Death is a horrible thing that we all have to face throughout our lives, and one nurse who administers palliative care every single day has revealed the 'telltale signs' that people experience just before they pass away.
You'll never truly know when you'll die, as it could be at any moment in the day or decades from now when you're old with a life full of memories.
Death can come as quickly as it can often be prolonged, yet there are seemingly signs that you can identify within people that are just about to pass away, and they're often horrifying to experience.
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As reported by the Metro, one expert in this field is 41-year-old hospice nurse Julie McFadden, who has her own YouTube channel where she shares her experiences and knowledge of palliative care with the rest of the world.
Her experiences of treating people on their deathbed is one of her most popular videos, and she shares the six most common signs that she's encountered that people are on the verge of death.
Terminal lucidity
One of the most common is referred to as 'terminal lucidity', and it's the moment when a person who is just about to die is given a sudden burst or surge of energy that is unexpected given their health status.
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"Terminal lucidity looks like someone is going to die very soon, then suddenly they have a burst of energy, they go up, they have a really great day and they're suddenly hungry and suddenly able to walk – very alert and oriented – the usually in a day or two they'll die," Julie explains.
It usually gives both the patient themselves and their loved ones a rollercoaster of emotions as it seems like they're on the mend only for them to pass away as quickly as their energy arrived, yet it appears as if it's linked to bursts or cortisol or hormonal changes that occur just before death.
Visioning
This might be the most talked about of these deathbed phenomena, and while it's not strictly hallucinations, it does cause those on the verge of death to see things that don't exist in the real world.
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One example that's given is a patient seeing a dead relative or loved one in the corner of a room, calling them to join them soon, and it'll often be the case where they pass away around a month after these visions take place.
While it might sound horrifying and be difficult to deal with for us, it's actually seemingly comforting to the person who experiences it, and it's often best to go along with it if you're with someone who is having these visions.
Choosing their time of death
Many people often prefer to have agency over their own life, and reaching a point where you choose when you want to or feel like you're going to die is typically a sign that the end is near.
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"Some people will wait until after a milestone like a birthday or after a wedding," Julie explains, adding that "they stay alive because they want to get to that date and then their body will finally let go."
It's often why some people miraculously manage to stay alive until a family member who is travelling a long way makes it to them, as once they finally get to see their loved ones their body decides to let go in peace.
Death reach
Many people will experience what's known as the 'death reach' just before they pass away, and it can typically pair along with visioning as people are 'reaching out' to someone or some place, perhaps even towards a light or heaven.
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"This is when a person is lying in bed and they reach up in the air, almost like they’re seeing someone or reaching for someone to hug them or to shake their hand,’ the nurse recalls, and while it might seem like it happens moments before their heart stops, it can actually go on for a long period of time.
Death stare
Much like the death reach, the death stare occurs when a patient is intently looking at one particular place or object, and it's often from their perspective something that doesn't exist.
Typically they can get locked in some sort of trace that's hard to break them out of, and you can wave your hands in front of their eyes and they won't even react.
They'll only break from this intense period of concentration once they're ready, and it's a clear sign that their body and mind doesn't have long left before passing away.
Shared death experience
Finally, perhaps the most impactful deathbed phenomenon is what Julie refers to as the 'shared death experience', as this is when someone – perhaps a loved one – who is not dying is able to feel, see, or understand what the person on the verge of death is going through.
"It's kind of like the dying person gives you the sensation of what they're going through," Julie illustrates, adding that "people tell it was giving them feelings of freedom and joy and telling them they were okay and they couldn't believe how amazing it was."
It might seem horrifying from the outside, but for many people it's the best thing that can happen and a phenomenon that brings them even closer to the person they love in their final moments.