The Science Behind Near-Death Experiences: Brain Activity Reveals a 'Hot Zone' Surge.
A small study from the University of Michigan recorded the brain activity of four comatose patients who died from cardiac arrest while in hospital and under EEG monitoring. Two of the patients showed an increased heart rate and a surge of gamma wave activity, which is considered the fastest brain activity and associated with consciousness. The researchers detected activity in the area between the temporal, parietal and occipital lobes in the back of the brain, a so-called "hot zone" associated with dreaming, visual hallucinations in epilepsy, and altered states of consciousness. The study is similar to the results of another study involving an 87-year-old man who died of a heart attack in a hospital and showed unexpected activity in the memory retrieval area of his brain.