"I Am Waiting"... Terminally Ill Patients Near Death Experience 'These Dreams'

Reunion with the Deceased, Lights and Doors: Death Perceived as a "Transition"
Nightmares of Being Dragged Away Also Reported
"Reflecting Anxiety and Inner Conflict"

A study has found that terminally ill patients frequently experience recurring dreams and visions in a common form during their final moments. In particular, scenes of reuniting with deceased family members or acquaintances were identified as the most frequent occurrences.

On April 17, 2026 (local time), the American media outlet New York Post reported that researchers from the USL-IRCCS, the Local Health Authority of Reggio Emilia in Italy, published findings on 'End-of-Life Dreams and Visions (ELDVs)' in terminally ill patients in the academic journal 'Death Studies'.

The study collected accounts of patients' experiences from 239 professionals, including palliative care specialists, hospice volunteers, nurses, and psychologists. The analysis revealed that many patients repeatedly experienced similar dreams in the days leading up to death.

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The most prominent type involved scenes of meeting deceased spouses, parents, or friends once again. Some patients recalled hearing the words "I am waiting" or envisioned walking together along a path. Additionally, images symbolizing boundaries or passage—such as bright lights, doors, and staircases—frequently appeared. One patient described, "I dreamed of climbing stairs barefoot toward an open door filled with light."

The research team interpreted these phenomena as possibly a psychological process that allows individuals to perceive death not as an 'end' but as a 'transition'.

Such experiences were also found to affect emotional stability. Scenes of reunion with loved ones help alleviate the fear of death and support a more peaceful acceptance of reality. In some cases, comforting symbolic images—such as a white horse running along a shoreline—were also reported.

However, not all visions were positive. Some patients repeatedly experienced nightmares involving being dragged away by threatening figures or feeling intense fear. The researchers explained that these reflect either a fear of death or an anxiety about letting go of life, noting, "Distressing hallucinations may indicate unresolved inner conflicts or unmet emotional needs." They added, "This may be a signal that the patient requires medical or emotional support."

Dr. Elisa Raviti, who led the study, stated, "Patients often hide or downplay these experiences out of concern for how others might perceive them. Discussing dreams and visions allows for a natural expression of the difficult subject of death through symbols like light or staircases."

However, the research team emphasized that further study is needed to determine the exact causes of these phenomena.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.