Death is a biological process. Natural death (such as old age, illness, or organ failure) is a slow process, and this "dying process" can last from a few days to weeks or months. During this time, as the body's various systems (such as the heart, lungs, brain) gradually lose function, the person's feelings and experiences change.
A few days or weeks before death, due to reduced physical activity from a lack of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, the person feels excessively tired, and their metabolism slows down, leading to increased sleep. For example, as the digestive and respiratory systems gradually shut down, the person may feel peace or numbness, while sometimes also feeling discomfort. At this time, as the body's energy needs decrease, appetite is reduced, leading the person toward dehydration and malnutrition. This causes the mouth to become dry or leads to weakness. During this time, loss of bladder and bowel control results in incontinence.
Just before death, the person's breathing becomes rapid or shallow; sometimes, due to fluid buildup in the lungs, a "death rattle" (a sound in the throat) occurs, causing the person to feel discomfort or a sense of suffocation. Blood circulation becomes restricted to the core organs, causing the hands and feet to become cold, the skin to turn bluish or mottled, and sometimes the body to fluctuate between hot and cold.
When the brain's oxygen supply decreases, confusion, delirium, or hallucinations occur; and due to toxin buildup or brain dysfunction, the person may see deceased relatives or have strange sensations. These changes are primarily the result of the body's homeostasis (balance) breaking down. For example, hypoxia (low oxygen) affects the neurons in the brain, altering perception.
The human body does not have a specific "sensor" that feels death in advance, but there is some evidence that the body and mind somehow "know." Hospice research shows that many patients, as they near death, feel a sense of peace or acceptance and say they "know" death is coming. It is hypothesized that this may be due to hormonal changes (such as endorphin release) and brain signals. In some cases, dementia patients, due to a final surge of brain activity increasing neuronal firing shortly before death, suddenly experience mental clarity and speak with relatives.
There is still no hard proof that humans can "predict" death beforehand. It is often anecdotal, and, like in animals (such as elephants going to a dying place), it is less commonly observed in humans.
It is the body's feedback loop: low oxygen → alarm signal → sensation. But this is not always conscious. Many people, when near death (such as in a heart attack or accident), have Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). Due to the brain's low oxygen (anoxia), trauma, or anesthesia, multisensory integration is disrupted, causing hallucinations, leading to unique experiences such as seeing light, feeling out-of-body, or feeling peace. For example, the tunnel of light is a dysfunction of the visual cortex. Research shows that 15% of cardiac arrest survivors experience an NDE.
After death, consciousness ends completely. There is no evidence that any "soul" or consciousness continues. Upon death (heart stop, brain death), neuronal activity ceases. Some research indicates that brain activity may persist for a few minutes after cardiac arrest, but this is not consciousness—it is merely a cellular process. NDEs are often cited as proof of an afterlife, but they occur while the person is still alive. Research shows that cells can remain alive for some time after death, but not consciousness. If consciousness were non-physical, it could not be measured—but the lack of evidence means it is considered non-existent.
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