain connected to their loved ones. Grounded in symbolic interactionism and continuing bonds, this study proposes interactional role liminality as a framework for understanding how bereaved individuals inhabit a stable in-between identity, sustaining prior relational roles through ongoing symbolic interaction across the boundary of death.
Advisor
Dennis Waskul
Committee Member
Emily Boyd
Committee Member
Marc Eaton
Date of Degree
2026
Language
english
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Program of Study
Sociology, College Teaching Emphasis
Department
Sociology and Leadership Studies
College
Humanities and Social Sciences
Recommended Citation
Cobb, D. (2026). On saying goodbye: Interactional role liminality & post-death symbolic interaction [Master’s thesis, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/1589/
Rights Statement
