The Mysterious Brain Activity in the Final Moments of Life.

Researchers recorded the brain activity of comatose patients as they died and found that some patients' brains generated a surge of organized-looking electrical activity that may reflect consciousness. This surge can occur after a person's breathing stops but before the brain stops functioning. The activity pattern is somewhat similar to what is seen when people are awake or in dreamlike states, leading to speculation that perhaps these electrical surges reflect the otherworldly experiences reported by people who've had close brushes with death. However, since all the patients in the new study ultimately died, it's impossible to know if they had such experiences.