Life does really flash before your eyes when you die according to a study of brain activity that was being done when a man suddenly died.
A brain scan captured the brain waves and activity of a dying man who suddenly died and the brain scan shows that brain signals occurred that are associated with your memory and life flashing before your eyes.
After an elderly patient died suddenly during a routine test, scientists accidentally captured unique data on the activity in his brain at the very end of his life: During the 30 seconds before and after the man's heart stopped, his brain waves were remarkably similar to those seen during dreaming, memory recall and meditation, suggesting that people may actually see their life "flash before their eyes" when they die.
The phenomenon of replaying past memories when you die has been reported by some people who have had near-death experiences.
But this is the first scientific evidence that this "flash" might be real.
However, as this is the only case study, it is impossible to make further assumptions about how common the phenomenon may be or what the experience may be like.
Researchers made the startling discovery in 2016 while studying the brain activity in an 87-year-old Canadian man who had developed epilepsy.
The team was performing an electroencephalogram (EEG) — a test that detects abnormalities in the electrical activity of the brain — to learn more about what was happening during his seizures.
That's when the man suffered a sudden and fatal heart attack.
The patient's unexpected death meant that the team had accidentally made the first-ever recording of a dying brain, the researchers said in a statement.
Visual or auditory hallucinations are often part of the dying experience.
The appearance of family members or loved ones who have died is common.
These visions are considered normal.
The dying may turn their focus to “another world” and talk to people or see things that others do not see.