The biological process of human life is simple, we're born, we live, and one day we die. But at the cellular level, this apparently simple course is far more complicated. Every human body is a highly complex ecosystem made up of approximately 30 trillion human cells and an equally staggering number of microbes, all functioning together in concert to maintain what we recognize as life.As researchers discover the cryptic "third state" of life, the question is one of enormity—may near-death experiences have something to do with it? If cells are able to continue and reorganize after an organism has died, could human consciousness do the same in ways we're not yet aware of? Survivors of near-death experiences report vivid dreams, a tunnel vision of light, or a feeling of calm. But what happens to those who don't come back? May their cells be undergoing a change, a try to reorganize in some fashion we haven't yet understood? This brings into question the nature of death, of consciousness, and beyond.However, new studies indicate that for certain cells, death is not the final act but a precursor to something surprising. This groundbreaking idea—the so-called "third state"—hypothesizes that under certain circumstances, certain cells, even after the death of an organism, may reorganize and form new functions, throwing our basic definitions of life and death into doubt.The concept of a third state initially gained scientific momentum with the emergence of xenobots—AI-created multicellular creatures that exhibit autonomy outside their initial biological purpose. These small biological robots are constructed from frog embryo cells, which, when introduced into new environments, spontaneously reconfigure and assume new functions. For instance, instead of employing their hair-like cilia to move mucus as they would in a living frog, xenobots redirect these structures for mobility.This phenomenon proves that cells are capable of being reassembled into new shapes and functions even after the death of an organism. Researchers opine that this postmortem cellular plasticity is not exclusive to xenobots. Human cells, or "anthrobots," also display such actions, proving the ability for posthumous cellular reorganization and transformation.Are Cells Conscious After Death?At the center of this controversy stands a challenging query: are cells conscious? Physician and evolutionary biologist William Miller takes on this theory in his work The Sentient Cell, an argument that puts forth the hypothesis that cells enjoy a type of cognitive capacity. The Cellular Basis of Consciousness (CBC) hypothesis proposes that cells do not blindly obey instructions from their genetics but rather are shown to implement decision-making activity, flexibility, and self-conserve mechanisms, all of which are akin to a primitive mode of consciousness.While classical biological models portray genes as the ultimate controllers, Miller suggests that genes behave more as tools than controllers. Cellular intelligence is instead the driver of cooperation, mutual support, and problem-solving, underpinning multicellular life. This transforms the classical survival of the fittest paradigm to one of survival through collaboration and adaptability.What Happens to Cells After Death?Historically, death has been defined as irreversible loss of organismal biological activity. Yet such medical procedures as organ donation illustrate that some organs, tissues, and cells maintain their functional properties even after death—sometimes for hours, days, or weeks under optimal circumstances.A number of factors will decide whether cells survive after death. Environmental parameters, the state of metabolism, and methods of preservation are all important. Human white blood cells, for instance, can last between 60 and 86 hours from the time of death, while those of mice skeletal muscle can regenerate two weeks after death. Some fibroblast cells in sheep and goats have even been grown up to a month following the organism's death.In addition, researchers have discovered that certain human lung cells are capable of self-assembling into small multicellular structures that can move and heal themselves. These "anthrobots" exhibit a capacity to explore their environment and repair injured neurons—abilities that contradict traditional assumptions about cellular behavior following death.How Do Postmortem Cells Work?Cells' survival following the death of an organism relies on a number of biochemical processes. Some researchers believe that cell membrane specialized channels and pumps act as complex electrical circuits that coordinate cellular communication, organization, and movement. Stress- and immune-related genes also have heightened activity after death, and this implies that cells are striving to make up for lost homeostasis.Age, health, trauma, infection, and type of species affect the duration of time cells will survive after death. For instance, islet cells in the pancreas, which secrete insulin, are notoriously hard to transplant because of their high demand for energy and susceptibility to attack by the immune system. Uncovering how certain cells resist the process of decay could transform organ transplantation and regenerative medicine.Can We Harness the Third State for Treatment?The third state has very significant implications for biotechnology and medicine. Among its possible uses are in personalized medicine, where drugs might be delivered using anthrrobots made from the patient's own cells, to repair tissues or fight diseases.For example, engineered anthrobots could be programmed to dissolve arterial plaque in atherosclerosis patients or clear excess mucus in cystic fibrosis patients. Unlike synthetic drugs, these living cellular machines would not trigger immune rejection and could biodegrade naturally within weeks, minimizing long-term risks.In addition, the third state of matter idea might lead to next-generation regenerative therapies, potentially enabling researchers to revive lost functions in injured organs or even extend transplantable organ preservation times. The discovery of the mechanisms behind how some cells are able to survive and adapt following death might also yield essential knowledge on aging, neurodegeneration, and immunity.As study of the third state increases, it threatens our traditional notions of biology, consciousness, and the very nature of death. If cells are in some sense intelligent, as scientists argue, then life itself must be redefined. What we might view as the "end" is merely a stage of biological change, in which cells rearrange themselves and accommodate different functions in a manner previously unknown.The applications of this study go far beyond the realm of medicine; they border on philosophical and ethical considerations regarding consciousness, identity, and the very nature of what it means to be alive. As science continues to peel away layers of cell behavior, one thing remains for sure—life, as we have always known it, is much more complex and mysterious than we have ever conceived.More than Just Near-Death ExperiencesThis study also opens up an interesting possibility: might near-death experiences have something to do with the third state? Researchers have long reported instances of people having vivid, life-changing experiences at the time of clinical death—seeing light, meeting dead relatives, or feeling themselves float above their bodies. If cells are still able to function and reorganize after death, might this activity be responsible for these experiences, rather than just hallucinations?Some scientists now question whether such experiences are a cellular-level phenomenon even in individuals who cannot be resuscitated. If cells preserve some sort of consciousness or decision-making capacity after biological death, it would change our concept of both consciousness and the line between life and death.The third stage between life and death is no longer an outlying theory—it is a phenomenon witnessed by scientists with far-reaching medical, ethical, and philosophical consequences. While scientists continue to study how cells survive and change following the death of an organism, our perception of life itself may be poised on the verge of a paradigm shift.