Firefighter here. I was reflecting on a fatality I attended recently. My thoughts wandered to how a body looks like it is ‘just matter’ in a way that a living thing does not, even when sleeping. Previously I assumed this observation was just something to do with traumatic death, but this person seemed to have died peacefully and the same, ‘absence’ of something was obvious.
I’m not a religious person, but it made me wonder if there actually is something that ‘leaves’ when someone dies (beyond the obvious breathing, pulse etc).
I’m not looking for a ‘my holy book says’, kind of discussion here, but rather a reflection on the direct, lived experiences of people who see death regularly.
I love this question! I’ve seen it asked a few different ways. “What evolutionary benefit did the recoil reaction to the ‘uncanny valley’ provide?”. Thinking about the answer is kinda scary.
I’d think one benefit of being able to quickly discern between the living and the dead would be increased survival chances during death events. If you can see that someone is dead, less likely to face a dangerous predator, natural disaster, or contagion, or at least stop investing precious time in those situations if they found themselves in them.
I think it’s mostly for things like rabies or other contagious diseases that make people act differently. That’s mostly because frankly, I don’t get nearly as much of a reaction to an unanimated but lifelike robot/mannequin/sex doll/CGI screenshot as I do to a moving one, and I wouldn’t describe my reaction to a dead body as uncanny valley at all. That said, it was a loved one’s body and I watched them die peacefully, so that could reduce any unnerving aspects.
I’ve heard the uncanny valley affect also being attributed to ancient ancestors encountering other early non-human-but similar competitors. The effect of, “Oh look, another Neanderthal- Wait, shit, not like me, abort abort!”. I don’t know how likely that is, but it’s an interesting thought.
