Christopher Kerr

Carine Mardorossian

The first book to validate the meaningful dreams and visions that bring comfort as death nears. Christopher Kerr is a hospice doctor. All of his patients die. Yet he has cared for thousands of patients who, in the face of death, speak of love and grace. Beyond the physical realities of dying are unseen processes that are remarkably life-affirming. These include dreams that are unlike any regular dream. Described as "more real than real," these end-of-life experiences resurrect past relationships, meaningful events and themes of love and forgiveness; they restore life's meaning and mark the transition from distress to comfort and acceptance. Drawing on interviews with over 1,400 patients and more than a decade of quantified data, Dr. Kerr reveals that pre-death dreams and visions are extraordinary occurrences that humanize the dying process. He shares how his patients' stories point to death as not solely about the end of life, but as the final chapter of humanity's transcendence. Kerr's book also illuminates the benefits of these phenomena for the bereaved, who find solace in seeing their loved ones pass with a sense of calm closure. Beautifully written, with astonishing real-life characters and stories, this book is at its heart a celebration of our power to reclaim the dying process as a deeply meaningful one. Death Is But a Dream is an important contribution to our understanding of medicine's and humanity's greatest mystery.

Finding Hope and Meaning at Life's End

Death Is But a Dream

Warum wir den Tod nicht fürchten müssen: Christopher Kerr ist Hospizarzt. Alle seine Patienten sterben. Tausende von Menschen hat er bereits betreut, die ihm im Angesicht ihres Todes über erstaunliche Erlebnisse von Liebe und Anmut berichteten. Es sind Erfahrungen, die darauf hinweisen, dass sich während des Sterbens im Inneren der Menschen immer wieder seelische Prozesse ereignen, die verblüffend lebensbejahend und friedvoll sind. Im Rahmen einer zehnjährigen Studie mit über 1.400 Hospiz-Patienten hat Dr. Kerr besonders das Phänomen der Sterbebett-Träume erforscht. Über 80 Prozent aller Sterbenden erleben sie – und zwar so real, dass sie ihnen »wirklicher als die Wirklichkeit« erscheinen. Träume, in denen vergangene Beziehungen wieder aufleben wie auch bedeutungsvolle Ereignisse und Szenen der Liebe und des Verzeihens. Sie geben dem Leben Sinn und markieren für die Betroffenen den Übergang von tiefstem Leid, Schmerz und Verzweiflung hin zu Trost, Hoffnung und Akzeptanz, im Angesicht der eigenen Endlichkeit. Klar und berührend lassen Christopher Kerrs Schilderungen das Lebensende in einem völlig neuen Licht erscheinen. Sein Buch schenkt Sterbenden und ihren Angehörigen Trost und Vertrauen – und es kann die Angst vor dem Tod nehmen. »Ob Sie einen geliebten Menschen haben, der im Sterben liegt, oder ob Sie darüber nachdenken, was jenseits Ihres eigenen Lebens liegen könnte: Sie werden feststellen, dass Dr. Kerrs Buch Sinn und sogar Schönheit in die letzte Phase unseres Lebens bringen kann. Ich empfehle es wärmstens.« Dr. Dale Bredesen, Autor von "Die Alzheimer-Revolution"

Warum wir den Tod nicht fürchten müssen. Ein Hospizarzt berichtet

Die Träume der Sterbenden

The first book to explore the meaningful dreams and visions that bring comfort as death nears. Experiences at the end of life testify to our greatest needs: to love and be loved, to be nurtured and feel connected, to be remembered and forgiven. Christopher Kerr is a hospice doctor. All of his patients die. Yet he has tended to thousands of patients who, in the face of death, speak of love, meaning and grace. They reveal that there is hope beyond cure as they transition to focus on personal meaning. In this extraordinary and beautiful book, Dr. Kerr shares his patients' stories and his own research pointing to death as not purely the end of life, but as a final passage of humanity and transcendence. Drawing on interviews with over 1,200 patients and more than a decade of quantified data , Dr. Kerr reveals why pre-death dreams and visions are remarkable events that bring comfort and exemplify human resilience. These are not regular dreams. Described as "more real than real," they frequently include loved ones long gone and mark the transition from distress to acceptance. These end-of-life experiences help patients restore meaning, make sense of the dying process and assist in reclaiming it as an experience in which they have a say. They also benefit the bereaved who get relief from seeing their loved ones pass with a sense of calm closure. Beautifully written with astonishing stories, this book, at its heart, celebrates the power to reclaim how we die, while soothing the bereaved who witness their loved ones go with unqualified grace.

Carine Mardorossian

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