Okay, let’s get something out of the way right from the start – most of us fear death. Comedian Woody Allen put it best, when he said he wasn’t afraid of dying – he just didn’t want to be there when it happened.
Unfortunately for Woody – and the rest of us – it’s the singularly most inevitable thing in our lives, so we might as well know what’s going to happen, right? As the old saying goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail – though not sure anyone has yet managed to fail at snuffing it. So, what do we have to look forward to? A whole lot of exciting bodily changes, chemical interactions and electrical brain activity that might even explain visions of the afterlife. So what are you waiting for, let’s have a deep dive into, er, death!

The final days…
The good news for anyone who enjoys a bit of shut-eye is that our final days before departure involve A LOT of sleep. (Obvs we’re talking about natural death here not some kind of horrifying accident, there’s no sleep before that – unless you fall asleep at the wheel of your car!)  This increase in sleeping is simply due to the fact there’s less oxygen-rich blood being pumped around the body. With more sleep, comes less need for nourishment and appetite will rapidly decrease, incontinence will increase. Vital signs will drop, temperature, respiration rate.. things are slowing down. Amid this, there may be sudden episodes that seem almost as if there’s a burst of energy, but only momentarily. 

The last moments…
Towards the end, sleep turns into unconsciousness. During this time, the senses of touch and hearing are still functioning – you’ll still feel the touch of loved ones and hear their voices. Changes in breathing signal that the end is almost nigh. As gaps between each breath become larger, saliva gathers at the back of the throat causing the infamous ‘death rattle’. Eventually, you will take your final breath…

Slipping over into the other side…
As the heart stops beating, the brain is starved of oxygen but it still keeps functioning for at least a few minutes. Nobody can be sure what that will feel like, but the possibility of knowing that you’re dead is deemed impossible. Some scientists have spoken of ‘seven minutes or more’ of brain activity after death, though what that includes, no-one knows. It’s been speculated that it could be playing back memories or dreaming…

Visions of the afterlife…
So could this sudden burst of brain activity explain the numerous reports of NDEs (near death experiences) where patients who’d been resuscitated have reported being suddenly aware of seeing themselves from above or floating along a tunnel towards light and previously deceased relatives? Again, no-one can be sure, but in recent tests, experts measured bursts of gamma ray activity in the brains of some people after they died – these bursts are associated with memory and cognition, and the area of the brain where they happened is particularly associated with dreams and out-of-body sensations. The good news is this; whether or not you believe in life after death, it seems we might all get a sense that there is as we enter a dreamlike state as we slip over to, well, whatever is next.

The body begins to deteriorate…
Meanwhile, back in the physical realm, our bodies are going through huge changes. Muscles immediately relax after death (yup, the stories about bodies pooping and peeing are true!) and body temperature drops by about a degree per hour. Blood, now it’s not being pumped around the body, gets pulled down by gravity – so basically if you’re facing up, you’ll have a very pale front and a very colourful back! Rigor mortis will then kick in about two hours after you croak as you become as stiff as a board for 24 hours, then go floppy again. Sounds a bit like taking an overdose of Viagra!

You’re full of life – literally!
You might be dearly departed, but for all the billions of bacteria in your body, your death signals the beginning of party time. When you were alive, there was a delicate balance as you kept bacteria in your digestive system, but your immune system worked hard to keep them out of your other important organs and tissues. Sadly, when you snuff it, those naughty bacteria start to go on the rampage as they explore every little bit of you and feed on you from the inside. One study showed it takes about 2.5 days before bacteria have started to chow down on your liver, spleen, heart and brain.

Keeping up appearances
Now, if that bacterial digestion process was allowed to carry on, you’d soon look pretty messy. It’s for this reason – and to spare mourners the horror of seeing and smelling that process – that bodies are embalmbed. In essence, that means draining blood from your veins and replacing it by injecting a solution of formaldehyde and water. That won’t last for long, but at least it’ll keep you looking and smelling pretty good until you reach your final destination. Rest in peace!

PICTURES: GETTY