The Mystery of Consciousness in Dying Brains.

A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the brains of two out of four brain-dead patients burst to life in the moments before death, displaying a sudden surge in gamma waves, which usually indicate conscious thought. The findings provide scientific support for accounts of “near-death experiences” and shed new light on the question of how we die. The study suggests that a “covert consciousness” may continue below the surface and springs to urgent life as death approaches.