"Angel of Death" does seem a bit too convenient

March 4, 2011 5:42 PM

Is the "angel of death" hallucination a real medical phenomenon?

In Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, a character (Ray) reads (presumably in a medical book or journal) about a study in nursing homes "in which a large percentage of patients reported to the doctors and nurses that they saw someone standing at the end of their bed at night. Often this person tried to talk to them or call their name.... The text went on to explain that these visions were a result of small strokes that often preceded death. 'What is commonly thought of by the layman as the Angel of Death, when discussed at all with the patient's family, should be presented to them as a small series of strokes compounding an already precipitous state of decline.'" (p. 227)

I've heard that this is a common hallucination, but is the connection to the "series of strokes" and imminent death true, or is it just a tidy literary device?

(It kind of sounds like I'm trying to diagnose something here, which is not the case. I'm just curious whether this is a real medical phenomenon. Links to medical journal articles or citations would be especially appreciated).

posted by devotion+doubt to Science & Nature (5 answers total)

It is a simple medical term to explain the complex things some people see when they die. Small strokes can cause all sorts of mysterious shit to the person it happens to. To others it's noticed by lack of memory.

The only way we know about this Angel of Death apparition it is from personal reports of people who have had strokes or mini-strokes and recovered, and creative authors.

Myself, I don't discount anything. My grandmother has told me things about myself that she could not possibly know. Ever. But then remembers not ever saying anything like that. Turns out she had had a mini-stroke and thought I was her son (my father).

As far as the things she told me? Well I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
posted by sanka at 6:18 PM on March 4, 2011 [5 favorites]

I recently read something along the lines of this regarding near-death experiences. They claimed that the dying person experiences time much more slowed down, so that what may be a few seconds to us could be hours to them. I can't remember where I read this or any more about it (the word eternity may have been involved), I'm sorry.
posted by IndigoRain at 9:34 PM on March 4, 2011

Delirium is a common condition among hospital patients, especially older patients; often the delirium manifests itself as a delusional misinterpretation of your surroundings, usually in a nasty way. I've experienced delirium on a couple of occasions; one example was that I became convinced that a pink hat was a severed hand.

I've never heard of the angel of death phenomenon, but in the context of delirium it makes complete sense - actual healthcare personnel trying to talk to you, see if you're ok, become threatening, ominous figures.
posted by Coobeastie at 2:01 AM on March 5, 2011

Best answer: I've worked in hospice care 22 years. It is a very common occurrance. Many see loved ones who have died or a religious figure (of whatever religion they belong to).

Here's articles:

Mazzarino-Willett, April. "Deathbed Phenomena: Its Role in Peaceful Death and Terminal Restlessness." American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine 27.2 (2010): 127-33. PsycINFO. Web. 5 Mar. 2011.

Houran, James, and Rense Lange. "Hallucinations that Comfort: Contextual Mediation of Deathbed Visions." Perceptual and motor skills 84.3 (1997): 1491. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 5 Mar. 2011.

Betty, L. S. "Are they Hallucinations Or are they Real? the Spirituality of Deathbed and Near-Death Visions." Omega 53.1 (2006): 37. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 5 Mar. 2011.
posted by Jandasmo at 5:17 AM on March 5, 2011 [2 favorites]

Seeing things at the foot of the bed is an extremely common and very, very old form of hallucination, so it's not just limited to deathbed vision. Versions of the same phenomenon show up in most of the world's cultures, as well in a variety of artistic expressions- in the old days, you had hags, mare, succubi, and the like. These days, it's mostly greys, indistinct forms, etc.

Essentially, what you're talking about is "ordinary" sleep paralysis. I wouldn't be surprised if it showed up a lot in dying people- stress, fatigue, generally-being-physically-messed-up, and spending a lot of time in bed seem to positively correlate. But, then again, I've experienced this exact sort of thing once or twice, and I'm not exactly at death's door.

Obligatory Fuseli image, for instance.
posted by fifthrider at 11:06 AM on March 8, 2011