A groundbreaking new study has shed light on what happens in our bodies in the moments before and after we die.
Brain activity similar to meditation, dreaming or memory recall passes over the brain in its final moments, the study found, suggesting there may be a final feeling of serenity as humans pass away.
“Something we may learn from this research is: Although our loved ones have their eyes closed and are ready to leave us to rest, their brains may be replaying some of the nicest moments they experienced in their lives,” Dr. Ajmal Zemmar, the study’s co-author, said in a statement.
The study, published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, is based on one of the first recordings of a dying brain, which occurred accidentally at a hospital in Vancouver.
An 87-year-old man was admitted to the facility following a fall, with neuroscientists hooking him up to electroencephalography (EEG) technology to detect for seizures.
EEG involves electrodes being placed along a patient’s scalp in a bid to measure activity in different parts of the brain.
While the man’s brain was being recorded with EEG, he suffered a heart attack and passed away, allowing scientists to examine what happened to the organ in the moments before and after his death.
“We measured 900 seconds of brain activity around the time of death,” Zemmar said. “We set a specific focus to investigate what happened in the 30 seconds before and after the heart stopped beating.”
A study of the EEG recording reveals that there was an increase in gamma oscillations — also known as “brain waves” — in the final seconds before the man passed away.
Gamma oscillations are involved in high-cognitive functions, such as dreaming and information processing involving extreme concentration.
The oscillations are also associated with memory retrieval and flashbacks — supporting the phrase that “life flashes before the eyes” in the moments before death.
“Through generating oscillations involved in memory retrieval, the brain may be playing a last recall of important life events just before we die, similar to the ones reported in near-death experiences,” Zemmar stated.
The increase in gamma oscillations was coupled with a reduction in delta, theta, alpha and beta waves, with researchers claiming “an intricate interplay” between these waves “takes place after gradual cessation of cerebral activity and lasts into the period when cerebral blood flow is ceased (post cardiac arrest).”
This suggests that our brains remain active for a short period even after our hearts have stopped beating.
“These findings challenge our understanding of when exactly life ends and generate important subsequent questions, such as those related to the timing of organ donation,” Zemmar posited.
While the new study revolves around one of the first recordings of a dying human brain, similar studies have been undertaken with rodents in controlled environments.
Researchers similarly found an uptick in gamma oscillations in the animals in the moments before dying, indicating that the brain organizes a biological response to death that may be common across species.
The new study’s authors say more research is needed given that their theories are based on the recording of just one human patient.
However, they say the singular study provides some hope to those struggling with the loss of a loved one.
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