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Distressing Deathbed Visions: Rare, Misunderstood, or Underreported?

Stephen Claxton-Oldfield¹

¹Department of Psychology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada.

The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care

|January 24, 2023

Summary

Distressing deathbed visions (DBVs) are rare, misunderstood, and underreported. More research is needed to understand these end-of-life experiences and their impact on patients and families.

Keywords:

comforting deathbed visions distressing rare underreported

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Area of Science:

Palliative Care
Thanatology
End-of-Life Studies

Background:

Deathbed visions (DBVs) are complex end-of-life experiences.
Distressing DBVs are infrequently documented in scientific literature.
Understanding these visions is crucial for holistic patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

To review existing studies on distressing deathbed visions (DBVs).
To explore potential explanations for distressing DBVs.
To identify reasons for the underreporting of these phenomena.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies reporting distressing deathbed visions.
Analysis of potential psychological, physiological, and spiritual factors.
Exploration of barriers to reporting such experiences.

Main Results:

Existing literature on distressing DBVs is limited.
Several hypotheses exist regarding the nature and cause of distressing DBVs.
Fear of disbelief or misinterpretation may lead to underreporting.

Conclusions:

Distressing deathbed visions (DBVs) appear to be underreported and poorly understood.
Further research is essential to determine the prevalence, characteristics, and significance of distressing DBVs.
Investigating DBVs can improve end-of-life care and support for patients and families.