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Man unexpectedly dies during brain scan. What scientists saw should give everyone comfort.

They may have uncovered the secrets of our final moments.

via Canva

A doctor is analyzing brain scans.

Death remains one of the greatest mysteries of life. It’s impossible to know what happens as a person passes and whether there’s anything afterward because no one has ever been able to report what happens from beyond the grave. Of course, if you ask those with a keen interest in the supernatural, they may say otherwise.

However, in 2021, researcher Dr. Raul Vicente and his colleagues at the University of Tartu, Estonia, became the first people ever to record the brainwaves of someone in the process of dying, and what they’ve come to realize should be very comforting to everyone. “We measured 900 seconds of brain activity around the time of death and set a specific focus to investigate what happened in the 30 seconds before and after the heart stopped beating,” Dr. Ajmal Zemmar, a neurosurgeon at the University of Louisville, US, who organized the study, told Frontiers.


The patient who died while having his brain waves measured was 87 years old and had epilepsy. While researchers were studying his brain to learn more about the condition, they had a heart attack and passed away. “Just before and after the heart stopped working, we saw changes in a specific band of neural oscillations, so-called gamma oscillations, but also in others such as delta, theta, alpha, and beta oscillations,” Zemmar said.

The different types of brain oscillations that occurred in the patient before and after the heart attack were associated with high cognitive functions, including dreaming, concentrating, memory retrieval, and memory flashbacks. Therefore, it’s possible that as the patient was dying, they had their life flash before their eyes. What an amazing and comforting experience right before leaving this mortal coil.

“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,” Zemmar speculated. “These findings challenge our understanding of when exactly life ends and generate important subsequent questions, such as those related to the timing of organ donation.”


How long are people conscious after they are technically dead?

Science has found that people can remain conscious up to 20 seconds after they are declared dead. Even after the heart and breathing have stopped, the cerebral cortex can hang on for a while without oxygen. So, some people may experience the moment when they hear themselves declared dead, but they aren’t able to move or react to the news. In cases where someone performs CPR on the deceased person, the blood pumped by the compressions can temporarily keep the brain alive as well.

Although the experience of death will probably always remain a mystery, we should take solace in the idea that, in many cases, it may not necessarily be a miserable experience but an ecstatic final burst of consciousness that welcomes us into the great beyond. “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,” Zemmar concludes.

This article originally appeared in February

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Family

Dad eating breakfast with 3 kids shares handwritten note he received from another father

"We need more men like you."

via Canva/Photos and Tod Perry

A veteran leaves a kind note for a dad at breakfast.

Being a parent is a hard job, and there are many differing opinions on how to raise a child. Plus, every child is so different that knowing you’re doing the right thing can be challenging. That’s why even the best parent in the world can use a little reassurance from time to time. There’s no better example than a recent story out of Fort Worth, Texas.

Dr. J. Mack Slaughter, 41, was having breakfast at Mimi's Cafe with his three young kids and wife. When it came time to pay the bill, the server told him the $85.21 had already been paid by another customer. When they gave him the bill, there was a note on the front: “Thank You For Being A Great Dad," with a hand-drawn smiley face.

“We need more men like you.”

When Slaughter flipped it over, he found another note on the back:

"From a dad to a dad. Thank you for being the dad they need you to be regardless of who’s watching. We need more men like you. Thank you for letting us all see your love for them all.

From,

A retired Army medic"


“I couldn’t control my tears. There was nobody watching for my reaction—(as) the person was already gone. It was just pure kindness,” Slaughter told SWNS. He had been playing a dot game with his kids while they ate and had no idea he was being observed from afar. “Man, this hit me right in the feels!” he later wrote on Instagram. “Random acts of kindness are SO POWERFUL!!! My entire day is changed, maybe my whole month?? I’m just so awesomely aware of the good that exists in complete strangers.”

Every parent could use some reassurance.

The kind gesture was also a great example for Slaughter’s children. “Once I composed myself and explained to my kids why I was crying happy tears, my daughter asked me, 'Dad, who should WE bless today?’” Slaughter wrote. The note also reassured Slaughter who, as an ER doctor, he sees a lot of tragedy. “I see some of the most terrible things in the world, but this reminded me that complete strangers can do miraculous, beautiful things when you least expect it,” he told SWNS.

The generous veteran probably had no idea, but he offered kindness to someone who knew something about giving back. Slaughter founded a nonprofit called Music Meets Medicine, which raises money to donate instruments and instructional time to children with chronic conditions.

The emergency room doctor once had a music career as a member of, Sons of Harmony, as a pop group that opened for big-name acts, including Destiny’s Child and Jessica Simpson.


Sluaghter’s story is a wonderful example of how, even though you may not know it when it’s happening, people out there notice when they see parents going above and beyond. Slaughter could have been looking at his phone, or his children could have been on iPads during breakfast. But instead, he was engaged with his kids, making the most out of their time together, and that is what being a dad is all about.

“I guess I’ll never know who did this or be able to thank them in person, but I promise to double down on being the best damn father I can possibly be,” Slaughter wrote on Instagram. “Parents, don’t you dare fake it, but I’m keeping my eye out for my chance to pay this forward.”

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Wellness

People with chronic congestion swear this medieval looking procedure is life changing

This procedure looks completely made up and possibly illegal.

Photo credit: Canva

Chronic congestion cleared up with medieval looking procedure

Nobody gets a stuffy nose and immediately phones their friends to tell them how excited they are. Being congested is miserable. You can't breathe through your nose, which makes your mouth dry, which leads to you licking your lips more, which then results in being frustrated about needing to keep reapplying chapstick. It's a whole irritating cycle that doesn't get broken until the congestion clears up.

Unfortunately for some people, there is no end in sight for their congestion. It's something they've lived with for years, even if they're not sick or reacting to a seasonal allergen. This can be caused by chronic sinus infections or even a narrow nasal passage that either never allows their sinuses to fully drain or are so narrow that they don't allow for appropriate airflow.

In order to get some relief, people have turned to a procedure that looks as if it would get the doctor charged with a crime. As primitive as the procedure appears, people who have had it done swear by the results. It's called craniofacial release and is generally done by a chiropractor trained in this unique procedure.

talent GIFGiphy

The process involves placing a medical grade balloon on a type of bulb syringe and inserting the other side of the deflated balloon into the nose of the patient. Once in the nose, the balloon is pushed through the nasal passage into the opening in the mouth. With a quick motion, the balloon is inflated and immediately deflated. Now, maybe it's because it looks so incredibly uncomfortable, but I swear you hear things crack.

Nothing about this release looks relieving. To top it off, the only anesthesia the patient receives is the complete shock of the process. How can you feel pain if your brain is still trying to process what just occurred ten minutes after your appointment ends.

Ben Stiller Hot Ones GIF by First We FeastGiphy

"The idea is that if you insert small balloons into the nasal passages and quickly inflate them, that you can adjust the placement of the cranial bones. It's said to relieve symptoms like sinus issues and trigeminal neuralgia," Anthony Youn, MD explains.

People chimed in with their own experiences while some appeared to be shocked that something like this is done in a medical setting.

"I have had cranial facial release done and it is a game changer! I could breathe through my nose, less sinus infections and the ringing in my ears improved by 80%. This truly improved my quality of life. In this video the Dr is very slow. It needs to be done fast. It is not painful just shocking. Highly recommended," one person writes.


"I had this done at an EMT[sic] office. The effects don't last, but it was the nest[sic] breathing I have ever had after wards. I had a sinus infection that needed to be drained manually because it has pocketed up. But the balloon was needed to create enough space for the little vaccuum[sic]," another shares.

"Actually a chiropractor does it and it works so much better than you’d even believe. it’s very uncomfortable but not painful and procedure only lasts for a few minutes but the relief on sinuses and migraines was unbelievable.oh but the ballon wasn’t in my mouth at anytime during procedure," someone else writes.

sad nose GIFGiphy

One person says not while they're awake, "only if i was sedated and had no memory of it. That gave me anxiety just watching it."

Someone else is also not keen on the idea of this procedure, "Oh heck no! I have a deviated septem[sic], and one nasal passage is smaller than the other. I definitely would not do this!!"

"This looks like a medieval torture. I'm sure I would panic," another declares, but would you do it?

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