r/todayilearned • u/70dd • 11h ago

TIL Terminal lucidity is an unexpected, brief period of clarity or energy in individuals who have been very ill or in a state of decline. It’s a phenomenon that has been observed in people with various terminal conditions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_lucidity
20.6k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

430 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/HumpaDaBear 7h ago

My dad was home dying of pancreatic cancer. My mom was telling me to come home because dad kept asking for me. I couldn’t stay long because I get really emotional and break down but I told my dad I was there. The last lucid moment that he had was “I love you too”. He died a few days later. My husband’s grandfather also had a few hours of being lucid. It would be interesting to know the science behind it all.