Death may feel like the final chapter of a person’s story. While it can be heartbreaking for loved ones, those approaching death may actually experience surprising moments of euphoria. Palliative care worker Simon Boas once shared this perspective in a BBC interview, reflecting on his own near-death experience. “I’m as happy as I’ve ever been in my life,” he said, speaking from the edge of that transition.
The experience of dying is still a mystery, but research suggests some may feel happiness or euphoria in their final moments. One example is neuroanatomist Jill Bolte-Taylor, who, in her TED talk, shared how she felt a profound sense of euphoria and even nirvana during a near-death experience following a stroke that shut down her left brain hemisphere.
In September 2023, Simon was diagnosed with throat cancer. He was just 46 when he was told that he didn’t have too much time to live. Recording the experiences of his life, Simon wrote a book called “A Beginner’s Guide to Dying,” which is set to be published posthumously in October 2024. “What I’m trying to convey is how enjoying life to the full kind of prepares you for this,” he told BBC of his upcoming book.
He went on to recount some of his experiences where death was believed to be a part of life and hence prepared him for the moment that was to come. “I’ve lived in places where death is something that not just exists in the background, but is imminently possible,” he said. It is not just Simon’s belief. Buddhists have long considered death a “part of life.” According to them, life, death, and rebirth are a cycle, and the ultimate goal of humans is to become free of this cycle.
“It does us all good to think about it. That’s not in a gloomy way… by kind of realizing it’s inevitable and it’s a part of life, it actually throws life into perspective and helps you to enjoy it more and prioritize the important things,” Simon said. How Simon was able to maintain such cheerfulness in what he knew was his last few days, can also be explained by science.
A 2011 study showed that dying rats depicted high levels of a brain chemical called serotonin, which is linked with feelings of happiness. No wonder, something similar could happen in dying humans too. Plus, a 2017 research published in the journal Psychological Science also showed that the experience of dying people is surprisingly positive, and even more so, it is filled with love and hope.
“You don’t need to have been a politician or a mover and shaker or an aid worker or anything in life. All of us make a huge difference,” Simon proclaimed. “All our tombs will be unvisited in a few years; all our actions will mostly be unremembered; but the smile you gave the checkout lady or the kind words you gave to a stranger in the street could still be rippling forward. We all have that opportunity and it’s a huge power. And I want everyone to realize how special and precious they are.”
“All our lives are little books,” Simon said to BBC, “but they’re not someone else’s complete book. You’re a chapter or a page or a footnote in someone else’s life and they are going to keep writing beautiful chapters when you are gone.” Simon’s words strongly resonate with Roman philosopher Seneca, who once said, “To have lived long enough depends neither upon our years nor upon our days, but upon our minds.”
