What might physics teach us about the soul?

[JackR]

I’m curious about the experience of a family member. They were with a female family member when she died. They made eye contact as she breathed her last breath, and saw a blue flash of light glow in her eyes and then leave her body.

I was wondering if anyone has experienced a similar thing, or if this blue light can be explained by physics?

[exchemist]

18 minutes ago, JackR said:

I’m curious about the experience of a family member. They were with a female family member when she died. They made eye contact as she breathed her last breath, and saw a blue flash of light glow in her eyes and then leave her body.

 

I was wondering if anyone has experienced a similar thing, or if this blue light can be explained by physics?

 

No. There is nothing in physics - or indeed biology - that would account for the emission of light from the eyes, seeing as eyes are designed not to emit it but to absorb it. 

[Bufofrog]

35 minutes ago, JackR said:

I was wondering if anyone has experienced a similar thing,

No.

[Phi for All]

37 minutes ago, JackR said:

I was wondering if anyone has experienced a similar thing, or if this blue light can be explained by physics?

It should seem suspicious that this hasn't been detected and monitored generally, considering how a dying person is so often hooked up to multiple machines and surrounded by loved ones watching them intently. Anomalies of light seen by a single person are easily explained in virtually every situation.

[iNow]

55 minutes ago, JackR said:

I was wondering if anyone has experienced a similar thing, or if this blue light can be explained by physics?

Explained by physics? No. Explained by psychology? Yes. 

[Autistic girl]

A "soul" is our combined being. It is not something metaphysical. So when we die, our "soul" dies with us.

[zapatos]

14 minutes ago, Autistic girl said:

A "soul" is our combined being. It is not something metaphysical. So when we die, our "soul" dies with us.

What is a "combined being"?

[Autistic girl]

3 minutes ago, zapatos said:

What is a "combined being"?

I am not religious, so I don't know what direction you're going with that question? But pretty sure it's obvious what I meant, your body and your mind. And his family member either a) lied b) hallucinated due to the grief or c) if we are going to be technical it could've just been an illusion created by light reflecting in his family member's hypothetical tears.

[zapatos]

2 minutes ago, Autistic girl said:

I am not religious, so I don't know what direction you're going with that question?

The direction I am going is trying to understand the meaning of a term you introduced. 

4 minutes ago, Autistic girl said:

But pretty sure it's obvious what I meant,

Pretty sure it wasn't.

4 minutes ago, Autistic girl said:

your body and your mind.

Thank you. That wasn't so hard, now was it? 😁

[swansont]

1 hour ago, Autistic girl said:

A "soul" is our combined being. It is not something metaphysical. So when we die, our "soul" dies with us.

!

Moderator Note

This is off-topic for this discussion. Please focus on whatever physics might be happening. Or lack thereof.

 

[Agent Smith]

On 7/15/2022 at 9:14 PM, Autistic girl said:

I am not religious, so I don't know what direction you're going with that question? But pretty sure it's obvious what I meant, your body and your mind. And his family member either a) lied b) hallucinated due to the grief or c) if we are going to be technical it could've just been an illusion created by light reflecting in his family member's hypothetical tears.

Bravo! You're on the right track lady! 

What was the cause of death? Exposure to radioactivity? Radium glows and are used in watches to light up the hour markers.

Then there's the possibility that seems rather far out viz. bioluminescence. Was the deceased a failed test subject in a secret government experiment?

 

[swansont]

6 minutes ago, Agent Smith said:

Bravo! You're on the right track lady! 

What was the cause of death? Exposure to radioactivity? Radium glows and are used in watches to light up the hour markers.

Then there's the possibility that seems rather far out viz. bioluminescence. Was the deceased a failed test subject in a secret government experiment?

 

Radium does not glow.

In those watches and other similar uses, radium decays and the emitted alpha particle strikes a phosphor, which is what emits the light.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_paint#radioluminescent_paint