End-of-life expert reveals the most common things she hears just before death

An end-of-life expert has shared the common phrases she hears shortly before death (Picture: Getty Images) There’s a saying that only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. The former often brings up more questions than answers. Does everything just stop and turn black? What happens to our energy? Ultimately, we’ll never know until our time is up, and in many ways, that’s the hardest part. For Catherine Duncan, death is part of her daily life, so she believes she’s a little closer to understanding it all. As a spiritual consultant, she spends a lot of time with people in their final moments, and has heard a few things over the course of her career that haven’t caused her anxiety about death, but reassured her. She’s also worked in chronic illness, grief, and loss, and has served as a chaplain and spiritual care provider with various hospices. Her own experience of surviving childhood cancer also informs her experience. Here are the sayings she’s heard dying people say that, to her, have made death feel less final. ‘My mother’s here’ When the end beckons, Catherine says people see the loved ones who have departed before them. In a TikTok, she shares that patients say things like ‘my mother’s here. She’s been sitting right there all morning,’ adding: ‘People near the end see the ones who went before them. [They’re] Not frightened, [but] comforted.’ So, in more ways than one, she believes our loved ones never really leave us. At the end of our lives, they might still be sitting in an armchair in the corner, waiting. ‘I’m going on a trip’ Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. In Catherine’s experience, death is also a journey, much like life. She sees people saying things like ‘I need to find my shoes. I’m going on a trip.’ ‘The dying often speak in the language of travel: packing, tickets, getting ready to go. They see a departure, not an ending,’ she says. ‘It’s so beautiful’ People who have touched death – whether through a near-death experience or by actually dying on the operating table for a short period before being resuscitated – often speak of seeing something. They might rise towards the ceiling, or see a halo of clouds part above them. This is a similar experience Catherine has witnessed, as she’s had people say, ‘It’s so beautiful. Can’t you see it?’ She adds: ‘I couldn’t see it. But I could see their face. And that was enough.’ ‘I’m not going far’ Again, travel is a common thread, as Catherine has also witnessed people saying things like ‘don’t worry, I’m not going far.’ This is something she’s heard ‘more times’ than she can count. Others feel the ones they’ve already lost are waiting for them (Picture: Getty Images) ‘They’re waiting for me’ Another theme Catherine has seen woven through many last moments is the idea that someone, somewhere, is waiting for their arrival. She often hears phrases like ‘they’re waiting for me. It’s okay now.’ She says: ‘Fear often softens in the final days. Something shifts from resistance to welcome.’ ‘Is someone playing music?’ For many of us, music is interwoven through our lives. And in death, that doesn’t stop. Catherine often hears things like, ‘I can hear the music. Is someone playing music?’ Just like having visions no one else can see, hearing music that isn’t actually playing is another common theme for many during their final days. ‘It’s time’ Finally, Catherine often hears a fully-fledged awareness that the time is up, like a sand timer with the grains slowly slipping away. People know when it’s their time to leave this earth, but it often comes with a sense of peace. ‘I’ve been talking with dad. He says it’s time,’ she often hears. ‘Sometimes the permission they need doesn’t come from us. It comes from someone on the other side.’ Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: Driver guilty of murder after dragging headteacher more than a mile to his death Arrow MORE: Poisonous mushroom killer ‘must never be released’ over ‘extraordinarily cold’ murders Arrow MORE: ‘I love hanging out in cemeteries – some say it’s morbid but I think they’re beautiful’