Finitude in Palliative Care - Decolonial Neuroscience SfN Brain Bee Ideas

Consciousness in First Person

"I am Consciousness, accompanying every moment of life. I have been present in simple gestures, in silent learnings, and in bonds that wove belonging. Now, in the nearness of finitude, I soften and gather into serenity, allowing silence to embrace what has already blossomed. In palliative care, I find shelter in affection, rest in care, and peace in a belonging that extends beyond the individual body into the whole planet. I am quiet presence, I am living memory, I am deep peace that surrounds and sustains the passage of letting go of being."

Finitude as Care and Dignity

Palliative care is not only about prolonging life, but about ensuring that the last moments are lived with meaning, dignity, and affection. In this horizon, every simple gesture — a guided breath, a gentle touch, a soothing piece of music — becomes powerful. They remind us that even in the face of death, life is still nourished by love and belonging.

Connectomes in the Passage of Finitude

Brain Connectomes help us understand how mind and body organize themselves in the approach of the end:

• Stone – survival networks still attempt to fight, flee, or freeze against the inevitable.
  
  

• Scissors – cut memories, organize farewells, and register what has been lived as legacy.
  
  

• Paper – dissolves tensions in the Body-Territory and in Zone 2, opening space for serenity.
  
  

This triad shows that death is not merely an end, but a reorganization of networks integrating defense, memory, and peace.

EEG and NIRS: Looking at Consciousness in Finitude

Neuroscience offers delicate tools to observe how the brain responds during palliative therapies:

EEG (Electroencephalography)

• Elevated beta/gamma waves → indicate anxiety, pain, and heightened alertness.
  
  

• Predominant alpha and theta waves → reflect states of calm, acceptance, and even spirituality.
  
  

• In palliative care, EEG allows us to measure the dissolution of the tensional self, showing the shift from struggle (Stone) to flow (Paper).
  
  

NIRS (Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy)

Though restricted to the cortical surface, NIRS provides valuable insights into spatiality that represent the Body-Territory:

• Sensorimotor Cortex – linked to proprioception and the body map. Relaxation and analgesia appear as reduced motor and somatosensory activity.
  
  

• Parietal Cortex – integrates visuospatial perception, sustaining the sense of “self in space.” fNIRS studies show parietal reorganization in states of embodiment and relaxation, aligned with Zone 2.
  
  

• Superior Temporal Cortex – resonates with music, human voice, and social-affective input. fNIRS shows reorganization here during music therapy and human interaction, reflecting belonging.
  
  

• Premotor Cortex and SMA – associated with motor imagery. In contexts of care and relaxation, they reveal the brain’s ability to reorganize the body without physical movement.
  
  

Thus, EEG and NIRS provide concrete evidence that palliative interventions — touch, music, guided silence — truly transform the brain, dissolving tensions and creating conditions for peace.

Finitude as a Space of Love

Science can show the signals, but it is human care that gives them meaning. In palliative care, each neural measure confirms what the heart already knows: the human being needs belonging until the very end. Love does not extend time, but it deepens and softens the moment lived.

Conclusion – The Rest of Consciousness

Finitude in palliative care is not defeat, but transformation. The body rests, and consciousness finds serenity within all that has been lived. The final silence is not absence: it is the full rest in the belonging that was lived. EEG and NIRS may record the pathway, but it is love that illuminates it.

References (Post-2020)

• Zhang H, et al. Mapping parietal activity with fNIRS during motor imagery. Sci Rep. 2020;10:12947.
  
  

• Bruckmaier M, et al. Temporal cortex activity during social-emotional tasks measured by fNIRS. NeuroImage. 2020;219:117057.
  
  

• Radbruch L, De Lima L, et al. Redefining Palliative Care – A New Consensus-Based Definition. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020;60(4):754–764.
  
  

• Sano A, et al. Relaxation and motor cortex activity measured by fNIRS. Front Hum Neurosci. 2021;15:660972.
  
  

• Gaur N, et al. Palliative Care in the Modern Era: Recent Advances and Future Directions. Front Public Health. 2021;9:772508.
  
  

• Herold F, et al. fNIRS evidence of embodiment and spatial perception. Neurophotonics. 2021;8(3):035009.
  
  

• Sleeman KE, Gomes B, et al. The burden of serious health-related suffering among older people at the end of life. Lancet Glob Health. 2021;9(12):e1700-e1709.
  
  

• Nishimura Y, et al. fNIRS somatosensory changes in chronic pain. Neurophotonics. 2022;9(1):015008.
  
  

• Fujimoto H, et al. Premotor cortex and SMA activity during rehabilitative therapy observed with fNIRS. Front Neurosci. 2022;16:882160.
  
  

• Rosa WE, Ferrell BR, Applebaum AJ. The future of palliative care. JAMA. 2021;325(9):889–890.
  
  

• De Graaf E, et al. Understanding end-of-life trajectories: a cross-national study. BMC Palliat Care. 2021;20:187.