New research in the US has suggested the body's major functions experience a more steady decline after death
Share
The human brain could remain conscious for up to several hours after death, according to a new study.
Data has revealed that some people may be alert to their surroundings despite being declared biologically dead, long after the heart has stopped pumping blood.
According to scientists, the body shows that biological and neural functions "steadily decline from minutes to hours," rather than "ceasing abruptly."
Researcher Anna Fowler came up with the findings suggested the decrease of brain activity lasts hours, rather than seconds as previously believed.
Speaking at a science conference in Arizona, Ms Fowler said: "Emerging evidence suggests that biological and neural functions do not cease abruptly.
"Instead, they steadily decline from minutes to hours, suggesting that death unfolds as a process rather than an instantaneous event."
Writing in her study, she added: "Consciousness may not vanish the moment the brain falls silent. Cells may not die the moment the heart stops.
"This research proposes that death is not the sudden extinguishing of life, but the beginning of a transformation, one that medicine, philosophy and ethics must now approach with deeper humility and renewed clarity."
Ms Fowler warned her findings could have implications for the ethics of organ donation, as she suggested medics may need to reconsider the timings of the organ retrieval procedures.
Usually, organs are taken within minutes of the heart ceasing in order for them to operate efficiently.
Speaking to reporters at the conference, Ms Fowler added: "What does happen when we die? Nobody really knows.
"I really want people to think and consider what it means to truly die.
"[Death] should be considered in phases. If you have cancer, you could have stage three cancer, stage two cancer. Well, there are stages of death.
"Emerging evidence suggests that elements of consciousness may briefly exist beyond the measurable activity of the brain and that death, long considered absolute, is instead a negotiable condition."