our lives may actually 'flash before our eyes' when we die

doctors who observed a dying brain for the first time ever suggest that we might relive the nicest moments of our lives in the seconds after we die.

by maija kappler

published mar 04, 2022

last updated mar 10, 2022

3 minute read

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3 minute read

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for the first time ever, doctors have a recording of a dying human brain. getty

maybe the movies were right: our lives may actually ‘flash before our eyes’ before we die, according to new research from the journal frontiers in aging neuroscience. the finding came about by accident: doctors in vancouver were measuring the brain activity of an 87-year-old man with epilepsy in order to detect the patient’s seizures. they used an electroencephalogram, which involves fitting electrodes onto the scalp to detect electrical charges in the brain cells.

the man unfortunately had a heart attack and died — but while the recordings weren’t helpful in terms of treating him, they did provide valuable insights into brain function. for the first time ever, doctors have a recording of a dying human brain.

“this was actually totally by chance,” the study’s co-author dr. ajmal zemmar, a neurosurgeon who now works at the university of louisville, told bbc news. “we did not plan to do this experiment or record these signals.”

but the information they found was significant. in the 30 seconds before and after death, there were major changes in one specific kind of neural oscillations (also called brain waves). these kinds of gamma oscillations are involved cognitive functions like memory, dreaming, meditation, and processing of information. and those brain waves continued for about 30 seconds after the patient was declared dead.

“through generating 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,” zemmar told the journal’s blog.

many people who have come close to death, such as those who nearly drowned or survived cardiac arrest, have highly detailed and realistic memories of what that time felt like. one study associated those memories with gamma oscillation.

are the memories happy?

zemmar told the bbc that there’s no way to know what the brain might recall before death, but that he speculates the memories are happy ones.

“if i were to jump to the philosophical realm, i would speculate that if the brain did a flashback, it would probably like to remind you of good things, rather than the bad things,” he said. “but what’s memorable would be different for every person.”

as a doctor who sometimes has to deliver devastating news to his patients and their families, this finding seems hopeful, he said. “something we may learn from this research is: although our loved ones have their eyes closed and are ready to leave us to rest, their brains may be replaying some of the nicest moments they experienced in their lives.”

the finding also complicates the question of when death occurs — a topic that “generate[s] important subsequent questions, such as those related to the timing of organ donation,” zemmer said.

of course, what happens to the brain before and after death is still largely unknown — this is simply one example. but it’s worth noting that this discovery mirrors what happened in a 2013 study of rats: gamma oscillations were also discovered in rats’ brains when they died of cardiac arrest. essentially, rats may experience their lives flashing before their eyes, too.

“i think there’s something mystical and spiritual about this whole near-death experience,” zemmar told the bbc. “and findings like this — it’s a moment that scientists lives for.”

maija kappler is a reporter and editor at healthing. you can reach her at mkappler@postmedia.com

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