Thirty seconds before death, people often experience a similar vision, researchers have discovered.

For many years, scientists have sought to understand what happens to the brains of people when they die, writes DailyMail.

Recently, a group of neurobiologists managed to record brain activity in a dying person for the first time in history, who, it turned out, was experiencing what is commonly referred to as a "life review." Many individuals who have had near-death experiences describe seeing their entire life flash before their eyes at a critical moment. This phenomenon has now been scientifically confirmed.

The brain wave recording occurred when an 87-year-old patient suffered a cardiac arrest during treatment for epilepsy. A device monitoring brain activity attached to the patient's head captured an unusual spike.

Unfortunately, the man's heart could not be restarted, but the neurobiologists recorded 900 seconds of brain activity at the time of death. This allowed them to analyze what transpired 30 seconds before and after the patient's heart stopped beating.

The brain wave recordings indicated that the areas of the brain responsible for memories remained active.

"By generating brain waves involved in memory retrieval, the brain can replay memories of significant life events right before death. These findings challenge our understanding of when life actually ends," says Dr. Ajmal Zemmar from the University of Louisville, Kentucky.

As is known, the patient from Canada was undergoing treatment for epilepsy, which is why an electroencephalogram (EEG) was performed at the time of death to study brain waves associated with seizures. Later, the patient experienced cardiac arrest, resulting in death, but the EEG continued to monitor brain activity. This provided the first scientific evidence of what occurs in a person's brain in the moments leading up to death.

"Immediately before and after the cardiac arrest, we observed changes in a specific band of neural oscillations known as gamma waves, as well as in delta, theta, alpha, and beta waves," adds Zemmar.

Brain oscillations resemble repeating patterns of electrical impulses, which are familiar to the human brain. Different types of brain waves reflect various brain functions and states of consciousness.

For example, gamma waves are involved in high cognitive functions, such as memory retrieval.

"The human brain, by generating such brain oscillations, can reproduce significant events from its past right before death, which closely resembles previously described near-death experiences," the doctor adds.

Researchers do not rule out that the brain may be biologically programmed for the transition from life to death, triggering a series of physiological and neurological events. Scientists are still trying to understand how and why the "life review" occurs, but there are some theories.

According to one hypothesis, a lack of oxygen during a life-threatening event triggers the release of neurotransmitters that transmit signals between neurons. This activates neurons, and such heightened activity may lead to vivid memories.

Another theory relates to the area of the brain where memories are stored. The brightest memories are held in the amygdala, a part of the brain responsible for the "fight or flight" response. Activation of this area during a critical situation may release vivid memories.

It is worth noting that death is not the end, as confirmed by a mathematical model. The authors of the study state that the derived mathematical formula will help better understand the phenomenon of death itself.