What can brain waves really tell us? ShutterstockĪnd I did, despite 25 years of studying the human brain and knowing perfectly well that about six minutes after the heart stops, and the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, the brain essentially dies. Only he was not breathing anymore and he was cold to the touch. An hour later, I found him perfectly still and beautiful, his head slightly turned to the side as if he was in a deep state of sleep. But when I landed, I was told my brother had passed away four hours ago. I set off to Marseille, France, having been summoned to Avignon by my mother because my brother was in a critical state, a few days after being suddenly diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. On June 14, 2021, I was violently reminded of these questions. Words I remember to this day were the last of Georges Danton on April 5, 1794, who allegedly said to his executioner: “Show my head to the people, it is worth seeing.” Years later, having become a cognitive neuroscientist, I started wondering to what extent a brain suddenly separated from the body could still perceive its environment and perhaps think.ĭanton wanted his head to be shown, but could he see or hear the people? Was he conscious, even for a brief moment? How did his brain shut down? I had just discovered gruesome aspects of the French revolution and how heads were neatly cut off the body by a Guillotine. The first time I reached past the sheer horror of the concept of death and wondered what the experience of dying may be like, I was about 15.
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