some progress

node_modules/mongoose/lib/cast/date.js

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+
+module.exports = function castDate(value) {
+  // Support empty string because of empty form values. Originally introduced
+  // in https://github.com/Automattic/mongoose/commit/efc72a1898fc3c33a319d915b8c5463a22938dfe
+  if (value == null || value === '') {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  if (value instanceof Date) {
+    assert.ok(!isNaN(value.valueOf()));
+
+    return value;
+  }
+
+  let date;
+
+  assert.ok(typeof value !== 'boolean');
+
+  if (value instanceof Number || typeof value === 'number') {
+    date = new Date(value);
+  } else if (typeof value === 'string' && !isNaN(Number(value)) && (Number(value) >= 275761 || Number(value) < -271820)) {
+    // string representation of milliseconds take this path
+    date = new Date(Number(value));
+  } else if (typeof value.valueOf === 'function') {
+    // support for moment.js. This is also the path strings will take because
+    // strings have a `valueOf()`
+    date = new Date(value.valueOf());
+  } else {
+    // fallback
+    date = new Date(value);
+  }
+
+  if (!isNaN(date.valueOf())) {
+    return date;
+  }
+
+  assert.ok(false);
+};