Dreams and Visions at the End of Life

Pre-death dreams and visions (end-of-life experiences) have been documented throughout history and across cultures. Yet, despite their universality and clinical significance, they have rarely been explained in a care-giving framework or presented as being clinically relevant. This chapter will explore this topic from the perspective of the dying rather than the observer. It is based on published, quantified data that draw on the dying experiences of over 1200 patients and their families. The objective is to explain, often in the patients’ own words, why pre-death dreams and visions are extraordinary occurrences that bring comfort and exemplify human resilience. These are not regular dreams and distinct from states of confusion or delirium. They are momentous occurrences in patients’ experience of dying, which they describe as ‘more real than real’ and that often marks a transition from distress to acceptance. These end-of-life experiences help patients restore meaning, make sense of the dying process and assist in reclaiming it as an experience in which the dying have say.