Steve Jobs' final words, 'Oh wow!' spark intrigue about spiritual visions before death. Experts link such utterances to heightened brain activity and deep spiritual experiences near the end.
Steve Jobs' last words, 'Oh Wow! Oh Wow! Oh Wow!' still captures people's attention all around the world. Jobs' sister Mona Simpson revealed in a tribute in The New York Times that Steve said 'Oh Wow!' thrice, each time with a greater intensity before he passed away.
His last words triggered speculation on whether he saw something extraordinary or if he had a vision of peace or the afterlife.
Scientifically, it is proven that people on the verge of death have seen ethereal lights, dead relatives and even had spiritual experiences.
Medical experts have deeply studied the brain's behavior at the time of death. Brain's temporal lobe and hippocampus, areas linked to memories, emotions and spirituality, can sense heightened fluctuations that can generate mental imagery or what we call 'past memories'. This is why some people utter unusual words while the soul leaves their body.
Some cases also showcased unresponsive individuals on their deathbed, suddenly being alert and articulate before dying. They are usually speaking of unseen realms or peaceful visions.
Jobs’s spiritual inclinations were well-known. At 19, he travelled to India searching for spiritual enlightenment, hoping to meet the revered Neem Karoli Baba, who had already passed. That trip sparked his lifelong interest in mindfulness, simplicity, and self-discovery.
He often practiced meditation and once said it “stills the mind” and helps one experience the depth of the present. Those who were there during his final moments said he passed away peacefully, almost like a meditative yogi.
Jobs’s final words are far from unique. History is rich with intriguing last utterances from well-known figures:
Thomas Edison: “It is very beautiful there.”
Leonardo da Vinci: Regretted not completing his work for God and mankind.
Annie Besant: “The curtain is being removed. Now I can see clearly. There are beings of light here.”
Such words often hint at visions of another dimension or spiritual presence in the room.
Dr. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, a renowned psychiatrist, studied hundreds of near-death experiences and boiled them down to some common themes. Many people on their deathbeds claim to have divine encounters, serene, radiant landscapes, or long-lost relatives.
Medical professionals, especially in ICUs, have witnessed patients regaining awareness just before death and describing peaceful scenes or voices calling to them.
Even after decades of research, science hasn't fully uncovered these experiences. While many theories exist, including brain chemistry and electrical surges, none completely explain why some people report vivid spiritual moments at death’s door.
Some of these accounts are so intense that individuals have even defied the odds, momentarily recovering or awakening from a near-death state after 'receiving messages' that it wasn’t their time yet.
Of course, not everyone says something before passing. Some die in complete silence, though their gestures, expressions, or mere presence convey deep emotion.
One of the most common last words remains: 'Maa', a heart-wrenching reminder of the unbreakable bond between an individual and their mother.
