Don’t worry I’m NOT going Dahmer on you guys. I’m just bored and feeling in a mad scientist frame of mind this evening. I assure you I have no secret lab piled up with body parts.
I have read the archival columns by Cecil about whether or not a severed human remains “aware” or conscious after decapitation. I think it is all related to the speed at which the head were severed.
I don’t know what the falling speed of a guillotine blade is, but my WAG is it is rather slow.
If one’s head were severed, let’s say at 1/1000 inch, by a laser beam, at the speed of sound, or supersonic speed, I think it would indeed remain aware for an undeterminable amount of time. I don’t know what the speed of nerves are but even as fast as they may be, I have feeling it would take a moment or more for the body to “catch-up” and realize, hey my head is severed, I am dead, why am I still thinking?
Assuming one’s head could indeed be severed with a laser beam at supersonic speed, two curious possibilities arise. If the subject were restrained and rendered completely immobile, the head could be severed but still rest upon the neck without separation. OTOH, the head could simply be removed entirely, separate from the body.
If the head-on-shoulders scenario were done, I think this would be the most likely manner in which a person would remain aware and alive. Theoretically, all of the nerves, arteries and vessels etc would remain aligned, and at least the blood supply would remain constant. If the subject survived, it would probably feel like total paralysis, if anything could be felt at all. Egads, what a frightening concept.
I am creeping myself out and will probably have nightmares about my head being lopped off, so I digress. Feel free to add anymore Frankenstein-ish theories yourself.