How Common are Deathbed Visions?
A deathbed vision (DBV), also called “deathbed visioning,” “visioning,”or “end-of-life visions,” is an unexplained phenomenon during which a dying individual sees visions of people or places. In the past, this experience has also been referred to as visions of the dying, veridical hallucinations, and pre-death visions.
The visions are generally brief-about 5 minutes at time, and the range of what individuals witness is vast. Aome individuals only see shadows, others report seeing beautiful scenery containing spectacular landscapes of vibrant colours, others describe seeing angels, religious figures, and spiritual guides who they believe to be sent to help them cross over.
Most commonly, individuals express having seen dead family members and loved ones, including deceased pets. Sometimes this can be a single individual and sometimes it could be multiple family members together. Quite often, the deceased friends and relatives in these visions state explicitly that they have come to “collect them,” help take the dying person away/home, or help them let go. Interestingly, it is not uncommon for some dying individuals to see friends and relatives who they believe to be still living but who have instead already died. Perhaps not surprisingly, the figures who appear most frequently in deathbed visions are mothers.
Even when individuals do not talk about seeing visions, there are other signs that they see something such as staring into corners of the room or at the ceiling or having a conversation with someone who is not present. Sometimes they are so fixated by one spot that it is impossible to get them to break their eye contact. This is occasionally referred to as “the death stare.” They may appear to be tracking something with their eyes, or they may ask someone to move out of the way as if they are standing in front of someone who isn’t there. They may also raise their arms straight up as if to embrace someone, which is commonly referred to as “the death reach.” They may also reach out as if to take hold of something, feel between their fingers, and then look confused. They may also appear to be deep in thought, as if they have been given news or shown information that they’ve never thought about before. All of these are common occurrences at the end of life.
Research indicates that only about 10% of dying people are still conscious shortly before their deaths. Yet, we estimate that between 50% and 60% of those individuals experience these visions. They are reported similarly across the world. They involve people of both sexes, all ages, and across cultures, religions, nationalities, and income levels. Some people have auditory rather than visual experiences. Rather than describing the loved ones that they see, they often talk about hearing beautiful music, including heavenly choirs, or playing harps.
These visions are so common that it has become a sign to hospice nurses that death is approaching, and the dying person is preparing to transition. The experience is even described in the booklet Gone from My Sight written by nurse and hospice pioneer Barbara Karnes. This booklet is often distributed to patients and their families to help them understand what to expect at the end of life.
Rather than unnerving the dying individual, these visions (often) instead seem to bring them great comfort. Those who experience these visions appear to be happy with them, and their moods often change from depressed to elated and from in pain to relieved. They also express a willingness to go with the vision rather than fear of being taken away. The words individuals use most frequently when describing their vision experience include “comforting,” “beautiful,” “soothing,” “calming,” and “readying.”
On rare occasions, others in attendance will see the spirit entity along with the dying person, but often, only the dying person sees anything. We do not know what causes this phenomenon. Some individuals try to explain the phenomenon by chalking it up to hallucinations caused by lack of oxygen, medication, or changes in brain chemistry. However, these explanations all seem unlikely, as the individuals who have these visions are lucid and do not appear to be in an altered state of consciousness.
Alternatively, they appear to be fully aware of their surroundings and understand what is real. While it may be difficult to those around the dying person to understand these visions as they cannot see them, the visions are real to the dying patient, so they should be respected. Resist the urge to correct them and instead provide support and gently ask questions about what they see and what they think it means. It can be upsetting to hear someone arguing that these visions don’t exist. Many individuals are reluctant to tell their family members about these visions out of fear that they will be given medication to make them go away. Regardless of what you believe about the “realness” of these visions or what theory you may have as to what causes them, what those at the end of their life really need is your support.