What senses do people lose first when death is hours away?

Hunger and thirst are typically the first senses lost as death approaches, followed by speech and vision.

Which senses are the last to go before death?

Hearing and touch are usually the last senses to fade before death occurs.

Why might people see lights as they are dying?

A surge of brain chemicals before death can excite the visual system, potentially causing people to see lights.

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Last Sense to Fade Before Death Revealed

8 Feb

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Summary

Hunger and thirst are typically lost first as death nears.
Vision fades before hearing and touch, the final senses.
Brain activity spikes, causing visual hallucinations like lights.

Last Sense to Fade Before Death Revealed

Understanding the sensory experience of dying has long been elusive, largely due to the patient's inability to recount their final moments. Modern medicine, however, allows for more gradual declines, often termed "active dying," where senses are lost in a discernible order. According to palliative-care expert James Hallenbeck, hunger and thirst disappear first, followed by speech and then vision.

Hearing and touch are generally the last senses to cease. This progressive loss is associated with the brain's response to a critical decline. Neuroscientist Jimo Borjigin notes that moments before death, brain chemicals surge, potentially exciting the visual system and leading to experiences like seeing lights, as reported by cardiac arrest survivors.

While the exact moment of transition remains unclear, Hallenbeck likens it to an incoming storm, with awareness gradually receding. This period may represent a dream-like state rather than a coma, offering a profound insight into the human experience at life's end.