What happens to the electrical energy in a human body when we die?

Question

As a staunch skeptic, I find the notion of anything supernatural, from God to crystal healing to the existence of the human soul, likely to be based on human whim, rather than actually existing. Recently a friend of mine (who is definitely skeptical of the existence of a god but believes fully in ghosts) posited this question to me: given that the human body operates by electrical impulses, and as per the laws of thermodynamics energy can't be created or destroyed; thus, the electrical energy must "live on" as a ghost.

I see this particular argument being offered all the time for the existence of ghosts; how does one refute this? What does happen to the electrical energy, anyway?

Answer 1

That argument is complete nonsense. The body PRODUCES electrical impulses, it is not a repository of them. When you die, you stop producing them. To the extent there is any unspent charge built up, it eventually converts to heat.

Answer 2

"Albert Einstein, one of the greatest minds the world has known, taught us that energy couldn’t be created or destroyed. It can only be changed from one form of energy into another form of energy. This means that no matter what is done energy cannot be destroyed." There is a law known as the conservation of mass-energy, but that was known about in the 18th century. That wasn't one of Einstein's ideas. "Human beings have both electrical and chemical energy in our bodies. We are organically designed to carry our electrically charged brain and nervous systems. When we die our chemical bodies begin to break down and decompose. The organic side returns to wear it came from - energy changing into a different form of energy as Einstein's law says. So what happens to the electrical energy that flows through our brain?" "Electrical energy" is mediated chemically. It isn't just there--it's a chemical process. The electric charge comes about during neuron firing occurs because a chemical known as a neurotransmitter is released, which changes the permeability of a neurons membrane. Neurons are naturally negatively charged, so positive potassium ions flow in, along with the occassional sodium ion. This movement of ions is an electrical charge, which transmits down a long, narrow passage known as the axon. Although most of the axon is sheathed, there are gaps in the sheath known as nodes of renoire (I'm sure I spelled that wrong). These gaps contain voltage gates. These open and close based on the movement of the electric charge, changing the membrane's permeability to continue allowing the passage of ions. The ion movement *is* the electrical activity that you speak of. The nervous system converts chemical (the ions) and potential energy (the attraction of positive ions to the negative cell, held at bay by the membrane) into electrical energy. So, once the chemical components are no longer operating, the electrical activity stops. It's like cutting a wire: the current doesn't flow. And if I really want to get technical, the cell kills the charge in another way: the potassium ions can get in anyway, but a mechanism in the cell usually pumps them out to maintain the cell's negative charge. With a dead cell, the chemical pump fails, so the ions flood in, thus equalizing the charge and making a current down the axon impossible to achieve by messing with the voltage gates...but explaining that one is a bit more technical than is warranted right now. -------- As for your study, you need to cite your source. However, you make the odd leap from a study focused on a *belief* to whether or not the scientific community accepts evolution. How the heck did you manage to get that conclusion from the data?

Answer 3

I think that your friends right. I do believe that our bodies are made up of a great electrical system and I also think that it goes on to live even after the flesh is dead. I think this is the life force that exist in us. I'm not sure how this is but when the flesh dies then the spirit or the electrical system goes back to God for which it came.Thank you and God Bless you,

Answer 4

Energy dissipates into the surrounding environment. It is somewhat similar to the way a pot of boiling water will slowly cool to room temperature when removed from a heat source. For a time the pot may actually heat up the surrounding area (if sat on table for example), but eventually the electrons will move toward an equilibrium with the surrounding environment and cool.

Answer 5

Ultimately any electric potential energy in the cells end up as heat, raising the body temperature a tiny fraction ( probably less than one hundredth ) of a degree warmer than it otherwise would be. Eventually that slight excess of heat radiates to the surrounding environment.

Answer 6

After you die, the energy that was stored up in your body gets transferred into the bacteria and insects who need the nutrients it provides to survive. And some also gets transferred into the Earth as heat energy. In other words, your energy goes toward decomposing your body.

Remember, almost all of the energy on Earth at one point came from the sun. And all the energy on Earth eventually will either escape to the vastness of space or be stored deep under Earth's surface (think "fossil fuels).

Answer 7

Same as turning off a lamp. Energy ceases to flow in the body. No ghosts.

Answer 8

What happens to the electrical energy that was lighting the light when you turn the light off?

I don't see what this has to do with God or ghosts.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 9

(Hey, folks! Our "consciousness" is "complexly organized energy...and it takes a "complex organ (the human brain matter and central nervous system) to generate that consciouness...so sure...our energy is not created or destroyed...but when we die...that energy is no longer "complexly organized by complex brain matter," so...

We die...because WE are "complex energy," not "simple unorganized energy..."

Your "self-awareness" and "personality" do not survive the body's death...so who cares...because without those two things...there's nothing of any "conscious" value anymore...)

That "electrical energy" you are referring to is generated from the conversion of "food" and "oxygen" to energy...

That "electrical field" generated by our brains only works as long as the "generator" works...

Like in your car...take out the battery...and the car won't work anymore...

Simple...(and your "corpse" still contains enormous amounts of "quantum matter potential" energy...which is "electrical," too...but...our awareness and consciouness "ceases to be..."

Our consciousness is "the car..."

Our "bodies" are like the battery...only our "battery" will never hold a charge again or be hooked up to anything else that would be able to "recharge"our consciousness...

We ARE our bodies...and our bodies are us...and it is always...

Right now...until it suddenly is...

NOT right now anymore...(sorry to be the one to give you a "refresher course" in...

"Harsh Reality 101..."

Answer 10

The Minions of the Energizer Bunny collect the energy (they do the same with dead batteries) and use it to charge him up.