What is Bierce's likely interpretation of the death experience? What is Bierce's likely interpretation of the death experience?

I think the focus of
this story is how, in those precious seconds before we die, our consciousness and mind plays
tricks on us to such an extent that we can deceive ourselves so convincingly. Farquhar's
"escape" takes hours, but in reality it is played out against the backdrop of a couple
of minutes before Farquhar is hung. Bierce therefore is playing with the way that death
experiences affect our understanding, consciousness and perception.