Traditionally, it has been believed that cardiac arrest leads to a loss of consciousness. However, researchers have hypothesized that patients can maintain some cognitive activity at the moment of death. Many stories of near-death experiences (NDEs) support this hypothesis: 10-20% of survivors from different cultures and religions have told of adventures that seemed absolutely real to them.
A group of American scientists analyzed electroencephalograms (EEGs) of four individuals who experienced clinical death. As the authors note, NDEs are a biological paradox: they challenge the fundamental knowledge about a dying brain, which, according to the widely held view, does not function.
However, the study showed that discontinuing ventilatory support stimulates a burst of gamma activity (>25 Hz) in some patients in a pre-death state. This condition was observed in two of the four patients, both of whom complained of seizures. Additionally, the authors note a link between NDEs and epilepsy, which can cause visual hallucinations and out-of-body experiences, which, like NDEs, are a phase state.
Nevertheless, scientists believe that the increased activity in a dying brain is not evidence of consciousness. Subjective experiences reported by people after successful resuscitation present a problem that is too complex to understand.
Do you believe consciousness can emerge after cardiac arrest?
The article was published in May 2023 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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