Terminal lucidity, why does it occur?

Terminal lucidity is a phenomenon that has been talked about since the time of Hippocrates, the Greek doctor who lived four centuries before our era. Curiously, it is one of the least studied events by science, despite its relevance. The bulk of the information on this topic is anecdotal, although there is also research on the matter.

There is talk of terminal lucidity when a patient with dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s, suddenly regains consciousness shortly before death. From one moment to the next, they remember everything they had forgotten and behave as naturally as if they had never had a problem. Shortly after, they die.

This phenomenon is of great importance, as it would be an indication that dementias They are reversible. That the problem is in access to information, not in the loss of information. So far it has not been possible to explain why terminal lucidity occurs, but there are several hypotheses in this regard. We will talk about all this soon.

Terminal lucidity: some testimonies

Terminal lucidity often occurs in some people with dementia.

Testimonies about terminal lucidity abound among relatives of people with different dementias. Also in nursing homes and hospitals. Some of these situations have even been shared in newspapers and social networks, becoming famous.

One of them is that of a woman who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and was cared for by her daughter and grandchildren. One day, to the astonishment of his family, he regained his lucidity.. He told her daughter that everything would be fine on the 31st. Just on August 31, this woman died, after two days of talking to her family, he felt happy to have been able to say goodbye to her.

Another well-known case was that of another terminally ill woman who, shortly before dying, as usual, appeared to be very sleepy. Her family hoped that she would not die before two of her grandchildren arrived, as they wanted them to be able to say goodbye to her, even though she was not aware of this. Surprisingly, When the grandchildren arrived, she opened her eyes, said a prayer for each of them, and then died..

Why does lucidity recover?

There are no certainties about the reasons why some people experience terminal lucidity. The frequency of this phenomenon is also unknown. since there seem to be many more who die without having gone through this state of recovered consciousness.

Some researchers think that there is an intense release of hormones, such as adrenaline and others, when the body is close to death. This overproduction could cause powerful effects on the brain, to the point where would activate neurons and this would lead to the recovery of lucidity.

However, this hypothesis has a problem. It is assumed that in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, there are neurons that are irreversibly damaged.. How come they suddenly work? It is ruled out that regeneration of such neurons occurs. So where does that lucidity come from?

The mind and the brain

The activation of certain neurons seems to influence terminal lucidity.

Another hypothesis regarding the phenomenon of temporal lucidity indicates that this would be an expression of the distance between mind and brain. The brain is not the mind, nor is the mind the brain. Neuropsychiatrist Peter Fenwick, author of the book The art of dyingindicates that the mind is a reality that is part of a universal consciousness.

The brain, for its part, is comparable to a television set.. It would be like the device that captures the signals of that universal consciousness, but does not have the capacity to produce them. And just like a television, it displays such signals as if they were coming from it, even though they are not.

Therefore, when the brain does not function correctly, it transmits signals in a distorted way. So things are, Shortly before dying, the brain connects with that universal consciousness and then stops distorting the signals. In this way, what is known as terminal lucidity emerges, which would be a reconnection between brain and mind.

The point is that none of these hypotheses can be completely tested, at least for now.. Terminal lucidity is usually very temporary and there is no time to observe it. It would also be unethical, since the person involved is not in a position to give consent. Likewise, an investigation could interfere with that almost “sacred” moment in which a person about to die manages to reconnect with the world and with the beings they love.

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