There is one event no living being can escape, and that’s death. Since the dawn of time, religious leaders and philosophers have helped many attempt to understand dying through different lenses. Of course, it has also been studied from a medical and scientific standpoint, and what the data continues to show is truly captivating.

Hospice physician and neurologist Dr. Christopher Kerr, MD, PhD, recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast to discuss his experiences with people as they neared their last breath. After interviewing over 1,500 patients described as being in “lucid” mental states, he has discovered a common theme among the memories of their dreams.

First, Kerr shares how low-key the process actually is. “It’s more anti-climactic than climactic. Dying is a state of progressive sleep and of letting go. It’s very hard to die, in fact, if you’re not physically comfortable, as well as psychologically at peace. And so people get deeper in sleep, and death happens in that state. You usually see it coming, and there usually just isn’t a ‘next breath.’”

When Winfrey questions this, Kerr reiterates, “So people can’t die in a wake state. They die in the depths of sleep. And you can’t get there unless you’re comfortable. And everyone seems to have an understanding of that from a physical standpoint. But psychologically, existentially, you also have to find peace.”

Winfrey then reads a beautiful passage from Kerr’s book, Death Is But a Dream. “End-of-life experiences testify to our greatest need to love and be loved,” she reads. “To be nurtured and feel connected. To be remembered and........

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