Pre-death visions: when the dying see loved ones who have passed

What pre-death visions are

Pre-death visions, known in English as deathbed visions, are experiences in which a dying person sees or hears someone who is no longer alive. Most commonly these are parents, spouses, siblings, or friends. The visions typically appear within the last days or hours of life and have a distinctly peaceful, even joyful character.

The phenomenon differs from ordinary hallucinations in that the dying person retains clarity of mind, and the content of the visions is consistent and recurring. Those who experience them often describe a feeling that "someone has come for them" or that "it is time to go." Science has no definitive answer regarding the nature of this phenomenon; however, its existence is well documented clinically.

The pioneering research of Karlis Osis

Karlis Osis, a psychologist of Latvian origin, conducted the first systematic studies of pre-death visions during the 1950s and 1960s. He sent questionnaires to thousands of doctors and nurses in the United States, collecting accounts of patients' final moments. He published the results in 1961 in a report for the Parapsychology Foundation.

In 1977, Osis together with psychiatrist Erlendur Haraldsson repeated the research in India, comparing accounts from both cultures. It emerged that the dying in both countries described similar visions, although the details differed culturally. Osis noted that the visions rarely concerned living people and almost always conveyed a message about passing to another place. His work, although rooted in parapsychology, provided a foundation for later medical research.

The contemporary research of Christopher Kerr

Physician Christopher Kerr, working at the Calvary hospice in Buffalo, New York, spent years collecting accounts from dying patients. His research, published in 2014 among other places in the journal Journal of Palliative Medicine, covered more than a hundred patients in the terminal stage of illness. As many as eighty-one per cent of them described dreams or visions that they considered significant.

Kerr points out that these visions bring patients a distinct sense of psychological relief. Those studied ceased to fear death and became calmer. The physician emphasises that he is not interested in the metaphysical interpretation of the phenomenon, but in its effect on the quality of dying. He gathered his observations in the book Death Is But a Dream, published in 2020 and accessible to a wide audience.

What the dying see and hear

Descriptions of pre-death visions are remarkably similar the world over. The dying most often recognise specific people who are no longer alive and describe their calm, encouraging presence. Unfamiliar or frightening figures rarely appear.

Kerr and other researchers have identified several recurring motifs in the accounts they collected.

• Visits from loved ones: a deceased parent, spouse, or friend stands at the bedside and waits.
• Preparation for a journey: the dying person says they "must get ready" or "it is time to go."
• Beautiful places: descriptions of bright, peaceful landscapes, gardens, or luminous spaces.
• Children from the past: sometimes people appear whose existence the family was unaware of, for example a sibling lost early in miscarriage.
• A sense of peace: after the vision, patients become noticeably calmer and often die not long afterwards.

Scientific explanations and their limits

Neurologists and psychiatrists propose several possible explanations. Cerebral hypoxia — that is, oxygen deprivation in the dying body — can induce hallucinations. Sudden changes in neurotransmitter levels, particularly dopamine and serotonin, act similarly. Painkillers, especially opioids, can also produce vivid visions.

However, none of these explanations fully accounts for all cases. Some patients experience visions during moments of complete lucidity and without opioid medication. Some describe deceased individuals whose deaths they were unaware of. Science honestly acknowledges that the mechanism of pre-death visions is not yet fully understood and requires further research.

Pre-death visions in tradition and hospice care

Descriptions of the dying who see "angels" or deceased relatives appear in Christian hagiographic records as far back as the Middle Ages. Similar accounts can be found in Tibetan, Hindu, and Native American traditions. Different cultures interpret them differently, but the very fact of their universality is striking.

Contemporary palliative care is beginning to treat pre-death visions as part of the natural process of dying, rather than as a symptom of psychiatric disorder. Hospices in the United States, the United Kingdom, and increasingly in Poland are training staff not to dismiss patients' accounts or deny their experiences. Physicians emphasise that carers' acceptance of these visions significantly improves the comfort of the patient's final days.

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Sources

Deathbed phenomena, Wikipedia EN · Karlis Osis, Wikipedia EN · Near-death experience, Wikipedia EN · Palliative care, Wikipedia EN

Frequently asked questions

Do pre-death visions occur only in people who are believers?

No. The research of Kerr and Osis included people of various religious and secular persuasions. The visions appeared regardless of faith, although their interpretation depended on the patient's culture and personal beliefs.

Are pre-death visions the same as near-death experiences?

They are related but distinct phenomena. Near-death experiences, described by people who have been resuscitated, include among other things a tunnel and a light. Pre-death visions concern the dying who do not lose consciousness but see or hear loved ones at their bedside.

Does science regard pre-death visions as evidence of life after death?

No. Science documents the phenomenon as a genuine clinical experience, but draws no metaphysical conclusions from it. The question of life after death remains beyond the reach of current research methods.