Ian spoke with neuropsychiatrist Dr. Peter Fenwick (peter_fenwick@btinternet.com) about his work, The Art of Dying, which examines death and the dying process.

According to Fenwick, the dying receive visitations from deceased loved ones within the last two weeks of life. This experience is common among those who believe in afterlife experiences and those who do not, he said. As evidence, Fenwick shared an anecdote about a non-believing mother who received a visitation from her dead husband. Deathbed visions appear to be part of the death process itself, he explained. Fenwick also talked about how culture may influence the form of the person seen by those near death, noting that 25% of people in his UK study had their mothers or fathers come to 'collect' them.

Fenwick recounted a tale about a woman who kept her mother's clock in her garage. The clock stopped when the mother died, he said. Fenwick reported on other unusual phenomena associated with death, including deathbead coincidences, release of light energy, and strange animal behavior. He shared the story of Oscar the cat, as well as an account of a King Charles Spaniel that "howled like never before" when the mother of the family to whom he belonged died.

Fenwick also defined a 'good' death, which he said involves getting relationships right and at the end surrounding oneself with loved ones. In the final hour and a half, Fenwick spoke with callers about their experiences with death and death-related phenomena.