Can we receive messages from dead loved ones? Neuroscientist Tara Swart thinks so

Clement Manyathela (standing in for 702's Bongani Bingwa) chats to neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart. 

Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below:

"I learnt something that I thought would help so many people, that's why I wrote the book."

- Dr Tara Swart, neuroscientist

Leading British neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart believes that some coincidences in life, like suddenly seeing a loved one’s name or a meaningful number, might be more than just chance. 

She shares how the loss of her husband to leukaemia led her to explore signs, synchronicities, and intuition, blending personal grief with neuroscience in her upcoming book The Signs: The New Science of How to Trust Your Instincts, set to launch in South Africa this month.

Swart describes seeing robins shortly after her husband Robin's passing, an experience mirrored by others grieving loved ones. 

"I noticed it, but I didn't know if it meant anything... and then a few people told me when they had lost someone they loved, they had received signs, and some of them had visited mediums. So, I kind of investigated this, and I ended up thinking that if it's possible to have communication with someone who's passed, then I should be able to do it myself because I am all about optimising my brain, and surely, it's the bond with the person that creates these signs. So, I just started asking for signs. I started asking questions and waiting for answers, and the journey I went on was pretty incredible."

- Dr Tara Swart, neuroscientist

Drawing from neuroscience, psychiatry, and ancient wisdom, she argues that our brains may filter out deeper consciousness to help us function in the material world, but with openness and intention, people can perceive more than they think; sometimes even signs from those who have died.

While sceptics might dismiss these experiences as a coincidence, Swart maintains that the emotional comfort and guidance people receive from them are real and worth investigating. 

"I've been very clear in the book that it's using your intuition to interpret what this means to you that matters. Whether it's a coincidence or you can't prove it... doesn't matter in terms of the comfort, the guidance and the joy that it can bring you..." 

- Dr Tara Swart, neuroscientist

Her work builds on emerging theories that question whether consciousness might exist beyond the brain, encouraging readers to pay attention to what she calls 'the art of noticing'.

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation.