Los Angeles-based hospice nurse Julie McFadden shares insights from her extensive experience in palliative care and reveals six common phenomena that often occur in the final stages of life.

Although these signs are sometimes scary, they can provide comfort to both the dying and their loved ones.

McFadden shared her knowledge on her TikTok platform, where she educates her 1.5 million followers about the reality of providing comfort to terminally ill patients.

One of the more surprising events is terminal clarity, also known as a “rally” or “surge.”

“This happens when someone who looks very sick suddenly gets a burst of energy and seems to be getting better,” McFadden said.

This unexpected vitality may last for a day or two before the person typically passes away, which can be both hopeful and heartbreaking for those who witness it.

Another phenomenon McFadden discusses is visions, which she describes as one of the most commonly discussed end-of-life experiences. Patients report seeing deceased loved ones or other comforting visions. Unlike hallucinations, visions are usually clear and vivid.

“It usually happens a few weeks before the death… they see their dead father sitting in the corner, smiling and telling them he’s coming to get them soon and not to worry,” McFadden explained.

McFadden has observed that some people seem to choose the timing of their death, whether by waiting for the arrival of a loved one or by holding out until a significant date or event.

“I’ve had people say, ‘I’m going to die tonight, I know it, I can feel it,’ and then they died,” she said, noting that this often depends on the person’s personality – whether they want to be surrounded by loved ones or prefer to die in privacy.

A less common but still notable sign is the “death grip,” in which patients appear to grasp something or someone invisible.

“This happens when a person is lying in bed and reaches into the air, almost as if they are seeing someone or reaching out to hug or shake someone’s hand,” McFadden explained.

Closely related to the death stare is the death gaze, in which patients fixate on a specific point and appear to look at something beyond the physical world.

“It usually looks like someone is staring into the corner or the side of the room, definitely looking intently at something,” McFadden said.

The most profound phenomenon McFadden describes is shared dying, which occurs when someone close to the dying person feels or sees what the patient is experiencing.

“It’s as if the dying person is communicating to you what they are going through,” she explained, adding that these experiences are often filled with feelings of peace and even joy.