We will find out at some point.
A study has been commissioned to examine near death experience in cardiac arrest patients.
Researchers are going to study 1,500 near death survivors at 25 hospitals in the UK and the US to see if people without a heartbeat or brain activity have experienced paranormal activity. Scientists from the University of Southampton will lead this study.
Death is not a specific moment of time. It starts with a process of when the brain, lungs and heart stop functioning. This is known as cardiac arrest. During a cardiac arrest, all three elements of death are present. Medical teams have found they can revive a patient when in this state, which can last from a few seconds to an hour.
This study will provide a unique insight into what happens during cardiac arrest. Patients who have reported having an "out of body experience" claim they remember looking down from the ceiling at their own body. Scientists will test out this theory by using high shelving to place a range of pictures on the ceiling.
The idea is that if no-one sees the pictures during cardiac arrest then out of body experiences are just an illusion.
