Sight is the Sense that Dying People Tend to Lose First is a long free-associating monologue that tumbles from topic to topic to create a vast, failing iteration and explanation of the world.
“First hunger and then thirst are lost. Speech is lost next, followed by vision. The last senses to go are usually hearing and touch.”
Research suggests that even as your body transitions into unconsciousness, it's possible that you'll still be able to feel comforting touches from your loved ones and hear them speaking. Touch and hearing are the last senses to go when we die.
But scientists think that, as we die, our senses begin to check out. Our sense of smell and taste go, touch and sight disappear. For years, scientists believed hearing was the final sense to go — our last connection to this Earth the voices of our loved ones.
Visions and Hallucinations
Visual or auditory hallucinations are often part of the dying experience. The appearance of family members or loved ones who have died is common. These visions are considered normal. The dying may turn their focus to “another world” and talk to people or see things that others do not see.
Many people lose consciousness near the end of life. But they may still have some awareness of other people in the room. They may be able to hear what's being said or feel someone holding their hand.
What Is the Burst of Energy Before Death Called? This burst of energy before death is also known as “terminal lucidity” or “rallying.” Although there is considerable, general interest in this phenomenon, unfortunately, there hasn't been a lot of scientific research done on the matter.
“Our data shows that a dying brain can respond to sound, even in an unconscious state, up to the last hours of life.”
The stages of dying include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
The five stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – are often talked about as if they happen in order, moving from one stage to the other.
Terminal agitation is typically seen during the hours or days before death and can be distressing and overwhelming for caregivers.
Changes in the muscles: Immediately after death, the muscles undergo primary relaxation, as mentioned above, which is followed by stiffening of muscles known as rigor mortis. With the onset of putrefaction, rigor mortis passes off, and secondary relaxation occurs.
When a patient who has been steadily declining has a sudden burst of energy, this is called an end-of-life rally or terminal lucidity. They may begin speaking or even eating and drinking again. It is important that family members understand that this is not a sign that their loved one is getting better.
For the first few minutes of the postmortem period, brain cells may survive. The heart can keep beating without its blood supply. A healthy liver continues breaking down alcohol. And if a technician strikes your thigh above the kneecap, your leg likely kicks, just as it did at your last reflex test with a physician.
As we get older, our olfactory function declines. Not only do we lose our sense of smell, we lose our ability to discriminate between smells.
New research shows a surge in brain activity at the time of death. The activity takes place in a part of the brain known for dreams and altered states of consciousness.
In time, the heart stops and they stop breathing. Within a few minutes, their brain stops functioning entirely and their skin starts to cool. At this point, they have died.
As the blood pools, patches appear on the skin within 30 minutes of death. About two to four hours postmortem, these patches join up, creating large dark purplish areas towards the bottom of the body and lightening the skin elsewhere. This may be less apparent on darker skin. This process is called livor mortis.
Hallucinations – They may hear voices that you cannot hear, see things that you cannot see, or feel things that you are unable to touch or feel. These hallucinations may be frightening or comforting to the dying person depending on their content.
Metabolic failure: The kidneys, the liver, and other organs begin to fail near the end of life, and the physiological issues these events cause can interfere with brain function and result in delirium, restlessness, and agitation.
A conscious dying person can know if they are on the verge of dying. Some feel immense pain for hours before dying, while others die in seconds. This awareness of approaching death is most pronounced in people with terminal conditions such as cancer.
You might be unable to stop crying and worrying. Or you might feel that there is no point in doing anything. You might also find it difficult to see life going on as normal for most people. It can feel very strange to watch people go about their daily lives, do shopping, drive, and work.