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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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[–] visak 11 points 1 year ago

I don't think there's any great mystery to this. We want to breed with the mate most likely to help us produce viable offspring. Therefore we're sensitive to indications of health and good genes. Symmetry, smoothness of muscle movements, quality of skin & hair, indications of good blood flow, even things like regular breathing are all indications. When we see a simulation that appears not quite human it's noticable for all those details. That detection of unhealthy can easily detect death of course. There may also have been an instinct to avoid the sick, but social pressures override that sometimes.

The internet theory that we wanted to detect imposter humans is silly. Early hominids interbred a lot. It's not "human" that we're sensitive too. Just health.