Death Bed Visions

[Seeker2010]

cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/18/o.end.of.life/index.html?hpt=C2

In the hours leading up to my grandfathers death, he kept calling out to someone named Frank, as well as physically reaching out to him. Nobody in the family knows who Frank might have been, to our knowledge (and I was but a teenager) there was nobody in his life named Frank. I have heard from hospice workers that such things are actually quite common.

What say you?

 

[Pieman333272]

cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/18/o.end.of.life/index.html?hpt=C2

In the hours leading up to my grandfathers death, he kept calling out to someone named Frank, as well as physically reaching out to him. Nobody in the family knows who Frank might have been, to our knowledge (and I was but a teenager) there was nobody in his life named Frank. I have heard from hospice workers that such things are actually quite common.

What say you?

My mom’s nanny died and was very religious. Her dying words were, as she reached out, “Mary, is that you?” my Grandmother was there (they were friends) and said the only Mary she could think of that she may be that excited to see was the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

[antroji]

cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/18/o.end.of.life/index.html?hpt=C2

In the hours leading up to my grandfathers death, he kept calling out to someone named Frank, as well as physically reaching out to him. Nobody in the family knows who Frank might have been, to our knowledge (and I was but a teenager) there was nobody in his life named Frank. I have heard from hospice workers that such things are actually quite common.

What say you?

Wow. I read the article, and frankly, I’m far more impressed that you posted something from Oprah.com, whose operator is seen by many on here as the antichrist, than I am by contents of the article.

For my part, I have personally heard many such stories myself, and revered the compassion of those who treated their dying relative according to the tips offered by Mr. Kessler, the author.

The article is congruent with other studies, and it is supportive as well of certain conclusions found in Danion Brinkleys Saved by the Light, again a title which might raise unfortunate and unnecessary prejudices for many on here. It is also congruent with many works which hypothesize that there is a an underlying reality concerning our spiritual nature that also underlies the forms of various religions, those religions being in unnecessary and counterproductive contention with each other. But that is another thread.

But to me, the most telling line in the whole piece was from E. Kubler-Ross. She sighed to David Kessler, when he attributed deathbed visions to lack of oxygen and morphine, “It will come with maturity.” This coming with “maturity” is perhaps the most neglected aspect of our faith. And it is because of it that I have had so much difficulty staying in the Church and with or around people who don’t seem to be able to comprehend that there are levels of spiritual vision and accomplishment. These levels can be compared to someone say in grammar school having a conversation with someone in high school. The high schooler’s comprehension includes and transcends that of the younger student without invalidating it. It is simply more mature. Yet to the second grader, what the senior has to say might sound like gobbledygook.

I think what I am saying is that just because one is Catholic, devout, and sincere, doesn’t mean that one is therefore done. I remember one of the priests who taught us religion in sophomore year leaning over his lectern and saying “What? Do you think that God just looks down and throws out Sainthood like so many posies? You have to work!” I laughed at that, loved it, and never forgot it.

So the article you have shared with us (Thank you!) is extremely valuable on two counts: one is that it gives practical pointers that we may not have known and need, sparing suffering and confusion from our part as a loved one passes while supplying encouragement and enthusiasm. Second, it edifies the point of maturity, which imho is one of the most lacking qualities in not only our Church, but in the world in general as well.

As for “Frank,” it has been said that when one is passing over, they see first the one whom, even unawares, they credited with the most similarity to themselves in spirit, or credited with great insight, or even with a significant act of bonding impersonal Love.

Thank you again for sharing such a work of value and insight.

M

 

[Seeker2010]

Wow. I read the article, and frankly, I’m far more impressed that you posted something from Oprah.com, whose operator is seen by many on here as the antichrist, than I am by contents of the article.

Well, I’ll have to take your word for that, have never seen Oprah mentioned here, then again I’m a relatively new resident m’self.

That said, I’m NOT Catholic, and while I believe there is a sentient creator (God, if you will, or must), I believe that everything man made religions teach about him is exactly that… man made.

I have not studied DBV’s much, though I have studied NDE’s (Near Death Experiences… the stories of those who have died and returned) and as a whole they tend to indicate that while there is in fact an afterlife (and arguably, a God), they also strongly imply (or outright state) that human religions are false.

For one atheists are not sent directly to hell. For two, people who don’t ‘follow the rules’ aren’t either. In fact, specifically for NDE’s, the overwhelming majority of them are positive, pleasant, loving experiences regardless of the background of the experiencer. There are hellish NDE’s to be sure, but they are few and far between.

My personal belief is that we experience physical life, here and likely elsewhere, many, many times as we take a spiritual journey towards complete enlightenment. But those incarnations do not, and cannot, put our eternal souls in risk of eternal damnation. For mistakes are learning opportunities, not ones for a sadistic god to have an excuse to torture us for eternity.

Not that you really asked lol.

 

[CarrieH]

I worked for many years as a registered nurse, and saw a lot of people near death reporting “visitors” from beyond, reaching out to visions that only they were able to see, or saying that they had seen loved ones who had passed before, or seeing angels, or other similar things. So yes, it is not uncommon at all.

A friend of mine was very, very ill as a child. He told me that Our Lady had come to him (and he isn’t even Catholic) and asked him if he wanted to go with her, but he said he wanted to stay here with his family. He was too young at that time to have been told anything about NDE’s, but he remembers the experience clearly.

Maybe Frank was your Grandfather’s guardian angel? Just a guess.

God bless.

 

[antroji]

Well, I’ll have to take your word for that, have never seen Oprah mentioned here, then again I’m a relatively new resident m’self.

That said, I’m NOT Catholic, and while I believe there is a sentient creator (God, if you will, or must), I believe that everything man made religions teach about him is exactly that… man made.

I have not studied DBV’s much, though I have studied NDE’s (Near Death Experiences… the stories of those who have died and returned) and as a whole they tend to indicate that while there is in fact an afterlife (and arguably, a God), they also strongly imply (or outright state) that human religions are false.

For one atheists are not sent directly to hell. For two, people who don’t ‘follow the rules’ aren’t either. In fact, specifically for NDE’s, the overwhelming majority of them are positive, pleasant, loving experiences regardless of the background of the experiencer. There are hellish NDE’s to be sure, but they are few and far between.

My personal belief is that we experience physical life, here and likely elsewhere, many, many times as we take a spiritual journey towards complete enlightenment. But those incarnations do not, and cannot, put our eternal souls in risk of eternal damnation. For mistakes are learning opportunities, not ones for a sadistic god to have an excuse to torture us for eternity.

Not that you really asked lol.

Wow-thank you, Seeker. You kind of hit the nail on the head as to why I’m having some difficulty with staying with the Church. My younger sister actually did leave the Church on exactly these grounds, joining another church that was more accommodating of what she felt she had to conclude as a result of her own NDE experience. And that is why I don’t talk about mine so much on here, or anywhere, don’t you see…It is because my experience was in line with the reports that claim a more Universal and gentler interpretation than any particular religion. This was recently re-enforced by a special on the evolution of the role of the devil in several religions, and guess what–in politics. The God vs devil dynamic actually was incorporated by some as a benefiting to uniform political dominance.

I’m guessing that not many are going to read this, and those who do might, because of experience in this topic, be a little more pre-disposed to leniency in this matter. I can’t in integrity dispute what I experienced as data. It changed my life, people noticed that and in terms of academic achievement (I was in school at that time) there was a notable improvement and a general clarity. I will not directly say what inevitable conclusion I necessarily came to, but save it to say that it was distinctly not atheistic. But neither was it theistic in the sense we ordinarily think in terms of. It was on an entirely different footing.

I think that that is enough. I can only further say that I can see that there is good reason for not only going along with Mr. Kressler’s recommendations, but for considering well some of the particulars expressed by Mr. Danion Brinkley in his work, especially about the naming of the entities one might encounter in and NDE. I have talked with others about this matter who have had similar experiences, and whatever their birth or practicing religion, or lack of such, all of our experiences and conclusions line up with surprising consistency. That might be worth investigating. It was for me.

 

[Seeker2010]

\My younger sister actually did leave the Church on exactly these grounds, joining another church that was more accommodating of what she felt she had to conclude as a result of her own NDE experience. And that is why I don’t talk about mine so much on here, or anywhere, don’t you see.

Would you mind sharing your and your sisters stories? It is an anonymous board, nobody knows who you are here, and I would love to hear it. Thanks.

 

[Robert_Sock]

My grandmother, on her deathbed, responded “the angels are coming, the angels are coming.” Then she passed away.

 

[Light1111]

A friend of the family recently passed away at the age of 28. He had spinal cord tumors.

According to his mom, in the moments before his death (and he knew he was about to die), he looked at her, smiled, and said, “I’ll be seeing you again real soon.” Then he died. It wasn’t really in keeping with his world view, to believe in an afterlife, so we all thought something had moved him to “know” this.

I have another friend who has been a social worker in hospice (end-of-life care) for 30 years. She is writing a book about angelic interventions in the moments leading up to death. She has hundreds of personal accounts in which she witnessed patients reaching out to, speaking with, or telling others about visits from angels and from deceased loved ones. I find her a very credible person, and I believe she witnessed these things.

Some of my family members say my grandmother exhibited similar behavior right before she died.

 

[antroji]

Would you mind sharing your and your sisters stories? It is an anonymous board, nobody knows who you are here, and I would love to hear it. Thanks.

I’d be happy to do that, but not on here, as it is off topic. If you wish me to send you a brief PM, I will do so.

 

[Seeker2010]

That would be fine, or if you like, post it as a stand alone topic.

 

[Pieman333272]

Wow-thank you, Seeker. You kind of hit the nail on the head as to why I’m having some difficulty with staying with the Church. My younger sister actually did leave the Church on exactly these grounds, joining another church that was more accommodating of what she felt she had to conclude as a result of her own NDE experience. And that is why I don’t talk about mine so much on here, or anywhere, don’t you see…It is because my experience was in line with the reports that claim a more Universal and gentler interpretation than any particular religion. This was recently re-enforced by a special on the evolution of the role of the devil in several religions, and guess what–in politics. The God vs devil dynamic actually was incorporated by some as a benefiting to uniform political dominance.

Just curious, if you want to answer, when you say she left the Church, did you mean join a Protestant Denomination or leave Christianity as a whole? I hope you don’t mind me asking.

 

[antroji]

It is off topic; I will reply by PM.

 

[Pieman333272]

sure. If you don’t want to chat about it, that’s fine too.

 

[5tunate]

Yes, I’ve heard of this too. And agree that Kubler Ross and Brinkley are good reads about this.

 

[timotheos]

cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/18/o.end.of.life/index.html?hpt=C2

In the hours leading up to my grandfathers death, he kept calling out to someone named Frank, as well as physically reaching out to him. Nobody in the family knows who Frank might have been, to our knowledge (and I was but a teenager) there was nobody in his life named Frank. I have heard from hospice workers that such things are actually quite common.

What say you?

Was Frank a WWII buddy who died or something? Some of these vets never talked about the loss of their buddies. Too painful.

I heard a story about my FIL on his deathbed. My brother-in-law was with him and witnessed it. He was talking to son-in-law, then suddenly looked just to the side of him at thin air, and said “NO! I’m not ready for you yet!!” My brother-in-law, a tough guy, said the hair stood up on the back of his neck like never before.

I don’t know what it meant. As I understand it, he was a Catholic in good standing, but he died before I got a chance to meet him. Maybe I need to pray for him.

 

[Seeker2010]

Was Frank a WWII buddy who died or something? Some of these vets never talked about the loss of their buddies. Too painful.

Very good question, to which I do not have an answer. While my grandfather was the right age to have served in WW2 (born 1913, would have been 28 in 1941) I have never heard anyone say that he did, so I don’t know. Thanks for bringing it up, am going to look into it.

I don’t know what it meant. As I understand it, he was a Catholic in good standing, but he died before I got a chance to meet him. Maybe I need to pray for him.

I’m a bit confused. Your father-in-law died before you met him? Or did I misread it somehow.

Regardless, I’ll tell you what I think about it. First, it’s important you know I’m not Catholic, so I don’t buy in to the whole idea that unless you live a very pious life, you are punished for all of eternity. Rather, I believe we came from the light, and we return to the light, regardless of whether or not we have a successful life. That said, I’ve come to believe that death bed visions are the start of the process of crossing over, and it’s all done to help minimize the ‘mental trauma’ if you will. While still living but with mere moments to live, someone, perhaps important to us personally, such as a passed love one, perhaps assigned for whatever reason, shows themselves to us, and explains a bit of what’s about to happen.

Then, it happens. Between what we’ve studied on DBV’s, and what we know of NDE’s, I think it’s fair to say that ‘the other side’ does it’s best to ease the transition as much as possible.

 

[timotheos]

I’m a bit confused. Your father-in-law died before you met him? Or did I misread it somehow.

Regardless, I’ll tell you what I think about it. First, it’s important you know I’m not Catholic, so I don’t buy in to the whole idea that unless you live a very pious life, you are punished for all of eternity. Rather, I believe we came from the light, and we return to the light, regardless of whether or not we have a successful life. That said, I’ve come to believe that death bed visions are the start of the process of crossing over, and it’s all done to help minimize the ‘mental trauma’ if you will. While still living but with mere moments to live, someone, perhaps important to us personally, such as a passed love one, perhaps assigned for whatever reason, shows themselves to us, and explains a bit of what’s about to happen.

Yes, I met my wife after her dad had died. My brother-in-law-to-be relayed the story to me, years later.

Catholics don’t believe that in the absence of a pious life we are punished for all eternity either. But at the time of our death we may have residual attachments to sin, and while these attachments don’t seem to bad to us, they have to be dealt with before we are ready for the absolute blinding bright perfection of heaven, the likes of which we cannot even begin to imagine. Our prayers may help these deceased folks with their attachments.

 

[ejp123]

Has anyone heard of stories of DBV that has a demonic nature? All stories that I have heard have been positive experience.

 

[Jaysuitical]

Everyone has experiences and acquaintances in life that no one else knows about – youthful friends or classmates, who were once important; war-time comrades in arms who were never spoken of to family. Someone might also recall with anguish something that they failed to do for someone, and experience the guilt over that failure as they begin to see certain scenes in their lives.
We should understand that, no matter how well we know someone, only that person, God, and their guardian angel sees their entire life.