'Don't Go Into the Light': Near Death Experiences Fire Electrical Brain Impulses

Don't go into the light said the old woman in "Poltergeist." What was she talking about? Unless you're not a Spielberg fan, and in that case, I've already lost you: A near death experience.

Well that's just a bunch of hooey, you say. However, researchers from the University of Michigan aren't so sure.

First off, let's go through the basics of dead people. If you've ever seen a dead body--either at a funeral or, God forbid, at a crime scene--you know what we're talking about. Algor mortis sets in as the body temperature lowers to approximately 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit until the tissues reach room temperature. At the same time, without circulation to keep blood moving through the body, it begins to pool and settle. Rigor mortis also stiffens the body and can occur anywhere from two to six hours post death.

But what happens to the brain right before death or right after? Scientists found an electrical surge in the dying brain of rats whose hearts immediately stopped beating that is also characterized by high levels of brainwaves. 

"A lot of people thought that the brain after clinical death was inactive or hypoactive, with less activity than the waking state, and we show that this is definitely not the case," Dr. Jimo Borijigin, the lead author from the University of Michigan, said according to BBC News. "If anything, it is much more active during the dying process than even the walking state."

Researchers closely monitored nine dying rats that were all euthanized, discovering that within the first 30 seconds after the rats' hearts stopped working, there was a drastic increase in gamma oscillations, otherwise known as high-frequency brainwaves. According to the study, these waves have been associated with humans' consciousness. The team also found that waves were higher than normal after rats suffered from cardiac arrest but were awake.

"Now science tells us the experiences really could be real for these individuals, and there is actually biological basis for that," Borjigin said according to NPR. "There's a scientific basis in their brain. It's all really happening in their brain during this very early period of cardiac arrest."

Yet researchers are still uncertain as to what this means for humans and the possibity of near death experiences. Study authors suggest that a clinical trial would need to be completed in order to gather more information.

Have you had a near death experience? (We hope not!) Regardless, let us know in the comments below. 

More information regarding the study can be found in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.