A sudden burst of energy in the brain during death could hint at the “soul leaving the body,” according to Dr. Stuart Hameroff, a professor at the University of Arizona. Researchers have long observed patients experiencing vivid hallucinations after clinical death, when the heart stops but the brain shows electrical activity. In 2009, George Washington University researchers studied seven clinically dead patients, detecting a surge of gamma waves—linked to perception and movement—lasting up to 90 seconds after the heart stopped. Hameroff suggested this could indicate the “near-death experience” or the “soul leaving the body.” The study involved patients aged 34 to 74 who chose to end life support. Hameroff proposed that consciousness operates at a deeper, possibly quantum level, involving microtubules—tiny protein structures in cells—rather than just neurons. This theory suggests consciousness is the “last thing to go” during death, as it may be a low-energy process. The researchers noted that as the brain loses oxygen, neurons lose electrical potential, triggering a cascade of activity that could explain vivid near-death visions. “As the brain reaches a critical level of hypoxia, the [action potential, an electrical signal that shoots down a neuron] is lost by large numbers of neurons, and this loss of electrical potential causes a cascade of electrical act,” the study researchers wrote. “We offer this as a potential explanation for the clarity in which many patients have ‘out-of-body experiences’ when successfully revived from a near-death event.”. Survivors of near-death experiences often report “out-of-body experiences” or visions of an afterlife, with 88% recalling at least one such event. The study suggests that brain activity during death can be eight times higher than in a conscious state, potentially explaining these phenomena. Hameroff also referenced a study by Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, which explored the effects of psilocybin, the compound in magic mushrooms, on brain activity. Despite expectations of heightened brain activity, MRI scans showed minimal changes, leaving researchers puzzled. The post Surge of Brain Activity at Death Could Hint at the “Soul Leaving the Body” appeared first on Anomalien.com.