Is the brain still alive after the body dies?

Does consciousness remain after death? For specialists in neuroscience this question is not completely resolved: while many believe that the brain dies directly, others believe that the cells continue with their activity for several minutes.

The research of the University of Michigan
In 2015, scientists at the University of Michigan found that, after the clinical death of rats, brain activity increased, even at levels higher than those reached during wakefulness. The data seemed to be evidence that, in reality, near-death experiences were a result of brain activity.

"We think that if the near-death experiences are derived from brain activity, the neural correlates of consciousness should be identifiable in humans or animals even after the cessation of blood flow," said Jimo Borjigin, one of the team's specialists.

In summary, the results ended up showing that. The brain activity of the rats increased through the same patterns as an excited human brain. Brain activity increased moments after clinical death.

The results, in addition, were innovative. Not only did they question the belief that after blood flow stopped the brain from functioning, they also formed the first scientific framework to explain the near-death experiences described by so many people.

The studios of Sam Parnia
Faced with the same doubt, Dr. Sam Parnia , of the Langone School of Medicine, of the University of New York, in the United States, carried out a study based on the statements of more than 100 people in intensive care who suffered a cardiac arrest, but that later came back to life.

Among the various cases, there was one that was perhaps the most surprising, with a patient who had brain waves similar to those of a person who sleeps, for more than 10 minutes after they turned off the machine that kept him alive.

The conclusion of Dr. Parnia's research was quite clear: although blood does not continue to reach the brain, people still have a certain level of consciousness . That is, although technically a person is dead, his brain can continue to work for a few minutes.

As if that were not enough, there were 2 cases in which patients remembered details of conversations or sounds when doctors performed resuscitation. The most feasible explanation would be that it is an illusion generated by brain activity upon returning to life, although other possibilities have not been ruled out until now.

The look of the skeptics
Cameron Shaw of Deakin University in Australia does not believe that near-death experiences are real. His argument is several studies that confirm that "the mechanisms that produce visual memories and registration do not work" once the patient reaches clinical death.

Shaw points out that as blood is pumped from below, the brain begins to die up, where the absence of oxygen is first noticed.

His research colleague, Julian Morgans , told Vice that "our sense of self, our sense of humor, our ability to think about the future, all that goes on within the first 10 to 20 seconds."

Morgans and Shaw indicated that later, when the hungry cells begin to get upset, "our memories and language centers are reduced, until we are left with only one nucleus".

However, this skeptical view does not agree 100% with the studies mentioned above, such as the University of Michigan in rats or the experiences told by those who went through the phenomenon.

For now, we do not have the full certainty of knowing what it feels like, whether the experiences are real or not, or whether brain activity continues after death. The only truth we have no doubt about is that we will all pass through that moment sooner or later. And, perhaps then, we find the definitive answer. But the longer that time is late, the better, right?