The initial recording of a human brain during the process of dying has shed light on the events that occur just before death, offering fascinating insights.
Experiencing such a moment personally is obviously not something one would choose, so we must depend on scientific research to provide answers regarding what transpires in the human brain as it approaches death.
In pursuit of these answers, American researchers conducted an electroencephalogram (EEG) on an 87-year-old man during his final moments.
This elderly man, who had a lifelong history of epilepsy, was connected to an EEG machine, allowing researchers to document his brain activity for 15 minutes following his death from a heart attack.
The findings proved to be captivating, with Dr. Ajmal Zemmar, the study’s lead author, providing insights on the results.
Upon examining the brain waves, researchers observed an increase in ‘gamma oscillations’.
These oscillations are essential for the connectivity between different brain regions, playing a significant role in perception, movement, memory, and emotion.
The results suggested that the patient might have experienced his life ‘flashing before his eyes’.
Zemmar noted: “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.
“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.”
Although similar brain wave changes have been observed in rats at death, this study, published in the journal Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience, was the first to document such changes in humans.
As is typical with scientific studies, the research team emphasized the need for further investigations to validate these findings.
They highlighted that their conclusions were based on a single case study, and the patient’s brain was already affected by epilepsy.
As a result, they could not definitively say whether the same phenomenon would occur in other individuals nearing death.
Dr. Zemmar added: “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.”