Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain and discovered rhythmic brain wave patterns around the time of death that are similar to those occurring during dreaming, memory recall, and meditation. Now, a study published to Frontiers brings new insight into a possible organizational role of the brain during death and suggests an explanation for vivid life recall in near-death experiences.
I was caught in a rip current, in close to zero Celsius salt water, with significant waves as a teenager. My wetsuit was inadequate, to say the least, and my surfboard was lost because the leash failed (think of it as a flotation device).
I was sure I was going to die. I didn’t. But, yeah, every single second of my life was screaming through my brain while I pleaded with any force in the universe to save me.
I eventually got control of my breathing and swam across the rip and let the waves take me in. I was cold for a long time.
That was my first time surfing. Wasn’t my last but I learned a lot that day.
The that took me there and loaned me the gear didn’t even go in the water (said he was right behind me).