Throughout history, humanity has been fascinated by mysteries surrounding death. From ancient civilizations to the modern era, we have asked questions about its causes, what happens during the dying process and if there is life after death.
Near-death experiences, often recounted by those who have been on the brink, arouse great intrigue. Despite being a natural process, death is still a topic that most prefer to avoid.
One of the most persistent questions is: What happens in the brain when we are dying? Neuroscientist Jimo Borjigin has dedicated her career to unraveling this mystery, challenging previous assumptions about death.
Jimo Borjigin, with his research team, has carried out pioneering studies that reveal surprising brain activity at the moment of death.
In experiments with rats, they observed a significant increase in neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine immediately after the animals’ hearts stopped. This intense brain activity was unexpectedsince it was assumed that the brain shut down rapidly after cardiac death.
Borjigin did not stop at studies with rats. In subsequent research, her team studied human patients in comas who were taken off life support. In two of the four patients, brain activity similar to that observed in rats was recorded, just at the moment when they stopped receiving life support. This suggests that andThe human brain also experiences intense activity in its final moments.
Brain areas that were activated during these critical moments included the posterior cortical hot zone, associated with sensory perception, consciousness, dreams, and hallucinations; Wernicke’s area, related to language and listening; and the right temporoparietal junction, which plays a role in empathy. These activated areas suggest that the brain could be generating a series of perceptions and sensory experiences just before death.
Borjigin proposes that this increase in brain activity could be a survival mechanism of the brain in the face of oxygen deprivation, similar to hibernation in some animals. This theory raises the possibility that the brain is attempting to protect itself and prolong conscious life in its final moments.
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