November 3, 2025
Your brain’s exit montage
First recording of a dying human brain shows waves similar to memory flashbacks
Internet splits: 'Sign me up' vs 'we knew this' as NDE stories pour in
TLDR: Researchers captured a dying brain’s fast waves linked to memory flashbacks, fueling talk of a final “life reel.” Commenters erupted: volunteers for end-of-life studies, skeptics calling hype, and NDE storytellers adding dark humor—sparking a science-vs-spirituality showdown over the exact moment we truly die.
Scientists accidentally recorded an 87-year-old’s brain during a fatal heart attack and saw fast gamma waves—the type linked to memory and dream-like states—hinting at a “life recall” highlight reel. Cue the comments section turning into a late-night philosophy fight club. One camp is shockingly practical: vermilingua claims there’d be a line of terminal and euthanasia patients happy to participate, sparking heated ethics debates and calls for more real-world data. Seizure survivors jumped in too. AndrewKemendo says his grand mal (a major seizure) felt exactly like the brain on exit mode, even noting some patients won’t stop seizures because they feel mystical—touching off a brawl over neuro fireworks vs spirituality. Then came the gripping NDE stories. BoredPositron says they were “dead” for 7–8 minutes after electrocution, with rapid-fire life flashbacks—but drops the dark punchline: “Can’t recommend though”, citing lasting visual snow and tinnitus. Meanwhile, skeptics rolled their eyes at the study’s “newness,” with Someone arguing philosophers and medics have debated “when do we die?” forever. And of course, the memes: “death playlist,” “exit montage,” and “brain buffering your life.” Whatever you call it, the thread wants more recordings, fewer grand claims—and a clearer timestamp on that final fade-out. Read the study in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
Key Points
- •First-ever recording of human brain activity during death was captured during continuous EEG of an 87-year-old epilepsy patient.
- •The patient experienced cardiac arrest during clinical monitoring at the University of Tartu, Estonia.
- •Researchers analyzed 900 seconds of EEG data, focusing on the 30 seconds before and after heartbeat cessation.
- •Changes in gamma oscillations and other frequency bands were observed around the time of death.
- •Published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, the study suggests the brain remains active and coordinated during and shortly after cardiac arrest, potentially relating to life recall.