First ever recording of dying brain reveals what our final thoughts might be

The specific type of brain waves recorded suggest the patient was seeing their lives flash before their eyes through “memory retrieval”
Scientists saw an increase in a certain type of brain wave in the 30 seconds before and after the patient’s final heartbeat (Photo: Adobe)Scientists saw an increase in a certain type of brain wave in the 30 seconds before and after the patient’s final heartbeat (Photo: Adobe)
Scientists saw an increase in a certain type of brain wave in the 30 seconds before and after the patient’s final heartbeat (Photo: Adobe)

The first ever recording of a dying brain has provided an insight into what might happen in the moments before we die.

Scientists accidentally captured the most complex human organ as it shut down, revealing an extraordinary snapshot into death.

Scientists saw an increase in a certain type of brain wave in the 30 seconds before and after the patient’s final heartbeat (Photo: Adobe)Scientists saw an increase in a certain type of brain wave in the 30 seconds before and after the patient’s final heartbeat (Photo: Adobe)
Scientists saw an increase in a certain type of brain wave in the 30 seconds before and after the patient’s final heartbeat (Photo: Adobe)

What did scientists discover?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Neuroscientists were using electroencephalography (EEG) to detect and treat seizures in an 87-year-old patient.

The man, who was being treated for epilepsy, was hooked up to an electroencephalogram, which records brain activity, when he suddenly had a heart attack and died.

However, the electroencephalogram continued recording his brain activity, including the 15 minutes around his death.

Scientists saw that, in the 30 seconds either side of the patient’s final heartbeat, there was an increase in a certain type of brain wave.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

These waves, known as gamma oscillations, are associated with more sophisticated cognitive functions and are particularly active when dreaming, meditating and concentrating.

The waves are also linked to memory retrieval and processing information.

The recording suggests that as we die, we experience the same neural activity as we do when we are dreaming, recalling memories, or meditating.

It also raises the question as to whether we might see a flood of our best memories in those final moments, suggesting we really do see our lives “flash before our eyes” through “memory retrieval”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Alternatively, we may simply enter a dreamlike state that is similar to meditation.

Findings from the study, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, indicate that our brains may remain active and coordinated during and even after the transition to death.

Dr Ajmal Zemmar, a neurosurgeon at the University of Louisville and the study’s organiser, told Frontiers Science News: “We measured 900 seconds of brain activity around the time of death and set a specific focus to investigate what happened in the 30 seconds before and after the heart stopped beating.

“Just before and after the heart stopped working, we saw changes in a specific band of neural oscillations, so-called gamma oscillations, but also in others such as delta, theta, alpha, and beta oscillations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“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.”

While the first-of-its-kind study is based on a single case that additionally involved a patient who was suffering from epilepsy and swelling, Dr Zemmar said he hopes to investigate more cases.

He added that the results gave neuroscientists hope to better understand the “life recall” phenomenon which is often reported by those who have had near-death experiences.

A message from the editor:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.