Why do dying people reach upward?

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

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Jo Dirt

3,270 Posts

That is funny, because my father-in-law was an atheist and was not talking about or to dead people. We were having a difficult time with him, he did not want to cooperate and while we were trying to reason with him he just sat there and closed his eyes, then stretched his arms toward the sky and flopped them down at his sides.

FLArn

503 Posts

Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Rehab, Home Health.
motorcycle mama said:
That is funny, because my father-in-law was an atheist and was not talking about or to dead people. We were having a difficult time with him, he did not want to cooperate and while we were trying to reason with him he just sat there and closed his eyes, then stretched his arms toward the sky and flopped them down at his sides.

Just because we don't believe in something doesn't mean it's not real or true.

J Pep

1 Post

pattycakeRN said:

I would wager that "heaven" being commonly associated with 'up' has something to do with it. Lots of metabolic and chemical processes going on, a dying person's need to feel that there is something of an after life... lots of reasons. Interesting question, but I don't think anecdotal experiences (as many as there may be) prove that any such place exists.

Ridiculous. People in their last moments, many times coming out of unconsciousness only for a moment  don't have the ability to think about having a need for something. They're literally dying. We have proven evidence of heaven being a place in Jesus Christ. Who died and was raised to show he was the way to heaven. 

tencat said:

Makes you think, though. What purpose would it serve, biologically speaking, to see dead relatives? And why does pretty much every patient I've worked with in hospice see someone we can't see, regardless of their culture or religious beliefs? We can explain how it works, but we can't explain the why......I'm the ultimate agnostic, and I sure wonder what all that is about........I am not easily able to explain it away as purely chemical processes. What survival purpose do such experiences serve?

Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. 

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