My father-in-law has been very sick for the past few years (he’s had a pacemaker for the past 4 years and has suffered with his kidneys for the past 6 years, he’s also been suffering with diabetes for the past 6 years). His health became much worse this past March when his blood pressure continued to drop and his heart rate increased drastically. That was the first time they had to revive him at least 3 times in that one visit. He wound up being admitted for a month. He has lost the use of his legs since then. Unfortunately, he had an accident when he fell back on his tailbone and suffers with the pain b/c he can’t walk and lays on his back or sits all day. Ever since his March hospitalization, he’s been in and out of the hospital at least 1-2 times a month and has been going to dialysis minimum 3 days a week, sometimes daily. In his most recent visit he was hospitalized for 6 weeks as they found infection in his pancreas and colon and he had to have surgery. He now wears a coloscopy bag. He has lost so much energy and appears to be hallucinating a lot lately. He says he hears voices and sees faces of loved ones who have passed. The other night my sister-in-law found him hanging from the bars of his hospital bed yelling her name; he says he doesn’t remember how he got there. He keeps saying he sees his ex-wife (my husband’s mother) who passed away more than 10 years ago. He also keeps swatting the air as if there are flies around him. (Last year he claimed he heard running through the house and saw a little kid as well as he saw red eyes staring at him; my niece also claimed she saw butterflies that she kept swatting away around the same time that no one else could see) My husband’s family seems to be convinced there are spirits in the house. But, I was wondering if these images and sounds could be affiliated with all the medication he’s on and his lack of sleep in the hospital, not to mention his diet (he’s restricted to baby food until he heals and is able to eat solids again). He’s been sleeping all day since he got released from the hospital this weekend. He’s constantly moaning and struggling to open his eyes, but when you talk to him or try to touch him, he jerks and just moans…doesn’t say anything. Has anyone experienced this with a loved one? Special note: My husband’s family is from the islands and believes in spirits, as they think deceased loved ones are trying to communicate with my father-in-law. I am not saying I necessarily believe this is true or not; I’m just curious if anyone has witnessed what I have described with a loved one before and what your thoughts are. Any insight into what my father-in-law is experiencing would be appreciated? This is a very critical time in my family. I am thankful for your time and thoughts.
I really don’t know the answer to your question, but it reminded me of a good friend of mine who was a very competent and reliable man. As his health failed and for the last 4 months of his life he could see spirits of people around him regularly. He described them in detail, and he was not on medications at the time. I have no doubt that he actually saw what he said he saw. He was no where near is ill as the man you describe. So I believe this happens.
Maybe he’s not hallucinating. Maybe he really does see the faces and hear the voices of those who have gone before him. After all, they say that the dying are much more in tune with what’s going on on ‘ the other side ‘ than their younger and healthier counterparts can ever hope to be.
The dead – or, so called dead – are all around us, living in alternate dimensions of time that butt so closely up to ours that glimpses, not only by us of them, but also by them of us, can occasionally be had. In short, I don’t believe that there’s any such thing as death, as each of us continues to carry on, be it here or somewhere else. Yes, this is just a theory. But when you consider the close proximity of the ten or eleven various dimensions of time, it’s one that makes sense. Therefore, you can choose to either believe it or not to believe it. It’s up to you, I guess.
You are good for trying to help your poor suffering father-in-law. Yes, I believe those who approach the end of their life may very well see what the rest of us do not see. My mother had this experience in her last illness. She saw her brothers and sisters, and her parents, all of whom had passed long before her. To her, they were gathered around her — and that seemed to give her peace. May your dear father-in-law find peace with his loved ones who have crossed before him.