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Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

blog.frontiersin.org

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Re: Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

#41

Post by [deleted] »

inostia wrote: post #37
schodi wrote: post #22

I have that inner emotion, when thinking about death. It makes me very uneasy. When We die, if there is nothing coming, how is it to not exist? I mean, what is it like? Pure black and emptyness? I then comfort myself into thinking, in the end it comes down to energy. Like being part of that endless stream of energy that became matter and probably will return to energy somewhere in infinty. Or do we maybe just restart…

You can't describe non-existence in phenomenological or psychological terms because existence is required for experience (unless you believe in "souls"). The body will exist, but the neural activity that underlies experience will be absent. edit: another user commented and said this was "logically unsound 20th century positivism". Let me direct you to this quote ca 300BC from Epicurus: > Death, therefore, the most aw…

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Re: Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

#42

Post by goldenkey »

awb wrote: post #20
hatchnyc wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am afraid that the last few minutes of life will be like a confusing and disoriented nightmare. That has always seemed to me to be the most likely scenario as your brain is shutting down.

Have you ever been knocked out or disoriented? It's mostly confusing. Death could be like that too. A flood of signals you're unfamiliar with and a lack of signals you're used to having. It probably depends on how much warning you have and your willingness / readiness to pass as well. Kind of like if you're really tired and can't wait to fall asleep vs. scared and trying to keep yourself awake.

Reading your comment gives me such an unsettling feeling. You nailed it. I think death is the ultimate form of discomfort. Our bodies refuse to let us die peacefully under most circumstances. They fight with every last breath and every last heartbeat, to keep going. And all the usual signals of comfort are gone, with one just left bare before the universe. Think motion sickness + nausea + all the other terrible feelings combined, and you cannot just give in, you just have to endure until you're gone.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGuXaFyU5lY

Re: Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

#44

Post by eatsyourtacos »

schodi wrote: post #22

I have that inner emotion, when thinking about death. It makes me very uneasy. When We die, if there is nothing coming, how is it to not exist? I mean, what is it like? Pure black and emptyness? I then comfort myself into thinking, in the end it comes down to energy. Like being part of that endless stream of energy that became matter and probably will return to energy somewhere in infinty. Or do we maybe just restart…

>When We die, if there is nothing coming, how is it to not exist? I mean, what is it like?

The question doesn't make any sense.

If I smash you in the head with a hammer and you have brain damage which changes your personality, makes it so you can't access some memories, and can't control your body properly.. we accept that as literal brain damage- we have broke the machine (our brain) in some regard.

Everyone accepts the reality of that situation.

But when you die (i.e., your brain is completely shut off and non-functioning), we ask what is it experiencing? What does it feel like? It's literally a nonsensical question.

Your brain isn't active to experience anything from its senses, which in turn are probably not functioning to send any signals either.

Re: Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

#45

Post by tayo42 »

hatchnyc wrote: post #10
bsmitty5000 wrote: post #2

> “Something we may learn from this research is: although our loved ones have their eyes closed and are ready to leave us to rest, their brains may be replaying some of the nicest moments they experienced in their lives.” Note to self: die in a way that keeps my brain intact for a few seconds after death.

I am afraid that the last few minutes of life will be like a confusing and disoriented nightmare. That has always seemed to me to be the most likely scenario as your brain is shutting down.

If its like psychedelics I don't think it would be. Which i think the initial parts could be similar since they decrease blood flow to the brain, seems the same as dieing? IME there is nothing to fear, fear (emotions in general) is a higher level concept and those seem to be the first thing fall apart. Thoughts about thoughts, self identity, are made up to make living and thinking easier.

my guess is you slowly transition to simple machine with sense inputs and outputs until it all shuts down.

Re: Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

#46

Post by _Wintermute »

ASalazarMX wrote: post #33
schodi wrote: post #22

I have that inner emotion, when thinking about death. It makes me very uneasy. When We die, if there is nothing coming, how is it to not exist? I mean, what is it like? Pure black and emptyness? I then comfort myself into thinking, in the end it comes down to energy. Like being part of that endless stream of energy that became matter and probably will return to energy somewhere in infinty. Or do we maybe just restart…

I've seen this answered as "Do you remember what was like before you were born? Being dead is the same thing". It couldn't be pure black and emptiness, for example, because we no longer exist to experience it.

Reminded me of a quote:

"The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness. - Vladimir Nabokov "

Re: Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

#47

Post by [deleted] »

nbaugh1 wrote: post #34
schodi wrote: post #22

I have that inner emotion, when thinking about death. It makes me very uneasy. When We die, if there is nothing coming, how is it to not exist? I mean, what is it like? Pure black and emptyness? I then comfort myself into thinking, in the end it comes down to energy. Like being part of that endless stream of energy that became matter and probably will return to energy somewhere in infinty. Or do we maybe just restart…

Pretty sure its a lot like how it was before you were born

[deleted]

Re: Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

#48

Post by nefitty »

kowlo wrote: post #31

I dread that it might be like my usual (nightly) sleep paralysis, except it will be the one time I don't wake up...

This is a big factor in my insomnia. Not necessarily the fear that I'll die in my sleep (God willing, that's my preference in old age) but the realization that every night, I'm getting a little more and more acquainted with oblivion. Knowing that you and everyone else here is in the same boat helps a lot. Maybe it's trite, and silly, but the phrase "We're all in this together" brings me a little bit of comfort, a tiny slice of what I imagine the spiritual feel in greater quantities.

As I get older I suspect more and more that humans are not adapted for atheism. Even us hard atheists tell each other stories of chemicals and stuff and cosmos and infinity. I have an ongoing conversation with my wife on whether we'll raise our future children Catholic or not. I think we might. The lure of those stories, the grandiosity of those narratives, the imagery and ritual... Those are just buttons that I don't know if an atheistic upbringing could press. I'm not saying it's not possible... Would a reverential trip to the Grand Canyon, a late night summer trip to Amboyd Crater, fulfill the need for awe that a child has as she's growing up? If I could will it I would have her completely skip the existential terror that I've contended with throughout my life, but of course, she would be her own person and her own mind, regardless of my plans.

Re: Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

#49

Post by rootusrootus »

emteycz wrote: post #14
giantg2 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did. I find this unbelievable and was asking if this is really true, or if this is just the first time someone wanted to publish it. "This unexpected event allowed the scientists to record the activity of a dying human brain for the first time ever."

EEG is not easy to get right, any muscle movement from the neck up scrambles the signal. It's unlikely you'd be able to get a usable recording without planning - usually you'd be trying to save the dying person by any means and you'd do that without any regards to EEG signal quality.

> usually you'd be trying to save the dying person by any means

I expect that in the majority of deaths, nobody is making any effort whatsoever to save the dying person.

Re: Neuroscientists have recorded the activity of a dying human brain

#50

Post by wrycoder »

ipnon wrote: post #27
schodi wrote: post #22

I have that inner emotion, when thinking about death. It makes me very uneasy. When We die, if there is nothing coming, how is it to not exist? I mean, what is it like? Pure black and emptyness? I then comfort myself into thinking, in the end it comes down to energy. Like being part of that endless stream of energy that became matter and probably will return to energy somewhere in infinty. Or do we maybe just restart…

Everyone has been dead before: Do you have any trepidations about the times before you were born? It's trite to say this, yes, but it gives some comfort to know we are born with the experience of not being alive. Of course Your Metaphysics may apply.

Can I ask you something? How come the Russians never smile? I’ve never seen them smiling.”

“They’re at work. They're Russians.”

"Is it normal for them to eat without talking to one another?”

“This is their job. They get 20 minutes to eat.”

“Yeah, but they never smile. Are they happy?”

Are the Russians happy? Is anyone happy? Can one ever truly be said to be happy?

I am tempted to go full Slav on Conor, to explain to him how we are all just grains of dust suspended in the howling void, searching for meaning in the fleeting moments before we are yanked back to the oblivion from whence we emerged, naked and screaming. But for all his faults he's just a kid stuck spending his summer microwaving Yorkshire puddings for difficult people. I take pity.

“Russians are formal. It would be weird of them to act relaxed on duty. They are all smiling on the inside.”

-- https://idlewords.com/2018/12/gluten_free_antarctica.htm

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