Someone Coming to Get You When You Die?

[Duncan]

Something that has been reported, at least, in my family, on three occasions that we know of (member of the church and non member) is that when you are dying they claim to have seen a loved one that already died. It's almost like that deceased person is coming to get them. I know Brigham Young said "Joseph" when he was dying-I have no idea if he saw him or wanted to see him, I wasn't there. Do you think there is something to that idea that when you are dying someone from the great beyond comes and gets you?

[Calm]

It is a nice idea, but it sounds to me to be more occasional  than automatic.  A lot depends imo on where exactly the Spirit world is...is it somehow around us in dimensions we are unaware of or is it in a different physical location and if so, how do we travel there?  If the spirit world is here and just our awareness is limited, perhaps it is more awareness is granted for some reason. 
 

In my husband’s family, his grandmother was terrified of dying and her fear apparently focused on her husband who had died 60? years before not recognizing her (some dementia there).  She had a dream the night or two before she died where he visited her dressed just as he did and told her not to fear, he was waiting for her. Her fear of death disappeared and the rest of her time (a day or two iirc) was peaceful and her death gentle. 
 

I realize such a situation could be solely a wish being granted by her own brain and there being no spirit or afterlife rather than an actual visitation.  There is no way to test such a thing imo. 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Calm

[ksfisher]

29 minutes ago, Duncan said:

Something that has been reported, at least, in my family, on three occasions that we know of (member of the church and non member) is that when you are dying they claim to have seen a loved one that already died. It's almost like that deceased person is coming to get them. I know Brigham Young said "Joseph" when he was dying-I have no idea if he saw him or wanted to see him, I wasn't there. Do you think there is something to that idea that when you are dying someone from the great beyond comes and gets you?

The Appointment in Samarra

 

 

 

 

Retold by Roger Hurn

 

Once, many, many years ago, when the world was a very different place, a rich merchant lived in the city of Baghdad. One day, the merchant decided to hold a feast for his friends so he sent for his most trusted servant.

“Ahmed,” he said. “I want you to go to the market place and search for food and drink that will astound and delight my guests when they come to dine with me tonight. Buy only the finest produce. My friends will expect nothing less than the best.”

“Don”t worry, master,” said Ahmed. “You can rely on me not to let you down.”

Ahmed bowed and hurried off but he wasn’t looking forward to his task. The day was hot and he knew the market place would be filled with bustling crowds. He was right. People were pushing and shoving each other to get at the best bargains. Ahmed sighed and plunged into the seething mass of humanity.

Suddenly, he felt a hand tug at his sleeve. Ahmed frowned and turned to see who it was. To his horror, a face he had hoped never to see stared at him. Ahmed gasped in fear and took to his heels.

He raced back to his master’s house and burst into the room where the merchant was counting his money. The merchant looked up in surprise. “You’re back soon,” he said. “I expected you to be hours yet. I hope you haven’t just bought the first things you saw.”

“I haven’t bought anything,” replied Ahmed.

The merchant frowned. “Why ever not?” he asked angrily. “You had better have a good reason for disobeying me.”

“I do, said Ahmed in a very shaky voice.

“Well, tell me what it is,” said the merchant. “And be quick about it.”

“I went to the market place as you ordered,” said Ahmed. “But when I was there someone grabbed hold of my sleeve and pulled on it.”

“Well, that was a bit rude of them I suppose,” said the merchant. “But surely it was no reason for you to come running home.”

“Oh yes it was,” replied Ahmed, “because the creature that grabbed me was Death herself!”

“No!” gasped the merchant.

“Yes!” said Ahmed. “And Death glared at me in a most horrible way. I was terrified!”

“Of course you were,” said the merchant, “you poor man.”

“I didn’t know what to do, so I ran away.”

“Quite right too,” agreed his master.

“Look,” said Ahmed, “I can’t stay here now. Please lend me a horse and I’ll ride to Samarra and hide at my friend’s house. It’s the perfect solution. Death will never find me there.”

“That’s a good idea,” said the merchant. “Take the horse and go immediately. You’ll be safe in Samarra, it’s miles from Baghdad.”

Ahmed saddled up the merchant’s swiftest horse and galloped off to Samarra without further delay.

After he was gone, the merchant decided to go to the market place. He was angry with Death. “Ahmed was my best and most trusted servant,” he said to himself, “Death had no right to scare him.”

The merchant strode into the market and sure enough he soon spotted Death standing by herself in a shadowy corner.

He marched up to the creature and said in a very firm voice, “Hey, I want a word with you.”

Death turned to the merchant and said in a voice as cold as the north wind in winter, “What do you want with me, mortal?”

“Well,” said the merchant, “I want to know why you frightened my servant this morning. You had no right to glare at him.”

“I didn’t glare at him,” replied Death, “the look I gave him was one of surprise.”

The merchant was puzzled. “Why were you surprised to see my servant Ahmed?”

“Because,” replied Death, “I didn’t expect to see him here in Baghdad. You see I have an appointment with him tonight at his friend’s house in Samarra!”

[Peacefully]

When my husband was getting close to death, hospice came into our home to help care for him. The RN, who happened to be a member of the church,  either gave me a booklet or explained some of the things that would happen as death approached. One of the things that many dying people have in common is that they reach out with their hands like they are reaching out to someone we can’t see. I remember my husband doing that and I can only assume he saw someone on the other side because he was beyond being able to communicate.

 Something else happened that was interesting and faith-promoting for me. He was in a kind of coma for several days, but for some reason he hung on. Our Bishop came to give him a blessing and tell him it was time to let go, and he passed peacefully four hours later.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Peacefully

[Nofear]

Brigham Young taught that the spirit world is co-local with this world. However, if that is the case, it doesn't make sense that when one dies they immediately enter the spirit world. For example, a group of spirits are doing some activity or such and it so happens to be in the are where somebody dies. Suddenly the newly deceased appear, interrupting whatever is going on. Seems silly. Or what happens if you die but you just happen to be under a spirit world mountain or over a spirit world valley. Oops.

My working hypothesis* is that between the spirit world and our mortal realm there is a transition state. It may be literal or it may be purely virtual/mental/simulated/whatever. The purpose of the transition state is to prepare the individual for spirit world. This may involve a tunnel, a visit from deceased relative or other individual, a "door", a life review, and/or some other mechanism to ease the mental shock of transition between realms. One advantage of the idea is that it accommodates the numerous and different NDE accounts without the violence that any one particular scenario does to many.

 

* Technically not a hypothesis since the idea isn't testable.

[Robert J Anderson]

I don't know about friends coming to get me.  However, I will find out some day.

[Duncan]

47 minutes ago, Nofear said:

Brigham Young taught that the spirit world is co-local with this world. However, if that is the case, it doesn't make sense that when one dies they immediately enter the spirit world. For example, a group of spirits are doing some activity or such and it so happens to be in the are where somebody dies. Suddenly the newly deceased appear, interrupting whatever is going on. Seems silly. Or what happens if you die but you just happen to be under a spirit world mountain or over a spirit world valley. Oops.

My working hypothesis* is that between the spirit world and our mortal realm there is a transition state. It may be literal or it may be purely virtual/mental/simulated/whatever. The purpose of the transition state is to prepare the individual for spirit world. This may involve a tunnel, a visit from deceased relative or other individual, a "door", a life review, and/or some other mechanism to ease the mental shock of transition between realms. One advantage of the idea is that it accommodates the numerous and different NDE accounts without the violence that any one particular scenario does to many.

 

* Technically not a hypothesis since the idea isn't testable.

that's the thing we'll never know 10 percent until we're dead ourselves, which I don't want!hahhaha!

[InCognitus]

Someone Coming to Get You When You Die?

The first thing that popped into my crazy head when I saw the name of this thread is that scene from Monte Python and the Holy Grail:  "Bring out your dead!"   Maybe that's the "someone".

[Kenngo1969]

8 hours ago, Peacefully said:

When my husband was getting close to death, hospice came into our home to help care for him. The RN, who happened to be a member of the church,  either gave me a booklet or explained some of the things that would happen as death approached. One of the things that many dying people have in common is that they reach out with their hands like they are reaching out to someone we can’t see. I remember my husband doing that and I can only assume he saw someone on the other side because he was beyond being able to communicate.

 Something else happened that was interesting and faith-promoting for me. He was in a kind of coma for several days, but for some reason he hung on. Our Bishop came to give him a blessing and tell him it was time to let go, and he passed peacefully four hours later.

Condolences on your loss.

[Kenngo1969]

7 hours ago, Robert J Anderson said:

I don't know about friends coming to get me.  However, I will find out some day.

Better friends than enemies!  😳😜

Edited September 2, 2020 by Kenngo1969

[strappinglad]

About 250,000 people die every day and about 150,000 are born. That's a lot of comings and goings . Hopefully the spirit world is at least as big as this one or the " teleports " are going to be very crowded. 

Personally, I hope to be greeted by all my pets ... except for a fish that I accidentally lost down a sink drain. OOPS .

[pogi]

15 hours ago, Duncan said:

Something that has been reported, at least, in my family, on three occasions that we know of (member of the church and non member) is that when you are dying they claim to have seen a loved one that already died. It's almost like that deceased person is coming to get them. I know Brigham Young said "Joseph" when he was dying-I have no idea if he saw him or wanted to see him, I wasn't there. Do you think there is something to that idea that when you are dying someone from the great beyond comes and gets you?

Having worked in hospice for over 3 years, I can tell you that it is not uncommon for dying people to see loved ones who have passed on before them.  Sometimes it is the only thing that brings a smile to their face.  Whether they are hallucinations or actual visitations, it is always welcome and a remarkably uplifting thing to witness.  I believe they are being visited.  Some of my most profoundly spiritual moments were holding the hands of those I cared for as they approached and passed through the veil into the next life.  I think the veil was thin in those moments.  There was a light and alertness in their eyes, that I have never seen with other types of hallucinations.  It felt like we were not alone.

[JamesBYoung]

17 hours ago, Duncan said:

Something that has been reported, at least, in my family, on three occasions that we know of (member of the church and non member) is that when you are dying they claim to have seen a loved one that already died. It's almost like that deceased person is coming to get them. I know Brigham Young said "Joseph" when he was dying-I have no idea if he saw him or wanted to see him, I wasn't there. Do you think there is something to that idea that when you are dying someone from the great beyond comes and gets you?

Possibly.

 

[Brant Gardner]

I debated adding details, but decided it was too private for a message board. I had a conversation with a woman who had died and come back to life. She mentioned that it was a friend who came for her (for reasons that were relevant to her circumstances). We spoke a little of the reading I had done on near death experiences. After a while she asked if I knew that someone also accompanies us here. She then told me of the very clear experience she had with a personage who had brought a new child. I cannot help but believe her experience, and it gives me hope.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

17 hours ago, Duncan said:

Something that has been reported, at least, in my family, on three occasions that we know of (member of the church and non member) is that when you are dying they claim to have seen a loved one that already died. It's almost like that deceased person is coming to get them. I know Brigham Young said "Joseph" when he was dying-I have no idea if he saw him or wanted to see him, I wasn't there. Do you think there is something to that idea that when you are dying someone from the great beyond comes and gets you?

The last few months of my Mother’s life, she would see more and more my Father. This has happened to many generations of my family, things I heard them say, and accounts from other family members, concerning their parents before them. 

[Tacenda]

27 minutes ago, Brant Gardner said:

I debated adding details, but decided it was too private for a message board. I had a conversation with a woman who had died and come back to life. She mentioned that it was a friend who came for her (for reasons that were relevant to her circumstances). We spoke a little of the reading I had done on near death experiences. After a while she asked if I knew that someone also accompanies us here. She then told me of the very clear experience she had with a personage who had brought a new child. I cannot help but believe her experience, and it gives me hope.

My niece is a Medium and she believes the same, it gives me hope as well. I believe Mediums are gifted just as others are gifted with various things. Interesting to me, is that many LDS balk at such things as Mediums. How can that be, if they think the veil is so thin, don't get it. 

[pogi]

Just hope that it is not these visitors who come to get you.

[Ahab]

"Coming to get me"  

I like the way you phrased that, Duncan.

Could be a good person to get and take someone to the good side of the spirit world which we call Paradise.  Or could be a bad person to get and take someone to the bad side of the spirit world which we call prison, or spirit prison.

Or do you think good people come to get people and take them to wherever they should go?  Someone who is at least trustworthy, like a trustee of a prison, maybe, when someone needs to be got and taken to prison?

It's an interesting idea to imagine. 

Say for example when a killer gets shot to death by some police.  Who comes to get someone like that?  Since there is a prison in the spirit world I think there at least might be some kind of police officer too to take criminals to prison..

[pogi]

12 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

My niece is a Medium and she believes the same, it gives me hope as well. I believe Mediums are gifted just as others are gifted with various things. Interesting to me, is that many LDS balk at such things as Mediums. How can that be, if they think the veil is so thin, don't get it. 

I think the Julie Rowes of the world have kind of ruined it for us. 

[Duncan]

2 hours ago, Brant Gardner said:

I debated adding details, but decided it was too private for a message board. I had a conversation with a woman who had died and come back to life. She mentioned that it was a friend who came for her (for reasons that were relevant to her circumstances). We spoke a little of the reading I had done on near death experiences. After a while she asked if I knew that someone also accompanies us here. She then told me of the very clear experience she had with a personage who had brought a new child. I cannot help but believe her experience, and it gives me hope.

That is very lovely thank you for sharing!

[Bernard Gui]

18 hours ago, Peacefully said:

When my husband was getting close to death, hospice came into our home to help care for him. The RN, who happened to be a member of the church,  either gave me a booklet or explained some of the things that would happen as death approached. One of the things that many dying people have in common is that they reach out with their hands like they are reaching out to someone we can’t see. I remember my husband doing that and I can only assume he saw someone on the other side because he was beyond being able to communicate.

 Something else happened that was interesting and faith-promoting for me. He was in a kind of coma for several days, but for some reason he hung on. Our Bishop came to give him a blessing and tell him it was time to let go, and he passed peacefully four hours later.

A very close friend is also a hospice nurse. He says he has witnessed many such events as people pass during his career. He says he has no fear of death as a result.

[Duncan]

1 hour ago, Ahab said:

"Coming to get me"  

I like the way you phrased that, Duncan.

Could be a good person to get and take someone to the good side of the spirit world which we call Paradise.  Or could be a bad person to get and take someone to the bad side of the spirit world which we call prison, or spirit prison.

Or do you think good people come to get people and take them to wherever they should go?  Someone who is at least trustworthy, like a trustee of a prison, maybe, when someone needs to be got and taken to prison?

It's an interesting idea to imagine. 

Say for example when a killer gets shot to death by some police.  Who comes to get someone like that?  Since there is a prison in the spirit world I think there at least might be some kind of police officer too to take criminals to prison..

I would imagine if someone was killed instantly they wouldn't be time for someone to come and get them. Mind you I have read accounts of soldiers saying they had some kind of experience where they knew they were going to do and then did, if they wrote about it in a letter, diary, told someone etc. My Great Uncle Stanley was killed instantly in WW1 and he, apparently, came to the farm house to visit his mother. She said she could feel his presence as if he was right there and so when they got the news that he was killed she wasn't surprised by it-it was like he was coming to say goodbye

[Bernard Gui]

3 hours ago, pogi said:

Having worked in hospice for over 3 years, I can tell you that it is not uncommon for dying people to see loved ones who have passed on before them.  Sometimes it is the only thing that brings a smile to their face.  Whether they are hallucinations or actual visitations, it is always welcome and a remarkably uplifting thing to witness.  I believe they are being visited.  Some of my most profoundly spiritual moments were holding the hands of those I cared for as they approached and passed through the veil into the next life.  I think the veil was thin in those moments.  There was a light and alertness in their eyes, that I have never seen with other types of hallucinations.  It felt like we were not alone.

My grandfather knew of the deaths of a daughter, his wife, and my sister before they were announced because they visited him before they left for the spirit world. When my father passed, he kept asking, "Who are those guys standing over there?" We did not see anyone there.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Bernard Gui

[Kenngo1969]

2 hours ago, pogi said:

Just hope that it is not these visitors who come to get you.

 

[stemelbow]

Is it not more reasonable to suggest that when people die we simply see people in our minds?  Facing death can't be a fun moment.  It seems like it's quite possible the mind is seeing things we simply don't, as a natural event, common response for many?  That seems like a quite reasonable possibility, no?