What happens to us after we die? It is a question that puzzles many people. Though there is debate about what happens to one's consciousness after death, when it comes to the physical body, the timeline is well documented. Indeed, after one's heart stops beating, the body undergoes several more weeks of activity before things finally come to a complete stop. A warning before you continue, however: The upcoming exposition is not for the weak of stomach!

The first stage the body goes through post-death is self-digestion. A few minutes after respiration and circulation cease, the body's enzymes begin to break down its own organs and tissue. Simultaneously, bacteria living in the gastrointestinal tract start digesting the body's innards. With no immune system to stop them, these bacteria gradually spread throughout the body, excreting copious amounts of foul-smelling gas as they feast.

This leads to the second stage of decomposition—bloating. Quickly filling with the aforementioned gas, the body swells up like a balloon while the pressure forces fluids out via any available opening. The stench of the decomposing body attracts swarms of flies that lay their eggs in the soft, rotting flesh.

These eggs soon hatch, and the maggots that emerge start to feed, speeding up the decomposition process. We are now into what's known as the active decay stage. Most of the body's mass disappears because of bacteria and maggot activity, and the remaining liquefied tissue leaks into the surrounding environment.

When maggots leave the body, it is a sign that the body is now into the advanced decay stage. Only bones, hair, cartilage, and ligaments remain, and insects with chewing mouthparts, such as beetles and mites, will now move in to process this tougher material. Before long, all that is left is a dry skeleton.

Facing the physical reality of death is certainly not pleasant. But you can take some comfort in the fact that it is a natural process that happens to all living things. By being broken down in this way, the body returns its nutrients to Mother Nature, giving nourishment and energy to future life.

人在過世後會發生什麼事？這是許多人困惑不已的問題，儘管大家對於逝者的意識何去何從，一 直存有爭議，但說到肉身腐朽的流程，倒是已有詳備記述。事實上，在心臟停止跳動後，人體還要經 歷數週的活動，最後才會完全歸於平靜，不過在你繼續讀下去之前，先提醒你一下：接下來的解說內 容可不適合胃弱一族！

遺體會經歷的第一個階段，就是「自消化」（自溶），在呼吸與血液循環停止運作的幾分鐘後，遺 體內的?就會開始分解自體的器官和組織，與此同時，胃腸道裡的細菌也開始消化身體的內臟，由 於沒有免疫系統阻攔，這些細菌便逐漸擴散到整個身體，在大快朵頤之際排放出大量臭氣。

隨之而來的是第二階段的分解過程，也就是「發脹」。上述的氣體會迅速充斥整個遺體，使得遺體 像氣球一樣膨脹起來，而氣體構成的壓力會迫使體內液體從七孔八竅中流出，遺體分解時散發的惡 臭則引來成群的蒼蠅，在鬆弛、潰爛的腐肉中產卵。

這些蒼蠅卵不久就會孵化，孵出來的蛆蟲會加入進食大軍，加速分解的過程，接著就會進入所謂 的「活性腐爛」階段。由於細菌和蛆蟲的進食活動，遺體大部分的質量都會流失，剩下的液化組織會 外溢至周圍的環境。

蛆蟲的離開，則表示遺體進入了「進階腐爛」階段。這時遺體僅會剩下骨頭、毛髮、軟骨、韌帶，於 是就輪到甲蟲及蹣蟲等具有咀嚼口器的昆蟲登場，料理相對堅硬的部分，不久後，剩下的就是一具乾 枯的骨架。

面對肉體消亡的現實面肯定令人不甚自在，但你可以感到寬慰的是，這是眾生萬物都將面臨的自然 過程，藉由如此分解腐朽，遺體可將內含的營養素歸還給大自然，為未來的生命提供滋養與能量。