At The Moment of Death?

Question

Last night an old man died. He was an alcoholic who always put booze ahead of the needs of his family. He spent the last year in a nursing home, being contrary and rude, never showing gratitude to those who went out of their way to bring comfort and dignity to his final days.

When his daughter-in-law, my younger sister, called his family and friends, the only person who cried was his old bartender.

Now here is the part I find interesting. Last night before he died, he looked at the photo of his wife and said, “I can’t find her.” His wife died of cancer a couple of years ago. He was verbally abusive throughout her illness. Now he seemed to be looking for her as he died, and he couldn’t find her.

Right before my grandmother died, she thought her son who died of a brain tumor was standing beside her bed. This seems to be fairly normal to feel the presence of loved ones who had passed on.

Just curious how people of different faiths view this?

Answer 1

I have been with many people as and when they died. To talk to loved ones is common. That is how I would know their time was coming soon. I believe that the loved one IS there with them. I am spiritual with Christian and Buddhist influences.

Answer 2

Exposure to a death-priming experience, like a story or video about death, results in readers/viewers having a higher belief in God and supernaturalism afterward. Religion does serve as a relief valve for emotional distress BUT...persons given an adrenaline blocker, such as propanolol, after the death/high emotional prime situation, have no better recall of the priming story than of a control uneventful story, whereas placebo-treated subjects have higher recall AND... Similar results have been seen with people suffering from amygdala damage, and PTSD has been shown to chronically, perhaps permanently, affect the amygdala.

I think this, too, points the way for further research on diagnosed PTSD sufferers and their level of religiosity. Especially with adult, chronic PTSD sufferers such as war veterans, before-and-after the event(s) comparisons of religious belief, as well as the exact nature of change in belief, would surely be fertile neuroscience territory.

Scott Atran

Answer 3

Even as a Christian I try not to put too much thought in words of dying people, my reason for it is beause of the weird things the body does as it is shutting down for the final time. SOME people lose control of bodily functions, including speech. You never know if they meant to say it or if it was some wild synapse that just misfired. Thats how I view it, but I also don't think there is a right or wrong answer on this.

Answer 4

You are right, it does happen.
My Dad died after severe injuries from a car accident.
In the hospital, My Mom was with him, she fall asleep during the day time, and she dreamed about her father in law, deceased 23 years ago at that time, that he was comforting her with so great compassion. She was awaken by my Dad screaming of pain, when she opened her eyes, she spotted my grand-father standing near the bed, for may be tenth of second, that it was 3 days before my Dad died.
The day of the crash, when I had seen my Dad, he said that when rolling out of the car, he saw his parents, and he just couldn't believe that he is still alive.
He survived 18 days.

Answer 5

Near death experience are simply hallucinogenic experiences caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. This was proved by the aerospace industry testing the G-force limits of humans in the centrifuge.

Answer 6

Using the Bible as the basis for my comment - Lazarus, not the one Jesus raised, wanted to leave Hell and come back to warn his brothers that such a place existed and awaited them unless they changed. Lazarus was told that no one can cross the great chasm and come back.

As for the old man. Unless he accepted Christ with his dying breath, he, also, according to the Bible, joined Lazarus and others on the wrong side of the chasm.

Jim DeSantis
http://answersplus.info/a/4Christians

Answer 7

The brain functions erratically when it's dying. Even aside from the physical process, psychologically, it's a fearful, stressful time for a person, and there isn't going to be a lot of rational thought going on. Nothing supernatural about it.

Answer 8

Job 27:1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, 2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; 3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; 4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. 5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. 6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. 7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. 8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? 9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? 10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? 11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. 12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain? 13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. 14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. 15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. 16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; 17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. 18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh. 19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not. 20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. 21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. 22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. 23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

Luke 16:22 - And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

Luke 18:25 - For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

James 1:11 - For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Answer 9

Grace (not law) unto you, and peace (not division),
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Where & when no law law, there no sin nor death imputed.
(Rom4:15->Rom5:13->1Cor15:56->Jam1:15->Rev22:21)

By Law God: everybody dies (all perish), not some only.
By Grace God: nobody dies (none perish), no, not any.

Law: the ministration of death: extinction (dinosaurish)
Grace: the ministration of life: salvation (new and living)

Nobody really dies in a movie, nor in a God "shew".
It's all "allegory" and "mystery" to solve, "in time";
since there's neither mystery nor time in eternity.

There is NO respect of persons with God. NONE!
There is only respect of persons (partiality) against God.
God cannot be one by division; But God is one by unity.

Look up "their part" vs "your part" to see the two parts.
One part is called the "contrary part" played by "them".
Contrary things can't co-exist in peace. God exists in peace.

Mean-while, until we all get it: understanding = grace glory,
we're all grounded, and those who've died are groundead.

The GRACE(ONLY) of our Lord Jesus->Christ with you->all. Amen.

Answer 10

He was delirious is all. It doesn't sound like he had God in his life at all so I think he was doomed. I don't know though. I think sometimes at the moment of death the door between is open and some glimpses may be seen