Modern science still does not provide answers to many questions. We still do not know what exactly happens to a person's consciousness after their demise.
For most, death is associated with the moment when the heart stops. In movies, this is often depicted as we hear the continuous beep of a heart monitor and understand that the character has passed away.
However, in reality, things happen a bit differently. In fact, consciousness can be preserved for several hours after a person is declared dead.
Just imagine: loved ones are already mourning the deceased, but their brain is still functioning.
A New Perspective
Young scientist Anna Fowler from Arizona State University expressed during the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Phoenix that dying does not represent a sharp transition from life to non-existence.
"Emerging data suggests that biological and neural functions do not cease suddenly. Instead, they decline over several minutes or hours, indicating that death is a process, not an instantaneous event," notes Fowler.
Researchers found that about 20% of people who experienced clinical death report conscious experiences during periods of absent cortical activity. Some see deceased relatives, while others see angels. This experience may indicate continued brain activity.
Fowler proposed the theory that our brain continues to function for several hours after death. This, by the way, could explain why one-fifth of people who had a period of absent brain activity were able to recall what was happening around them during that time.
Director of the research department of intensive care and resuscitation at NYU Langone Health, Sam Parnia, agrees with her. He is convinced that a person's true death occurs later than we previously thought.
"Over the last decade, we have come to understand that the cells within a person's body, including the brain, begin the process of dying only after their death," stated Parnia.
According to the expert, this could even be a matter of days, not hours.
