Departing Visions: Death is Just a Myth

By Carla Wills-Brandon

“I have looked far and wide to see if I can find answers to some questions I have had regarding my grandfather and mother’s deaths, and I have now found them.

I visited my grandfather a couple of days before he died. He was in a nursing home and he was pointing to a parat of the room saying, ‘Oh look! Mum and Dad are here.’ I quite naturally looked out the window to see if my parents had arrived and said, ‘No, I can't see them’. …I thought no more of it and just assumed he was hallucinating.”

The above account was sent to me by an individual who had read one of my books, “One Last Hug Before I Go: The Mystery and Meaning of Deathbed Visions”. The grandfather was not talking about this granddaughter’s parents. He was seeing his own deceased parents. After reading accounts similar to those she had experienced with both her mother and grandfather, she realized that when her dying loved ones reported seeing deceased relatives they were not hallucinating.

For over two decades I have been researching incredible reports just like this. Over the last five years I’ve reviewed more than 2000 accounts. Believe it or not, they are more common than you might think. Those who report visitations from deceased friends and relatives as their own physical death draws near, come from all parts of the world, with a variety of spiritual beliefs. Many of these experiencers have also been atheists, who before such encounters truly believed life after death was just a delusional fantasy.

Departing visions come in all shapes and sizes. Some people receive visitations from deceased relatives while others report angels, or religious figures. Family members, friends and healthcare workers can also encounter departing visions. These individuals have told me about seeing a wisp of "something" leaving the body of a dying loved one at the moment of passing. Here is an account from my book “A Glimpse of Heaven: The Remarkable World of Spiritually Transformative Experiences”. The following provides an excellent example of such an encounter.

“We were told Mom was near the end. I remember walking from the kitchen to her bedside to join the others who were present that day…. At this point, we weren’t praying for her to get better. We were just praying – praying for her passage or as (my mother) use to say, her journey. At that moment, I saw a fine mist descend down over her. Mom then opened her eyes, looked up, smiled and left us, as did the mist. I then asked, “Is she gone?” “Yes” was the answer…No one said a word at that time about what we had just seen. Later, while talking to my sister about Mom’s passing, I asked her, “Did you see anything strange?” We both had the same vision, down to the same exact details regarding the cloudy mist coming down and then, after her passing, ascending. My brothers and husband were also able to confirm the vision. They had seen it too.”

One of the most common forms of the experience for family members can take place during dreamtime. During such times the living are visited by the spirit of the dying, at the exact moment of passing. “I was home sleeping. In a dream my mother came to me to tell me she loved me and that everything would be okay. In the dream, she looked young and healthy. She had been so sick. Suddenly, I was awakened by the telephone. I looked at the clock and it was 2:30 pm. When I answered the phone it was my brother. He was calling to tell me mother had just died a few minutes ago.”

This phenomenon is nothing new. It has been described over and over again, for as long as time can remember. I have found accounts in ancient Judaic, Christian and Muslim literature. Also, several studies have been conducted in an attempt to understand the departing vision, but sadly they have received little attention.

Maybe you have encountered an experience of this nature or possibly you know someone who has reported a departing vision. Why do we not talk more openly about these mystical events?

This is a question I have been asking for decades. I had my first departing vision with my own mother’s passing when I was just sixteen years old. When I became a professional clinician, working with trauma, dying and grieving, the stories I heard from my patients motivated me to take action and see what I could learn about the departing vision.

If you have had or witnessed a departing vision, I want to hear from you. Share with me. I’ll show you how you are not alone.





Carla Wills-Brandon, PH.D. is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has previously published 10 books, one of which was a “Publishers Weekly Best Seller.” She has lectured across the U.S. and U.K. Carla can be contacted at : drsbrandon@sbcglobal.net