The first-ever recording of a person’s final moments has shed light on what our last thoughts might be before the big sleep.

Since the dawn of time, human beings have been curious about what happens after death.

While the true answer remains elusive, scientists may have discovered some clues about our final thoughts before passing away.

Researchers in Vancouver, Canada, were studying the brain activity of an 87-year-old epilepsy patient when he unexpectedly died of a heart attack during the observation.

By studying data from an electroencephalogram (EEG), they were able to track what occurred in his brain in the 30 seconds before and after his heart stopped beating.

The results suggested that the commonly held belief that one’s life “flashes before their eyes” might be more than just a saying.

This idea came from an observed increase in “gamma oscillations,” which are brainwaves associated with memory recall and dreaming.

These oscillations could indicate that the patient was reliving past memories in his last minutes.

Dr. Ajmal Zemmar, lead author of the study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, explained: “Through generating oscillations involved in memory retrieval, the brain may be playing a last recall of important life events just before we die, similar to the ones reported in near-death experiences.”

He went on to say that the findings could change our understanding of when exactly life ends, raising important questions about the timing of organ donation.

The study revealed similar brainwave patterns in rats at the time of death, but this is the first time such findings have been documented in humans.

However, the researchers emphasize that more studies are needed to draw firm conclusions. The data comes from a single case, and the patient’s brain had already been affected by epilepsy, making it uncertain whether the same patterns would occur in other individuals near death.

Dr. Zemmar added, “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.”