Tag: deathbed dreams

EOLPodcast

Ep. 460 ENCORE: Deathbed Dreams and Visions with Christopher Kerr, MD

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Learn how this hospice doctor’s important research sheds light on the dreams and visions of the dying and why they are meaningful.

In this interview from the archives of EOLU my guest is Dr. Christopher Kerr  who currently practices at Hospice Buffalo in Buffalo, NY. He is conducting a research project on the dreams and visions of his patients as they near death. You’ll hear the results of his ongoing project. Since this interview aired initially Dr. Kerr has written and published the book Death is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life’s End. Learn more at his website:

drchristopherkerr.com

Get the book here

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The difference between delirium and deathbed visions
  • How he conducts his research project
  • Results of his research 
  • The nature of the dreams experienced by his patients
  • What he has learned from this work
  • How this work is helping to inform medical professionals about the end-of-life experiences of their patients

Links mentioned in this episode:

EOLPodcast

Ep. 401 End-of-Life Visions and Other Experiences with Barbara Karnes RN

kwyattmd

Learn about “non-ordinary” end-of-life experiences like deathbed visions and why they are a gift to patients and their loved ones.

This week I’m welcoming back my recurring guest Barbara Karnes RN, hospice nurse and international speaker and educator. She is also the author of the “little blue hospice book” Gone from My Sight and the recent book for caregivers, By Your Side. Barbara and I discuss common phenomena that occur during the last days of life that can be upsetting to families if they don’t understand what’s happening. As usual we share lots of stories and experiences along with our own approach to handling these situations. Learn more about Barbara’s work at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The frequency of unexplained phenomena at the end of life
  • What it’s like when a patient experiences a deathbed vision
  • The symbolic language that patients may use prior to death
  • What is terminal lucidity and how to help loved ones understand what is happening
  • How to respond to patients and caregivers when deathbed phenomena occur
  • Why it’s important to validate and normalize these experiences
  • Why we should avoid interjecting our own beliefs and interpretations about these events
  • How to help loved ones find the gift in these experiences rather than be afraid of them

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my latest patron Stefanie Elkins! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 395 Conscious Dying, Dreamwork, and Death Doulas in Mexico with Wilka Roig

kwyattmd

Learn about the growth of the positive death movement in Mexico and the value of conscious dying and dreamwork.

My guest Wilka Roig is a transpersonal psychologist, death doula, grief counselor, dream worker, and educator. She is the president of Fundación Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (EKR) México Centro and a doula instructor for INELDA. She discusses the growth of the doula movement in Mexico and the end-of-life issues that are currently arising in Mexico and Central and South America. In addition she talks about the dream work she engages in and the importance of symbolic dreams at the end of life. Learn more at her website:

www.wilkaroig.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Wilka first became interested in working with death, loss and grief
  • The work of the EKR Foundation in Mexico and what programs are being offered
  • The growth of Death Café in Mexico
  • Death doula training in Mexico and how doulas are being received
  • The value of collaborating with other providers and communities to share knowledge
  • How Wilka helped start the green burial movement in Mexico
  • Why spiritual growth requires us to look at our own mortality
  • The power of the symbolism of dreams to help us heal and grow
  • Why we should be asking people at the end of life about their dreams
  • How healthcare providers could benefit from participating in a dream group

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, and to Diane for buying me 3 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 301 Grief Dreams and What We Learn From Them with Dr. Joshua Black

kwyattmd

Learn how dreams can be a powerful source of healing during grief.

My guest Dr. Joshua Black is considered one of the world’s leading academic experts on grief dreams. He is on a mission to raise awareness about the prevalence of impactful dreams during grief and why we should pay attention to them. In this conversation he shares how he got interested in this research and what he’s learned that can benefit all of us. Learn more about his work and podcast at his website:

www.griefdreams.ca

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The common forms of grief dreams
  • Who is likely to have a grief dream and how common they are
  • How people benefit from having grief dreams
  • How dreams evolve as the grief process progresses
  • The effect of the pandemic on grief dreams
  • How to increase the likelihood of remembering a grief dream
  • Unanswered questions about grief dreams
  • The Grief Dreams Podcast and online course

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 296 NDE’s and After Death Communication in Hospice Work with Scott Janssen

kwyattmd

Learn why and how to support patients who have transpersonal experiences at the end of life.

My guest Scott Janssen has been a hospice clinical social worker for almost 30 years. During that time he has been gathering the stories and reports of hundreds of hospice patients who have had transpersonal experiences as death approached. He shares some of these stories, describes the various phenomena that can occur near death, and explores the benefits they offer to experiencers and their loved ones. We discuss how healthcare providers can do a better job supporting and listening to patients with these end-of-life transpersonal experiences. Learn more about Scott’s writing at his website:

www.jscottjanssen.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Scott first became aware of transpersonal experiences at the end of life
  • Types of phenomena that occur as death approaches
  • Why we need to open our minds to these experiences
  • How these experiences differ from hallucinations caused by illness or medications
  • Positive benefits of transpersonal experiences at the end of life
    • Decreased fear of death
    • Healing of grief
    • Decreased depression and anxiety
    • Sense of peace
    • Increased focused on the present moment
    • Greater appreciation for relationships in their life
    • Greater spiritual awareness
  • How to be supportive of patients’ stories even if you don’t belief in transpersonal events
    • Learn about these phenomena and research that has been done
    • Be aware of your biases and don’t force your beliefs on patients
    • Avoid negative labels and judgements
  • How teaching stories can normalize patients’ experiences and encourage conversation
  • How patients can transform at the end of life and why transpersonal events are helpful

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Episode 261 on NDE’s with Lilia Samoilo and Heidi Walsh
  • Scott’s article in GeriPal on NDE’s and After Death Communication
  • International Association for Near Death Studies website
  • IANDS Spring Symposium: Providing Care for Those Touched by Near-Death and Related Experiences: Ethical Best Practices – April 30th
  • Book: Standing at Lemhi Pass: Archetypal Stories for the End of Life and Other Challenging Times by Scott Janssen
  • Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this link
  • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporters Dianne Feltham and Karine Ferro! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast, Spirituality

Ep. 176 Honoring the Mystery at the End of Life with Barbara Morningstar

kwyattmd

Learn about the unexplainable mysteries that occur at the end of life and how these stories can transform our relationship with death.

podcastmorningstar

My guest Barbara Morningstar believes that the end of life is an adventure and each person entering that phase of existence is an explorer who uncovers sacred mysteries during the process. In her book Honoring the Mystery she teaches us how to glean information about this spiritual journey from the dreams and visions of our dying patients and loved ones. Learn more at her website:

https://www.inautumnscocoon.com

honoringthemystery

Get the book here.

 

This interview includes:

  • How Barbara became interested in learning about the sacred passage of death
  • What hospice providers and family members can learn from the deathbed experiences of patients
  • How Barbara’s grief over a friend’s death was shifted by a dream
  • How a conversation with Elizabeth Kubler-Ross inspired Barbara to keep telling her story
  • Why patients’ physical symptoms must be addressed first before sacred experiences can occur
  • Research being done on deathbed visions and dreams by Dr. Chris Kerr and at the U of Virginia Division of Perceptual Studies
  • The metaphoric language of the dying
  • Tips for tuning in to the deathbed mysteries of dying patients
  • How being near death reminds us of the importance of love and the preciousness of life

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on Patreon.com/eolu, especially Michael Barbato and Beth Rumi who recently joined the team!

End of Life, EOLPodcast, Hospice

Ep. 95 Deathbed Dreams & Visions: Review of Research with Chris Kerr MD

kwyattmd

Learn how a fascinating research project with hospice patients is uncovering the mysteries of deathbed experiences.

BlogKerr

christopherKerrITIn this episode I will share an interview with hospice physician Chris Kerr MD who is conducting a research project on the dreams and visions of his patients as they near death. You’ll hear the results of his ongoing project and how this work is helping to inform medical professionals about the end-of-life experiences of their patients.

 

This podcast and the End-of-Life University Interview Series are supported in part through generous donations to my page at Patreon.com/eolu! This week I would like to thank Cathy Duke for her donation, along with all of the other patrons who have offered their support over the past year.

Patreonbecome2xAND all patrons will now be able to take part in a monthly “hangout” called Hospice Happy Hour as a thank-you gift for donating to the cause. When you become a patron you will receive email instructions for taking part in the call. Go to Patreon.com/eolu if you would like to make a donation (just $1 or $2 per month!)

In this interview hospice physician Dr. Christopher Kerr will share his research on deathbed visions and dreams of patients at the end of life. He will enlighten us about the potential for healing that resides in these experiences and why we should encourage patients to talk about them. We’ll discuss:

  • how he conducts his research project,
  • the nature of the dreams experienced by his patients
  • what he has learned from this work.

Christopher W. Kerr, MD is a practicing Internist in Buffalo, NY. Dr. Kerr graduated from Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine in 1989 and has been in practice for 27 years. He currently practices at Hospice Buffalo and is affiliated with Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, Erie County Medical Center and Gates Vascular Institute.

He recently entered the public forum with his extraordinary 2015 TED talk, and is frequently interviewed in the media about his work with the dreams and visions of the dying.

Tune in every Monday for a new episode of EOLU! Until next week remember:

Face Your Fears.                         BE Ready.                          Love Your Life.

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