death bed visions

define death bed visions

a subjective experience in which a dying person, while awake, sees and interacts with deceased loved ones, religious or spiritual figures or beloved pets that are not visible to others who are with the dying person

→ the most frequent reported end of life experience

3 qualities of someone experiencing a DBV

• can tell you what they are seeing at the tine of the experience

• or they may report it sometime later

• can also be inferred from the dying persons behaviour

  EX: pointing or smiling in the direction of an unseen visitor

8 common features of a DBV

• communicating and conversing responsively with the unseen visitor

• staring or gazing fixedly at a spot in the room (often towards the ceiling or doorway, foot of the bed or out the window)

• pointing in the direction of the unseen visitor

• reaching out one or both of their arms, as if to give them a hug or holding out a hand to shake this unseen visitor

• expressing feelings of serenity, peace, happiness and joy

  • both verbally and non-verbally (via facial expressions)

• the dying person may try to sit up or get out of bed

• occur most frequently in the weeks, days, or hours before death

• widely recognized as an indicator that death is near

4 reasons death bed visitors appear

• to greet the dying

• to reassure them that they will be with them when they die

• to tell them when its their time to go

• come to collect the dying person and assist them in the transition

  to take the on a journey

how common are DBVs to the dying persons who report

63-88%

how many family members report DBVs

21%

how many nursing home staff report DBVs

50-77%

how many healt care prof. repirt DBV

46-88%

how many hospice pal. volunteers report DBV

34%

how many death doulas report DBV

88%

4 reasons why DBV might be under reported

• as death approaches, most patients are not conscious

• people are embarrassed for being thought crazy

• fear of disbelief

• dismissed as drug induced hallucinations

3 medical explanations for DBVs and why these are incorrect

• hallucinations caused by oxygen deprivation (hypoxia)

  • but people without oxygen issues report these DBVs!

• DBVs are hallucinations caused by a dying brain

  • but themes of DBVs are remarkably similar among people who report

• DBVs are hallucinations brought on by painkillers or other sedatives

  • but people who are not on any medications report DBVs

  • large doses of painkillers has been found to inhibit the likelihood of DBVs

why can DBVs not be considered hallucinations brought on by delusional states like delirium, high fever, or dementia

• but these conditions cause confusion and disordered visions

• but these visions are more joyful and calming

• and nurses and doctors can easily tell the difference between a death bed vision and a drug induced hallucination

psychological explanation and why its incorrect

• can be attributed to wishful thinking or expectations

  • but religious background does not play a role at all

  • seeing dead people who were not known to be dead at the time → would disprove the “expectation” theory

5 impacts that DBVs have on the dying person

1. brings feelings of peace and calm

2. comfort and reassurance

3. profoundly meaningful

4. they produce feelings of joy and great happiness

5. reduce the fear of dying

5 effects the DBVs have on family members

• calming effect

• peaceful effect

• reassuring

• comforting