Death is an ever-present, pervasive fear that looms over Western society. It's considered a taboo. Something to avoid, deny, shake your fist at, rather than acknowledge and accept it as it is -- inevitable.
Naturally, like most things taboo, this intrigues me; I have an intense fear of death, and I wish to confront it, so why not write about it? I think next I'll write something about funeral traditions in the West pre-colonisation.
Around 15 minutes after death, your skin will pale due to lack of blood flow. This is known as pallor mortis, "paleness of death".
Next, livor mortis -- "bruise of death" -- this is the process of blood sitting in the lower part of the body. This usually sets in within 20 minutes, but is only noticeable to the human eye after 2 hours, and will only increase each hour. Observation of livor mortis is a common way for coroners to approximate a time of death for a person, although it is not as reliable as algor or rigor mortis.
"Coldness of death," also known as algor mortis, is the next stage. As apparent in its name, it is the process of the steady temperature decline after death, which is caused by the absence of thermoregulation. However, there are several factors that can affect this, such as the environment the body is in, what clothing it is wearing, and the presence of disease or drugs.
Rigor mortis is next -- within 3-4 hours, your muscles begin to stiffen due to chemical changes in muscle structure, and will stay rigid for up to 36 hours. Similarly to algor mortis, rigor mortis can be affected by the surrounding temperature, drugs, muscle mass, and disease.
Once rigor mortis passes, you've reached the final stage of death -- decomposition. Within the first few hours of decay, your cell membranes break down into enzymes that begin the process of autolysis; self-destruction. The body destroys itself from the inside-out.
Then, putrefaction, which is the first stage of decay -- internally, the bacteria residing within you begins to eat at your internal organs, starting with your larynx and finishing with your uterus or prostate.
Externally, the stench of decay attracts insect visitors -- flies in particular. Your dead body will be used to house their young in every orifice; eyes, mouth, nose, genitals. Within 24 hours your body writhes with larvae, within a few days, maggots.
Your abdomen begins to distend due to the increase of gas-producing bacteria, which causes facial and genital swelling, and putrefactive liquid expulsion from the mouth and nostrils. Your skin discolours further into a blue-green marbling and forms blisters. These blisters result in skin slippage, where, as the name describes, your skin begins to "slip" off your body, thus causing your hair and nails to weaken and begin to purge.
Several different types of insects will begin to colonise the body -- blowflies, beetles, mites, and even begin predating each other; your body an endless cycle of life and death. Your organs and cavities begin bursting and liquefying.
Eventually the bloated body ruptures and insects and bacteria will begin to consume the body whole. Depending on where the body lays, the ground beneath it will begin to fester and mould.
Then, dry decay. The body skeletonises.
The process of death and decay is scary and disgustingly beautiful. As gross as it is, your body becomes a birthplace, an Eden.
Your death gives life to thousands of organisms. Knowing this makes it a little less scary to me. Although physically I am dead, I live on in the stomachs of insects and the ground of which surrounds me.
I adore the idea of being buried underneath a freshly planted tree, my corpse it's sustenance, and it my rebirth.
