Why do dead people's eyes stay open?
video...@yahoo.com
wondering:
- Why do the eyelids stay open after death? Without the muscles
holding them open, why do they not slide shut (as happens when a person
falls asleep)?
I searched a couple websites, but came up with no explanation.
Perhaps the real question I should be asking, "If eyes-open is the
natural/neutal state of eyelids, why do eyelids go shut when a person
sleeps?" (pondering)
.
Arrrggg
<video...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1154269635.4...@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
You didn't look hard enough, where's that brain power? :)
http://www.deep-six.com/Deathweb/PAGE221.htm Use the 'find on this page'
feature on your browser and use the word 'eyes.' In other words, eyes that
are open at death are likely to stay open due to muscle 'tonus' or relaxing
after death. Since the eye is spherical and protrudes slightly though the
lids, without muscle tone they do tend to spread apart. If death occurs
while sleeping, eyes that are closed probably stay closed due to fluids
causing stiction at the eyelids, the same fluids that crust the eyes in the
morning upon awakening.
BTR1701
"video...@yahoo.com" <video...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Having just watched a lot of people dying on 24 Season 5, it got me to
> wondering:
>
> - Why do the eyelids stay open after death? Without the muscles
> holding them open, why do they not slide shut (as happens when a person
> falls asleep)?
Because the muscles of the eyelids are in their relaxed state when open.
The body actually has to spend energy to flex the eyelid muscles to
close them, so even when you're sleeping, your body is unconsciously
doing work.
Captain Infinity
Hey, if I'm working while I'm sleeping I want a raise. Where's the
union chief when you need him?
**
Captain Infinity
..."Please don't allow this father-fucking son of
a bitch asshole (Ford Thaxton?) to win."
--Troy Heagy in
<2006072008500...@web30203.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
"Well for one thing, I have manners."
--Troy Heagy in
<1154091017....@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>
David Johnston
<video...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Having just watched a lot of people dying on 24 Season 5, it got me to
>wondering:
>
>- Why do the eyelids stay open after death? Without the muscles
>holding them open, why do they not slide shut (as happens when a person
>falls asleep)?
Muscles don't hold them open. They hold them closed.
Michael Bowker
Ok this is not my understanding. I don't really know for sure. But
what I was told when I ask this question (by a doctor) was that it's the
change of state that requires work. Either open or close the eyes are
are equally at "rest". So the eyes stay in the state they were in when
you die (unless acted upon externally). If your eyes were closed they
stay closed if open they stay open. You can either open a dead persons
eyes or close them and they stay that way as well (so I was told).
akj...@excite.com
That is consistent with what I have noted in the NCIS TV program.
Dr. Mallard has closed a dead person's eyes with a quick finger flick.
DTY...@gmail.com
I think muscles within the body work as a "pully" system, there are
muscles everywhere, but they can only contract, like in your arm, to
pull your arm closer to you, the muscles on the inner side of your arm
contract, pulling it towards you, if you want to extend your arm, the
muscles on the far side contract, pulling it in the oppesite direction.
It's probably the same for your eyelids, one set of muscles to close,
another to open, If you die pretty quickly, then the eyelids will
remain in the same state as they were before, as the body hasn't told
them to close. if you die slowly then the body starts shutting down
non-vital parts of the body to conserve heat and energy to vital
organs, so that's why people go cold, go numb, and, probably close
their eyes as it's less for the body to take in and process, it's
concern is to keep you alive, not to see what's around you.
Thanks my view anyway :)
bkl...@yahoo.com
Captain Infinity wrote:
> Once Upon A Time BTR1701 wrote:
>
> >In article <1154269635.4...@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
> > "video...@yahoo.com" <video...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Having just watched a lot of people dying on 24 Season 5, it got me to
> >> wondering:
> >>
> >> - Why do the eyelids stay open after death? Without the muscles
> >> holding them open, why do they not slide shut (as happens when a person
> >> falls asleep)?
> >
> >Because the muscles of the eyelids are in their relaxed state when open.
> >The body actually has to spend energy to flex the eyelid muscles to
> >close them, so even when you're sleeping, your body is unconsciously
> >doing work.
>
> Hey, if I'm working while I'm sleeping I want a raise. Where's the
> union chief when you need him?
I want caloric-credit! How many pints of Ben & Jerry's do we burn
keeping our eyes shut at night?!?
fact-c...@hotmail.com
> Having just watched a lot of people dying on 24 Season 5, it got me to
> wondering:
>
> - Why do the eyelids stay open after death?
=======
Since death is such a new experience for them,
dead people keep their eyes open so that they can see everything that
happens during it.
Analogy:
Would you go to a new movie and close your eyes during it?
(This answer is further proof that I should be sent to Washington to
solve all our country's problems.)
whodunit
R. W. Tompkins
This is very true and right-on the mark. I was at my father-in-law's
bedside when he passed away several years ago, and he passed away eyes
closed. They stayed closed. The attending told me that eyes open is usually
a sign of sudden, immediate death- the victim never saw it coming. It can
also be a sign of a peaceful passing from a waking state. Eyes will tend to
stay open or closed depending upon their position at the time of death.
That's also why when the eyes are closed by someone else, they usually stay
closed.
The bowels and bladder don't always evacuate, depending upon the pressure
that the urine or fecal matter was exerting on those particular sphincter
type muscles and position at time of death.
As to what happens to the 'soul', that's anyone's guess.
George Kerby
On 8/5/06 8:55 PM, in article 2yft5pxy3xw1.q...@40tude.net, "R.
W. Tompkins" <co...@frontiernet.net> wrote:
Since you guys are so interested, this from our weekly rag:
http://www.houstonpress.com/Issues/2006-08-03/news/feature.html
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