Most Dying People Are ‘Visited’ By Dead Friends In Their Last Hours

When people are dying, they are often ‘visited’ by visions of dead friends and relatives - which offer comfort in our final hours.

As death approaches, the visits become more and more common.

The phenomenon has been widely reported, but up until now, has rarely been studied - although scientists are still unaware of what causes the visions.

Scientists from Canisius College, New York interviewed 66 patients receiving end-of-life care in a hospice.

The research – into a common, but little-studied phenomenon – found that most patients reported at least one such vision per day.

Many patients said the visits ‘felt real’ – and that visions involving dead friends and relatives were the most common.

The researchers write, ‘As participants approached death, comforting dreams/visions of the deceased became more prevalent,

‘The impact of pre-death experiences on dying individuals and their loved ones can be profoundly meaningful…

‘These visions can occur months, weeks, days, or hours before death and typically lessen fear of dying, making transition from life to death easier for those experiencing them.’