The topic of death has been fascinating humans for as long as we can collectively remember. Whether we are worried about what comes next, or whether there really is an 'afterlife', others worry about what happens before we pass away. A doctor has now taken it upon himself to educate families about what occurs before and after death. Today, we are looking into what adults and children experience when they die.
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Dr Christopher Kerr explains what adults and children see
An end-of-life palliative doctor has recently described what his adult and young patients saw right before they passed away. Speaking to the Next Level Soul podcast, Dr Christopher Kerr talked about his own experience as he accompanied patients towards their last breath. Prior to this interview, Dr Kerr also published a book about his observations as a medical practitioner entitled Death Is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life’s End.
According to him, what we see as our life is about to end entirely depends on what we experienced throughout our years on Earth. What we feel in the end is how our brain is trying to come to terms with what is next. Dr Christopher Kerr led a study on 1,500 of his patients as they died, and he just published his results.
Our experiences depend on our personal history
In his own experience, Dr Kerr saw that adults tend to revisit their past in the form of dreams, or daydreams. They also imagine themselves talking to their loved-ones, whether alive or dead. Patients usually relive emotional memories, most often positive ones. They can also reconnect with people they have lost through the years. However, some patients can also look for forgiveness for their wrongdoings. Dr Kerr said:
Patients are not denying the bad things and painful things that transpire. They seek to address them and use them in a way that’s very interesting.
The memories which fill dying patients' minds are often peaceful and help them feel calm as they get ready to leave this life. Dr Kerr explains that although the idea of a child dying is heartbreaking, they are less scared than adults in the face of death. Most children cannot comprehend the concept of dying, and don't understand the finality of it. The doctor talks about a little girl who had a vision on her deathbed:
She created a castle for herself. There was a swimming pool, animals and a piano. There was a window with warm light coming through… When I asked, “What does the castle represent?” she said, “A safe place”.
Read more:
⋙ Terminal lucidity: Hospice nurse explains this common phenomenon that happens right before you die
⋙ The ‘death stare’: Nurse explains phenomenon that happens when a person is about to die
⋙ These phenomenona start happening to your body two days before you die
Sources used:
Metro: Doctor reveals the difference between what adults and children see when they die
