Death Let Me Taste Dying, And Left A Scar Shaped 6
“Dying of old age” is seen as a beautiful ending. Young people, especially those in their twenties like me, rarely talk about death. Yet how we confront death is one of humanity’s ultimate questions.
So what exactly is the experience of dying?
First, even gods cannot avoid death. The death of Zeus, the death of Sun Wukong (here referring to bodily death)… Mythologies and fairy tales often talk about birth and glory, but rarely about death — to preserve grandeur or to set gods apart from mortals.
The saying “since ancient times, who has not died” speaks to physical death. Let’s not talk about psychological or spiritual death here. The so-called immortals live only in people’s memories. And the unfortunate deaths — excluding natural ones — are often blamed on fate or, more often, caused by humans themselves.
So, what does death feel like? How does one know they’re about to die?
Perhaps we simply don’t know. That’s why people spend decades or centuries trying to figure it out. Only those who “returned” from death might describe it. This article focuses on the experience of being near death.
Near-death isn’t just “before dying”
The feeling is mostly fear, suffocation, panic. Yet the dying person may not realize what suffocation truly feels like. Some feel heroic or righteous, but death itself — or what comes after — is indescribable.
The living can’t truly know what death feels like.
So, what does near-death feel like?
It’s the moment someone realizes they’re going to die — or has accepted it.
Many cases exist. For example: an ancient criminal sentenced to death. When the head is cut off, the brain retains awareness for a brief moment — sensing death’s arrival. Or: a person bleeds alone, slowly dying — a long and painful process.
Near-death often means labored breathing, or the verge of losing it. I once experienced suffocation — here’s what it felt like:
Breathing slowed, vision blurred, legs lost strength, hands scrambled for something to hold on to.
These symptoms are often shared by those near death. Let’s set aside cryogenics or vegetative states. Lack of sensation doesn’t mean death. And how do you know a vegetative person isn’t aware? Likewise, how can we say the physically dead truly have no presence?
What is it like to survive death?
Rebirth — not in fiction, but in physical revival. If near-death is suffocation and fading, rebirth is:
Slow movement, blurred vision clearing up, nasal congestion easing, breath steadying again.
Not like zombies in American TV shows. More like a vampire, long deprived of blood,
tasting a drop — and suddenly, life returns. I hope that metaphor makes sense. Those who’ve been close to death often cherish life more.
Death is terrifying but must be faced. The feelings I’ve described are just a sliver of the full experience.
Reality may be harsh, but it doesn’t mean we can’t change it. In the end, I hope such unfortunate events stay far from you — for a very, very long time.