Dreams at the edge of death

Abstract


 
 
 Death is the great unknown that lies ahead for all of us, shaping the way we choose to live our lives. Is it the end of our being, or a transition to something different? Many people facing death, from Socrates to the present day, have had visionary dreams hinting at another level of reality beyond death, after which they lose all fear of death. This article presents a selection of visions from the edge of death, including some from New Zealanders, to invite consideration of how this perspective can make a difference to clinical practice. This topic was presented at the NZAP Conference in Nelson, 2010, as a basis for discussion with a group of practitioners, who all contributed thoughts and examples from their own experience, thus greatly expanding the range of material. Here is the skeleton for others to hold a similar discussion.