This book presents a variety of experience-based perspectives on working in palliative care. Emphasising the use of self and the importance of reflective practice in professional work, the book will be of relevance to professionals in medical and social care who want to gain a deeper understanding of their work and of the motivation underlying it.
In this moving and compassionate classic—now updated with new material from the authors—hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley share their intimate experiences with patients at the end of life, drawn from more than twenty years’ experience tending the terminally ill. Through their stories we come to appreciate the near-miraculous ways in which the dying communicate their needs, reveal their feelings, and even choreograph their own final moments; we also discover the gifts—of wisdom, faith, and love—that the dying leave for the living to share. Filled with practical advice on responding to the requests of the dying and helping them prepare emotionally and spiritually for death, Final Gifts shows how we can help the dying person live fully to the very end.
What happens to consciousness during the act of dying? The most compelling answers come from people who almost die and later recall events that occurred while lifesaving resuscitation, emergency care, or surgery was performed. These events are now called near-death experiences (NDEs). As medical and surgical skills improve, innovative procedures can bring back patients who have traveled farther on the path to death than at any other time in history. Physicians and healthcare professionals must learn how to appropriately treat patients who report an NDE. It is estimated that more than 10 million people in the United States have experienced an NDE. Hagan and the contributors to this volume engage in evidence-based research on near-death experiences and include physicians who themselves have undergone a near-death experience. This book establishes a new paradigm for NDEs.
As a cardiologist, Pim van Lommel was struck by the number of his patients who claimed to have near-death experiences as a result of their heart attacks. As a scientist, this was difficult for him to accept: Wouldn't it be scientifically irresponsible of him to ignore the evidence of these stories? Faced with this dilemma, van Lommel decided to design a research study to investigate the phenomenon under the controlled environment of a cluster of hospitals with a medically trained staff. For more than twenty years van Lommel systematically studied such near-death experiences in a wide variety of hospital patients who survived a cardiac arrest. In 2001, he and his fellow researchers published his study on near-death experiences in the renowned medical journal The Lancet. The article caused an international sensation as it was the first scientifically rigorous study of this phenomenon. Now available for the first time in English, van Lommel offers an in-depth presentation of his results and theories in this book that has already sold over 125,000 copies in Europe. Van Lommel provides scientific evidence that the near-death phenomenon is an authentic experience that cannot be attributed to imagination, psychosis, or oxygen deprivation. He further reveals that after such a profound experience, most patients' personalities undergo a permanent change. In van Lommel's opinion, the current views on the relationship between the brain and consciousness held by most physicians, philosophers, and psychologists are too narrow for a proper understanding of the phenomenon. In Consciousness Beyond Life, van Lommel shows that our consciousness does not always coincide with brain functions and that, remarkably and significantly, consciousness can even be experienced separate from the body.
Dying is a complex experience for the dying person and their family, friends, and carers, that involves all aspects of what it means to be human: physical, mental, and spiritual. The author describes different types of Nearing Death Awareness (NDA), including visions, dreams, and symbolic language, and offers practical guidance for family and carers of the dying about how to respond appropriately and supportively to NDA behavior. This sensitive and informative book will make fascinating reading not only for anyone who is likely to accompany a dying person, but for anyone with an interest in spirituality.
When the end of life makes its inevitable appearance, people should be able to expect reliable, humane, and effective caregiving. Yet too many dying people suffer unnecessarily. While an "overtreated" dying is feared, untreated pain or emotional abandonment are equally frightening. Approaching Death reflects a wide-ranging effort to understand what we know about care at the end of life, what we have yet to learn, and what we know but do not adequately apply. It seeks to build understanding of what constitutes good care for the dying and offers recommendations to decisionmakers that address specific barriers to achieving good care. This volume offers a profile of when, where, and how Americans die. It examines the dimensions of caring at the end of life: Determining diagnosis and prognosis and communicating these to patient and family. Establishing clinical and personal goals. Matching physical, psychological, spiritual, and practical care strategies to the patient's values and circumstances. Approaching Death considers the dying experience in hospitals, nursing homes, and other settings and the role of interdisciplinary teams and managed care. It offers perspectives on quality measurement and improvement, the role of practice guidelines, cost concerns, and legal issues such as assisted suicide. The book proposes how health professionals can become better prepared to care well for those who are dying and to understand that these are not patients for whom "nothing can be done."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! "I had the choice to come back ... or not. I chose to return when I realized that 'heaven' is a state, not a place" In this truly inspirational memoir, Anita Moorjani relates how, after fighting cancer for almost four years, her body began shutting down—overwhelmed by the malignant cells spreading throughout her system. As her organs failed, she entered into an extraordinary near-death experience where she realized her inherent worth . . . and the actual cause of her disease. Upon regaining consciousness, Anita found that her condition had improved so rapidly that she was released from the hospital within weeks—without a trace of cancer in her body! Within this enhanced e-book, Anita recounts—in words and on video—stories of her childhood in Hong Kong, her challenge to establish her career and find true love, as well as how she eventually ended up in that hospital bed where she defied all medical knowledge. In "Dying to Be Me," Anita Freely shares all she has learned about illness, healing, fear, "being love," and the true magnificence of each and every human being!
Case studies of near-death experiences in children reveal the patients' ability to communicate with deceased relatives and friends, as well as their experiences while dead
"Dear Mr. Braxton, I appreciate your perspective on your near death experience, grounded as it is in years of prior experience, with out of body visits to other realms, and your interest in helping us with our research...I thank you in advance, for your help with this important research, and look forward with pleasure to meeting you." - Dr. Bruce Greyson, Dean of Near Death Research, Director of International Association of Near Death Studies, Editor in Chief of the Journal of Near Death Studies "Eugene, it's about time you came out with what you know...and good luck with your book it will be important." - Dr. P.M.H. Atwater, Female and 3 time Near Death Experience/Bestselling author and Current #1 Near Death World Authority "I have also heard of this American Mystic, and I have heard that at the age of 15, he was...The World's Foremost Authority on Levels of Consciousness and Experimental Dream Control" - Dr. Charles Tart - #1 World Authority in Out of Body Experiences and Levels of Consciousness "Keep up the good work, Eugene"- - Dr. David M Jacobs, of Temple University, The #1 World Authority in UFO Research and Alien Abductions Albert Einstein said that all knowledge comes from experience, and he was right. Without learning from experiences, scientists can't gather the data they need. When it comes to near-death experiences, however, we're often left without the necessary information. Those who remember anything usually just recall a flash of light or a faint sound or voice. But Eugene Braxton could remember almost everything after he nearly drowned in a lake at age fifteen, which followed years of lucid dreams, visions, and other strange encounters. He's been honing his skills as a mystic ever since, and he explores amazing experiences that he and others have had - everything from UFO sightings, probable abductions, different levels of consciousness, and more. Discover insights on the length of time between death and re-consciousness, what happens at the moment of death, why levitation is normal in the afterlife, and the changes your mind and spirit will undergo as you approach and pass through death. Get the forbidden knowledge and hard-to-find research you've been craving about near-death experiences, the afterlife, and the union of mysticism and science in America's Mystic Solves Near-Death Riddle.
In this book, Sir William Barrett explores the phenomenon of death-bed visions, in which individuals report seeing visions or apparitions of deceased loved ones or religious figures in the moments before their death. Barrett, a scientist and psychical researcher, uses case studies and personal anecdotes to explore the possible explanations for these visions, ranging from physiological causes to spiritual and paranormal ones. This book will appeal to anyone interested in the intersection of science, spirituality, and the afterlife. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
