Hearing a voice

[MoodyMargaret11]

A close (elderly) relative has heard a voice a few times now, addressing her by name and telling her not to worry, that they will be looking after her.

She has taken this to mean that the end is near and they (whoever the voice is) will be helping her in the afterlife.
My relative is not at all interested in the spiritual, is not religious either. She's also never heard anything like this before, or had hallucinations. She knows this voice is in her mind but also that it isn't her.
She doesn't have a great health, but is relatively ok, going out and doing her every day activities as normal. Then suddenly the voice coming in.
I have read books and seen documentaries on people who have seen/spoken with beings who have subsequently come to "collect" them at time of death (e g. deceased loved ones, angels, religious figures) and I believe their experiences to be real, despite often being dismissed as delirium/vivid dreams/hallucinations.
I am now worrying about my relative as we don't live near each other and I'm not able to see her often. I just can't shake thoughts of the above.
Has anyone here experienced or witnessed anything similar?

Sounds like she needs to see a psychiatrist to assess things.

I did have a relative that this happened to. But mostly dreams, and he seemed to be quite comforted by it, always liked meeting new people! He didn't know his life was coming to an end (dementia) but it was becoming more apparent to everyone around him.

So I believe it does happen but only when the health has deteriorated so much. Is it possible your relative is doing worse than she's letting on? Otherwise I'd wonder about other possibilities as PP mentioned.

How old is she? I do think it's lovely that she has felt able to confide in you about this, you and she must be quite close.
Can you visit her?
I think it's not unusual.

Bumping as curious

A work colleague’s wife was dying of cancer and had lost her sight.
She told him that a man had been standing at the bottom of their bed for a few nights and wanted her to go with him. My colleague told her that maybe she should go with him. She died that night.

@Aurorora
No she doesn't need a psychiatrist, she isnt mentally ill and has not had any other experiences like this.

Any possibility of a UTI?

Not someone coming to collect me, but I have heard a voice. My brother died in traumatic circumstances and I found his body. Whilst waiting for the police and ambulance, I "heard" a voice inside my head saying "its only my body -I'm not here. Later as his body was taken away, I "heard" the voice say "I am at peace". It was very comforting and helped me cope with a horrific situation. I have good mental health and haven't heard any voices before or since.

Thank you to the rest of you who took the time to reply with consideration.
@AdmiralCoconut interestingly it turned out that she did hear it in a dream (I only learned this detail yesterday, after speaking more extensively with her). BUT... she feels that it was not an ordinary dream, and in fact was over 2 extremely vivid dreams. The second one was when she was given a lot of information by the voice, about what it would be like in the afterlife. She then went out the next day and picked up a newspaper, in it there was some writing about heavenly teachers and the afterlife. She wouldn't normally read these kind of topics, but this time she did and what she read was apparently very similar to what she'd been told.
She is not very ill or frail, but she does have various ongoing issues. She's had recent bereavement though, and I wonder if it may be a big factor.

@heldinadream early 80's and yes very close. Im making plans now to visit soon, that will also give her something positive to think about.

@TherebytheGraceofGodgoI that's exactly the kind of experiences I've heard and read about, and why I can't dismiss it.

My mum told my sister and I that my father was at the end of her bed hours before she passed away and had been with her for some time. She simply pointed to the end of bed and said it was fine as he (she said his name) is here. My sister and I looked at each other and didn't say anything, we knew she was dying. It was a comfort to us then and still.

Thank you for sharing this, must have been so comforting to hear this in such a distressing moment! I can absolutely believe it was your brother who was probably "still around" and feeling the impact on you, wanting to comfort you 💐

Thank you for sharing, your mum was clearly not alone and I bet your dad loved her very much xx

I'm sorry to say that auditory hallucinations were the beginning of my own mother's slide into dementia - in her case vascular. She seemed entirely plausible initially.(As someone else has said, UTIs were the first line of investigation - again mild psychosis seems to be a common symptom of UTIs in elderly women.)

I’m sure a recent bereavement will have thrown her advancing age and mortality into stark relief. I think that will have a lot to do with the nature and content of her dreams. Having your visit to focus on will do her a lot of good I’m sure. As you say it will give her something positive and happy to look forward to which is the very best thing right now.

My mother had hallucinations like this when she had a hip operation. She also had them when she had a UTI. She absolutely firmly believed the things she was seeing and hearing. I would get a UTI checked out ASAP.

I've heard of religious people hear a voice inside. Not sure if they were telling the truth, or if it was imagined, but many people have claimed to hear God and a specific order being given. Make of it what you will.

I agree definitely worth ruling out UTI if she is hearing voices during waking hours. And watching out for subtle signs of dementia too as CherryFlan says. Visual and auditory hallucinations and confusion seem to be a feature of both. But could easily just be symptomatic of her recent bereavement and sense of her own mortality. It can’t be at all easy ,

I am religious and listen for promptings. My grandmother believed that my grandfather was coming to collect her, in her last days. Unfortunately I've known a lot more cases of these things linked to UTIs, undiagnosed epilepsy, fever, or even just exhaustion...a friend who works long hours hears her name being called during her commute home and knows that means she's tired...

I agree. This isn't normal.

I thought that to

When my aunt was very sick in hospital she kept saying her cousin (she was very close with him and he'd died when they were teenagers) was speaking to her and telling her she's not ready to come yet. She got better and went home to recover. She told us her cousin kept coming back saying it's nearly time and just a few days after she passed. Heartbreaking but we find comfort in the fact she didn't feel alone when dying

While I think it might be helpful to check for UTI's or even early signs of dementia in case she would benefit from some treatment, it strikes me that there is no harm in these voices and indeed might be some comfort to be had from them.
I certainly don't think there is any need for a psychiatrist or any invasive and possibly distressing testing.
I am sure you will be reassured once you have visited

*LastNight1Dreamt1WentToManderleyAgain. *
when people are actively dying seeing and hearing love ones is very common indeed. Sometimes they just think they’re there with them and some think they’ve calling to them or collecting them. I think hopefully that is comforting.

@Shhhthedogssleeping yes it is common! And sometimes comforting. But UTIs aren't comforting, and older people, especially women, do suffer a lot from them, when they're not actively dying. It may present as personality changes, confusion, 'hauntings', and so on. Often easily treatable.

This is so moving. I am sorry for your losses.