Quentin Tarantino, the eccentric genius of Hollywood, is renowned for his films' bizarre plots and dark humor. His 1997 movie "Curdled" is no exception. It tells the story of the protagonist, Gabriela, who has been fascinated by murder since childhood, always wondering if a severed head retains consciousness and can still speak. Coincidentally, a series of brutal murders occur—a cold-blooded killer murders several socialites and decapitates them. Gabriela seizes the opportunity to investigate the case deeply. Ironically, she herself is eventually decapitated by the killer, finally solving the mystery that had haunted her for years!

Setting aside the film's satire on human curiosity, from a technical standpoint, does a head without a body still have thoughts? Can a body without a head survive? It's a well-known fact that when the brain stops functioning, the body dies immediately. But is this really the case? Can a body without a head still move?

A head without a body can "live" for a short period. Historically, there have been several instances of this. Witnesses have reported that during an execution, after the executioner severed a female prisoner's head and lifted it, the eyes and mouth on the head suddenly opened wide, as if trying to scream. Scientifically, this can be explained by the fact that brain death is a process, during which some basic functions might still be performed.

But what about a body without a head? Many have seen a decapitated chicken running around the yard for a while. This phenomenon seems hard to explain through neural reflexes, as muscle movements are commanded by the brain. So, how does the chicken's body maintain balance? What directs its muscle contractions? More importantly, could this happen to humans?

Many doctors are aware that after the head is severed from the body, the heart can continue to beat for a short time. This suggests that the body might still experience extreme pain after decapitation. However, scientists generally believe that a headless body cannot move. Lower organisms might exhibit some movements after losing brain control, but humans certainly cannot.

Shortly after World War II, a newspaper in St. Petersburg, Soviet Union, reported a bizarre incident—a man picking mushrooms in the woods of Petergof accidentally found an explosive device. Bravely, he picked it up without hesitation. The device exploded, instantly severing his head from his body. Strangely, the headless mushroom picker stumbled over 200 meters through the woods before collapsing, even crossing a 3-meter-long narrow bridge over a stream!

A WWII veteran also recounted a strange incident he witnessed—during a battle, an enemy shell exploded, instantly decapitating several comrades. Their heads hung like caps on their necks, yet they continued to charge at the enemy. One even leaped over several shell craters, a terrifying sight. Could strong willpower convert into some form of energy within the body, allowing movement after death? Historical records also document numerous similar phenomena.According to records from a Russian monastery, a tragic event occurred in 1570: Father Kornily, the abbot of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, was not only virtuous and talented but also exceptionally courageous. Kornily ordered the construction of a high wall around the monastery to defend against enemy invasions, but this act was not approved by Tsar Ivan IV, known as "Ivan the Terrible," who was notorious for his tyranny and cruelty. Upon learning of Kornily's "unauthorized construction," Ivan was furious and ordered Kornily's beheading, personally visiting the monastery to carry out the punishment. The execution was performed in front of the monastery's monks. After Kornily's head fell to the ground, something mysterious happened—the headless Kornily picked up his own head and walked straight toward the sanctuary. Only after reaching the altar did he collapse and die. Ivan the Terrible was deeply shaken by what he witnessed and sincerely regretted his decision, subsequently giving Kornily a grand burial. The path Kornily walked after his death became known as the "Blood Road," which is still adorned with flowers to this day, and Kornily himself was canonized as a saint.

In 1386, the King of Bavaria sentenced the nobleman Dietz von Schonberg to death for repeatedly rebelling and attempting to overthrow the king's rule. On the day of execution, Schonberg and his four loyal followers were tied to the gallows. The five were lined up, each spaced eight meters apart. However, just before the execution, Schonberg made an "extraordinary request." He said, "If, after my head is cut off, I can still run past these four followers, I hope the king will show them mercy and pardon their death sentences." The king laughed heartily, finding the request utterly absurd, and readily agreed. As the executioner's blade fell, Schonberg's head landed heavily on the guillotine with a loud thud. Almost simultaneously, the headless Schonberg began to sprint, running 32 meters until he passed the last follower before collapsing. The king was astonished but kept his earlier promise. Those present speculated that God had secretly protected Schonberg's four followers.

There are many such historical accounts—the headless Count of Saint-Denis walked two miles on the streets of Paris; a young Turkish man, accidentally beheaded in battle, continued to fight valiantly on horseback for several hours... Evidence from the medical field is more reliable. If the above accounts are merely rumors and hard to believe, there are also numerous medical records documenting astonishing cases that prove the human body can survive without a brain. In 1935, a baby boy was born at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York. On the surface, he appeared no different from other infants—he could sleep, eat, and even cry. However, when the baby died shortly after, the autopsy results shocked all the doctors—the baby's skull contained no brain tissue. This case remains an unsolved scientific mystery to this day. More and more cases contradict traditional medical theories, leaving scientists deeply puzzled. Moreover, some cases come from highly reliable sources, making fabrication unlikely. For example, the renowned German neurosurgeon Professor Hufeland once described a case of a paralyzed patient. He said the patient's mind remained fully intact until death, but upon post-mortem examination, Professor Hufeland discovered the skull contained no brain tissue, only spinal fluid.

In 1940, a 14-year-old boy was brought to Nicolás Ortiz Hospital in Bolivia. He told the doctors that he suffered from severe headaches, especially at night, as if his head was about to explode. The boy died soon after, and the doctors didn't even have time to perform brain surgery on him.After dissecting the boy's head, doctors discovered that there was no brain tissue left in the skull; instead, it was replaced by a massive tumor! This scene inevitably led the attending physicians to question the precision of medical science. Speculations suggest that the "abdominal brain" might issue commands to the human body, differing from religious explanations, as current science cannot provide a reasonable explanation for the aforementioned phenomenon. Otherwise, fundamental medical theories would have to be completely overturned. Experts from the Russian Medical Academy insist that, although the human brain is not yet fully understood and many mysteries remain, there is no need to take unsubstantiated claims too seriously. Most of the legends about "headless people" are baseless and have been exaggerated through repeated retellings.

Indeed, complex movements such as walking and running rely on neural feedback from the brain. This is why the so-called "abdominal brain" theory proposed by American scientists not long ago seems to be the only plausible explanation for "headless people." According to American scientists, they have discovered neural tissues clustered in the walls of the esophagus and stomach, which they refer to as the "third brain center." Scientists point out that this "third brain center" consists of over 100 million neurons, even more than those in the spinal cord. Moreover, these neurons are not just simple connections; they also have the ability to store information and even influence our emotions and health.

Additionally, American scientists claim that when a person is under stress, the "abdominal brain" also takes charge of controlling hormone secretion, prompting the body to fight or flee. Thus, if the brain loses control over the body, the "abdominal brain" can temporarily take over this responsibility. However, the "abdominal brain" theory has not yet been definitively proven, and whether it can explain the mysterious phenomenon of headless people remains to be further tested.

Source: http://tech. enorth. com. cn/ system/ 2003/ 04/ 14/ 000543673. shtml