The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the themes in dreams which occur naturally in a well population are similar to death symbols and motifs found in the dreams and imaginations of the terminally ill. The study illustrated that dreams play a significant role in preparing persons for physical death.
This case study explored a series of six dreams and personal associations of a 70 year-old woman. The dreams occurred over a period of 1 year, were not clearly related to her personal life situation, and had a numinous quality. The dreams illustrate one manner in which psyche confronts the reality of death.

The images and motifs identified in this series were shown to be similar to those reported in the dreams of cancer patients and persons who died unexpectedly after a dream which contained death themes. The themes and images were also considered similar to those reported in near-death experiences (NDE). Archetypal amplifications revealed that the themes were identified with themes of death and rebirth from sacred writings and mythology. The analysis provided an example of how the unconscious brings awareness to the issues of dying as a natural part of the individuation process, encouraging the dreamer to face the issue of her own death.

It also showed how the dream symbolically addresses issues of death and life after life and participates in the transformation of the dreamer even when she is unaware of the meaning of the dream images. Although the dreams corresponded to an understanding of life transitions occurring in the participant's external life, the dream themes also contributed to the dreamer's acceptance of her own death when they were interpreted within the context of death preparation.