This helps elucidate the DBEsomewhat. My interpretation on thephysical component is that the mind often reaches an understanding that deathis now at hand. At that point it isoften able to redirect remaining energies to the brain and head to make finalcontact with those in attendance.
The reports of light and of thosewho have gone before is common to most reports and now may also be fed byexpectation. Sometimes we get out ofbody reports and I even seen a possible confirmation report in which somethingwas reported not otherwise possible.
Perhaps we need to set up hiddenartifacts to be reported on if ever possible. Certainly the interest is there and they could be even manufactureditems able to be broadly sold and distributed.
Going into the light
The Irish Times - Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A new study of deathbed experiences has found a surprising number ofsimilarities, writes FIONOLA MEREDITH
GIVEN THAT many of us shy away from talking about death and dying, itis not surprising that we know so little about what happens in the last hours ofa person’s life. But an unusual new study, funded by the Irish HospiceFoundation, aims to break through the taboo of the deathbed.
The study – Capturing the invisible: exploring Deathbed Experiences inIrish Palliative Care, by researchers Una MacConville and Regina McQuillan –examines the strange visions that often accompany the dying process, askingmembers of the Irish Association of Palliative Care to report theirexperiences. The results are startling.
In one frequently reported scenario, the dying person spoke of seeingdeceased relatives or religious figures, or of experiencing a radiant whitelight in the room. Perhaps because they defy explanation, these deathbedphenomena are rarely discussed by healthcare professionals, despite being afamiliar occurrence.
Yet rather than avoiding the topic, MacConville says education aboutsuch experiences could raise awareness of the phenomena and help palliativecare professionals to normalise them for patients and families as a common andeven comforting part of dying.
After all, as MacConville points out, there is nothing new in thesevisions: accounts of deathbed experiences (DBE) are common throughout historyand across cultures.
William Shakespeare makesreference to them, and the earliest medical encyclopaedias recognise suchphenomena as indications that death is close. In most cases, they have apositive effect, bringing peace, comfort, calmness and joy to the patient.
One nurse who responded to the study said, “I have often heard patientsrefer to seeing someone in their room or at the end of their bed, oftenrelatives, and also it is not a distressing event for them. Family are usuallyshocked by hearing it and want to know the significance of it.”
Another odd but quite frequently reported occurrence – 31 per cent ofrespondents mentioned it in this study – is when a dying person unexpectedlyemerges from a coma, suddenly becoming sufficiently alert to communicate withfamily and friends.
A respondent reported that, “In one incident the patient, who had beenin a coma, opened his eyes and smiled at his three daughters and wife. Profoundcalmness and peace filled the room. It was special to be part of thatexperience. In another incident the patient said he saw a light, a brightlight; he died shortly afterwards.”
Less dramatically, the dying person may also experience vivid dreamsthat have particular significance for them, sometimes helping them resolveunfinished business in their lives. Others report a sudden and unexplainedsmell of roses, or claim to see angels appearing in their room.
However you explain them, most of these experiences sound benign, evenreassuring. But MacConville says that deathbed phenomena sometimes can befrightening encounters for the dying person and their relatives: “Familymembers may become distressed because they realise that death is imminent, andthe dying person may be disturbed by the visions because they don’t understandthem.”
One respondent told MacConville and McQuillan that relatives oftenbecome “upset and emotional if patient talks to them as they realise time isvery short”.
Neither is a deathbed experience any kind of guarantor of a peacefuldeath. In the study, only 24 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreedthat patients experiencing DBE have a peaceful death as a result. Some 59 percent were neutral and 17 per cent disagreed.
MacConville says deathbed experiences are rarely talked about preciselybecause it’s not clear what these visions are. One common sense explanation maybe that the visions are drug- or fever-induced hallucinations. But 68 per centof respondents agreed, or strongly agreed, that DBE have different qualitiesfrom such hallucinations.
MacConville says there appears to be a difference in the quality of thevisions: they appear with greater clarity, and they are experienced asmeaningful, with significant associations, rather than random, as they would bein drug-induced cases.
An earlier study also indicated that patients experiencing deathbedphenomena are usually calm and composed. In contrast, drug- or fever-inducedhallucinations can be disturbing and frightening, with other symptoms ofdrug-induced toxicity and high temperature present as well.
Reflecting on the deathbed phenomena, one anonymous palliative carenurse admitted that such visions “do not often have a rational explanation”.Nonetheless, “I don’t believe people’s experiences can be discounted ordisputed. It is individual, intense and real for many patients and families.”
Being able to put a name to these experiences, and to talk about themopenly, is one important step towards overcoming the fear and confusion thatsurrounds the last hours before death.
Una MacConville is interested in hearing from healthcare professionalsand members of the public about such experiences as this research iscontinuing. E-mail her at U.macconville@bath.ac.uk or call 086-8175530.
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