Book excerpt: In this book, Sir William Barrett explores the phenomenon of death-bed visions, in which individuals report seeing visions or apparitions of deceased loved ones or religious figures in the moments before their death. Barrett, a scientist and psychical researcher, uses case studies and personal anecdotes to explore the possible explanations for these visions, ranging from physiological causes to spiritual and paranormal ones. This book will appeal to anyone interested in the intersection of science, spirituality, and the afterlife. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.