Our lives really do flash before us: Scientists record the brain activity of an 87-year-old man at the moment he died, revealing a rapid 'memory retrieval' process
A 87-year-old man developed epilepsy and was admitted to Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia, Canada, before dying of a cardiac arrest. But prior to his death researchers had fixed him with electroencephalography (EEG) equipment to detect the seizures. During these recordings (right), the patient had a heart attack and passed away. This unexpected event allowed the scientists to record the activity of a dying human brain for the first time ever. Rhythmic brain wave patterns were observed to be similar to those occurring during memory retrieval, as well as dreaming and meditation. This supports the theory known as 'life recall' – that we relive our entire life in the space of seconds like a flash of lightning just prior to death. Left image shows a CT scan of the patient, whose identity was not disclosed.