People nearing death often experience vivid dreams and visions of deceased relatives, pets, doors, stairways and light, according to palliative care professionals. These encounters provide comfort and help patients accept dying, a new Italian study finds. Researchers note that such dreams become more frequent and realistic as death approaches.
A team led by Elisa Rabitti at the Palliative Care Local Network in Reggio Emilia, Italy, surveyed 239 doctors, nurses, psychologists and other professionals who care for terminally ill patients. The most common dreams involved reunions with deceased family members or pets. One patient dreamed of her late husband telling her, “I’m waiting for you,” which brought her inner peace and aided acceptance of death, the researchers reported in Death Studies.
