Life

What Happens To Your Body Right Before You Die

by Dasha Fayvinova

The only thing I have consistently heard about death has been the overplayed movie idea that your life flashes before your eyes. I've always been curious about what happens to your body right before you die, but I have never investigated. Why? Because I have a genuine fear of dying. Like — anxiety inducing, can't sleep all night, sweaty, cold-blooded fear. It's been this way ever since I was a little kid. And just like with any irrational fear, knowledge can be your greatest weapon. Which is why a video breaking down what happens to your body before you pass on is very helpful.

I cannot imagine myself being old. Every time I try, I start to hyperventilate and my mind starts to basically have a panic attack. A psychic told me that this was a bad sign and that it means I will pass away young. Isn't that a pretty messed up thing to tell a person? Especially a person who is afraid of dying? Honestly, it's just the idea that the world will still be there after I'm gone. Death is the ultimate FOMO and I am not ready for all the music, art, technological and scientific breakthroughs that come after I leave this plane. Just think about the fact that there are people who never got to see the HIV treatment being made or a man walking on the moon — that's enough to send me into a tail spin.

Well, after watching BuzzFeed's video of what happens to our bodies before we die, I think I've calmed myself down a bit. Everything seems clinical and regular. Nothing too surprising. Knowing the "symptoms" fills me with a sense of ... not exactly calm, but acceptance. You can check it out for yourself below:

The Signs

Obviously, people around you will be able to tell when the time is near. In most cases it isn't sudden, but more of a slow jog to the end. Once you get up to the point of passing away the symptoms become pretty clear. Shortness of breath, nausea, and depression all seem like the correct response to dying. Not being able to eat is a big one. I just watched Big Fish for the first time, and all of these came up for the main character who was about to die.

Physical Indications

Your hands and feet start to feel cold. That has to do with the slowing down of blood circulation in your body. It's a mechanism that kicks in when your body knows it needs to save up energy. As with all the symptoms, you body is trying to make due with all of the error messaging that's coming into the brain.

Breathing

Because of the strains put on your body, breathing will be affected. Oxygen will not need to be delivered as quickly through your blood because as stated previously, your blood flow slows down. This can cause labored breathing for some.

For the full scoop on what happens to your body after you die, check out the video above — if anything, it will inspire you to live in your YOLO for however long you have left.

Images: YouTube