What’s the toughest question to definitively answer? For me, it’s the question of what happens after you die. No one living can answer the question, and if the dead are able to answer, they’re not telling. We might not have the answer — but talking to those who are near death can offer some insight.
In our final days, there may be some answers.
Those in hospice or palliative care sometimes talk about seeing long-dead loved ones, or travelling down a shining tunnel, in the hours and days before they die. It’s clear that the process of dying is pretty intense.
Dr. Christopher Kerr has a few thoughts.
Dr. Kerr, the chief medical officer at Hospice Buffalo, gave an illuminating TEDx Talk a few years ago on the topic of what dying people see and dream about in the days leading up to their death.
He interacts with dying people all the time.
In his day job at Hospice Buffalo in Upstate New York, Dr. Kerr has spent his career talking to those who are near death. He’s gathered their and shared their profound insights.
Death is scary.
During life, many of us are afraid of death. It’s tough to comprehend just…not existing anymore. Consciousness feels so vivid, but what happens to it when the body it’s attached to stops working?
It sounds like things aren’t so bad.
Many of the patients Dr. Kerr has dealt with describe experiencing vivid memories or dreams of family members and other loved ones who died years ago. It’s almost like they’re there to reassure the dying person.
Dr. Kerr has recorded the interviews.
“I remember seeing every piece of their face,” says a woman of her dreams. “I mean, I knew that was my mom and dad and uncle and my brother-in-law. I felt good.”
The family theme runs strong.
It seems like, in the hours and days before death, the mind focuses on what’s truly important — and, more often than not, the most important thing is family.
Dr. Kerr isn’t the first to see this phenomenon.
There are countless stories of dying people insisting that they can see their deceased parents or other loved ones. Often, the illusion is so powerful that they may appear to be right next to the bed.
Dr. Kerr wasn’t always a believer.
He said that he was skeptical about people saying they could see their deceased parents. But time and time again, these illusions happened — and basically every time, it means death is near.
He even broke it down into charts.
Rather than being overcome by fear of the unknown, it seems that most people are thinking of pleasant things before they pass away. It’s reassuring to know this.
RELATED STORIES
It’s almost bigger than death itself.
“Instead of having this fear of death, it almost transcends the fear of death to something bigger,” Dr. Kerr explained , describing what he’s observed in the patients he’s treated at the hospice.
The dreams are different.
Kerr says that, for the dying person, these dreams are profound. “What’s clear is people are universally saying, ‘this feels more real and different than any dream I’ve ever had before’,” he said.
In all, they’ve documented 14,000 cases.
Dr. Kerr says that of this total, eighty percent of patients say they’ve had dreams or visions. He says it’s readily apparent that these visions have therapeutic value for patients in their final days.
He says there doesn’t need to be an explanation.
He says he just wants to record and document these experiences, rather than trying to explain them or find some deeper meaning. It’s clearly a part of the human experience that should be better documented.
The lessons are profound.
Life is full of stuff to stress about, but it seems that loved ones are all that really matters when your body begins to shut down. What are your thoughts? h/t: KDKA 2 CBS Pittsburgh
