What Does Death Feel Like?

What do you think it feels like when you die?

Well according to my religion, dying is really painful.

We believe that in those last few moments, you can see what was unseen like the angels and that. And then the Angel of death comes and he pulls your soul out from you. And depending on your actions... He kinda pulls it out accordingly.

I wouldn

It depends how it happens imo. If you get a bullet to the head I assume you feel a nanosecond of immense pain and then everything just goes numb and you no longer exist.

The actual process of death itself, I reckon it's just like when you feel yourself just dropping off to sleep. Either that or what it feels like when you faint.

I just consider death to be falling asleep forever, really. :)

I can't believe in Afterlife tales. Our "souls" the result of our past experiences and the way we deal with them, it's merely our brains working. When we die, that's just it, our bodies shut down and nothing else. It would depend on how you die. Either way, it doesn't matter whether it's painful or not, since you will be dead in no time, right?

I think it would be oddly calming. Personally, I'm terrified of dying, but I do know that with time comes acceptance. I think we don't give our bodies enough credit. The fact is, at least according to my psych teacher, our bodies start dying at age 28. Our bones start to slowly lose calcium, our skin will start to wrinkle. Little things like that.

I think death is scary but it depends on what you believe what happens after death. I think though that its a complicated process and that our sub-concious, that little part is ready before we feel ready. So ithink its like a calming, scary feeling and that you go to sleep, an everlasting brain dead coma.

I think it would feel like being underwater. Everything around you looks and feels like it's in slow motion. Eventually you fade and then there's nothing.

I'm guessing since this is posted in philosophy you want the more thoughts and feelings side of it than the physical sensations? Well have you ever had a near death experience? Nearly drowned, or car crash? I did. I tried to drown myself in a lake one summer, simply to see if I could do it. This was all before I met a wonderful girl, mind you. It felt like sinking, both physically and metaphorically. It felt like I was falling into an abyss, comforting.

I imagine death feels like the time I got too much laughing gas at the dentist. (I'm pretty sure I'd gotten too much because when the dentist asked me a question I just looked over at him and smiled, and he subsequently told the nurse to turn it down some.) It felt as though my soul was slipping out of my body and my whole life was just going away. Not that I was dying then - it just felt so nice I started to imagine death being sort of like that.

I'm not sure honestly. I'd imagine that it would vary on how you are meeting your maker really. Like someone else mentioned, if you get shot in the head, you might feel a brief second of pain and then you'll be gone in the blink of an eye. Or, you might not even feel a thing. However, if you are suffering before you die (such as cancer) then I'm not really sure. Maybe it feels like the end of a movie where sometimes the scene fades to black, everything gets fuzzy and sounds become quieter, and then you're dead. Just like everyone else, I'm not really sure.

Alex; oxytocin.:

It depends how it happens imo. If you get a bullet to the head I assume you feel a nanosecond of immense pain and then everything just goes numb and you no longer exist.

The actual process of death itself, I reckon it's just like when you feel yourself just dropping off to sleep. Either that or what it feels like when you faint.

I just consider death to be falling asleep forever, really. :)

I agree 100%.

Only those who have near-death experiences know, and then who knows if it's the same for everyone.

xQ.

I hope, and sometimes think, death is just an eternal DMT trip.

That would be fantastic.

I once smoked salvia from a bong and the world turned into vibrating light. i forgot I was a person. maybe a little like that.

I also did a lot of acid one night and the world rolled away in toilet paper rolls and there was nothing but darkness and a big blue eye telling me to let go. maybe something like that

both were easy and peaceful. the scary part was coming back

Hmm, what death feels like. Well, I guess everyone has their own opinion, but personally I try not to have one. I'll be the first to admit I have no idea what happens after death, or even when you die, what goes through your mind and body, what changes occur, where you go if anywhere, etc, and I try to keep all options open because you simply don't know what will happen. I'm actually very curious about what happens, though not curious enough to go and die for it! Only the dead know, and I guess I'll have to wait to know until I die as well

seymour glass.:

I imagine death feels like the time I got too much laughing gas at the dentist. (I'm pretty sure I'd gotten too much because when the dentist asked me a question I just looked over at him and smiled, and he subsequently told the nurse to turn it down some.) It felt as though my soul was slipping out of my body and my whole life was just going away. Not that I was dying then - it just felt so nice I started to imagine death being sort of like that.

I wouldn't mind if dying was like that. Matter of fact, I love getting the laughing gas.

I think death feels like peace. Total and complete peace like you've never known before. I just hope that I go peacefully and not tortured or brutally murdered. That's all I want out of my life, a peaceful death.

i think your opinion of death says alot about you. i personally think it`s like being slowly paralized, (depending on certain factors) you go weak, and your brain shuts down and there are no thoughts and you just... fade away. your organs stop and then there is no more you. just a bunch of dead cells. done, meaningless, but attached to other people`s memories until they die too. you never really die until everyone that remembers you is dead too. (since this is in the philosophy tag)

Your body releases a chemical into your body called Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) when you die. I've tried that before and so I think death feels like you are slipping away and then you are taken from your body and you just go sailing. (There is a pretty good documentary about DMT on Netflix if anyone is interested in learning a bit more.)

However, I don't think that drug is released if you are instantaneously killed and your body doesn't have a chance to respond. (For example, getting shot in the back and never even hearing a click. So you have NO IDEA.) Your body wouldn't have a chance to respond to release the chemical. My boyfriend and I have discussed this and wonder if, perhaps, the release of this chemical is either what makes you go to the afterlife or what makes you 'feel' you are in your afterlife.

We've discussed that perhaps people who don't get the chemical released when they die either go into a state of nothingness or perhaps become ghosts.

@ dru's troubled soul
That's a really interesting idea. May I ask why do you think they might become ghosts, though?

@ bashful
It's not really a concrete idea I believe, just ideas for explanations of 'otherworldly' things that we hear about. We thought they might linger, having not received the chemical that perhaps creates the afterlife. More of a musing, I suppose.