When journalist Mitch Finley placed an ad in newspapers asking for true stories of people who had experienced the presence of deceased loved ones, he was amazed at the immediate response. People from all over the country wrote in to share their experiences. Mitch Finley learned that such encounters are more common than one might think. Surveys revealed that as many as 50% of the population have felt the presence of someone who died. Famous spiritual authors such as C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, and Frederick Buechner wrote about their own experiences.