2023-05-03 13:50:18
03 May 2023
A white light at the end of the tunnel, the impression of seeing one’s life pass before one’s eyes again… Narratives of near-death experiences fascinate both the general public and the scientific community. For the first time, researchers have observed the existence of consciousness that does not disappear completely, even after the heart has stopped beating.
« How living experience can emerge from a brain during the dying process is a neuroscientific paradox. says Dr. Jimo Borjigin of the University of Michigan. Which conducted a study to shed light on the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms in imminent death.
The team identified four patients who died of cardiac arrest in hospital. All were in a coma and unresponsive, but were kept on life support. Their cardiovascular and cerebral activities were measured when the patients were disconnected from their artificial respirators.
The brain still active after cardiac arrest
Thus, two of the patients showed an increase in heart rate as well as an increase in gamma wave activity, ” considered the fastest brain activity associated with consciousness “, explain the authors.
In addition, activity has been detected in the so-called ” hot neural correlates of consciousness in the brain at the junction between the temporal, parietal and occipital lobes at the back of the brain. ” This area is correlated with dreams, visual hallucinations in epilepsy and altered states of consciousness “, continue the researchers.
On the other hand, the two other patients did not display the same symptoms when the respiratory assistance was withdrawn. The authors therefore want to remain cautious about these manifestations of consciousness during a near-death experience. However, ” these observations are definitely exciting and provide a new framework for our understanding of a secret consciousness in dying humans ».
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