The human brain activity increases at the moment when the heart stops beating, according to a study by researchers at the University of Michigan.
The study analyzed the brains of four patients who were in a coma and on life support, and found that gamma wave activity, the highest frequency brain waves, surged in areas associated with perception and consciousness when the patients’ breathing machines were switched off.
While some people who have been resuscitated report experiencing unusual phenomena during their near-death experiences, the researchers caution that the sample size of this study is small and more research is needed to fully understand the connection between brain activity and death.