Personal Deathbed Vision Stories?

Updated:   Published

nurse-death-visions-that-changed-you.jpg.f1d86259c37c8ea2405357b3f8469ec9.jpg

I recently witnessed a profound deathbed vision while on-site during a training. An older woman in the later stages of pancreatic cancer, who was under close supervision due to her declining condition, was (understandably) upset about her lot. Although she was declining, she wasn’t expected to pass for another few weeks. I was shadowing an older resident RN on site and we stopped by her room, and we chatted with her for a while; the usual charting and pain management shebang. Suddenly, her demeanor changed completely to one of complete happiness and acceptance. She smiled, gazed to a corner of the room like she was staring through us, and remarked “Oh, thank goodness Randy. I was afraid you wouldn’t show up! I’m ready now.” As I was informed later by another nurse who had spoken with the woman’s daughter, Randy was her husband of 32 years who had passed some years prior. She sat up smiling, reached for a corner of the room, her breathing subsequently slowed, and you could see the life leave her body as she took her last breath and she fell on the pillow behind her. The resident RN who’s been there for about 20 years didn’t even bat an eye, and said this is incredibly common. Didn’t bother to ask what the nurses spiritual alignment was, though now I’m super curious. 

I’m just starting on the nursing track and I am FREAKED by this incident. This also spiraled into a major existential crisis, as I was pretty confidently agnostic before. Now I don’t know what to believe. I knew from my professors that people may become delusional and oxygen deprived near death and may report to see things, but this woman was way too lucid for me to be comfortable with that claim. My goal was to make people as comfortable as possible as they slip into the endless night. Does anyone who’s worked with terminally ill patients have any testimonies of deathbed visions that changed their view on life after death? And maybe some words of advice/encouragement for someone who is super spooked by all of this?

Remember that meds, physiological processes, advanced age and a new environment can all contribute to delirium which may include hallucinations.  

Unfortunately I've seen not-so-pleasant deaths that include anxiety, air hunger, pain, etc etc etc.

I think the main thing to take away from your experience is that the patient was at peace.  I'm glad you shared it.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

My BIL had an MI with CPR. He said when he coded he experienced hovering above his bed where he could see the staff performing compressions till he was revived.

My dad nearly died of typhoid about the time I was born. He said that when my mom was postpartum in the hospital and he was at home in bed, a very strange looking man came and sat down on the bed with him. He said he knew it was the angel if death. Dad begged him not to take him as he had not even seen his newborn child. The angel left and never came back.

There was a cat in a Texas nursing home, featured in the news, who would go and lay down with a patient who was about to die.

5
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, nice NDEs! (well the account of the experience is what I mean) Here's one about a cat in RI. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cat-death/doctor-casts-new-light-on-cat-that-can-predict-death-idUSTRE6115QB20100202

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Maternal Newborn and Denials Management.

In the week before my mother died she would at times raise both of her arms up reaching toward the ceiling and say "James (my deceased father) take me on the boat, I am ready". I had worked on oncology for a couple of years and patient's talking about "going on a trip" and "going home" were pretty common.  

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

wow... It's good that scientists are studying this. It's comforting too. I'm really open minded to the possibilities outside of our senses. The accounts from these folks help. 

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Someone explain this to me in terms of science. My ex passed away, 13 years after a bitter divorce. I was driving home from work that day and a song  from my early married years was playing. At exactly 9 am I felt overwhelmed by emotions and started to weep uncontrollably. Later that day, I found out my ex had passed away at 9am.

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
35 minutes ago, feelix said:

Someone explain this to me in terms of science. My ex passed away, 13 years after a bitter divorce. I was driving home from work that day and a song  from my early married years was playing. At exactly 9 am I felt overwhelmed by emotions and started to weep uncontrollably. Later that day, I found out my ex had passed away at 9am.

I know what you mean. I believe in these sorts of communication. ? 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in retired LTC.

Y'all know there are some things out in the great big universe that I don't understand. Things I can't prove, but I can't disprove either. So I just keep an open mind.

I've heard multiple previous stories about cats as predictors of impending NH pt deaths.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

Interesting discussion.  I spent some years in both acute care and hospice work where I witnessed a lot of death over a wide continuum of ages and other demographic measures.  

There is a culture of death denial in this country.  It is heightened in health care settings where elderly people sometimes/often feel like the most honest and direct health discussions occur only after they've been referred to hospice. It's not a secret that hopeful prognostications lead to a great deal of medical care that it unlikely to achieve the hoped for outcomes. 

Anyway...children who are closely connected to the dying person may "see" or experience some of the same things in the environment even though they describe them differently. The dying patient was comforted by the angels who hovered above the visitors while the child would later comment on the sparkly fairies that came to see gramma.  That was one of the coincidences that made me aware of this phenomenon and inspired many many interesting conversations in the years to follow. People are often very open to speak if they encounter someone interested and willing to listen. 

What if there really is a different dimension where consciousness can have a physical manifestation? And what if, when a consciousness is on the precipice of that transition from physical life here to 'that'...what if some people are able to see or hear in that continuum or dimension? What if they could perceive this world here from that perspective 'there' from time to time? I'm certain that my thoughts are influenced by my faith and my reading of various religious texts. 

I know a young man who had a near death experience as a small child.  His mother was my best friend's wife and an NICU RN. The boy had a corrective surgery for a congenital cardiac malformation and suffered a life threatening complication post operatively.  The PICU and surgical team saved his life. Much later, on a lazy afternoon on the beach, the boy asked his mom about that time in the hospital because he had this memory that was very confusing for him. 

He described leaving the hospital and sitting with his grandpa by the water for awhile.  He didn't know where he was but he wasn't scared and he didn't know the man but he said that he was grandpa and that seemed right.  He said they didn't really talk much but that grampa said it was nice to see him but that he (the boy) couldn't stay. This kiddo wasn't very old when he came out with this...around kindergarten age as I recall.  He asked his mom, as kids do...but we all heard him and his subsequent story and questions.

It's hard to explain away these experiences. 

 

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
On 9/10/2021 at 6:06 PM, Daisy4RN said:

Having worked Oncology for many years I have found this type of experience to be quite normal. I have heard many patients and family members who have had a change in their belief (encouraged and strengthened), or non belief systems (became believers). I have heard people, and heard of other people (from different nurses) who have stated that they saw angels in the room coming for their family member, or saw other family etc. 

I would say just listen to that small voice inside talking to you and explore this further. 

https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/john-316-what-does-it-mean-mobile/

Wishing you well!!

Not wishing to trash anybody's beliefs here, but I've also worked in Oncology for many years and never seen a deathbed conversion. I had this conversation recently with a friend who's worked in palliative care for years and he too has never experienced this.

Similarly, we've neither of us witnessed these spiritual happenings in the hundreds of deaths we've both witnessed.

I have sometimes seen patients have episodes of confusion, hallucinations or vivid dreams, and with end of life patients often being on morphine, midazolam and whatever else, that's to be excepcted. I wonder if people sometimes read their own meanings into out of the ordinary events, believing what they want to believe?

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

This thread has been reported by members.

Several posts derailing the topic have now been removed. 

This thread is about Personal Deathbed Vision Stories. 

You may start a discussion about religion(s)/no religion, etc. in the Breakroom Club Lounge here on allnurses. 

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion