No one can be saved from death living creature and it's scary. But many people are concerned with the question: what will I feel at the moment of death? Perhaps this knowledge will make the last minutes of life easier for someone. Near-death sensations vary from person to person, but there are many assumptions and explanations on this topic.

Physical sensations of a dying person

The physical sensations of a person in the hour before death depend on the reason that led to his death. But more often they are painful. According to scientists, after the heart stops, the brain continues to work for several seconds. Most likely, at this time the sensations of death occur. Physical sensations of a dying person:

• death under water. First there is panic. The man senselessly moves his legs and arms, trying to inhale air. It is impossible to call for help. The muscles get tired, the body goes under water. The drowned man remains conscious for no more than a minute. Instinctively he wants to breathe in air, but water comes into his mouth. Spasms constrain the larynx. Water fills the lungs, a burning sensation occurs and the lungs burst;
• heart attack. There is terrible pain in the sternum due to lack of oxygen. The feeling goes to the back, lower jaw, larynx and hands. The person breaks out in a cold sweat, nausea and shortness of breath appear. Pain in the chest becomes very strong, loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest occur;
• fire. Hot smoke burns the eyes and skin of the face, causing damage from the flames skin, and the person feels terrible pain. Then the dying person no longer feels pain. There comes a feeling that with each new breath the consciousness becomes more confused and death occurs;
• bleeding. If the aorta is damaged, the person dies immediately and does not feel anything. With prolonged bleeding from an injury or bullet wound, the dying person experiences panic, weakness and extreme thirst. The pressure drops, due to severe blood loss, consciousness is lost, and death occurs.

Feelings of a dying person from the point of view of religion

Each religion answers this exciting question in its own way:

• Islam. It is believed that before death a person feels anxiety or calm, depending on how he lived. The subsequent reincarnation of the soul also depends on life’s actions;
• Christianity. Orthodox Christians believe that death affects only the body. Immortal soul rushes to God, who considers all the actions of the deceased person during life and determines the place for the soul. She goes to heaven or hell. Therefore, believers who live a righteous life do not feel anxiety at the moment of death, and look forward to meeting the Lord.

Atheists believe that at the moment of death a person does not feel anything, he simply dies and goes into oblivion.

How did people who experienced clinical death feel?

People who were in a state of clinical death spoke about their feelings. Many felt horror and realized that they were dying. Then it became easy, and the person felt like he was flying through a huge tunnel. For some time, the soul of a deceased person who has left the body sees its body on the operating table. This led to shock, but gradually an understanding of death came. Many saw the souls of deceased relatives and a large, kind, bright creature. By the way, scientists have proven the existence of the soul; it weighs several milligrams.

Basic sensations of a dying person

It has been proven that a dying person experiences severe fear and panic from the awareness of death. There is severe pain behind the sternum, the body is constrained by heaviness, and the heartbeat quickens. With every second it becomes harder to breathe, the consciousness is confused, everything floats before the eyes. This is the last thing people feel at the moment of death.

All of the above are assumptions. Better think that after death you will go to a beautiful and bright place. Thanks to people who have survived clinical death, we know how a dying person feels.

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Psychologists say that the fear of death exists in each of us, even if we are not aware of it. And, let's face it, there is something to be afraid of.

1. The deceased realizes that he has died

This was stated by American scientists after many years of observations. It turned out that even after cardiac arrest people can remain conscious and feel the world around us. They can hear and see those around them, but their body will no longer listen.

The fact is that in the vast majority of cases, doctors time the time of death at the moment when the heart stops. From this moment, blood stops flowing to the brain, and its work begins to slow down. Slow down, but don't stop. The death of neurons can take several hours after the death of the heart. And all this time his cortex will slowly but work. And a person - to feel.

This explains the fact that after clinical death, almost 50% of people can talk about their experiences, and some can even retell conversations. Some patients report feeling trapped own body: They understood everything, but could not even lift a finger.

2. Hell and heaven are in our heads

What exactly do dying people feel? The same stories from patients about death help us understand this. Scientists divide near-death experiences into 7 main scenarios:

• Fear
• Images of animals or plants
• Bright light
• Violence and Harassment
• Feeling of deja vu
• Images of family members
• Memories of real events that took place around the dying

The patients' emotions range from terrible to pleasant. Some report being “dragged deep underwater” or sentenced to be burned, others report a feeling of peace and tranquility. Some saw lions and tigers, while others were "bathed in rays of bright light." Some patients were reunited with deceased relatives, and some felt that they were separated from their own body

Scientists believe that the form of hallucinations depends on life experience and beliefs. Thus, Hindus saw Krishna, and Americans saw Jesus Christ.

3. Does it hurt?

Australian experts say painful death is a very rare occurrence. It is much more common for people to experience fatigue, insomnia and breathing problems before they die. They also note that these symptoms become weaker and weaker as death approaches.

And scientists from the USA say that dying people are much less afraid of death than the living and healthy. The authors studied blogs of terminally ill patients. It turned out that the words “happiness” and “love” are found in them much more often than the words “fear,” “horror,” and “anxiety.”

Similar results were obtained by studying the last words sentenced to death penalty. They were compared with the words of people who were only asked to imagine themselves doomed to death. It turned out that the words of real prisoners were much less negative than the records of people who were not in danger of dying in the near future.

Both experiments showed that dying people think more often about the meaning of life, religion and death than about death itself.

Humanity has always sought a cure for death. And if earlier they pinned their hopes on the philosopher’s stone, now they rely on high technology. How people try to defeat death in the 21st century is described in the article.

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After a short clinical death, I said that I saw myself as a character from computer game“Spore” at the “space” stage. In front of me was exactly that map, only I saw it no longer from the monitor, but as routes - right in front of my ship. Moreover, from somewhere I had the understanding that “reality is like this, I just didn’t notice it before”... I played “Spore” for a short time, and that was many years ago, back in middle school. But it was there, for some reason, that I saw myself.

So, you are probably right, the whole so-called afterlife is only in our heads.

1. Having experienced two clinical deaths, after the second of them I acquired the ability to write texts in poetry and prose using automatic writing - in a normal waking state, without going into a trance or using spiritualism.
   The impulse sent to my hands is so strong that at first, after writing down even a short text, I, completely exhausted, fell on the sofa for a short sleep and recuperation.
   The texts I write amaze me with their information, laconic language, strict consistency in narration, clarity of explanations and reliability of predictions of the future, analysis of the present and facts and circumstances connecting events.
   Since I acquired the ability to write texts automatically, I have been disconnected from any kind of independent recording of any of the texts, as well as texts in private correspondence and comments. And the current commentary is not written by me myself, which I ask you to take into account when reading each of the texts coming out from under my hand.
   Death, as the end of the physiological processes of a biological organism and the end of its existence, and clinical death with the return of a person for further life activity are two different processes in essence and in their manifestations, which cannot be combined under a single concept with the same result and with the same manifestations.
   Death, as the cessation of the work of a biological organism with the release of its energy source (Soul), does not make it possible for a person to return to life and does not allow the resumption of physiological processes in him. His Energy Source (Soul) emerging from him de-energizes the computer and stops software body, like a computer turned off from the network on a desktop or in production cycle.
   When the Source of Energy (Soul) is removed, his body temperature cools and his muscle mass becomes rigid with the loss of the ability to move any part of the body, including the movement of the eyes, tongue and lips.
   And although after the Energy Source leaves the body, the magnetic field of the remote Power Source remains in the human body for two hours and the person can hear the sounds of speech near it, he is no longer able to make a single movement and cannot utter a single word.
   That is why, since ancient times, it was not permissible to move or carry the body of a deceased person within two hours after his death.
   That is why the Creator prohibits any movement of a person from his deathbed and covering his body and head with a blanket or sheet, as well as any conversations and actions at the bedside of the deceased for two hours.

   Clinical death, unlike real death, is not accompanied by a planned and provided by the Creator removal of the Source of energy (Soul) from the human body.
   The short-term exit of the Power Source from the human body with a short-term shutdown of the computer (brain) in the human body does not bring with it manifestations and the end of physiological processes in the body similar to real death.
   The Creator's intervention in the process of clinical death does not allow an unscheduled shutdown of the Source of energy in a person. A person is returned to his Source of nutrition, which has not yet been completely separated from his body, although it has already reached its Destination, but has not yet crossed its border.
   That is why most people who have experienced clinical death and are brought back to life have similar or similar experiences: leaving their body and observing it from above, high-speed (sometimes noisy) movement through a tunnel and meeting with a shining light of the Being, an all-encompassing feeling of love for everything and a reluctance to return to their old life.
   Almost all people who have experienced clinical death and are returned to continue their lives radically change their attitude, both towards life itself and towards all people and events. Many acquire new abilities and talents, which change their lives and the lives of people close to them.

   After everything that has been written about death, about clinical death, to write this crap? It feels like the author woke up and suddenly reinvented the wheel. However, nothing happens by chance. I think this is hidden propaganda of atheism. I’m not surprised by this, since, judging by the programs with Malysheva, she does not believe in God or the devil.

   It seems that here everything is individual. Perhaps the main thing is the state of mind. Without further ado, I will give two personal examples; whether they can be called death is not for me to judge. !. Malaria crisis. Age 9 years. Later I learned that the temperature was 41 C. I was ill for almost a year, the last attacks, despite quinine therapy, were daily and painful. But that day it didn’t shake or break. Gradually I stopped feeling my arms and legs; I stopped hearing my mother talking (I forgot who) at the door. Vision changed the geometry of the wide room, stretching it in length. An attempt to call my mother was unsuccessful. And the thought: (don’t be surprised, I was surprised myself later: for a boy!) “Well, finally, I won’t suffer anymore.” And - darkness. Almost a day later I woke up thirsty and hungry. 2. Age over 70 years. Clinic, line to the doctor, I’m getting a discounted prescription (asthma). What triggered the bronchospasm is unknown. I grabbed the nearest inhaler - empty! I found a new one, didn’t have time to use it - I suffocated. Everything is the same - darkness. The nurse who came out of the doctor’s office reacted quickly; Later she said that she obediently, along the wall, allowed herself to be led into the treatment room (this is a corpse), where they discovered that there was no breathing. The ambulance appeared quickly and called resuscitators. They stuck a catheter down my throat, filled me with injections, and let my heart go. I woke up feeling that I was being tossed and turned. My sister said that I was in a coma-like state (or a corpse) for about five minutes. The senses returned in a curious sequence: Touch, I have already noted, smell - I understood why they wash the dead, vision - spots of light, slowly focusing, and voices finally began to break through the noise that arose. The sore throat from the catheter appeared last. I realized that everything is different for everyone. We carry both Heaven and Hell within us from birth and in the actual END we determine our place, forever! In the END you won’t be able to justify yourself; you won’t be able to deceive yourself.

   And who am I now? What do I have now?
   Consciousness melts and feelings float away.

What does a person experience when he dies? When does he realize that consciousness is leaving him? Will something unexpected happen as our lives come to an end? These questions have tormented philosophers and scientists for centuries, but the topic of death continues to concern every person to this day, reports NewScientist.com.

Death comes in different guises, but one way or another, it is usually an acute lack of oxygen in the brain. Whether people die from a heart attack, drowning or suffocation, it is ultimately due to a severe lack of oxygen to the brain. If the flow of newly oxidized blood to the head is stopped through any mechanism, the person will lose consciousness within about 10 seconds. Death will occur in a few minutes. How exactly depends on the circumstances.

1. Drowning
How quickly people drown is determined by several factors, including swimming ability and water temperature. In the UK, where the water is consistently cold, 55 per cent of drownings in open water occur within 3 meters of the shore. Two thirds of the victims are good swimmers. But a person can get into trouble within seconds, says Mike Tipton, a physiologist and expert at the University of Portsmouth in England.

As a rule, when the victim realizes that he will soon disappear under water, panic and floundering on the surface begin. Struggling to breathe, they are unable to call for help. This stage lasts from 20 to 60 seconds.
When victims eventually submerge, they do not inhale for as long as possible, usually between 30 and 90 seconds. After this, a certain amount of water is inhaled, the person coughs and inhales more. Water in the lungs blocks gas exchange in thin tissues, causing a sudden involuntary contraction of the muscles of the larynx - a reflex called laryngospasm. There is a feeling of tearing and burning in the chest as water passes through the respiratory tract. Then a feeling of calm sets in, indicating the beginning of loss of consciousness from lack of oxygen, which will ultimately lead to cardiac arrest and brain death.

2. Heart attack
Hollywood heart attack - sudden pain in the heart and immediate fall, of course, happens in several cases. But a typical myocardial infarction develops slowly and begins with moderate discomfort.

Most common feature- chest pain, which may be long-lasting or come and go. This is how the heart muscle struggles for life and its death from oxygen deprivation. The pain can radiate to the jaw, throat, back, stomach and arms. Other signs: shortness of breath, nausea and cold sweat.

Most victims are in no hurry to seek help, waiting on average from 2 to 6 hours. It is more difficult for women, as they are more likely to experience and not respond to symptoms such as shortness of breath, pain radiating to the jaw, or nausea. Delay can cost your life. Most people who die from heart attacks simply don't make it to the hospital. Often the actual cause of death is cardiac arrhythmia.

About ten seconds after the heart muscle stops, the person loses consciousness, and a minute later he is dead. In hospitals, a defibrillator is used to make the heart beat, clear the arteries and administer drugs, which brings it back to life.

3. Fatal bleeding
How soon death from bleeding occurs depends on the wound, says John Kortbick at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. People can die from blood loss within seconds if the aorta is ruptured. This is the main blood vessel leading from the heart. Causes include a serious fall or car accident.

Death can occur within hours if another artery or vein is damaged. In this case, a person would go through several stages. The average adult has 5 liters of blood. Losing one and a half liters causes a feeling of weakness, thirst and anxiety and shortness of breath, and two - dizziness, confusion, the person falls into an unconscious state.

4. Death by fire
Hot smoke and fire scorch eyebrows and hair and burn the throat and airways, making it impossible to breathe. Burns cause severe pain by stimulating the pain nerves in the skin.

As the burn area increases, sensitivity decreases somewhat, but not completely. Third degree burns do not damage as much as second degree wounds because the superficial nerves are destroyed. Some victims with severe burns reported feeling no pain while they were still in danger or engaged in rescuing others. Once the adrenaline and shock gradually wear off, pain quickly sets in.

Most people who die in fires actually die from poisonous carbon monoxide poisoning and lack of oxygen. Some people just don't wake up.

The rate at which headaches and drowsiness and unconsciousness appear depends on the size of the fire and the concentration of carbon monoxide in the air.

5. Decapitation
Execution is one of the fastest and least painful ways to die if the executioner is skilled, his blade is sharp and the condemned person sits still.

The most advanced decapitation technology is the guillotine. Officially adopted by the French government in 1792, it was recognized as more humane than other methods of taking life.

Maybe it's really fast. But consciousness is not lost immediately after the spinal cord is severed. A 1991 study on rats found that the brain remained alive for an additional 2.7 seconds by consuming oxygen from the blood in the head; the equivalent number for humans is approximately 7 seconds. If a person falls unsuccessfully under the guillotine, the time the pain is felt may be increased. In 1541, an inexperienced man made a deep wound in the shoulder rather than the neck of Margaret Paul, Countess of Salisbury. According to some reports, she jumped from the execution site and was chased by the executioner, who struck her 11 times before she died.

6. Death by electric current
Most common reason death from electric current - arrhythmia leading to cardiac arrest. Unconsciousness usually follows after 10 seconds, says Richard Trochman, a cardiologist at Onslaught University in Chicago. A study of electrocution deaths in Montreal, Canada, found that 92 percent died from arrhythmia.

If the voltage is high, then unconsciousness occurs almost immediately. The electric chair was supposed to cause instant loss of consciousness and painless death by passing current through the brain and heart.
Whether this actually happens is debatable. John Wickswo, a biophysicist at the University of Nashville, Tennessee, argues that thick, insulating skull bones would prevent sufficient current from passing through the brain, and prisoners could die from brain heating, or from suffocation due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles.

7. Falling from a height
This is one of the fastest ways to die: the maximum speed is approximately 200 kilometers per hour, achieved when falling from a height of 145 meters or more. A study of fatal falls in Hamburg, Germany, found that 75 percent of victims died within seconds or minutes of landing.
Causes of death depend on the landing site and the position of the person. People are unlikely to reach the hospital alive if they fall headfirst. In 1981, 100 fatal jumps from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco were analyzed. It has a height of 75 meters, the speed when colliding with water is 120 kilometers per hour. These are the two main causes of instant death. The result of a fall is a massive contusion of the lung, rupture of the heart, or damage to the main blood vessels and lungs by broken ribs. Landing on your feet significantly reduces injury and can save lives.

8. Hanging
The method of suicide and the old-fashioned method of execution is death by strangulation; the rope puts pressure on the trachea and arteries leading to the brain. Unconsciousness may occur for 10 seconds, but will take longer if the loop is not positioned correctly. Witnesses to public hangings often reported victims "dancing" in pain in the noose for several minutes! In some cases - after 15 minutes.

In England in 1868 they adopted the “long fall” method, which involved a longer rope. The victim reached speeds during the hanging that broke her neck.

9. Lethal injection
Lethal injection was developed in Oklahoma in 1977 as a humane alternative to the electric chair. The state medical examiner and the chairman of anesthesiology agreed to administer three drugs almost simultaneously. First, the anesthetic thiopental is administered to avoid any feeling of pain, then the paralytic agent pansuronium is administered to stop breathing. Finally, potassium chloride stops the heart almost immediately.

Each drug is supposed to be administered in a lethal dose, excessive to ensure a quick and humane death. However, witnesses reported convulsions and an attempt by the convict to sit during the procedure, meaning the administration of drugs does not always give the desired result.

10. Explosive decompression
Death due to exposure to vacuum occurs when the vestibule depressurizes or the spacesuit ruptures.

When external air pressure suddenly decreases, the air in the lungs expands, tearing the fragile tissues involved in gas exchange. The situation is aggravated if the victim forgets to exhale before decompression or tries to hold his breath. Oxygen begins to leave the blood and lungs.

Experiments on dogs in the 1950s showed that 30 to 40 seconds after the pressure was released, their bodies began to swell, although their skin prevented them from "tearing." At first, the heart rate increases, then sharply decreases. Water vapor bubbles form in the blood and travel throughout the circulatory system, impeding the flow of blood. After a minute, the blood stops effectively participating in gas exchange.

Survivors of decompression accidents are mostly pilots whose planes depressurized. They reported sharp chest pain and an inability to breathe. After about 15 seconds they lost consciousness.

The question is of course very interesting to many, and there are two most popular views on it: scientific and religious.

From a religious point of view	From a scientific point of view
The human soul is immortal	There is nothing but the physical shell
After death, a person expects heaven or hell, depending on his actions during life	Death is the end, it is impossible to avoid or significantly prolong life
Immortality is guaranteed to everyone, the only question is whether it will be eternal pleasures or endless torment	The only kind of immortality you can get is in your children. Genetic continuation
Earthly life is only a brief prelude to an endless existence	Life is all you have and is what you should value most.

• - the best amulet against the evil eye and damage!

What happens to the soul after death?

This question interests many people, and now in Russia there is even an institute that is trying to measure the soul, weigh it and film it. But the Vedas describe that the soul is immeasurable, it is eternal and always existing, and is equal to one ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair, that is, very small. It is practically impossible to measure it with any material instruments. Think for yourself, how can you measure intangibles with material instruments? This is a riddle for people, a mystery.

The Vedas say that the tunnel that people who have experienced clinical death describe is nothing more than a channel in our body. There are 9 main openings in our body - ears, eyes, nostrils, navel, anus, genitals. There is a channel in the head called sushumna, you can feel it - if you close your ears, you will hear noise. The crown is also a channel through which the soul can exit. It can come out through any of these channels. After death, experienced people can determine which sphere of existence the soul went to. If it comes out through the mouth, then the soul returns again to the earth, if through the left nostril - towards the moon, through the right - towards the sun, if through the navel - it goes to the planetary systems that are below the Earth, and if through the genitals, it enters to the lower worlds. It so happened that I saw a lot of dying people in my life, in particular the death of my grandfather. At the moment of death, he opened his mouth, then there was a big exhalation. His soul came out through his mouth. Thus, the life force along with the soul leaves through these channels.

Where do the souls of dead people go?

After the soul has left the body, for 40 days it will remain in the place where it lived. It happens that after a funeral people feel that someone is present in the house. If you want to feel the ghost state, imagine yourself eating ice cream in a plastic bag: there are possibilities, but you can’t do anything, you can’t taste it, you can’t touch anything, you can’t physically move. When a ghost looks in the mirror, he does not see himself and feels shocked. Hence the custom of covering mirrors.

The first day after the death of the physical body, the soul is in shock because it cannot understand how it will live without a body. Therefore, in India there is a custom of immediately destroying the body. If the body remains dead for a long time, the soul will constantly circle around it. If the body is buried, she will see the process of decomposition. Until the body rots, the soul will be with it, because during life it was very attached to its outer shell, practically identified itself with it, the body was the most valuable and expensive.

On the 3-4th day, the soul comes to its senses a little, disentangles itself from the body, walks around the neighborhood, and returns to the house. Relatives do not need to throw hysterics and loud sobs, the soul hears everything and experiences these torments. At this time, one must read the sacred scriptures and literally explain what the soul should do next. The spirits hear everything, they are next to us. Death is a transition to new life, death as such does not exist. Just as during life we ​​change clothes, so the soul changes one body to another. During this period, the soul experiences not physical pain, but psychological pain; it is very worried and does not know what to do next. Therefore, we need to help the soul and calm it down.

Then you need to feed her. When the stress passes, the soul wants to eat. This condition appears the same as during life. The subtle body desires to receive taste. And we respond to this with a glass of vodka and bread. Think for yourself, when you are hungry and thirsty, they offer you dry crust of bread and vodka! How will it be for you?

You can make the future life of the soul easier after death. To do this, for the first 40 days you do not need to touch anything in the room of the deceased and do not start dividing his things. After 40 days, you can do some good deed on behalf of the deceased and transfer the power of this act to him - for example, on his birthday, keep a fast and declare that the power of the fast passes to the deceased. In order to help the deceased, you need to earn this right. Just lighting a candle is not enough. In particular, you can feed the priests or distribute alms, plant a tree, and all this must be done on behalf of the deceased.

The scriptures say that after 40 days the soul comes to the bank of a river called Virajya. This river is teeming with various fish and monsters. There is a boat near the river, and if the soul has enough piety to pay for the boat, it swims across, and if not, then it swims - this is the way to the courtroom. After the soul has crossed this river, the god of death Yamaraj, or in Egypt they call him Anibus, awaits it. A conversation is conducted with him, his whole life is shown as if on film. There the future fate is determined: in what body the soul will be born again and in what world.

By performing certain rituals, ancestors can greatly help the dead and make them feel better. further path and even literally pull you out of hell.

Video - Where does the soul go after death?

Does a person feel his death approaching?

In terms of premonitions, there are examples in history when people predicted their death within the next few days. But this does not mean that every person is capable of this. Yes and oh great power coincidences should not be forgotten.

It may be interesting to know whether a person is able to understand that he is dying:

• We all feel the deterioration of our own condition.
• Although not all internal organs have pain receptors, our body has more than enough of them.
• We even feel the arrival of a banal ARVI. What can we say about death?
• Regardless of our desires, the body does not want to die in panic and activates all its resources to fight the serious condition.
• This process may be accompanied by convulsions, pain, and severe shortness of breath.
• But not every sharp deterioration in health indicates the approach of death. Most often, the alarm will be false, so there is no need to panic in advance.
• You should not try to cope with conditions close to critical on your own. Call everyone you can for help.

Signs of approaching death

As death approaches, a person may experience some physical and emotional changes, such as:

• Excessive drowsiness and weakness, at the same time periods of wakefulness decrease, energy fades.
• Breathing changes, periods of rapid breathing are replaced by pauses in breathing.
• Hearing and vision change, for example, a person hears and sees things that others do not notice.
• Appetite worsens, the person drinks and eats less than usual.
• Changes in the urinary and gastrointestinal systems. Your urine may turn dark brown or dark red, and you may have bad (difficult) stools.
• Body temperature changes, ranging from very high to very low.
• Emotional changes, the person is not interested outside world and individual parts everyday life such as time and date.

Image copyright Getty

The light at the end of the tunnel is a popular idea of ​​how we experience the transition to another world. But as BBC Future correspondent Rachel Newwer says, the experiences of people who have experienced clinical death are much more varied.

The experience of people who have experienced clinical death refutes the popular idea of ​​​​our feelings on the verge of life and death

In 2011, a 57-year-old social worker from England - let's call him Mr A - was rushed to Southampton General Hospital after collapsing at work. While doctors were trying to insert a catheter into the patient, his heart stopped. Without access to oxygen, the brain instantly stopped functioning. Mr. A. died.

Despite this, he remembers what happened next. The doctors took an automated external defibrillator (AED), a machine that activates the heart using an electric shock. Mr. A. heard the mechanical voice repeat twice: “Discharge.” Between these two commands, he opened his eyes and saw a strange woman in the corner near the ceiling, who beckoned him with her hand.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption The light at the end of the tunnel is just one of many scenarios for feeling dead

“She seemed to know me, I felt trust in her, I thought she was there for a reason, but I didn’t know what it was,” Mr. A. later recalled. “The next second I was already upstairs, looking down at himself, a nurse and some bald man."

The researchers believe that collecting objective scientific data about the potential last moments life is quite possible. Over the course of four years, they analyzed more than 2,000 patients who experienced cardiac arrest, that is, official clinical death.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption It felt like I was being pulled deep underwater

Of this group of patients, doctors were able to bring 16% back to life. Dr. Parnia and his colleagues interviewed a third of these patients—101 people. "Our goal is to first understand what people feel at the time of death," says Dr. Parnia. "And then prove that what patients say they see and hear at the moment of death is truly an awareness of reality."

Seven shades of death

Mr. A is not the only patient who has had flashbacks to his death. Almost 50% of study participants could remember something. But unlike Mr. A. and another woman, whose account of being outside her own body cannot be objectively proven, the experiences of the other patients did not seem to be tied to real events that took place at the time of their death.

Their stories were more like dreams or hallucinations, which Dr. Parnia and his colleagues divided into seven main scenarios. "Most of them did not correspond to what used to be called 'near-death' experiences," says Parnia. "It appears that there is much more to the psychological experience of death than we have realized in the past."

These seven scenarios include:

• Fear
• Images of animals or plants
• Bright light
• Violence and Harassment
• Deja vu or the feeling of "already seen"
• Faces of family members
• Memories of events after cardiac arrest

The mental experiences of patients range from terrible to blissful. Some patients report feelings of overwhelming terror or persecution. For example, like this. “I had to go through a burning ceremony,” recalls one study participant. “There were four people with me, and if one of them lied, he had to die... I saw people in coffins who were buried in an upright position.”

Another person recalls being “dragged deep underwater,” and another patient reports that “I was told I was going to die and the quickest way to do it was to say the last thing.” a short word which I don't remember."

However, other respondents report quite the opposite feelings. 22% recall a “feeling of peace and tranquility.” Some saw living creatures: “There is everything and everyone around, in plants, but not flowers” ​​or “lions and tigers.” Others basked in the "bright light" or were reunited with family. Some had a strong sense of déjà vu: “I felt like I knew exactly what people were going to do and they actually did it.” Heightened senses, a distorted sense of time, and a feeling of separation from one's own body are common memories of patients who have had near-death experiences.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Some patients felt that they were separated from their own body

While "certainly people felt something at the time of death," says Professor Parnia, how they interpreted those experiences depended entirely on their life experiences and beliefs. Hindus could say that they saw Krishna, and a resident of the US Midwest claimed that he saw God. “If a person who is brought up in Western society is told that when you die you will see Jesus Christ and he will be full of love and compassion, then of course she will see him,” the professor says. “She will come back and say: 'Father, you're right, I really saw Jesus!" But how can any of us recognize Jesus or any other God? You don't know what God is like. I don't know what he is like. Except for pictures of a man with a white beard, although everyone understands that This is a fabulous show."

“All this talk about the soul, heaven and hell - I have no idea what they mean. There are probably thousands of interpretations, depending on where you were born and how you were raised,” says the scientist. “It is important to move these memories from the field of religion into the plane of reality."

Common Cases

So far, the team of scientists has not established what will determine the ability of patients to remember their feelings at the moment of death. There is also a lack of explanations about why some people experience scary scenarios while others report euphoria. Dr. Parnia also notes that apparently more people have near-death memories than statistics indicate. Most people lose these memories due to severe brain swelling caused by cardiac arrest or the heavy sedatives they are given in intensive care.

Even if people cannot remember their thoughts and feelings at the time of death, the experience will undoubtedly affect them on a subconscious level. The scientist suggests that this explains the very opposite reaction of patients who returned to life after cardiac arrest. Some people no longer fear death at all and begin to approach life more altruistically, while others develop post-traumatic stress disorder.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Some patients find themselves in terrible places, others see God

Professor Parnia and his colleagues plan further research to find answers to these questions. They also hope that their work will help shed new light on ideas about death and free it from stereotypes associated with religion or skepticism.

Death may well be an object scientific research. “Any person with an objective mind will agree that research must be continued,” says the scientist. “We have the capabilities and technologies. Now is the time to do this.”