Visual memories of living loved ones during life-threatening incidents.

During real or presumed life-threatening incidents and/or near-death circumstances, some people experience a <italic>visual life relations reminder (VLRR)</italic>, which consists primarily of imagery portraying and focused on living loved ones that visually appear in an uncontrollable and/or rapid manner. This phenomenon differs from the more recognised <italic>life review</italic> that also sometimes occurs under similar conditions, which is instead a visual memory revival of past self-inclusive events or activities. This exploratory paper is the first to specifically discuss VLRRs and provides relevant insight from a reflexive thematic analysis of 57 VLRRs, generating some important qualitative themes based on meaningful patterns identified in narrative data. Relevant data excerpts to support the generated themes are provided and then those themes are discussed in more detail. This paper closes with a hypothesis that the VLRR is a purposeful and beneficial psychological phenomenon with an effect that often boosts the experient’s will to live and survive by reminding them of important relationships in their current life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]