Children experience different visions than adults moments before dying, doctor reveals

Despite advancements in science and medicine, much about what humans see or feel as death approaches remains a mystery. To know more about this phase of life, Dr. Christopher Kerr, a palliative doctor, conducted a study. It helped him to understand better the emotions or visions that adults and children experience moments before their passing. Speaking on the podcast Next Level Soul, the doctor revealed that he performed his analysis on over 1000 people who were dying and the result left him amazed.

The study yielded some intriguing observations, according to the doctor and his team. A key observation was that patients nearing life's end experienced more comforting dreams. These dreams served as a mechanism to aid patients in coming to terms with the decisions in their lives before death, per Kerr. Although dreams would vary between individuals, they were based on a few common themes and featured loved ones who were deceased, travel preparations, pets and religious figures.

According to caregivers, these dreams helped patients accept their losses and grieve healthily. The doctor recounted how a middle-aged man who had been in prison and was suffering from drug addiction and neck cancer, had a dream where he was attacked by the people he hurt in his life. Having the dream allowed him to have some closure about the way he lived his life. He passed away some time later. 

However, children face a markedly different ordeal in their end-of-life experiences compared to adults. Since they do not understand the concept of mortality in detail, what they go through at this stage varies significantly from that of an adult. They likely do not know anyone they might meet in the "afterlife" who has already died. Kerr's study revealed that children often saw animals in their end-of-life dreams who told the children they were loved deeply and were not alone. 

The doctor knew a girl who provided him with a vivid explanation of what she was seeing in the hospital as she neared death. She mentioned that she had a castle with animals and a piano. There was a window that had warm light coming through it. When he asked her what the castle represented, she told him it was a "safe place." 

Kerr had also seen a man come into his unit shortly before his death. The man had taken part in the invasion of Normandy while he was just a teenager and, as a result, had undiagnosed PTSD for his entire life. The ex-soldier confided to the doctor about disturbing visions that kept him from resting. All of that soon changed as the man received one relaxing dream, after which he peacefully passed. This one good dream allowed him to be at peace with his life decisions.