This preprint presents The Last Dream, a theoretical model aimed at interpreting the subjective experience that may occur in the seconds immediately following cardiac arrest and preceding irreversible neuronal failure. Drawing on convergent evidence from physics of time, neuroscience, neurochemistry, and psychedelic research, the model explores the plausibility of a transient terminal state characterized by intense but organized brain activity, altered temporal perception, and internally coherent experiential structure. Recent animal studies and limited human observations suggest that cardiac arrest is not necessarily followed by an immediate cessation of cerebral activity, but by a short-lived window (approximately 10–30 seconds) marked by high-frequency oscillations, increased neural integration, and functional patterns partially analogous to those observed during REM sleep. In parallel, terminal neurochemical responses, including the release of endorphins, serotonin, and the possible involvement of endogenous psychedelic compounds such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), may modulate affective tone and perceptual organization during this phase. The model integrates these elements to propose that, under specific conditions, the dying brain may support a dream-like, atemporal state in which subjective time becomes the primary experiential reference, independent of external chronological time. Importantly, the paper does not claim direct access to subjective experience but advances a cautious, falsifiable interpretative framework grounded in observable neurophysiological and neurochemical dynamics. The work discusses epistemic limits, alternative interpretations, and possible empirical falsifications, and outlines future research directions, including high-density EEG studies in peri-mortem contexts and translational approaches using non-human primate models. The theory is presented as an open conceptual framework, intended to stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue on consciousness, time perception, and the neurobiology of dying.
Sciacchitano Gianluca (Thu,) studied this question.