Can we make death better?
The other day, I was reading comments from people who have had near-death experiences. Surprisingly, this proximity to death seemed to give many of them a sense of calm and acceptance about when their time truly comes. Several reported feelings of euphoria or described a kind of spiritual awakening. Some theorize that the body releases natural DMT when we are close to death, which could help explain the vivid visions and sensations people often describe. While the idea of endogenous DMT release remains debated and not conclusively proven in humans, the consistency of near-death reports across cultures suggests that the brain may have mechanisms for easing the transition at life’s end—whether neurochemical, psychological, or both.
Death is a truly universal human experience, and no matter what we do to try to avoid it, eventually it comes for us. Yet we tend to be deeply uncomfortable discussing it—especially in Western culture—and we tend to fear it as well.
What is…
