Is It Possible to Stay Conscious After Decapitation?

Francis Crick, the molecular biologist and one half of the team that uncovered the structure of DNA, later in his career proposed a theory he called The Astonishing Hypothesis. Simply put, it suggests that everything related to human consciousness -- from our love for family to belief in God to the perception of the color green -- is nothing more than electrical activity in our brain's neural networks. As Crick stated in 1994, "You're nothing but a pack of neurons" [source: Crick].

The foundation of our conscious experience lies in chemicals called neurotransmitters. These chemicals create electrical signals that enable communication between neurons, ultimately forming neural networks. By activating these networks, we experience the sensations and emotions that shape our lives. These experiences are stored as memories, which can be retrieved when the neural networks containing them are reactivated.

Although the idea may seem rather bleak, it underpins the belief that the electrical activity in the brain is the observable trace of our conscious experience. By extension, as long as we can detect this electrical activity -- using technologies like electroencephalography (EEG), which measures brain waves -- we can infer that a person is experiencing consciousness. This brings into focus a troubling 2011 study from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

To assess whether decapitation, a common method of euthanizing lab rats, is humane, the researchers attached an EEG device to the rats' brains, decapitated them, and recorded the brain's electrical activity post-decapitation. The researchers found that for approximately four seconds after the head was severed, the rats' brains continued to generate electrical activity within the 13 to 100-Hertz frequency range, which is typically associated with consciousness and cognition, defined as "a mental process that includes thinking" [source: Cleveland Clinic].

This discovery implies that the brain may continue to produce thoughts and perceive sensations for a few seconds after decapitation -- at least in rats. While findings in rats are often extended to humans, we may never truly know whether humans also remain conscious after decapitation. As author Alan Bellows highlights, "Further scientific observation of human decapitation is unlikely" [source: Bellows].

However, the history of medicine following the invention of the guillotine offers some intriguing scientific observations regarding human decapitation. These suggest that it may be possible to remain conscious after losing one's head. Let’s first consider how head removal has been carried out in the past.

A History of Head Loss

What has always made beheading so merciless are the implements and individuals involved in the act. Historically, the axe and sword were the most common tools for decapitation. However, these could become blunt, requiring more forceful strikes from the executioner. While some cultures, such as Saudi Arabia, have highly skilled executioners, other societies allowed less trained individuals to take on the role of 'headsman.' This often led to prolonged suffering, as multiple strikes to the neck and spine were required to complete the execution.

In the late 18th century, the guillotine was introduced as a more humane alternative to beheading. Despite common belief, the device wasn't named after its inventor, but rather after Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, a physician who advocated for a more humane execution method. Surgeon Antoine Louis, in fact, designed the contraption. The guillotine was adopted by Revolutionary France in 1792, and its efficiency led to the tragic Reign of Terror, during which more than 30,000 individuals were executed in just one year [source: McCannon]. France continued to use the guillotine for executions until the last one in 1977.

The guillotine's introduction marked a pivotal shift in execution methods. It was hailed as a more efficient and humane alternative to the traditional beheading tools. The design of the guillotine allowed for quicker and more precise decapitation, alleviating the prolonged agony associated with earlier methods. It was the invention of surgeon Antoine Louis, who sought a method that would deliver swift justice. However, the guillotine became notorious due to its central role in the Reign of Terror, where its efficiency contributed to the execution of thousands, shaping a significant period in French history.

The guillotine quickly became a symbol of fear in France. Victor Hugo famously wrote, "One can have a certain indifference on the death penalty as long as one has not seen a guillotine with one's own eyes" [source: Davies]. From its early use, it became apparent that the guillotine was remarkably effective, almost too efficient in its precision.

The Guillotine's Efficiency in Decapitation

The circulatory system is responsible for delivering oxygen and other vital components to the brain, ensuring its proper functioning. Without a steady supply of oxygenated blood, the brain's activity declines swiftly. This circulatory process occurs within a closed and pressurized system, where blood is pumped through the heart and lungs. Decapitation disrupts this system dramatically, resulting in a sharp decrease in blood pressure and causing the brain to be deprived of both blood and oxygen.

The duration of blood loss and eventual loss of consciousness can vary depending on the method of decapitation. When a sword or axe is used, multiple strikes to the back of the neck may result in blood loss before the head is completely severed. However, the guillotine's design allows for a faster and cleaner severing. The blade and weight assembly of the guillotine, weighing over 175 pounds (80 kilograms), was dropped from a height of 14 feet (4.3 meters) directly onto the victim's neck [sources: Guillotine.info, Davies].

The guillotine's blade was precisely guided within a track that led straight to the back of the victim's neck, ensuring the head would fall rather than be propelled toward the crowd. Additionally, a wooden screen, known as the 'shield,' further reduced the risk of the head flying away. Instead, the severed head usually landed in a basket positioned below the victim's neck.

This design allowed for the quick and efficient retrieval of the head by the executioner, who simply pulled a lever. It was customary for the executioner to raise the severed head and display it to the crowd. At times, the executioner even showed disrespect to the head. This was seen in the case of Charlotte Corday, who was executed by guillotine in France in 1793 after assassinating the revolutionary leader Jean-Paul Marat.

After her head was severed, the executioner slapped its cheeks while holding it aloft. To the shock of the onlookers, Corday's cheeks flushed, and her facial expression transformed, displaying what were described as the "unequivocal marks of indignation" [source: Ernle, et al].

Charlotte Corday's severed head was the first, but not the last, to show signs of consciousness following decapitation.

The Debate on Consciousness After Decapitation

The idea of consciousness continuing after decapitation has long been contested. Some argue that the movements observed in the face, such as those of the lips and eyes, are simply spasms caused by a kind of short circuit or residual electrical activity. While this could be true for the rest of the body, the head is unique in that it contains the brain, the center of consciousness. A clean decapitation may not harm the brain directly, allowing it to function until blood loss leads to unconsciousness and eventual death.

The duration of consciousness after decapitation is still a matter of debate. It is known, for instance, that chickens can remain active for a few seconds post-decapitation. A study involving Dutch rats suggests a brief span of about four seconds, while experiments with small mammals have recorded durations up to 29 seconds [source: Khuly]. This is an unsettling length of time when you consider that you can absorb a great deal of visual and auditory information in just a few seconds.

What makes the idea of consciousness lingering after decapitation particularly unsettling is the possibility of feeling pain and experiencing fear in those final moments before death. This phenomenon has been reported in several cases where consciousness seemingly persisted post-decapitation. One such case occurred in 1989, when an Army veteran recounted that after a car accident, the decapitated head of his friend showed changing facial expressions: "First of shock or confusion, then to terror or grief," [source: Bellows].

Both King Charles I and Queen Anne Boleyn are reported to have shown attempts to speak after their beheadings (carried out with swords rather than the guillotine) [source: Maslin]. In 1795, German researcher S.T. Sommering, who opposed the use of the guillotine, cited accounts of decapitated heads that had ground their teeth, and of one head that "grimaced horribly" when a physician prodded the spinal canal with his finger [source: Sommering].

One of the most famous studies was conducted by Dr. Beaurieux in 1905 on the head of executed criminal Henri Languille. Over a 25 to 30 second period, the doctor noted that Languille's eyes opened and, "undeniably," focused on the doctor twice when his name was called [source: Bellows].

For additional details on decapitation and other forms of capital punishment, proceed to the next page.