I’m an end of life doctor – here’s what really happens when you die

WHETHER you want to or not, death is something we cannot avoid thinking about.

It is a huge part of our lives, and is something we will all one day experience.

The process can seem a frightening one, as we don't know what will happen to us.

But many experts who work around death every day say it isn't anything to be afraid of.

Dr Kathryn Mannix specialises in palliative and end of life care, and describes it simply as a "process".

She said: “In my humble opinion, dying is probably not as bad as you’re expecting.

“We’ve lost the rich wisdom of normal human dying and it’s time for us to talk about dying and reclaim the wisdom.

“Dying, like giving birth, really is just a process. Gradually people become more tired, more weary.

"As time goes by people sleep more and they’re awake less.”

The author of With The End in Mind, gave her thoughts to a short film for BBC Ideas.

She wants to break down the taboo and encourage people to talk about what happens when someone is dying.

A&E doctor Thomas Fleischmann had previously shared he thinks there are five stages of dying, after witnessing almost 2,000 deaths.

At a TED Talk he said: "The first phase is there’s a sudden change and, from one instant to another, all pain is gone.

“All anxiety is gone, all fear is gone, all noises are gone - and there’s just peace, calmness and tranquillity. Some report joy."

He said the second stage is an "out of body experience", with the third feeling "comfortable" for nearly everyone.

Although some describe “terrible noises, terrible smells and terrible creatures”.

The doctor said in stage four patients often see light that starts to “shine into the complete blackness”.

Dying, like giving birth, really is just a process. Gradually people become more tired, more weary.

Dr Kathryn Mannix

He said near death survivors have reported seeing “beautiful surroundings, beautiful colours, some say beautiful music and the feeling of unconditional love” - which is the fifth stage.

Research published earlier this year revealed the process might be much more pleasant that we think.

Scientists accidentally captured our most complex organ as it shut down, showing an astonishing snapshot into death.

A patient with epilepsy was hooked up to an electroencephalogram (EEG) before having a heart attack.

This meant the 15 minutes around his death was recorded on the EEG.

In the 30 seconds either side of the patient's final heartbeat, an increase in very specific brain waves were spotted.

These waves, known as gamma oscillations, are linked to things like memory retrieval, meditation and dreaming.

This could mean - although many more studies would need to take place - we might see a sort of film reel of our best memories as we die.

The parts of the brain that were activated in this study also suggests we could enter a peaceful dreamlike state that feels similar to meditation.