▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
At the edge of death, will there be a different picture in our brains? In fact, many people who are lucky enough to survive the brink of death report that they have inexplicable hallucinations when they are on the verge of death, as if consciousness is detached from the body. However, due to the particularity of this phenomenon, it is difficult for scientists to analyze the mechanism of this phenomenon in more detail.
This week, a team of researchers led by the New York University School of Medicine conducted scientific research on this phenomenon. By analyzing and testing existing scientific evidence, they eventually published a peer-reviewed paper in the journal Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, proposing the whole process of near-death experience.
With the advancement of modern medicine, many people have survived when they are on the verge of death due to illness or accident. These people tend to claim that they recall past experiences when they are dying, including a unique class of psychological recollections with a common theme.
According to several previously published studies, the experiences these people recalled around death were inconsistent with those caused by hallucinations and hallucinogens. Instead, this near-death experience follows a specific process: 1. 2. Consciousness seems to be separated from the body, with a high degree of consciousness and awareness of death; 3. Feel like you're heading to a destination; 4. Meaningful and purposeful review of a lifetime, including a critical analysis of all actions, intentions, and thoughts directed at others; 5. Being in a place similar to "home"; It's back to life.
▲ The process of near-death experience proposed by the research team (Image source: Reference[1])
The study also notes that when dying, electrical impulses associated with death appear. On an EEG, it is usually a sign of an increased state of consciousness. This phenomenon further supports the claims of millions of people who report experiencing a death-related state of wakefulness and increased consciousness.
"Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack, it represents the final stage of a fatal disease or event," explains Dr. Sam Parnia, lead author of the paper and director of intensive care and resuscitation research, "The advent of CPR proves that death is not an absolute state, rather, it is a process." ”
Dr Parnia continued: "When the heart stops beating, brain cells don't suffer irreversible damage within minutes of being deprived of oxygen. Instead, these neurons 'die' within hours. As a result, scientists can study the physiological and psychological events associated with death separately. ”
Image credit: 123RF
Researchers say evidence to date suggests that neither physiological nor cognitive processes end with the moment of death. Although systematic studies cannot fully prove what patients experience, the emergence of such events is already undeniable.
"A small number of studies that will explore what happens when we die will be objectively, scientifically approached, and these findings provide interesting insights into how human consciousness exists and may pave the way for further brain science research." Dr Parnia said.
Resources:
[1] Sam Parnia et al., Guidelines and standards for the study of death and recalled experiences of death––a multidisciplinary consensus statement and proposed future directions. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences(2022) https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14740
[2] Recalled experiences surrounding death: More than hallucinations?. Retrieved Apr 7th, 2022 from https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/948999
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