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Non-religious emergency responders/medicos of Lemmy, do you believe that something is 'missing' when looking at a corpse? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 1 year ago by Bluetreefrog to c/asklemmy

46 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Firefighter here. I was reflecting on a fatality I attended recently. My thoughts wandered to how a body looks like it is 'just matter' in a way that a living thing does not, even when sleeping. Previously I assumed this observation was just something to do with traumatic death, but this person seemed to have died peacefully and the same, 'absence' of something was obvious.

I'm not a religious person, but it made me wonder if there actually is something that 'leaves' when someone dies (beyond the obvious breathing, pulse etc).

I'm not looking for a 'my holy book says', kind of discussion here, but rather a reflection on the direct, lived experiences of people who see death regularly.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Of course no one knows what happens to the electrical energy in a human upon death… but, it definitely leaves the body.

Of course we know.

Cells create electric potential by pumping different kind of ions in or out of the cell. That requires ATP which is produced during metabolism. If you're dead your cells stop producing ATP and everything, including the ion pumps, stop working. So no more electricity.

It doesn't "leave" the body. The body stops generating it.

[–] MedicPigBabySaver 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sure. It stops working. I get that. As I mentioned, I believe, maybe.. just maybe human energy might continue as a spirit/ghost. Definitely not saying it's true.

[–] TheDoctorDonna 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Everyone is entitled to their belief. I also kinda like the idea of maybe being a ghost one day and while I don't necessarily believe in ghosts I also don't believe that they don't exist either. I want to haunt an amusement park.

[–] MedicPigBabySaver 5 points 1 year ago

Just don't mess with the rollercoaster restraints trying to make a new ghost friend.