The article on Feb 14 ("A new vision for dreams of the dying") was interesting and comforting.

Such issues need to be looked at with an open mind, as the scalpel and operating theatre can only go so far in helping and comforting those who are terminally ill.

Perhaps dreams and what lies ahead should be connected, where possible, and more research be done to meld the two.

It helps to overcome the fear of the unknown.

I have read many books on the subject of life after death, and on all aspects of death and dying. It is not a morbid fascination but, rather, a need to understand what happens to us when our time on this earth is up.

Years of research have gone into what happens to people when they die.

Of course, no one has come back from "complete" death to tell us more, but the near-death experience provides, perhaps, a precursor of what to expect.

For the living, it is a question of whether our minds are receptive enough to the suggestion. If nothing else, it provides hope, thus aiding in bringing about a good death.

The same goes for dreams, which could be another means to cope with death.

We can also gain such insights through yoga and meditation, which emphasises developing intuition and other abilities, from extra-sensory perception and clairvoyance to astral projection.

All are seen as a path of natural progression towards self-realisation, which must surely help lessen the apprehension and even the pain in our moment of departure. There is very little that we are not capable of, but we must clear our minds and rid ourselves of distraction to attain it.

Manoraj Rajathurai