Doctor shares exactly what happens to your body in final moments before death

Wherever you might have come from, dear reader, we're all inextricably bound for the same destination of death.

That, of course, is unless we find a way to preserve the human brain and plug it into an awesome robot body which renders us functionally immortal. Still, even then we'd surely not last forever and death is something everyone will eventually have to face.

What actually happens in those final moments is a source of great fascination for us, and there have been a number of studies into the specific process our body goes through.

Dr Kathryn Mannix explained the process in detail for BBC Science Focus, noting that even if we don't know for sure what happens afterwards we do have a clear idea of what to expect in those moments before you draw your terminal breath.

The good doctor explained that the process would happen at a different speed for different people, and some might need medical support to make their last moments as comfortable as possible.

People may do it at different speeds, but many of us will follow the same process as we die (Getty Stock Photo)

Dr Mannix explained that many people when dying would first lose their appetite for food and drink, though said that spoonfuls of something nice to give a 'taste for pleasure' may still be welcome even if someone couldn't stomach a full meal.

Studies into death have called this period 'active dying', and said that while people may lose their appetite they'd have an 'intense feeling of relaxation'.

Those who are dying 'consistently lack energy', and compared it to the fatigue brought on by serious illnesses that mean a person 'can't get out of bed'.

She added that as someone got closer to death they'd sleep more and yet sleep would do less to replenish their energy, and at times they would feel as though they had a peaceful sleep even if they didn't remember being unconscious.

As the final moments approach more and more bodily functions slow down, as heart rate and blood pressure drop and they may make a noise that's come to be known as the 'death rattle' which typically indicates they're in their final day of life.

The human body is essentially designed to die, and has some features which will help ease the final moments (Getty Stock Photo)

A person's breathing then becomes slow and shallow until it eventually stops altogether, and the doctor said that after a few minutes the lack of oxygen would cause the heart to stop beating.

As for what happens in the brain, studies have indicated that in the last moments before death there's an increase in brain activity in the areas related to memories and dreaming.

Others who have witnessed plenty of death said that some people would do something called 'visioning', where they thought they could clearly see lost loved ones.

Something else that can happen shortly before the end is something called 'the rally', where a few days before death a person will seem to be more like their former selves for a time.

This is sometimes mistaken as a sudden and miraculous recovery, and you shouldn't get too encouraged by this as 'the rally' fades away again and death is usually only a few days away at that point.