It’s not unusual to hear stories about people who have passed away, especially when family members share surprising anecdotes about their behavior before death. Some folks talk about saying goodbyes, resolving troubled relationships, or even giving away cherished belongings, almost like they knew something before anyone else did.
Now, some might say it’s just a coincidence, while others firmly believe that people have a sense of when death is near.
When someone passes away, the body starts to break down immediately. Scientists have discovered that a substance called putrescine is responsible for the foul and toxic odor during decomposition. Interestingly, humans seem to unconsciously recognize this smell, and when it’s released, it triggers an immediate response.
So, it turns out that there might be some science behind these tales of pre-death behaviors, adding a curious twist to the mystery of what happens in those final moments.
Animals have an incredible skill to pick up on and react to the scents of others, similar to how they detect danger, whether it’s from a predator or a more powerful member in their group.
A study led by Arnaud Wisman, hailing from the School of Psychology at the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK, and Ilan Shira from the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, AK, proposes the existence of unforeseen parallels between animals and humans in this context.
Detecting chemical scents plays a crucial role in the survival of various species, including humans. The smell of danger, even the threat of dᴇαth, is often revealed through our sense of smell.
In the process of decay, a chemical compound called putrescine is released from a decaying body. Interestingly, putrescine serves a dual purpose as a warning signal. When people are exposed to this scent, both their conscious and subconscious reactions come into play.
To delve deeper into these reactions, four different experiments were conducted using putrescine, ammonia, and water to study how people respond to these scents.
In one of the experiments, putrescine was exposed at a site, and the immediate response from people was to move away from the area. This aligns with the classic fight-or-flight reaction observed in the face of danger.
Similar to animals, when humans sense they are in real danger, there are typically two instinctual responses: either confront the threat or quickly retreat from it. The study revealed that people exhibit this same primal reaction.
Interestingly, there are also other scents that trigger responses in humans, such as sweat. Separate studies have demonstrated that exposing individuals to the sweat of someone in a fearful situation can elicit an automatic and startled reflex in others who smell it.
“We do not know why we like (or dislike) someone’s smell, and we’re usually not aware of how scent influences our emotions, preferences, and attitudes,” Wisman and Shira explained.
“It is hard to think of a scent as frightening,” note two prominent researchers. However, these scents play a role in making people more alert and vigilant about their surroundings.
When it comes to humans’ natural reaction to danger, facing it head-on and fighting is not the typical response. Most people tend to avoid confrontation, whether it’s verbal or physical. In general, people choose to keep a distance until fighting becomes the only remaining option.
Despite the differing nature of their responses, both putrescine and Sex pheromones are rooted in the realm of scent. Sex pheromones are substances the body releases to attract a mate, while putrescine acts like a signal to warn about something.
The researchers explain, “Putrescine signals a different type of message than pheromones, but people’s responses to putrescine (avoidance and hostility) do seem indeed to be the opposite of responses to many sexual pheromones.”
Throughout the study, individuals were not consciously aware that they had a negative reaction to the scent.
