Scientists explain shocking reality of what your brain sees right before death

Near-death experiences (NDEs) continue to fascinate scientists and the public alike.

Survivors of cardiac arrest often report seeing brilliant lights, feeling their consciousness leave the body, or sensing a presence beyond themselves.

Researchers believe these intense experiences might be the brain’s way of responding to life-threatening situations. While we understand the physical processes of death, what happens to the mind in those final moments remains one of neuroscience’s greatest mysteries.

Metro has shared the incredible story of a man named Tom Kearney who was hit by a bus before Christmas in 2009.

He ended up in a coma after his head split open and his lungs burst.

Tom remained in coma for two weeks and claimed to have seen people who had been dead. First, he saw himself in Ireland, in the house of his great-grandfather where he had seen his deceased grandparents. He recalled they telling him he wasn’t supposed to be there.

All of a sudden, he was shown a gate that took him to New York City at the house of his in-laws. Speaking to Metro, Tom shared his mother-in-law telling him, “You’re not supposed to be here. You’re supposed to be with your wife and your boys, did something happen?”

When he explained he was hit by a bus, his mother-in-law said, “No, no, no, no, you’re not supposed to be here. You’re supposed to leave, you’re not supposed to be here. Please go home”.’

Tom then recalled meeting other deceased relatives, all of whom told him the same thing as his grandparents and his mother-in-law.

Getty Images

He also said he could hear the voices of those who had visited him at the hospital while he was still in coma.

“[My wife] proceeded to talk to me every day. She brought my friends in, my family visited everyone, and they all talked to me.

“This is extremely important because the coma is a bit like you’re in an underwater submarine and you’re trying to steer yourself by sound.

“I was able to construct a thought world that existed in my coma, which was not deeply unpleasant. I went to lots of places in time. Now I have fully consolidated those memories as dream memories.”

Speaking of Tom’s near-death experience, Dr. Charlotte Martial, a neuroscientist with the Coma Science Group and the University of Liege, said she’s fascinated it is a pleasant one since most experiences shared by people who faced death are somewhat negative.

She explained that what most people describe seeing are their loved ones or flash light before their eyes.

The science behind near-death experiences is complex, according to Martial who explains: “So we notably suggest that hypoxia would be the starting point of the cascade of specific neurochemical mechanisms.”

When cells lack oxygen, chemicals are released that may produce experiences such as hallucinations or intense peacefulness. “We list the neurotransmitter change that may lead to specific features, such as the visual hallucination, or the fact that they feel an intense feeling of peacefulness, or the dissociation that happened at that time,” she explains.

In addition to serotonin, other neurotransmitters such as dopamine, noradrenaline, GABA, glutamate, and endorphins play a role, and the resulting sense of calm may act as a protective mechanism.

“This may arise as a defense mechanism when people face a stressful or life-threatening or painful situation,” Dr. Martial added.

Please SHARE this article with your family and friends on Facebook.

Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

Monica Pop
Monica Pop
Monica Pop is a senior writer for Bored Daddy magazine covering the latest trending and popular articles across the United States and around the world.

More from author

Related posts

Latest posts

Cancer researchers issue urgent warning: ‘Stop eating this right away’

A number of research indicate the negative effects sugar consumption has on your body. High sugar intake contributes to weight gain and obesity, which...

Lip reader reveals ‘furious’ Prince William’s last public interaction with Prince Andrew

Just a month before giving up his royal titles, Prince Andrew and Prince William got into a heated argument as William has reportedly been...

Stomach Cancer Symptoms: From Subtle Signals to Serious Red Flags

Is That Itch Just an Irritation—Or a Health Red Flag? What Your Groin Discomfort Might Be Telling You That uncomfortable itch, burning sensation, or cluster...

Urban Neglect or Fateful Circumstance? Woman Discovered Unconscious in City Lot

Unseen and Vulnerable: A Woman’s Ordeal in Phnom Penh’s Busy Streets Just before noon, a quiet corner of Phnom Penh became the scene of a...

Furious Donald Trump ‘cursed’ and ‘threw maps’ as he gave Zelenskyy ultimatum: report

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House and the meeting between him and US President Donald Trump didn't seem to end well, replicating...

Two best friends died hand in hand in an accident right before prom night

Kiea McCann, 17, and her best friend, 16-year-old Dlava Mohammed, were killed outside the town of Clones in Co. Monaghan, Ireland, while traveling to their...