The groundwater inrush from bed separation of overlying strata is a new type of water disaster. So far its mechanism is not recognized clearly. Therefore existing research results in this field were analyzed by the author. Firstly, nine typical examples of groundwater inrush from bed separation of overlying strata were sorted out and summarized. Then common characteristics on the five areas were obtained. They include hard overlying strata, repeated coal mining of multiple seams or single seam slicing mining, abundant water resources recharging bed separation space, closed water body between bed separation space and a stope, induction factors such as rock burst. Secondly, five viewpoints of groundwater inrush from bed separation of overlying strata were summarized, according to mechanisms expounded by previous researchers. And then on the basis of the view of the physical field, five viewpoints were generalized three categories: seepage field alone, stress field alone, coupling seepage field and stress field. At last, according to research results, five highlights and some prospects in the felid of groundwater inrush from bed separation of overlying strata were pointed out.