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Seeing dead relatives/pets when about to die.

59 replies

BritneyPeedOnALadybug · 14/02/2020 17:16

There’s been so many stories of this. Do you believe it’s true or do you think it’s a dying person’s brain playing tricks on them and them “seeing” things that aren’t there? (Sorry, I hope this isn’t a morbid thread, I’m just genuinely curious).

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LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 14/02/2020 17:20

I believe it's wishful thinking; the person about to die is aware of that, whether consciously or not, and they switch to thinking of pleasanter things. Why not? It's better than thinking of that load of washing you've forgotten to take out of the machine.

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BritneyPeedOnALadybug · 14/02/2020 19:33

I understand your point. It’s just that there have been SO many reported cases of humans that are dying, sometimes unable to speak or recognise anyone, suddenly experience a “wake up” and be suddenly coherent and smiling and looking at things that non-dying people can see.

I wonder if it’s part of our brain to help us cope when we are fading away or whether it could be actually real.

Would be very interesting if anyone works in a hospital and have experienced this could comment and give their experiences

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Snaleandthewhail · 14/02/2020 19:35

Both my grandmother and great grandmother’s final words were “mother”. Peculiarly reassuring for my mum.

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TicTac80 · 14/02/2020 19:40

My mother mentioned to me that she had seen her parents in the room a couple of times, in the days running up to her death. She was completely lucid and had capacity. Her parents died in 1990 and 2008. Some of my patients have said similar things (I'm a nurse), so I don't disbelieve it. To be honest, if it gives them comfort and peace, then that's great :)

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flatpack1 · 14/02/2020 20:18

Don't say that! I've been dreaming about my mother loads the past two weeks

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madeyemoodysmum · 14/02/2020 20:24

My mum said she saw my dads parents when he was very very ill with meningitis. She told them he wasn't coming and go away. He did get better. I find that comforting and amazing!!

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BritneyPeedOnALadybug · 14/02/2020 20:25

@flatpack1

I didn’t mean dreams, I meant people that are dying and often unable to speak or make sense of things and all of a sudden becoming “awake” and “looking” at relatives or pets that other (non dying) people can’t see, sometimes “speaking to them” or “referencing” them.

@TicTac80 Thank you for your comment. Would you say it’s quite common? Or common enough to make you think it might be real?

@Snaleandthewhail ❤️Flowers

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Cuddling57 · 14/02/2020 20:37

Just before my grandad died he told my nan he would join her soon. It was lovely.

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LazyFace · 14/02/2020 20:41

It'd also be interesting to know what people who grew up in cultures that believe in reincarnation experience. Seeing their loved ones wouldn't make sense, I believe it's the brain and these are experienced mostly in Western, Christianity based cultures.

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FREEM · 14/02/2020 20:45

the res a condition called Charles bonnet syndrome where people with macular degeneration have " hallucinations " often see I g people who have passed away.
I believe this is similar when the cells die off

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WhoWants2Know · 14/02/2020 20:49

It's a little weird, but there's a theory that time isn't necessarily linear and we have to perceive it that way because of the way our brains function. So I kind of think that linear time and space ceases to apply at the end of the physical body's life, and the person can see or be near someone from any time.

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Tommorrowsanewday · 14/02/2020 20:53

In hospital, the last few hours of my mum’s life she was very restless and she kept reaching out towards the corner of the room calling her sister’s name over and over. Her sister had been dead about 25 years.

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Unsureconfused46 · 14/02/2020 22:33

My Nana passed away in the late 80s, my mum was with her when she died. Mum told me some years afterwards that my Nana (who had been in a deep sleep the days leading up to her death) suddenly said "dad" and looked into the corner of the room then took her last breath and died.
Makes me all teary thinking of it. It was as if he had come to take her

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Goawayquickly · 14/02/2020 22:45

A dear old friend was dying of a horrible degenerative disease and in his final hours suddenly rallied and said to his family 'I'll be off soon, mums here' and died shortly after. Whatever the reason I think that's wonderful he thought that.

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Unsureconfused46 · 14/02/2020 22:47

This thread is really emotional but comforting in a way 💐

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oldfashionedtastingtea · 14/02/2020 22:48

I hope so. Would love to see mum again.

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Weenurse · 14/02/2020 22:54

I have seen it a number of times.
First time as a really young nurse, patient could see Jesus and the angels.
Was not expected to die, so I rang a very experienced supervisor who told me to call the family in.
Patient died peacefully, surrounded by family, that afternoon.
Very religious family, so that was comforting for them.

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Pavlova31 · 14/02/2020 22:54

My husband in his last few hours mentioned a couple of times about his Mother being in the room evening pointing out her moving around it wuth his finger.

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pineapple2 · 14/02/2020 22:56

I'm a nurse and used to work on a older adults assessment unit. Sometimes we would have patients that would be on end of life care and we would nurse them on the wards instead of transferring to a nursing home..

I've seen so many people that I've nursed who have seen their family members etc..it gave them such reassurance and was so nice to see as I believe in that sort of stuff..

The stories I could tell about what happened. It's all spiritual and I hope that my family are there waiting for me...

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Pavlova31 · 14/02/2020 23:01

An Uncle unconscious for hours dying of cancer. Just before he died he woke ,sat up and reached toward an (to us) empty corner of the room.His expression was one of recognition and pure joy.
He then lay back down and passed away.

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Divebar · 14/02/2020 23:01

These are lovely accounts - very comforting.

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AlexaAmbidextra · 14/02/2020 23:08

As a nurse I have seen on several occasions dying people who have been virtually comatose suddenly open their eyes and seem to focus on something/someone nobody else can see. My own uncle, just before he died, looked past the relatives around his bed and actually said ‘it’s alright, I’m coming’ and then died. I think it’s a rather lovely thought that somebody you have loved comes to take you on your final journey.

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PickwickThePlockingDodo · 14/02/2020 23:12

My late mum told me her grandmother's last words were "what's that beautiful music?"

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StCharlotte · 14/02/2020 23:16

Slightly different but when my dad died his last word moments before he died was his (still living) sister's name. She lived in Australia and it would have been the middle of the night over there. As he said it the phone rang. Yep, it was the sister saying she felt the need to call...

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WTFsMyUserName · 14/02/2020 23:18

My father did this just before he passed away. He asked us all (my mother and my siblings) to move aside to let the 'people' through as they'd travelled for so long. Then he started to say a prayer and before the end of it he slipped away.

My uncle recently passed away and before he passed he was telling his family (who were in the room with him) that my grandfather (his father) had come to see him. And there was a lady beside him who he did not recognise. My uncle had never met my grandmother as she died in childbirth so in our mind we think the lady he mentioned must have been my grandmother.

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