Whether some patients in vegetative states were actually "there" has always been a mystery. Most people thought it would never be possible to know. Neuroscientist Adrian Owen, author of "Into The Gray Zone" and a professor at Western University in Canada decided to try to communicate with them with the help of fMRI technology to monitor brain activity. He found, amazingly, that around 20% of people in vegetative states are actually aware of their surroundings - and thanks to his technique, able to communicate for the first time.

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