Death Is but a Dream

Finding Hope and Meaning at Life's End

By: Christopher Kerr, Carine Mardorossian

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

The first audiobook to validate the meaningful dreams and visions that bring comfort as death nears.

Christopher Kerr is a hospice doctor. All of his patients die. Yet, he has cared for thousands of patients who, in the face of death, speak of love and grace. Beyond the physical realities of dying are unseen processes that are remarkably life-affirming. These include dreams that are unlike any regular dream. Described as "more real than real", these end-of-life experiences resurrect past relationships, meaningful events, and themes of love and forgiveness; they restore life's meaning and mark the transition from distress to comfort and acceptance.

Drawing on interviews with over 1,400 patients and more than a decade of quantified data, Dr. Kerr reveals that pre-death dreams and visions are extraordinary occurrences that humanize the dying process. He shares how his patients' stories point to death as not solely about the end of life, but as the final chapter of humanity's transcendence. Kerr's audiobook also illuminates the benefits of these phenomena for the bereaved, who find solace in seeing their loved ones pass with a sense of calm closure.

Beautifully written, with astonishing real-life characters and stories, this audiobook is at its heart a celebration of our power to reclaim the dying process as a deeply meaningful one. Death Is but a Dream is an important contribution to our understanding of medicine's and humanity's greatest mystery.

©2020 Christopher Kerr, Carine Mardorossian (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Amazing!!

My mother and several of my Aunts have need taken care of by Hospice. I started volunteering at Hospice to give back to the organization for them taking such good care of my loved ones! I do wish that we had someone like Dr. Christopher Kerr that could have talked with us during their experience. Three of my aunts all saw either their husband, children or parents during their transition from this life to the next. It’s a heartbreaking thing to go through but I believe it’s because we either have a little envy of the joy & love they are experiencing during the transition and we must wait for our turn. I would absolutely love to meet Dr Kerr! He is an amazing person! Thank you for doing the research and sharing the knowledge you gained!

Definitely a book that proves that there is an afterlife

This book came as an find based on circumstance. My mother had been in the hospital suffering from many conditions that brought her to a point where she started experiencing delirium and eventually end of life experiences. My sister shared death visions they should found on the Internet.. I searched and look for similar articles that led me to end of life experiences. in one of them, it led me to this book. by the time that I’d begin reading this book, my mother was already experiencing in the life experiences. I managed to read the first two or three chapters before she passed away, but continued reading the book afterwards really understanding how her experiences were experiences that were noted within this book. I will say that the first three chapters help me understand what was happening with my mother. I wish I had started reading this book earlier to better have seen the whole process and understood it as it was taking place. This book hit on many different end of life experiences. Some that were religious and others that were more connections with deceased relatives and pets. It showed how that non-religious people could have religious end of life experiences. it also showed how young children older adults and young adults could experience the same type of experiences. It definitely expressed a different set of experiences based on what the person needed. Some people needed to be able to close their life out, fixing things that need to be fixed at the end of life. Others had a religious experience and others just found himself among friends. Even though the doctor express that very few of the in life experiences were religious and nature, I believe that he didn’t understand some of the experiences were. Every experience he expressed to me seemed religious in nature. Religious in the terms of God or angels or family members waiting to welcome you into the afterlife.. he could see these things and not understand. The religious connotation in each one of these scenarios is beyond me. however, obtuse his findings were in some areas. The book was excellent in helping someone understand what happens at the end of life and how they transition into the afterlife.

Enlightening

I appreciated the substance of this book. It is a subject not often addressed and so necessary to understand the process of approaching the transition of death.

Great story.

This was a very easy book to listen to and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Answered a lot of questions about end of life experiences that I have had the privilege of witnessing.

Death as we never see it

Loved the view of death in a very elegant and non-frightening way. We all will eventually get there and this gives me hope that I will have “dreams” that lead me to a peaceful end. I really enjoyed the story of the man with autism. I have a son with autism and often wonder how they perceived death and dying. Everyone is the same in the end.

Wisdom and dignity in the death process

I have thought about the dying process since I was a young child. Those I loved who died when I was young, died suffering and confused and highly medicated.

Death is but a dream is a plea for awareness and lucidity in the dying process mostly for the bereaved and healthcare professionals as it appears those who are dying often have the support of grace, but not always.

What A Gift

Thanks Dr. Kerr et al for this insight into how our dreams and visions of deceased loved ones provide comfort to the dying and their families. This book should be required reading for all high school students.

Taking the fear out of death

Many times we are scared to talk to the dying. This book helps us. Numerous story of acceptance, wanting to be heard. The stories help to remove the fear of approaching someone who is dying.

Great depth of compassion

Thank you for sharing such deep, meaningful and personal details. We all will face this at sometime but your summary of the value to those left behind is of great comfort as we work through our own emotions.

Comforting….

…to know we have joyful dreams and guides when we near our transition.
Fear has kept me from reading about near death experiences but reading this book opened my thinking and my fears have lessened.