Bishop's Funeral Home
540 Woodstock Road E3B 2J3 Fredericton, NB, Canada

Bereavement Hallucinations The experience of seeing or sensing a person after they have died, for some, is disturbing. We’ve talked about this occurrence in bereavement support groups I host and the frequency of participants having sightings of their beloved is a lot more common than we may think. Hallucinations such as these are the subject of the book, The Hallucinations of Widowhood, written by W. D. Rees. Included in his findings are that 60% of bereaved people have ha...llucinations of the person who has died. This phenomena is termed: Post-Bereavement Hallucinatory Experience (PBHE). Widows report hearing the deceased call their name or they will catch a glimpse of them sitting in their favourite chair. That said, some individuals having these visions prefer not to talk about them for fear of being labeled delusional or mentally ill. Hallucinations such as these need to be viewed similarly to flashbacks experienced by those that suffer with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is believed that the reason for these visualizations is that our hearts are so in tune with the deceased that we are easily able to tap into the essence and presence of that person. Although the deceased can no longer be there in an actual physical way our brain unconsciously fills in the missing information to mold the world into what we have previously lived. This often provides comfort at what is an emotionally painful and lonely time and helps provide closure for unsettled emotions one may still be experiencing for the deceased. Because bereavement support groups provide an environment to share thoughts with other like-minded people, they are an excellent tool to help alleviate concerns for those experiencing this phenomena. By being with individuals who have had similar occurrences the griever is able to normalize events which otherwise may be very disconcerting. Lastly, my advice is to find pleasure and healing in the hallucinations, and to use visions as a reminder to ourselves of a love that was shared. Margaret Lorrie Beaton, MA, C. Hyp. Bishop's Funeral Home/CFHC Online

Life Expectancy Provincially, Nationally and Internationally Does where you live affect how long you will live? The Conference Board of Canada looked into this question and prepared the attached report. Internationally, Canadians fare quite well with respect to life expectancy. Canada ranks 6th globally when it comes to longevity. Ahead of us are Switzerland, Japan, France, Australia and Sweden. ... Provincially, British Columbia and Ontario get an A Grade ranking, with life expectancy at birth, surpassing 82 years. Internationally, only four nations had life expectancies greater or equal to 82 years. Please visit this Conference Board report. Some interesting statistics are presented about how long we and others live using easy to understand graphs. http://www.conferenceboard.ca/h/provincial/health/life.aspx Bishop's Funeral Home/CFHC Online

Saying Goodbye Concert: Sunday, November 15, 7 p.m. ET For Those Who Lost Someone Close During the Pandemic Since the outbreak of Covid, physical distancing protocols have meant that some families have not been able to mourn their loved ones with a proper funeral or celebration of live. The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association working with sponsors, is providing a memorial service dedicated to those who have died during the pandemic. ... This virtual event will include performances by well-known Canadian performers and entertainers. The Concert is available on YouTube. Click the link and then the button Watch on YouTube to watch: https://www.chpca.ca/sayinggoodbyeconcert/... Thank you to The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association for coordinating this special tribute.