A team of neuroscientists has recorded brain activity in a dying human for the first time.
According to Mail Online, the recording occurred when an 87-year-old patient experienced cardiac arrest while receiving treatment for epilepsy.
Doctors had placed a device on the patient’s head to monitor brain activity, but he passed away during the process. However, the neuroscientists managed to capture 900 seconds of brain activity surrounding the time of death. This allowed them to analyze what happened in the 30 seconds before and after his heart stopped.
Their findings showed that areas of the brain associated with memory and retrieval remained active during this period.
Dr. Ajmal Zemmar from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, explained: “Through generating brain oscillations [brain waves] 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.”
He added that these discoveries raise important questions about the nature of death, including its exact timing and the implications for organ donation: “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.”
Dr. Zemmar and his team published their study in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in 2022.
Observing the Brain at the Moment of Death
The patient, who was being treated for epilepsy, had an electroencephalography (EEG) device attached to his head. This device, which uses electrodes placed on the scalp, detects and amplifies brain waves. Neurological activity appears as wavy lines on an EEG recording, allowing doctors to monitor seizures and brain function.
During the monitoring process, the patient suffered cardiac arrest and died. Because the EEG was still active, scientists obtained a unique recording of what happens in the brain during death.
Dr. Zemmar described their findings: “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.”
Brain oscillations, also called brain waves, are rhythmic patterns of electrical impulses in the brain. Different types of waves correspond to various cognitive functions and states of consciousness.
Gamma waves, in particular, play a role in high-level cognitive functions, such as memory retrieval. They are associated with the memory flashbacks that some people report during near-death experiences.
Dr. Zemmar elaborated: “Through generating brain 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.”
Is the Brain Programmed for Death?
Researchers speculate that the brain might be biologically wired to manage the transition into death. Instead of simply shutting down instantly, it could be orchestrating a complex series of neurological and physiological events.
Dr. Zemmar shared a more philosophical perspective: “On the metaphysical side, if you have these things, it is intriguing to speculate to say that these mechanisms – these brain activity patterns that occur when we have memory recall and dreaming and meditative states – they recall just before we go to die.”
He suggested that this activity might allow a person to experience a “life replay” in their final moments.
“So maybe they’re letting us have a replay of life in the last seconds when we die.”
On a spiritual level, Zemmar finds the discovery comforting:
“I think it is somewhat calming. I face this at times when you have patients who pass away and you talk to their families; you have to be the bearer of bad news.”
Currently, families are often left with unanswered questions about what their loved ones experience in their final moments. This research suggests that the dying brain may be recalling meaningful memories, which could offer a sense of peace to grieving families.
“I think if we know that there is something happening in their brain, that they are remembering nice moments, we can tell these families and it builds a feeling of warmth that in that moment when they are falling, this can help a little bit to catch them.”
Why Does the Brain Recall Memories Before Death?
Although scientists do not fully understand why the brain might replay memories before death, they have proposed several theories.
One hypothesis suggests that oxygen deprivation during a life-threatening event triggers the release of neurotransmitters—chemicals that transmit signals between neurons. This, in turn, causes a surge of neural activity, possibly leading to vivid memory recall.
Another theory is based on the brain’s memory storage system. Scientists believe that particularly emotional memories are stored in the amygdala, the region of the brain responsible for the fight-or-flight response. If the brain is under extreme stress, it might activate this part, leading to the replay of significant life moments.
Implications for Defining Death
Dr. Zemmar emphasized that these findings could change how we define the moment of death:
“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.”
One key question is whether EEG activity should be measured alongside EKG (electrocardiography, which monitors heart function) when determining death.
“When do you go ahead with organ donation? When are we dead? … Should we record EEG activity in addition to EKG to declare death?” Zemmar asked.
He believes this research may open new discussions about the precise moment death occurs:
“This is a very, very interesting question for me. When is exactly the time when we die? We may have tapped the door open now to start a discussion about that exact time onset.”
However, he cautioned that more studies are needed before drawing firm conclusions.
“Scientifically, it’s very difficult to interpret the data because the brain had suffered bleeding, seizures, swelling – and then it’s just one case. So we can’t make very big assumptions and claims based on this case.”
To gain deeper insights, researchers will need to study multiple cases and compare findings.
Conclusion
This study provides the first-ever recording of brain activity in a dying human, revealing that memory-related brain waves may remain active moments before death. While scientists cannot yet say with certainty why this happens, the findings raise profound questions about consciousness, memory, and the exact timing of death.
Whether this discovery will impact medical definitions of death, organ donation protocols, or even spiritual beliefs remains to be seen. However, for now, it offers a thought-provoking glimpse into one of life’s greatest mysteries—the final moments of the human mind.
