Bold interpretations — and scientific caution
Dr Stuart Hameroff, an anaesthesiologist and professor at the University of Arizona, told Project Unity and appeared in the documentary Through the Wormhole to suggest the post-death signal could be the near-death experience or the soul leaving the body. He argued consciousness might be the last thing to go, describing it as a very low-energy process tied to microtubules and quantum information.
Other researchers urged caution: the most likely explanation is that oxygen deprivation triggers the bursts. Hameroff himself noted the pattern is not universal — roughly half of patients show it when measured. The study team also commented that the idea that “something” happens at death can bring comfort to grieving families.