If someone had said I would wake up in a room full of mirrors the next morning, I would have been intrigued by the possibility of such an incredulous impossibility. And yet, here I am, surrounded by thousands of reflections. All of them are versions of myself from every stage of life: me as a newborn, me at three, seven, fifteen years old including each one of those ages with such detail, yet none of them reflecting who I am today.
I see a flickering number suspended above me: a glowing “6:00.” Curiosity draws me in, and I sink into a plush sofa that materializes in front of me. Just then, a mirror shifts and there is moving magic. Confusion fills me as I try to find an answer. But then I see the glowing figure has now become “05:57.” It seems to have started a countdown like a timer, and my heart starts racing. The mirror ripples once more- this time, depicting a memory of my past life. It’s one of my very first swimming lessons. I can almost feel the cool water around me, the taste of chlorine, and the mix of excitement and fear. One by one, several mirrors reveal hidden memories… time ticking, as each core memory plays out.
Some bring laughter; suddenly I grin uncontrollably as we laugh together in a silly family gathering bursting into fits over a ridiculous game. Others tug painfully at my heart, bringing moments of loss and longing. I see the itching of tears at the corner of my eyes, as I observe those younger versions of myself. What swirls inside me is a cocktail of emotions: joy, anger, pain, anxiety, ecstasy, depression and countless others, with each memory that flashes before my eyes. Each memory pulsates to life, a fragile thread weaving into the tapestry of time.
Then, suddenly, everything fades to black, and the last image I see is the timer striking “00:00.” In that instant, I am hit with the realization: SIX minutes!
Six minutes– that’s how long your brain lives when you die.
Some researchers say that the brain is active for about six minutes after the heart stops beating and replays important life events- from old to new, from memories you might have forgotten to those you might have made just the second before your death.
This makes me wonder, were these my six minutes?
Writer : Manya Arora
Grade : 1st Year Psychology Undergrad (Year 2024)
Place : Mumbai, India
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