Posted on 09/26/2020 7:57:26 PM PDT by LibWhacker
The moment of passing appears to bring an expression of relief to the deceased. But what is going on in our minds? In a new collaborative series with The Conversation, we answer that question.
People often look like they are sleeping just after dying, having a neutral facial expression. But one of my relatives, who had intense pain the hours leading up to his death and lacked access to medical care, had a radiant, ecstatic expression. For decades, I have wondered whether the last minutes of life can be euphoric. Could dying perhaps trigger a flood of endorphins, in particular in the absence of painkillers? Asked by Göran, 77, Helsingborg, Sweden.
The poet Dylan Thomas had some interesting things to say about death, not least in one of his most famous poems:
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
It is often assumed that life wages a battle to the last against death. But is it possible, as you suggest, to come to terms with death?
As an expert on palliative care, I think there is a process to dying that happens two weeks before we pass. During this time, people tend to become less well. They typically struggle to walk and become sleepier – managing to stay awake for shorter and shorter periods. Towards the last days of life, the ability to swallow tablets or consume food and drinks eludes them.
It is around this time that experts in palliative care say people are “actively dying”, and we usually think this means they have two to three days to live. A number of people, however, will go through...
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
The greatest transition.
For Marines it’s PCS orders to Valhalla.
The day before my father died, he got out of bed and with a huge smile on his face walked to the corner of the room with his arms lifted towards heaven. Did that again the next day before he died. My mother said his eyes were almost electric. My entire family witnessed it.
Waking up post op a few times, or deep sleep... out of nothingness, I sometimes wonder if that is what passing away is like.
It’s peaceful.
A lot depends on how the departing one lived, as to how they will die. There are deathbed stories of individuals who never had time for God, who writhed and moaned in agony as they felt themselves slipping into hell. And OTOH, there are accounts of ones who claimed Christ as their Savior, who at the moment of death, told of peace and joy as they began transitioning to the wonders of Heaven. They are not all that clearly defined. An infidel can have a smooth exit if sufficient drugs are avaiable. And a veritable saint can have a terrible passing if a certain illness or trauma is involved. But I’ll take my chances with Jesus, and His eternal promises. After He carried me through life so dependably; why wouldn’t I trust Him with my eternal wellbeing also?
There are countless ways to die. I really don’t see how you can generalize about it.
“When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.” - Will Rogers
My wife, who has witnessed many deaths, says there is no good way to die.
When Stalin died, he sat up, looked up, and raised a defiant fist towards Heaven. He then breathed his last. He cursed God, then he died.
My mother, the day before she died had a long, rational discussion with a friend, not even needing a hearing amplifier. I told this to another family member who is a nurse who deals with the dying. She called it the “last hurrah” and said it was not that unusual.
I believe!
I was in a horrendous car accident in my late 20’s-had both lungs punctured, a fractured sturnum, a horrendous head wound that practically scalped the skin off my head entirely, a broken jaw and two busted legs.
To this day remember nothing about the accident except that some car crossed into my lane on the highway and it was a head on collisioin.
My first remembrance was that I could see my body laying on a gurney.
I was not in my body. I saw my mom crying over my body and my dad standing looking down at me. I felt no pain. I heard the ER doc say my blood pressure was 40/0 and then God started talking to me.
God said, “ can you see your mother.”
I said, “yes, she’s crying and I feel bad for my mom and dad.”
God said, “ I feel bad for them too, so I am going to have to send you back because it’s not time for you to come with me yet. When I send you back, you will have a lot of pain, but it won’t be any more than you can handle. Are you ready?”
I said, “yes, I will do whatever you ask.”
Then very suddenly, I was in my body looking up and felt a lot of pain. I was trying to talk to my parents and tell them I wasn’t going to die, but I couldn’t talk with my shattered jaw.”
I will NEVER forget this incident and I KNEW it was God talking to me. It was like talking to someone you’d known all your life. No introductions neccesary. It all seemed very normal at the time.
So yes, anything can happen as you’re nearing death! And God is there with you.
Wow! Thanks for telling us about that experience. I’ve heard of people who claimed they looked down on their body during their near death experience, but I’ve never heard of someone who had such a lucid conversation with God Himself during it all, wow!
Looks like God won.
If it is purely a biological response rather than a supernatural one, I wonder what survival of the fittest situation this could affect since you're neither surviving nor breeding at that point. Then I realized as social beings, those most likely near you at death are family members. Those who die screaming and thrashing are more likely to attract predators to their family, while those who die in a burst of endorphins are less likely to, thus more surviving relatives among those who die quietly.
Wouldn’t want to be him!
No one gets out alive.
Thank you for adding yet another story to add to the growing lists of such events compiled over several decades by Elizabeth Kubler Ross, Dr. Ray Moody and others. Death is NOT the end.
UVA has an entire department devoted to the study of life after death.
Some of the more remarkable stories start around 8 minutes at the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AtTM9hgCDw
Cats are able to tell who is about to die. There are stories of nursing home cats who are able to pick out whomever is next to die and sit with them until they expire.
I can tell you when my time comes, I plan to “let go and let God” if I have any conscious thought in the matter.
Thank you for adding yet another story to add to the growing lists of such events compiled over several decades by Elizabeth Kubler Ross, Dr. Ray Moody and others. Death is NOT the end.
UVA has an entire department devoted to the study of life after death.
Some of the more remarkable stories start around 8 minutes at the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AtTM9hgCDw
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.