brain death, no respiration, or no heartbeat - when do people go to heaven/hell?

[Anonymous]

I'm curious about the perspectives of the faithful - when do you think a person crosses that threshold from earthly mortal, to going to the afterlife?

The case of Jahi McMath in the news has me thinking - the girl has been declared brain dead by several doctors, though she is being artificially kept "alive" through machines keeping hear blood flowing and making her breathe. But he brain is technically in necrosis.

The ethics of keeping someone in this state is debatable, but I'm wondering what the faithful think the threshold is, for when someone "crosses over," so to speak. At what point does a person ascend to the afterlife? And why that particular point? Where does a person's "soul" reside if their brain is basically gone and the cells have died? Does the soul still reside in the body?

If you're just going to respond "whatever God decides for that person," please don't bother responding. I'm looking for actual explanation on the process of death, from a faithful perspective on the mortal life.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure, but as I stood over my dying brother's body, I'm almost 100% sure that "he" was not in it. He was in a coma and on a respirator.
When I went to a medium, the spirit "told" us that he died pretty fast even though he was technically "alive" for a few days.
Also, even the Pope said that he'll doesn't exist.

[Anonymous]

Her soul has already passed on. The body is a shell. A machine is beating her heart. I am Catholic and have no issues with pulling the plug if brain dead and several medical professionals agree on the diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Her father said that he has seen her breathing on her own in between the respirator doing the breathing for her.

[Anonymous]

I was also curious about that case. I am Muslim and I believe death occurs when the soul leaves the body , i-e when the angel of death is sent to take your soul, but I really don't know when that occurs in the case of brain death? fascinating

[Anonymous]

Parents of adult children and teenager children who are dead or dying are the most broken-hearted people I've ever met. Of course her father sees her breathing. He wants to see her breathing. He isn't a good judge of whether she is breathing.

BTW, my husband is a hospice nurse. He frequently has family members who insist that a loved one is still breathing when that person has been dead for several minutes. He often has to convince them by having them listen with a stethoscope.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps off topic, but this experience ("pulling the plug") is much more difficult than people realize. My husband's mother was brain dead and had an end of life directive so there was no problems with the decision. We "pulled the plug" but it's not instantaneous as Hollywood movies lead you to believe. Even after all devices are removed and turned off, the body fights to live for several days. And they move, make noises, turn over...they appear very much alive. That's why it's so hard in these cases to accept death.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps off topic, but this experience ("pulling the plug") is much more difficult than people realize. My husband's mother was brain dead and had an end of life directive so there was no problems with the decision. We "pulled the plug" but it's not instantaneous as Hollywood movies lead you to believe. Even after all devices are removed and turned off, the body fights to live for several days. And they move, make noises, turn over...they appear very much alive. That's why it's so hard in these cases to accept death.

Very good point and one that have never had to "pull the plug" on their loved ones don't understand.

Even when my mom was in massive organ failure due to sepsis, her body fought to stay alive for about 10 minutes after being taken off the respirator.

It is not a simple as many may think.

[Anonymous]

She's already there. Wish her family could accept it. I know it is devastating, but it is time to mourn her loss here, and hope for a peaceful eternity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents of adult children and teenager children who are dead or dying are the most broken-hearted people I've ever met. Of course her father sees her breathing. He wants to see her breathing. He isn't a good judge of whether she is breathing.

BTW, my husband is a hospice nurse. He frequently has family members who insist that a loved one is still breathing when that person has been dead for several minutes. He often has to convince them by having them listen with a stethoscope.

He said the respirator indicator light turns a pink color when she is breathing on her own and it has turned pink.

[Anonymous]

That's called bucking the respirator, just a reflex action of the body, and causes the monitor to alarm. The brain stem will sometimes keep things like breathing, heart beat etc. going although the rest of the brain is "dead", which is why it takes some people so long to pass after life support is removed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Her soul has already passed on. The body is a shell. A machine is beating her heart. I am Catholic and have no issues with pulling the plug if brain dead and several medical professionals agree on the diagnosis.

I agree. I grew up Catholic. Now, I'm not sure (and feel pretty certain) that there is no "after life."

But being brain dead renders whoever that person was to the part after life whatever people envision that to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps off topic, but this experience ("pulling the plug") is much more difficult than people realize. My husband's mother was brain dead and had an end of life directive so there was no problems with the decision. We "pulled the plug" but it's not instantaneous as Hollywood movies lead you to believe. Even after all devices are removed and turned off, the body fights to live for several days. And they move, make noises, turn over...they appear very much alive. That's why it's so hard in these cases to accept death.

Very good point and one that have never had to "pull the plug" on their loved ones don't understand.

Even when my mom was in massive organ failure due to sepsis, her body fought to stay alive for about 10 minutes after being taken off the respirator.

It is not a simple as many may think.

Why didn't the doctors give her medication to stop breathing then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps off topic, but this experience ("pulling the plug") is much more difficult than people realize. My husband's mother was brain dead and had an end of life directive so there was no problems with the decision. We "pulled the plug" but it's not instantaneous as Hollywood movies lead you to believe. Even after all devices are removed and turned off, the body fights to live for several days. And they move, make noises, turn over...they appear very much alive. That's why it's so hard in these cases to accept death.

Very good point and one that have never had to "pull the plug" on their loved ones don't understand.

Even when my mom was in massive organ failure due to sepsis, her body fought to stay alive for about 10 minutes after being taken off the respirator.

It is not a simple as many may think.

Why didn't the doctors give her medication to stop breathing then?

Because that would be calling killing someone.

You CAN give someone pain medicine to help them feel comfortable, which may or may not help them pass quicker by suppressing the respiratory drive as a secondary effect... but you can not give them a paralytic where the primary effect would be to cease breathing function.

[Anonymous]

Only a handful are in heaven right now. Every dead person and the living will go either to heaven on hell once Jesus comes back. It will happen instantly. God can't be in the presence of evil. So if you aren't going to heaven you will never see him. You will just disappear, not sure if that means you go to hell or if by not being in heaven it's like hell. I hope and pray there is no real hell. But it's not up to me.