Does a dying person know that they are about to die? Let's find out

Irrespective of all the medical and technological advancements in the world, the secrets of death and dying remains an elusive subject for human beings. We have been fascinated with the physical experience as well as the aftermath of death since time immemorial.

Medical science has been able to give some answers to questions such as preventing premature death, or explaining the meaning of death rattle, or even giving signs on how to tell if someone is about to die by looking at their feet, keens and hands.

But coping with the subject of death remains a tough ordeal. The actual physical and mental sensation of dying remains a topic shrouded in mystery, here's what medical science has to say about whether a dying person realises that they are about to die.

Does a person know when they are dying?

There is no consensus about the answer to the above question. HoweverVery Well Medicine quotes a research where 140 survivors of near-death experiences were asked about what they felt in those moments. All the participants were survivors of cardiac arrest.

The findings showed that 39 percent of survivors reported feeling some kind of awareness while being resuscitated. They also reported feeling peaceful.

13 percent said they felt a sense of getting separated from their bodies, while 2 percent said that they were aware of what was going on during the resuscitation procedure.

This suggests that though it might appear as if people do not realise what is happening when they are near-death, many people might be completely aware and conscious about impending death.

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The responsibility of family and doctors

As per the report, the Hospice Foundation of America suggests that though a person might appear unresponsive or unconscious as their vital signs begin to wane and they are dying, family members and doctors alike should behave as if the dying person can hear them and are fully aware of what is going on.

Often, people nearing death might lapse into a coma, and seem completely unresponsive. But as per Very Well Medicine, a 2020 study that investigated palliative care patients who were close to death found that there was enough evidence to suggest that even patients in coma, and on the verge of death might still be able to hear those around them.

The article suggests that with death being such a natural process for humans, a dying person might indeed instinctually know that they are dying.

In some cases, treating death not as a taboo topic but as something natural can be helpful for both the dying person and their loved ones. Such touch conversations could be mediated though hospice workers or grief councillors, if needed.

Sources used:

Very Well Health: ' Does a Person Know When They Are Dying?'

Medicine Net: 'Does a Dying Person Know They Are Dying?'

Sci Rep: ' Electrophysiological evidence of preserved hearing at the end of life'

Resuscitation: 'AWARE-AWAreness during REsuscitation-a prospective study'