Scientists from the University of Michigan have published an intriguing paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The scientists describe in their paper how they discovered a mysterious and unknown wave of brain waves within the dying brains.
The activity was registered as an ephemeral burst of activity, similar to the ones seen in earlier research that recorded brain waves from a dying individual just last year. The discovery unlocks more information about how the human brain reacts under tragic circumstances.
They recorded the mysterious brain activity when four patients were withdrawn from life support. They recorded the activity in two of the four patients, and it could help scientists better understand the parallels between a dying human brain and the brains of animals like rats, which have been studied before.
Many believe that the flickering activity of the dying brain could represent what is known as a “near death experience,” which can be described as seeing your entire life flash before your eyes. Of course, proving the existence of such mental movies isn’t easy, but it is something scientists have set out to do.
This new research could help us understand how the brain reacts in the final moments of life. That’s why the researchers looked at how the brain’s activity changed from before doctors removed the patients from life support as well as after.
For now, though, the activity is not necessarily evidence of elevated conscious processing in the patients. Yes, it does seem to suggest as such, but it does not quite demonstrate it. Hopefully future research will reveal more information and results.
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