Would you say that most people experience psychological pain as they’re near death?

[Weebster]

I can't imagine dying while experiencing something like heartbreak. It just makes dying seem even worse.

 

[symphony]

I think it's natural for someone who knows they are dying to experience grief and fear, even if it is juxtaposed with peace and acceptance. Important caveats here are people who are unable to comprehend death, possibly including young children, those with severe intellectual disabilities, and those whose terminal illnesses interfere so severely with their ability to understand what's happening. Another exception to this would be those who die suddenly, i.e. in a car crash or due to a heart attack, and don't have time to process that they're dying. Just my speculation on the matter, though.

 

[Smart No More]

Certain chemicals are released just before natural deaths that provide relief from pain so I imagine they relieve mental anguish too. It's officially believed to be the case in medicine and there is science to back up the claims. I do wonder about those that die in agony though. I mean we hear it a lot in things like cancer but there is usually a final account from loved ones where they'll say something along the lines of 'they became quiet, their breathing slowed and during the calm they took their last breath and that was it". We can only make educated guesses. It does appear there is some acceptance or a giving in. Of course you could argue its inevitable and there' s no choice to the giving in but much like adrenaline pumping during a fight or the hunt perhaps our physiology allows for and provides a relief from the worst of our suffering during thw inevitability.

The weird thing about that is that it isn't something that wouldn't make sense as passed on as an evolutionary trait like fight or flight because people never make babies after death therefore its not learned during life and passed on in genes. So either our genes can pull from our compassionate/empathetic experiences of seeing death or this is coded in us somehow preemptively. I think it's a poignant point in the question of nature or nurture and evolutionary traits. There's nothing beneficial from a survival point of view, in getting naturally released chemicals for relief as death approaches. I suppose this is instinctively where the theory of having a soul comes from. Interesting stuff though, right?

 

[symphony]

I guess I'll add a personal story here. A few years ago I saw a loved one dying. As they deteriorated over a period of several weeks, their mental capabilities went with them. This caused them to experience paranoia they never felt in health. I don't know near the end if they were aware or capable of being aware of their coming death. A staunch skeptic and atheist in health, they became convinced of Christianity and found peace and hope in those messages. I am grateful that near the end of their life, they were in a medically induced coma and appeared comfortable.

 

[FuneralCry]

I do not know the answer, but I hope not. Dying should be peaceful, I hope that I feel calm in my last moments, relieved that the suffering will be coming to an end. Even if death is painful for me, at least the pain will not last long as I will cease to exist. Nothing can hurt me once I am dead.

 

[Rational man]

I guess I'll add a personal story here. A few years ago I saw a loved one dying. As they deteriorated over a period of several weeks, their mental capabilities went with them. This caused them to experience paranoia they never felt in health. I don't know near the end if they were aware or capable of being aware of their coming death. A staunch skeptic and atheist in health, they became convinced of Christianity and found peace and hope in those messages. I am grateful that near the end of their life, they were in a medically induced coma and appeared comfortable.

Did they have liver failure?. I understand the toxic chemicals can cause mental health issues.

 

[houseofleaves]

I think it's natural for someone who knows they are dying to experience grief and fear, even if it is juxtaposed with peace and acceptance. Important caveats here are people who are unable to comprehend death, possibly including young children, those with severe intellectual disabilities, and those whose terminal illnesses interfere so severely with their ability to understand what's happening. Another exception to this would be those who die suddenly, i.e. in a car crash or due to a heart attack, and don't have time to process that they're dying. Just my speculation on the matter, though.

THIS. +++

 

[stellabelle]

I can't imagine dying while experiencing something like heartbreak. It just makes dying seem even worse.

Dying isn't really the problem to me.

It was dying to live.

Now i just live to die.

My heart was shattered from childhood, only to repeat itself well into adulthood and repeatedly be fucked over and ignored. Lied about, lied to, so who cares?! Nobody. The only reason those bastards "kept me alive" was to watch me suffer.