What does a recently-dead body experience?

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After my grandmother passed away two days ago, my grieving brought me across this topic. What does the recently deceased sense? For example, what does it see, hear, smell, touch, taste? Or what does it feel - pain, fatigue, happiness?

My background in both religion and biological sciences are scanty, so opinions from both stand points are welcome. But keep the words recently dead in mind because I don't want you guys to give lectures on afterlife and heaven and that stuff. Just keep it to within a hour (or so) of death please.

So far, I've heard that it (the deceased) sees "the light" in a religious context, and that it can still hear. I think I can rationalize the hearing part roughly using science. Maybe the cells in the body don't die immediately, so the ears still function for a few minutes after the last gasp of breath or something like that... I hope you guys can fill me in on the other senses and feelings, and give more details. Or at least give me some more ideas to think about.

 

Blog, I'm very sorry for your loss. I don't know what I would do if my grandmother died, she raised me and I'd lose it if she left.

But, to answer your question, no one really knows what a dead person sees. Though, speaking from a medical standpoint, they say that when your dying, your taste goes first, then your smell, next is your sight, then touch, and finally your hearing.

 

My grandmother died a long time ago, I never knew her. The only reason I mention this is because her brother died four days ago. I was actually at his funeral yesterday.

There is no need to say 'I am sorry to hear about...' because he was 96 years old when he went. If I reach his age I will consider myself very lucky. If I am as well thought of before I die (he had an Honour Guard made up of members of two different community organisations), then I will think that there has been a mix up and I'll keep my mouth shut.

Anyway, as far as I know, you are not technically dead until you are brain dead. If the brain has ceased functioning then the body does not experience anything.

If you step back to a point slightly before brain function cessation (or slightly after resumption of brain function activity in the case of resuscitated patients) the brain has normally been starved of oxygen-rich blood, which recent TV shows have stated is the cause of tunnel vision. (if its on TV it must be true ) This tunnel vision is considered to be the source of the ‘seeing the light’ stories that resuscitated patients consistently relate.

If this is the case, it must be comforting experience for people of faith that are expecting it.

The people who really know what people about to die physically experience are those that have had near-death experiences. The movie Flatliners with Kevin Bacon, Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland and the other one was about that very subject.

The actual physical details of what sense shuts down at what time is actually quite a tame subject when compared to the emotions that people experience on the cusp of the unknown. For some people that cusp lasts from the first day that they realise they are mortal, until the day they actually die. But that’s a whole other topic.

[ August 22, 2003, 12:11: Message edited by: Bluin ]

 

I don't mean to be mobnoxious, but if you're asking what dead people feel, the answer must be, by definition, nothing. Being dead is being brain dead, and if your brain has packed it in, everything shuts down. No hearing, no smells, just poof, and you've left this mortal coil.

 

First, Blog, I want to tell you I feel sorry for your loss. I hope you keep up and take comfort in the memories you have.

As a christian, I might tell you something of what I believe. I have to mention though that there are many christians who might disagree.
I don't think that a recently died person senses earthly things. I do believe that before one dies, she might have pleasant feelings (or less pleasant, but I'd rather be positive). One might see light, hear fine music, smell roses, feel warmth or anything. Others might hear the sea, sense the fine smell of fresh rain etc etc. A third might see herself, as if floating above her own body, and notice the love and nurcery of her beloved ones.
After one dies, imo, this person doesn't sense these things, but a much wonderful feeling will be there.

But as you asked I will stop my lecture on heaven.

 

Sorry to hear a member of your family died.
Back to the topic: a dead person (however recently) experiences nothing. It is that easy. What is less easy is to determine when a person is dead. How do you decide it ? When the heart stops beating ? Not likely. Braindead ? The brain does not run out of oxygen instantly, so how do you define the point of no return ?

But, even when the ECG goes flat the body still picks up stimuli from the environment, but without a brain (and a soul, some say) to process them, no feelings or sensations are experienced.

 

The only reason I know this is because I never forget stuff I find interesting.

*Ahem*

/me puts on spectacles and graduate cap.

Christian teachings say that when the person dies, their immortal soul continues, but the mortal body dies and rots away.

Now, you're all going 'Yeah, yeah, we know.' But there's more.

The soul, without a body, is incomplete. It can't see, smell, taste, touch, or hear without the necessary organs. It can, however, sense the amazing presence of God in heaven. (or the eternal torment of hell, whatever) Heaven is perfect, but it's not perfectly perfect without the body.

In a sense, it becomes a Soul Forever Seeking.

Sorry, bad time to make a joke.

Anyway, at the end of the world, at the Apocalypse, the dead shall rise again, and those in heaven will regain their bodies. Not new ones like clones or something, but the exact same ones. Rotting to dust is nothing. I mean, it is GOD we're talking about, after all. The difference is that these bodies are immortal, so now the people can experience perfect perfection.

If you're in hell, on the other hand...

/me takes off spectacles.

 

Umm... you can have tunnel vision without having just been dead, or resuscitated. I got it just before I had a SVT, and I think it is something to do with the oxygen like you said. But... it's not like a divine light. You can still see detail, color, and eveything. It's not just light. You couldn't mistake it for 'The Light.'

 

@Cross - that was not obnoxious at all. In fact, you actually brought up something that I had initially overlooked: nothingness. Sometimes the simple things get ignored when you are looking for complicating answers. Kinda like how the number zero was an unknown concept for so long.

Thank you all for the emotional support and the insight. Keep them coming.

 

@Valkyrie, I hope it didn't take too long for you to regain good health. If you say that tunnel vision cannot be interpreted as 'Divine Light'then I will happily accept your experience as being more accurate than an observer's speculations.