Grief in the face of terminal lucidity: an illustration with a contrastive case study.

‘Pre-grief’ has been described as an adaptive process of preparation for the death of a loved one, through which the person gradually becomes accustomed to these prospects of separation and irremediable loss. However, this process can be disrupted, for example by an unexpected rebound, known as an episode of ‘terminal lucidity’, a sudden surge of cognitive functions previously altered (sometimes accompanied by physical changes), the hours or days immediately preceding death. Through the initial results of a study and two case studies of witnesses concerning the death of the same individual, we aim to illustrate various aftereffects of terminal lucidity episodes on relatives and the grieving process. The two cases used in this article demonstrate in fact contrasting ways of reacting to this phenomenon. We conclude that terminal lucidity episodes deserve more clinical attention, as they appear to have an impact on the grieving process, depending on contextual and personal variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]