The subject of death is never much fun, but hospice nurse Julie McFadden is trying to make the topic a little less taboo with her informative TikTok videos.
In one of her recent posts, the 39-year-old speaks about a phenomenon known as ‘visioning’ — something she describes as ‘a normal part of death and dying’.
When people about to pass away experience ‘visioning’, they start seeing deceased friends, family and even pets, McFadden explains.
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She adds that visioning is one of the most ‘comforting’ facts about death and that it tends to take away people’s fears instantly.
Watch her video below:
The hospice nurse, who hails from Los Angeles, goes into people's homes to make sure they remain as comfortable as possible before they die and has supported many adults coming to the end of their lives.
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McFadden insists that visioning comes as a comfort to the individual and isn’t a scary experience.
The former ICU nurse explains: "It happens most of the time at the end of their life, but they aren't delusional. It's called 'visioning' and it's often very comforting for the person.”
She adds: "It's never scary — if they're scared, it's likely they're experiencing delirium or paranoid, not visioning.
"People don't talk about it much but it's really common and more than half of the people I have looked after have experienced it.
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"It's so normal to fear death and I've had several patients who have expressed their fear - but then a family member came to them and they were no longer scared."
McFadden also told her 1 million TikTok followers that people don’t experience visioning because of psychosis or being low on oxygen.
She said patients are conscious and lucid when they see loved ones, sharing: "Sometimes patients say they had a loved one come in a dream, or for others they're awake.
"Lots of times people who have experienced this will say 'I know this sounds crazy' — they're very aware of what's going on."
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McFadden uses her TikTok to try to educate people about death and comments quickly racked up beneath her post.
One person said: "My dad saw his siblings, my mum saw her sister and heard my dad, my grandma saw her son who preceded her in death. It's beautiful to witness.”
Another added: "A few days before my grandmother passed she told a nurse that her father was waiting for her. This was very comforting to my mom at the time."
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Meanwhile others said the video had brought them comfort and helped to alleviate their fear of death.
A TikToker commented: "This is the number one reason I’m no longer afraid to pass... I can’t wait to see them all again. It seems peaceful."
Another agreed: "I hope this happens to me. I have someone that I need to come get me."
Aisha Nozari