A recent study explored brain activity in clinically dead patients, with insights from Dr. Stuart Hameroff, an anesthesiologist and professor at the University of Arizona.
Small sensors were placed on seven terminally ill patients to monitor their vital signs as they approached death. After their hearts stopped and blood pressure dropped to zero, EEG readings detected a surprising burst of brain activity.
Dr. Hameroff suggested this activity could explain near-death experiences or even the soul leaving the body. He described it as “consciousness being the last thing to go,” emphasizing that consciousness may be a low-energy process.
This phenomenon occurred in about 50% of measured cases, though not consistently. Researchers attributed the energy bursts to oxygen deprivation in the brain.
However, Hameroff proposed a quantum theory: when the heart stops, quantum information in brain microtubules isn’t destroyed but dissipates into the universe.
If the patient is revived, this information might return, explaining near-death experiences. If not, it could exist outside the body indefinitely, potentially as a “soul.”
The study concluded that the idea of something happening at death brings comfort to grieving families, offering solace amid loss.
