Okay - having had serious concussion (in bed, ears bleeding, knowing nothing) can I suggest that a person in those liminal states doesn't share our everyday sharp personal awareness of what's going on? Let's look at the two views on this: If you believe in the soul (as, I confess, I do) it is not there for that pummelling - it has already migrated. If it can come back it will, if not, it will be fine elsewhere. Oversimplified (google psychopomp) but basically true. If you don't, the consciousness is already degraded, diminished, and your pounding won't do it any more harm than a hard delivery via vaginal/caesarian birth did when it entered. Either way, you are working hard to try to get that person able to change their favourite type of frickin' biscuit, or not, should they choose. And the relatives will feel better long term than if they'd seen a "DNR" slapped on that person they loved, who watched telly with them, who enjoyed hearing one station on the radio. The dead either move on, or don't exist - the living matter in that they can be scarred by thinking they should have done more. Guilt is common in bereavement and anything you can do about that, 2 - 3 years on, sets them free. JMO.