We’ve all seen the countless horror movie scenes of headless bodies running around and lone blinking heads, but how much of it is actually scientifically accurate? And thinking beyond physical capabilities, would one still remain conscious post-decapitation? First, let’s define the conscious experience. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines consciousness as the “normal state of being awake and able to understand what is happening around you.”

According to molecular biologist Francis Crick (pictured to the left) in his novel, The Astonishing Hypothesis, consciousness is simply the result of “electrical activity in our brains.” This activity comes from neurotransmitters, which basically send signals to the brain from a plethora of neural networks. When living things experience physical or mental stimulation, these networks alert the brain, and we are able to understand sensations from our surroundings. Therefore, as long as electrical activity coming from these neurotransmitters are functioning in the brain, one could assume that the entity is experiencing consciousness. This activity can be observed through advanced technology, such as the electroencephalography (EEG) which looks at the brain waves.

Since decapitation is a frequently used procedure in putting down lab rats it is the perfect platform for testing said electrical activity, as well as the morality of the method. In 2011, a research group from Radboud University in the Netherlands performed an experiment in which they connected a sample of lab rats’ brains to EEG machines. After measuring each of their electrical activities, the researchers proceeded to decapitate the rats and measure the following changes in activity. The study found that the rats were in a state of cognition for about 4 seconds after their heads were removed, displayed by their brain activity being “between the 13 and 100-Hertz frequency band.” The Cleveland Clinic defines this state as the ability to mentally process things, meaning that the rats were able to think for a short period of time following their euthanization.

Despite this conclusion, scientists are still unable to discern whether or not the effect is the same in humans. However, it is very unlikely that we will every truly know, for human decapitation is not morally sound; therefore, further scientific research on the topic will be hard to continue. There are a few cases of past beheadings in which the moments following the procedure were recorded, particularly after undergoing the guillotine. The first case of a respondent severed head was in Francein 1793 where Emily Corday’s facial expression changed numerous times in the few seconds after it had been chopped off. Since the guillotine provides a clean sever, the brain undergoes no trauma, and will continue to retrieve signals until blood loss kills the entity. In 1905, Dr. Beaurieux conducted a study upon the execution of convict Henri Languille, where he recorded Languille’s activity for 30 seconds following the beheading. He noted that the severed head was able to open his eyes and focus them on the doctor when Beaurieux said his name. Even though further research on the topic in relation to humans is limited, scientists can gather research from prior cases of human decapitation and animal testing.