when a person dies, they have 7 minutes

when a person dies, they have 7 minutes

2 hours ago 3
Nature

When a person dies, their brain can remain active for up to about 7 minutes after the heart stops beating. During this time, neurons do not die immediately but enter a state of intense activity due to lack of oxygen, creating a last burst of electrical surges and gamma oscillations linked to conscious processing, memory, and awareness. This activity may explain reports of near-death experiences such as life flashing before one's eyes, out-of-body sensations, and vivid memories playing back like a movie. This phenomenon blurs the line between life and death, showing that death is a process rather than an instantaneous event. The brain's electrical activity during these final minutes has been recorded and shows patterns involved in high-level cognitive functions like memory retrieval and conscious perception.

Process in the Last 7 Minutes

  • The brain keeps functioning even after clinical death (cessation of heartbeat).
  • Neurons experience surges as they are starved of oxygen, triggering gamma waves related to consciousness.
  • People report intense experiences: a life review, floating sensations, and vivid memories.
  • Scientists have observed this phenomenon directly by monitoring brain activity around the time of death.
  • The exact experience of the seventh minute is unpredictable but involves an intense chemical and electrical flurry in the brain.

This understanding comes from recent neuroscience research and monitoring of dying patients, putting some scientific evidence behind longstanding anecdotal and cultural descriptions of what happens immediately after death.

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