From guillotine to EEG: Revisiting the neurological controversies of decapitation through modern neurophysiology.
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews August 1, 2026 Stéphane Mathis, Gwendal Le Masson
The question of whether consciousness persists after decapitation has fascinated scientists, philosophers, and the public for over two centuries, from 18th-century debates over the guillotine to modern neurophysiological studies of cerebral ischemia. This review synthesizes historical controversies-such as the anecdotal reports of facial movements in severed heads and early galvanism...