Love is the Link: A Hospice Doctor Shares Her Experience of Near-Death and Dying

Description

A hospice physician who had a near-death experience as a child shares the stories and lessons she has learned over the past 25 years of supporting people with NDEs, increasing knowledge of NDEs among healthcare professionals, and being with people in their final days of life. Readers will be inspired by the numerous stories of NDEs and transformative experiences that push aside the veil of the mystery of death and provide solace to people who are dying and their loved ones. The first section describes the author’s own NDE at the age of six and its effect on the rest of her life, including her decision to become a hospice physician. The second section tells stories from people with NDEs and those who had profound and transformative experiences while in hospice care. While these stories were initially recorded in 1995, the stories themselves are timeless. The conclusions drawn at that time are as true today as they were then. The third section written in 2013 for this updated version reflects on the changes that have occurred in the field since the first edition was published. The increasing awareness of NDEs has made it safer for people to share their NDEs and other STEs (Spiritually Transformative Experiences) as our culture moves toward accepting them as a natural part of life. This updated version discusses current research in the areas of the frequency of NDEs and distressing NDEs. It gives healthcare providers guidelines for supporting people who have had NDEs. Other topics covered include the current state of hospice care in the U.S., growing awareness and support of people having Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs) of many varieties, and how awareness of the meaning of NDEs is affecting our culture as a whole.