Unlike other big events in life, such as giving birth to a child, buying a house of your own, or getting accepted to a new job, discussions surrounding death are quite difficult to talk about, but no less important.

Talking about dying can be hard, and most of the time, it is a taboo subject. When dealing with death and dying, there is no right or wrong way. A person’s beliefs, values, culture, experiences and circumstances will shape their own views.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t attempt to understand it. Knowing nothing about dying makes it scarier, after all.

In a recent study published to Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, doctors have made an exceptional discovery after they accidentally happened to observe, and record, a dying brain in its final moments.

And what they witnessed can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

The study accidentally found flashes in the brain that could suggest we relive memories when we die. Credit: Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience.
​

Dr Raul Vicente and his colleagues at the University of Tartu, Estonia, were conducting continuous electroencephalography (EEG) on an 87-year-old patient who developed epilepsy, in order to detect his seizures.

However, in an unanticipated turn of events, the patient had a heart attack and passed away during the recordings. And at the cost of the patient’s life, the doctors were allowed by chance to record the activity of a dying human brain for the first time ever.

The study revealed that 30 seconds before and after the patient’s heart beat its last, there was a recorded increase in very specific brain waves known as gamma oscillations, which are linked to brain activities such as memory retrieval, meditation, and dreaming.

Meaning, for a whole minute, the patient’s brain was reliving their whole life, in a process called “life recall”. You could imagine the patient entering into a peaceful dreamlike state, wherein they were watching a sort of film reel of their best memories, showing all in the span of a few seconds. Your life literally flashes before your eyes.

As the patient’s body and heart shut down, the brain delivers its final task of remembering a life's best moments.

As our bodies shut down, our brain plays a sort of film reel of our best memories. Credit: iStock.
​

Dr Ajmal Zemmar, a neurosurgeon at the University of Louisville who organised the study, said that the patient's experience was similar to those who encountered a near-death incident, where a person’s life flashes before their very own eyes.

And even though there are so many more studies that need to take place regarding the subject, Dr Zemmar hopes the data the dying patient had given to them would prove to be a key factor in understanding our body’s most complex organ during its near-death period.

“This is just one single case study, with a brain that had already been injured due to epilepsy, but this might pave the wave for a greater understanding about what happens to us when we die,” said the scientist.

 

[JayKay]

Technology is fascinating, the advancements in discoveries amazing, some folks are incredibly talented, but how do we know these interpretations are accurate?
Maybe the activity is a combination of your faith and beliefs and your memories.....I guess we'll all discover our own answer one day.....

 

[Isabell]

You can’t infer that the brain selected the ‘best memories’.

 

[Sunshine45]

This may account for the way many people smile or look very contented when they pass away.

 

[KatKop]

You can’t infer that the brain selected the ‘best memories’.

I fully agree with you, Isabel. Rather dangerous 'leaps' are made in this article.

Firstly, we have a scientific observation:
The study revealed that 30 seconds before and after the patient’s heart beat its last, there was a recorded increase in very specific brain waves known as gamma oscillations, which are linked to brain activities such as memory retrieval, meditation, and dreaming.

Secondly, there is focus on only ONE of the three examples of brain activities mentioned:
Meaning, for a whole minute, the patient’s brain was reliving their whole life, in a process called “life recall”.

Thirdly, this example is fleshed out, to make the story relatable to the reader's own knowledge (in almost all instances from books and films):
You could imagine the patient entering into a peaceful dreamlike state, wherein they were watching a sort of film reel of their best memories, showing all in the span of a few seconds. Your life literally flashes before your eyes.

Lastly, there is a conclusion:
As the patient’s body and heart shut down, the brain delivers its final task of remembering a life's best moments.

And as this is neatly placed on a separate line, this is the only 'fact' most of us are likely to remember.

So, when we retell this story, it will become something like: The study revealed that 30 seconds before and after the patient’s heart beat its last, there was an increase in very specific brain waves which means that as the patient’s body and heart shut down, the brain delivers its final task of remembering a life's best moments.

Dangerous stuff!!

 

[Jazzygirl-1]

What Happens to Our Brain When We Die?​

Unlike other big events in life, such as giving birth to a child, buying a house of your own, or getting accepted to a new job, discussions surrounding death are quite difficult to talk about, but no less important.

Talking about dying can be hard, and most of the time, it is a taboo subject. When dealing with death and dying, there is no right or wrong way. A person’s beliefs, values, culture, experiences and circumstances will shape their own views.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t attempt to understand it. Knowing nothing about dying makes it scarier, after all.

In a recent study published to Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, doctors have made an exceptional discovery after they accidentally happened to observe, and record, a dying brain in its final moments.

And what they witnessed can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

The study accidentally found flashes in the brain that could suggest we relive memories when we die. Credit: Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience.
​

Dr Raul Vicente and his colleagues at the University of Tartu, Estonia, were conducting continuous electroencephalography (EEG) on an 87-year-old patient who developed epilepsy, in order to detect his seizures.

However, in an unanticipated turn of events, the patient had a heart attack and passed away during the recordings. And at the cost of the patient’s life, the doctors were allowed by chance to record the activity of a dying human brain for the first time ever.

The study revealed that 30 seconds before and after the patient’s heart beat its last, there was a recorded increase in very specific brain waves known as gamma oscillations, which are linked to brain activities such as memory retrieval, meditation, and dreaming.

Meaning, for a whole minute, the patient’s brain was reliving their whole life, in a process called “life recall”. You could imagine the patient entering into a peaceful dreamlike state, wherein they were watching a sort of film reel of their best memories, showing all in the span of a few seconds. Your life literally flashes before your eyes.

As the patient’s body and heart shut down, the brain delivers its final task of remembering a life's best moments.

As our bodies shut down, our brain plays a sort of film reel of our best memories. Credit: iStock.
​

Dr Ajmal Zemmar, a neurosurgeon at the University of Louisville who organised the study, said that the patient's experience was similar to those who encountered a near-death incident, where a person’s life flashes before their very own eyes.

And even though there are so many more studies that need to take place regarding the subject, Dr Zemmar hopes the data the dying patient had given to them would prove to be a key factor in understanding our body’s most complex organ during its near-death period.

“This is just one single case study, with a brain that had already been injured due to epilepsy, but this might pave the wave for a greater understanding about what happens to us when we die,” said the scientist.

This is exciting news and info but how do the doctors know that the experiences recalled are the patients 'very best' memories...could they not just be the most prominent memories, bad ones included????

 

[Malkosh1]

There is no doubt in my mind that human beings are delusional thinkers. We will jump to conclusions that suit us. Here is my take on what happens after death in my recent article- attached.

 

[Lelly]

You can’t infer that the brain selected the ‘best memories’.

I agree with you. Isabel. I, as a nurse for years have held many hands during that last minute, it is peaceful because the breathing is all but absent, the body is still. And the brain is fighting to stay alive. To maintain those vital organs. It’s the last frantic efforts to preserve life. Not a lovely little going away present as depicted in this article..

 

[Lynette Finnigan]

I fully agree with you, Isabel. Rather dangerous 'leaps' are made in this article.

Firstly, we have a scientific observation:
The study revealed that 30 seconds before and after the patient’s heart beat its last, there was a recorded increase in very specific brain waves known as gamma oscillations, which are linked to brain activities such as memory retrieval, meditation, and dreaming.

Secondly, there is focus on only ONE of the three examples of brain activities mentioned:
Meaning, for a whole minute, the patient’s brain was reliving their whole life, in a process called “life recall”.

Thirdly, this example is fleshed out, to make the story relatable to the reader's own knowledge (in almost all instances from books and films):
You could imagine the patient entering into a peaceful dreamlike state, wherein they were watching a sort of film reel of their best memories, showing all in the span of a few seconds. Your life literally flashes before your eyes.

Lastly, there is a conclusion:
As the patient’s body and heart shut down, the brain delivers its final task of remembering a life's best moments.

And as this is neatly placed on a separate line, this is the only 'fact' most of us are likely to remember.

So, when we retell this story, it will become something like: The study revealed that 30 seconds before and after the patient’s heart beat its last, there was an increase in very specific brain waves which means that as the patient’s body and heart shut down, the brain delivers its final task of remembering a life's best moments.

Dangerous stuff!!

Agreed....they don't know what all that activity actually means... it could be the body fighting its last to survive... it could be your life flying before you (good and bad memories)... the more religious could say - your life flashing before you as you are judged and if you will be going to heaven or not.. or it could be that the brain just activates all over as it then shuts down....to me, this 'revelation' brings more questions than answers....

 

[Suzanne rose]

You can’t infer that the brain selected the ‘best memories’.

That's what I was thinking unless he had a smile on his face