We can often tell our deceased loved ones are around us when we smell their perfume, flowers, cigar or cigarette smoke, or any other familiar smell they had. They make songs come on at the perfect time. We know they are around when their favorite songs come on at the right time with the exact words we need to hear.
Talk or write to them
People have continued to talk to the people they love after they've died for time immemorial. Great comfort can be found in talking to your loved one in the usual way… whether that's updating them on what's happening in the family, the wider world or the garden.
After someone dies, it's normal to see or hear them. Some people also reporting sensing the smell or warmth of someone close to them, or just feel a very strong sense of their presence. Sometimes these feelings can be very powerful. They may be comforting but also feel disturbing.
Talking helps us build and maintain relationships with the people we love. Whether it's sharing our problems, reminiscing or just having a good old gossip, talking can bring us closer. So when a loved one dies, it makes sense that talking to them can bring us comfort and help us feel connected to them.
The important findings, along with observations of long-time palliative care doctors and nurses, show: Brain activity supports that a dying patient most likely can hear. Even if awareness of sound cannot be communicated due to loss of motor responses, the value of verbal interactions is measurable and positive.
Many people are surprised to find that a dying person wants to talk about what's happening to them. In fact, many dying people are thinking the same thing: that talking about what's happening to them will only upset a friend or loved one. Talking about death allows a loved one to express unspoken fears and concerns.
We enter heaven immediately upon our death, or our souls sleep until the second coming of Christ and the accompanying resurrection. Most have chosen to believe what the Bible appears to overwhelmingly propose: our souls (spirits) penetrate heaven immediately after we take our final breath.
You're experiencing obsessive or intrusive thoughts.
Obsessive thoughts of death can come from anxiety as well as depression. They might include worrying that you or someone you love will die. These intrusive thoughts can start out as harmless passing thoughts, but we become fixated on them because they scare us.
Try to respect what the bereaved person is choosing to share with you and focus on listening rather than finding out more. Give the bereaved person space to open up if they want to, while also being sensitive if they would rather not take it further.
MD. Dreaming of dead relatives often reflects your grief after losing a loved one. The dreams can feel so real that you temporarily forget the other person is gone. While dreaming of the deceased is often positive and comforting, it can also be unsettling.
Candles are used in many cultures as a symbol for loss and grief, along with a white dove, or here in Ireland, the triskele has been adopted by the Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme as a bereavement symbol to let visitors and staff know that a recent bereavement has occurred.
People might feel or act differently to usual when they are grieving. They might have difficulty concentrating, withdraw and not enjoy their usual activities. They may drink, smoke or use drugs. They may also have thoughts of hurting themselves or that they can't go on.
Fearing death also makes it harder for us to process grief. A recent study found that those who were afraid of death were more likely to have prolonged symptoms of grief after losing a loved one compared to those who had accepted death.
Although the intensity of your feelings may lessen over time, there is no timetable for how long you will grieve. The length of time is different for each person. For most people their mourning period is a long process and it can take years.
In fact, the Bible indicates we will know each other more fully than we do now. The Apostle Paul declared, "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). It's true that our appearance will change, because God will give us new bodies, similar to Jesus' resurrection body.
As for the rest of humankind, after the final judgment, it is expected that the righteous will receive eternal life and live forever on an Earth turned into a paradise. Those granted immortality in heaven are absolutely immortal and cannot die by any cause. Even God himself wouldn't be able to kill them.
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven.
For example, they may want to talk about their memories, big events of their life, etc. Keep their feelings and needs in mind during this time. On the other hand, they may prefer to just be around their loved ones with little or nothing to say.
Most people who are dying feel tired. They may want to sleep more often, or for longer periods. They may want to talk less, although some may want to talk more. They may want to eat less or eat different foods since their stomach and digestive system are slowing down.
Although death has historically been medically defined as the moment when the heart irreversibly stops beating, recent studies have suggested brain activity in many animals and humans can continue for seconds to hours.