The Stages of a Natural Death

Months/Weeks to Days before Dying

1. Most people feel tired. They may want to sleep more often, or for longer periods.
2. They may want to talk less, although some may want to talk more.
3. Digestive System slows down. So many people eat lesser or want to eat different foods.
4. Regeneration of new cells ceases. Skin might become thinner.
5. Days prior to death, control over breathing starts to fail. It becomes much more erratic with time with periods of shallow and deep breaths.
6. Skin may look pale and loses its prior coloration as circulatory processes begin to ebb.
7. Hours prior to death, some may lose consciousness, become agitated, happy or calm (depending on the lives they've lived).

The Physical Process of Dying

• Pallor mortis, paleness which happens in the first 15-120 minutes after death.
• Algor mortis, the reduction in body temperature following death. This is generally a steady decline until matching ambient temperature.
• Rigor mortis, the limbs of the corpse become stiff (Latin rigor) and difficult to move or manipulate.
• Livor mortis, or dependent lividity, a settling of the blood in the lower (dependent) portion of the body.
• Putrefaction, the beginning signs of decomposition.

The Pancha-pranas / 5 Vital Energies

Samana Vayu exits the body 21- 24 minutes after a person is declared dead. Being in charge of maintaining the temperature in the body, its exit is characterized by the body cooling down. Prana Vayu exits within 48-64 minutes (upto 90 in unnatural deaths) after breath stops. The respiratory (not breathing) and thought process is still on in a vague sense till prana exits. Udana Vayu exits within 6-12 hours after breath stops. Being responsible for buoyancy, the body starts becoming heavy in its absence and rigor mortis sets in. There are occult processes/tantra which could revive the body up till this time. Apana Vayu exits somewhere between 8-18 hours after breath stops. Apana is in charge of sensory perception, so the body can feel sensations. There have been many tales of a dead body moving, twitching hours later. Vana Vayu, the preservative nature of prana is the slowest to exit. It continues to do so up to 11-14 days (48-90 in unnatural deaths). There is still some element of life till this time and an opportunity to assist that life, which the after-death rituals of the East seek to take advantage of.

Tags: death