Why is the Long, Last Moment So Important?

"There is what we might call 'deathbed logic,' the idea that the last thought is so powerful as to override the wrongdoings of a lifetime, enabling a superior rebirth or even liberation itself."

Why is the Long, Last Moment So Important?
Our friend, Zenshin Buckley (May 28, 1942 - April 15, 2014), a few hours after death (photo credit, Tetsugan Sensei)