FT389 7including no pulse and unreactive
pupils.Thepatient appeared
to be undergoing the same
brainwaves(deltawavebursts)
as we experience duringdeep
sleep.This wasdistinguished
from the sudden ‘deathwave’
observed inrats one minute
after decapitation ina
study, whoseresearchersatthe
Netherlands’ Radboud University
interpreted asreflecting “the
ultimate border between life
and death” (seeFT368:36-43).
However,suchmassive waves
were not observedinany of
thefour patients in the study,
conductedby the University of
Western Ontario.Its research
team suggested that death may
be unique to eachindividual,
sinceeachofthe four patients’
frontal electroencephalographic
(EEG)recordings showedfew
similarities both beforeand after
deathwasdeclared.
Struggling toexplain this
persistent brain activity after the
hearthad ceased functioning,
theresearcherswondered
whether theresultswere dueto
an EEGrecordingerror–but the
equipment otherwise showed
no signs of malfunction.“It is
difficult to positaphysiological
basisfor thisEEG activity given
that it occursafteraprolonged
loss of circulation”, said one.
“Thewaveform bursts couldbe
artefactual[i.e. dueto human
or machine error] in nature,
although an artefactualsource
couldnot be identified.”
While thismay seem
frustratinglyinconclusive, it is
not atypical ofresearch in the
relatively newand rather niche
field of necroneuroscience,whereother oddities have been
observed. Apair of 2016 studies
foundover1,000 genes still
functioning severaldaysafter
death.They hadnot simply
taken longer to die off; this gene
activitywasobservedtohave
increasedat the momentofdeath.
NeitherAudrey Schoeman or
Joao Araujo appear to have any
recollectionoftheir state of mind
duringthe periodinwhichthey
were clinically dead, whichis
unsurprising, giventhatalackof
brain activity is one diagnostic
sign of death. However, in March
2012, footballerFabriceMuamba
collapsedduringanFACup
matchbetween his then team
BoltonWanderersand Tottenham
Hotspur.Hewas diagnosed as
havingsufferedaheart attack
andwas pronouncedclinically
dead.
Laterasked ifhe could
recall anyimpressionofwhat
had occurred,Muamba said he
had feltasurreal dizziness,as
though hewasrunning alongside
another person’sbody. Perhaps
surprisingly, he didnot mention
anypain. Hisexperience could
be interpreted as an out-of-bodyexperience (seeFT307:16-17,
323:40-42), but is perhaps too
vaguetobeofmuchuse; clearer
recollections have beenrecorded
by others pronounceddead.
In 2000,SamParnia,amedical
researcher,interviewed 63
patients who had survivedheart
attacksatSouthampton General
Hospital. Of those 63, sevenwere
able torecall thoughtsfromthe
timetheywereunconscious.
Theseincluded comingtoa
border or pointofnoreturn,
feelings of peace,and in one
instancethe impressionof
jumpingoff amountain.
An extension of the study
encompassing severalEuropean
and US hospitals employed
wooden boards painted with
writing and symbols on their
upper surfaces,which were then
hungfromhospitalceilings, the
ideabeing that onlypatients
having agenuine out-of-body
experiencewould beable to see
whatwas on the board. Although
twopatientsrecalledlooking
down at their bodies,neit herhad
beenresuscitated in an area of
their hospital having one of the
hanging boards.
Whilstthe resultsofParnia’s
study were inconclusive, it may
suggestthat some patients
undergoing (near) deathby
heart attackdonot suffer pain,
eitherexperiencing nothing at
all,oravaguelypleasantand
slightlymystical state. But there
is onlyone waytotrulyknow...
Guardian,2Mar 2015; sciencealert.
com,8Mar 2017;W.DailyPress,
Mar; D.Mail, Sun,6Dec 2019.For
moreresurrections,see:FT131:8,
143:10, 151 :22, 254:9, 323:26,
334:10-11, 340 :20,381:21, 386:21.SIDELINES...AND
RE
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FP
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FP
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ES
WHATAWHOPPER!
AtoothextractedfromCroatian
MijoVodopijainMainz,Germany,
in2018,hasbeenverifiedby
Guinness WorldRecordsas the
world’s longest. It is 3.72cm
(1.46in) long, halfamillimetre
longer than the previous record
holder in India.Sun, 31 Oct 2019.COWS ZAPPED
Agroupof French cattle farmers
planned to sue the state over
the deaths of hundreds of cows,
thought to be victims of electro-
magnetic fields.Localvets were
unable toexplain the deaths.
Stéphane Le Béchec,51, a
Breton farmer,had lost 200 cows
in threeyears andwasclosing his
business.Heidentified several
possible causes,including a
transformer,mobile phone towers
and wind farms.D.Telegraph, 27
April 2019.MARSUPIALASSAULT
Joanna Mactier,44, wasonher
regular Saturday morning jog
throughapine plantation outside
Melbourne on 13 July when
an enormous roguekangaroo
knocked her out. When she
regained consciousness the
bounderwasgone. Shewas
treated in hospital for cuts and
bruises.(Queensland) Courier-
Mail, 14 July 2019.CARNIVORE’S REVENGE
The world’s first‘meatvegetable’
wasannounced by JimTa ylor
of Arby’sfastfood restaurant
in Atlanta, Georgia–“or,aswe
call them,‘megetables’... Our
first megetable creation is the
‘marrot’, which is turkey disguised
asacarrot...Wehave set up a
Vegetarian Supporttelephone
hotline,andinvitevegetarians
to call and listen to the sound of
sizzling bacon.”Forbes Magazine,
12 Aug 2019.STRANGEDAYSABOVE:Footballer Fabrice Muamba gives thanksfor his recovery afterhe collapsedduringa2012 gameandwas pronounced
dead fromaheartattack.BELOW:Dr Sam Parnia hasbeen carrying out studies intoconsciousnessafterclinicaldeath.