What happens to your body when you’re about to die
As Halloween approaches, you may be watching more horror films from the comfort of your home. But imagine, for a moment, what it would feel like to have a slasher scenario played out in real-life.
In a new video, scientists have explained exactly how your brain's chemistry undergoes changes just before you're killed by an axe murderer.
The video which has been made by the American Chemical Society, highlights how the experience of watching people get chased through a horror film is actually similar to being there - albeit less intense. Researchers say that if you are watching the movie, you are first quite likely to feel an intense sense of fear. This is an evolutionary response that gets a human being ready to react or run away from the threat, which is in this example is the axe murderer.
This act of running away results in thought that is controlled by a cluster of neurons that form the PVT, or paraventricular nucleus of something known as the thalamus.
This region of the brain is extremely sensitive to stress, acting as a sensor for both psychological and physical tension. "When the signal reaches the periaqueductal grey, it switches to a state of alertness," the video shows.
The fear will then startle you into reacting, which is when the fight or flight response is triggered, which causes your adrenal glands to start pumping out adrenaline. This then raises your heart rate, sharpens your senses and provides access to huge amounts of energy in order to cope with threats to survival. This is the body's signal to you that you must do what you have to do to stay alive.
And yes, researchers claim watching horror movies triggers the same responses in the brain, which is why many people feel fear on the axe murderer getting closer.
While the body has received extra amounts of energy, it does not always choose to fight. Indeed researchers claim that most people believe the threat is so intense that they can opt for a "freeze" response. This could be interpreted as the brain being overwhelmed, or it may have evolved as a way of keeping still to hide from predators. Others claim that we may have learnt this trick from the animal kingdom, where animals stay still to hide from predators.
If you do manage to get away from the axe murderer, you'll probably start screaming. "We perceive screams in a completely different part of the brain to language," the video explains.
"Unlike normal speech, screams go from your ears to the amygdala, which is the brain's emergency centre."
For instance, when you are injured, neurons called nociceptors send messages up to the brain. These are collected by the thalamus, which in turn, tries to tell the brain to do whatever it can to stop the injury happening again.
"It's almost like the screamer is trying to share with you the state of their brain chemistry."
Screams are mostly instinctive, and are also used to cause others to be fearful and react. It is a way of telling people that you need help fast."
Finally, if your axe murderer catches up with you, obviously you will most likely feel severe pain. "So now let us assume that you're dead on the floor", the video continues. "Assuming no massive brain injury was inflicted, at this point you'd be assumed to be clinically dead."
But your brain keeps working. According to recent studies, the brain appears to undergo a final surge which can be associated with consciousness.
"Some folks believe this is an explanation for near-death experiences," the video goes on to say. Then finally comes biological death. What happens after that is anyone's guess.
(Courtesy of Daily Mail.)