The final moments before one’s death hold mixed emotions, entailing grief, cherished memories, and wishing peace and solace for the close one on the death bed. Constant prayers are being offered, wanting for a miracle to save lives if death seems to occur unexpectedly. However, when friends and family have accepted the faith of death for the person, then they join together in spending these last precious moments before the demise together. While this is in the process, it has often been noticed and narrated by several people across the globe as a miraculous yet strange phenomenon! Yes, you guessed it right! The eyes of the person seem to just open for a brief moment right before death! This has left people awestruck and scared too!
Not just laymen but also doctors, health practitioners, and researchers have been unable to produce a concrete explanation for this mysterious phenomenon. However, with combined disciplines and philosophical outlooks as well, there have been several researches and meanings given to this action. Moreover, spiritual gurus and religious practitioners also have deep-rooted reasons for this. We shall discover different angles, narratives, and explanations for this single mind-boggling phenomenon in this blog! We shall elaborately explore this enigmatic occurrence across both scientific and spiritual paths.
Understanding The Human Eye:
As the human body is transitioning towards death or cessation of life, the physiological processes occurring in the body observe a gradual shift. The overall body activity, including internal organs, blood flow, metabolism, oxygen supply, and hormonal circulation slow down. Moreover, there is also a change in the water retention of the body. Now concerning the activity of the eye, the overall muscle control is affected. Thus, the muscles controlling the eyelids also receive a sudden twitch which often results in the opening of the eyes before death. Most scientific observations and research findings suggest this explanation.
Additionally, the brain activity slowing down also could result in loss of motor control, causing this occurrence. This is mainly due to affected neural signalling that leads to a sudden opening of the eye before the entire body system shuts down.
Taking a Cultural And Spiritual Route:
According to various cultural beliefs, different explanations have been given for this phenomenon. However, the underlying meaning is quite constant- the person opens his/her eye to have a final glance at all the loved ones around. It comes with a belief that the person has been signalled by the Almighty or Supreme Power that his life has now come to a point of conclusion or end. With this acceptance, he opens his eyes to take a glimpse of the world around him. Sometimes, if the person on the death bed is heard conversing, or gesturing towards nothingness, some faiths consider it as a sign of talking to the death gods.
Another spiritual take is that the eyes close just before death when the body accepts its role and duties on the planet and transitions towards the journey as a soul. This is termed “aatma” in Hinduism and “aatman” in Buddhism. There are several other spiritual takes on different religious faiths. The miraculous occurrence of the eye is seen as the demarcation or the checkpoint for the body-to-soul transition to occur. It indicates expanding from the limitation of the physical body to the limitless consciousness.
How Do People React To This Occurrence?
Of course, depending on the belief systems, cultural background, and degree of leniency towards both science and spirituality, different people are seen to be reacting differently to this. However, the common emotions and reactions have been awe, amazement, surprise, and shock to the majority. People tend to also be confused, however, the doctors and medical professionals help them out by explaining why this occurs. If any elders in the family are well-versed in religious and cultural connections, they put forward their explanation too. Regardless of which part of the explanation is taken, the opening of the eyes just before death paves a way to know and accept the point of the death of your close one.
It is often seen as a coping mechanism also for the bereaved family as they receive a sense of closure for the death. It gives them the strength to proceed into the phase of mourning and reminiscing over the spent memories.
Embracing The Mystery:
There have been discussions or questions as to which explanation to completely accept and believe. Most are content with taking a mix of both scientific and spiritual beliefs and conjuring up an explanation that sits well with helping them move on from the loss in a better way. The blog aims to not urge the readers to conclude with one concrete explanation. Rather, we should understand that death and concepts of fate afterlife are unexplainable and unexplored. No advancements in science can decode the true meaning of the events, at least in the near future. This speaks volumes about the complexity and essence of life and nature. Let us embrace the mystery behind it and appreciate the creation of natural processes!
Conclusion:
The occurrence of life and death has been fascinating in the way events unfold according to the force of nature. There are small elements of occurrences that are also equally mysterious. One such is the sudden opening of the eyes before the death of the person. For centuries together, people from different parts of the world have been noticing this. This often leaves people in either shock or surprise. Out of all the possible explanations, the scientific stand talks about the physiological effects on muscle activity while the spiritual angle talks about the transcendence of life. However, there remains a mystery as to which explanation truly fits the phenomenon and it is best to leave this a mystery.
This occurrence is seen as a sign of acceptance toward death, thus, indicating preparation for further proceedings. This includes a dignified farewell in the most heartfelt way. Beleiv can be your partner for solace and top-notch funeral arrangements. During these times of loss and bereavement, the empathetic team at Beleiv combines the essence of traditions and the uniqueness of your personalized additions to give the most well-deserved goodbye to your loved one!
Also Read : The After-life Journey of the Soul According to Hinduism
