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[Merged]Afterlife exists says top brain surgeon


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Afterlife exists says top brain surgeon

A prominent scientist who had previously dismissed the possibility of the afterlife says he has reconsidered his belief after experiencing an out of body experience which has convinced him that heaven exists.

Dr Eben Alexander, a Harvard-educated neurosurgeon, fell into a coma for seven days in 2008 after contracting meningitis. During his illness Dr Alexander says that the part of his brain which controls human thought and emotion "shut down" and that he then experienced "something so profound that it gave me a scientific reason to believe in consciousness after death."

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9597345/Afterlife-exists-says-top-brain-surgeon.html

Edited by Saru
Reduced length of quoted text, added source link
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Consciousness after death simply is not possible.

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You act as if being skeptical is a bad thing. It should be the default for every story, theory or idea told to you. Besides, it is likely that NDEs as neurological and chemical phenomena occurring in the brain, and thus the result of purely physiological and neurobiological mechanisms. The imagery in the experiences also varies within cultures.

Also, it is my belief that some of what he has said is taken out of context, and/or distorted to make for a good story. It was the same thing with Einstein. So many people twisted and distorted what he said that nobody really knows what he really said, and what he meant by what he said.

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My dad had a near death experience when he was a young man. He said the same thing, it was very life like. He's never really given me an answer on whether he believed it to be real or not but I've heard him say things about other near death experiences, how it's probably neurological goings on in the brain.

Edited by Hasina
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The reason most people are sceptical is because they are not as gullible as a lot of people. Sceptics don't just believe everything they hear, they think about it rationally. This 'challenge' you have here can't really be proven true or false. There may be points to it that can be challenged from both sides but never proven either way.

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Do some searching for Dr. Michael Persinger. He's done some pretty interesting studies.

There is another Doctor...which I cannot recall his name...that did some studies into NDE's. He compared anecdotal experiences with clinical data and found some pretty interesting info as well. His studies suggested that there is "experience" after the synaptic activity has ceased. Which clinically speaking...should be impossible, yet in multiple circumstances, it is what apparently happened.

If you really want to twist your noodle...read some of the work by a psychologist/psychiatrist named Dr. Stanislov Grof. He was a Professor at John Hopkins Medical University a few decades ago.

Another brain twister is (also a Professor of psychiatry and psychology - Georgetown and Stanford) Dr. Karl Pribram.

And then there is always Dr. Carl Jung.

The brain and human perception is a pretty fascinating thing.

Edited by Jeremiah65
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i 'died' on an operating table

i could hear the nurses and doctors freaking out and a strong male presence who i thought was my dad was holding my hand through all this..

no bright light experience, no tunnel.. nothing flash..

i came to, to hear a female nurse "ok, we got him"

noone was holding my hand then..

..you either believe in this **** or you don't.

meanwhile... enjoy your "life" (hint hint)

[edit]

i was a real piece of **** for most of my life... why would someone come to keep me safe while i was dying? i don't deserve that? it makes me almost cry just remembering it...?

Edited by unit
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Do some searching for Dr. Michael Persinger. He's done some pretty interesting studies.

There is another Doctor...which I cannot recall his name...that did some studies into NDE's. He compared anecdotal experiences with clinical data and found some pretty interesting info as well. His studies suggested that there is "experience" after the synaptic activity has ceased. Which clinically speaking...should be impossible, yet in multiple circumstances, it is what apparently happened.

If you really want to twist your noodle...read some of the work by a psychologist/psychiatrist named Dr. Stanislov Grof. He was a Professor at John Hopkins Medical University a few decades ago.

Another brain twister is (also a Professor of psychiatry and psychology - Georgetown and Stanford) Dr. Karl Pribram.

And then there is always Dr. Carl Jung.

The brain and human perception is a pretty fascinating thing.

I will have plenty to research in my free time. Thank-you for the recommendations. :tu:

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I will quote Kerry Packer after his NDE ....

Doctor - Kerry are you ok ?

Kerry - Yeah , but I have good news and bad news .

Doctor - what news ?

Kerry - The good news is that there is no hell .

Doctor - And the bad news ?

Kerry - There's no heaven either .

TiP.

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i 'died' on an operating table

i could hear the nurses and doctors freaking out and a strong male presence who i thought was my dad was holding my hand through all this..

no bright light experience, no tunnel.. nothing flash..

i came to, to hear a female nurse "ok, we got him"

noone was holding my hand then..

..you either believe in this **** or you don't.

meanwhile... enjoy your "life" (hint hint)

[edit]

i was a real piece of **** for most of my life... why would someone come to keep me safe while i was dying? i don't deserve that? it makes me almost cry just remembering it...?

You were hallucinating. It is that simple. As real as it may have seemed, it was still very much a hallucination. Nothing more, nothing less.

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Consciousness after death simply is not possible.

So impossible.. Even after stories like this. Ok. I understand blind faith... Really i do... I used to be a christian.

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You were hallucinating. It is that simple. As real as it may have seemed, it was still very much a hallucination. Nothing more, nothing less.

Proof?....... Hmmmm I'm starting to understand you my friend..,,. ;(

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I will quote Kerry Packer after his NDE ....

Doctor - Kerry are you ok ?

Kerry - Yeah , but I have good news and bad news .

Doctor - what news ?

Kerry - The good news is that there is no hell .

Doctor - And the bad news ?

Kerry - There's no heaven either .

TiP.

Nice job. That solves everything.

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Afterlife exists says top brain surgeon

A prominent scientist who had previously dismissed the possibility of the afterlife says he has reconsidered his belief after experiencing an out of body experience which has convinced him that heaven exists.

Dr Eben Alexander, a Harvard-educated neurosurgeon, fell into a coma for seven days in 2008 after contracting meningitis.

During his illness Dr Alexander says that the part of his brain which controls human thought and emotion "shut down" and that he then experienced "something so profound that it gave me a scientific reason to believe in consciousness after death." In an essay for American magazine Newsweek, which he wrote to promote his book Proof of Heaven, Dr Alexander says he was met by a beautiful blue-eyed woman in a "place of clouds, big fluffy pink-white ones" and "shimmering beings".

The doctor asserts that the part of the brain that controls human thought and emotion shut down. However, studies have shown that if areas of the brain are not functioning properly, other areas of the brain take over (hence neuroplasticity). So one possibility could be that another part of his brain took over the function. Perhaps the "unconsious" took over. After all he was in a coma. Just possibilities.

SINcerely,

:devil:

Edited by Dying Seraph
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The reason most people are sceptical is because they are not as gullible as a lot of people. Sceptics don't just believe everything they hear, they think about it rationally. This 'challenge' you have here can't really be proven true or false. There may be points to it that can be challenged from both sides but never proven either way.

Or... Skeptics have chosen an skeptical mode of processing information... Not at all wrong ,...,. Quit benificial actually... But taken to the dark extremes is just as bad as the fundamentalists.

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The doctor asserts that the part of the brain that controls human thought and emotion shut down. However, studies have shown that if areas of the brain are not functioning properly, other areas of the brain take over (hence neuroplasticity). So one possibility could be that another part of his brain took over the function. Another is the "unconsious" took over. After all he was in a coma. Just possibilities.

SINcerely,

:devil:

Well then how do you explaine brains that have been cooled below 60. .... Oh I know you will try.., they always do.

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You were hallucinating. It is that simple. As real as it may have seemed, it was still very much a hallucination. Nothing more, nothing less.

Snip

Edited by Seeker79
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Well then how do you explaine brains that have been cooled below 60. .... Oh I know you will try.., they always do.

And what's wrong with wanting a logical, scientific answer?

Clearly you embrace ignorance.

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Well then how do you explaine brains that have been cooled below 60. .... Oh I know you will try.., they always do.

Greetings Seeker,

I strongly suggest to you a book suggested to me regarding the power of neuro plasticity and the power of the brain called The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. In regards to NDE another member presented a few good ones. ;)

SINcerely,

:devil:

Edited by Dying Seraph
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Greetings Seeker,

I strongly suggest to you a book suggested to me regarding the power of neuro plasticity and the power of the brain called The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. In regards to NDE another member presented a few good ones. ;)

SINcerely,

:devil:

I'll read it ... Thanks.

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And what's wrong with wanting a logical, scientific answer?

Clearly you embrace ignorance.

Oh ab.... You have no real intelligent criticism... Only cynicism. Once you wake up... To actual logic and criticism... You might hang with the big boys. That's not an insult, it's a challenge.

Edited by Seeker79
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Oh ab.... You have no real intllligent criticism... Only cynicism. Once you wake up... To actual logic and criticism... You might hang with the big boys. That's not an insult, it's a challenge.

There is no logic in an afterlife, my friend. Nor is there logic in providing fantastical explanations for something that already has numerous scientific explanations available for it. It is not my fault that you wish to take the side of fantasy, instead of waking up and smelling the beautiful aroma of reality.

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I'll read it ... Thanks.

Greetings Seeker,

In regards to the 60 degrees issue, there remains a issue. IF an individual is in a coma or declared brain dead that would be a matter of NDE books which another member presented. The one I suggested demonstrates the power of the brain. Just to clarify.

As this is not my profession and only recent hobby I can only speculate and would leave this arguing madness to those more qualified. :yes:

I posit a question to you, if the brain is cooled or in that "frozen state" does the individual still not feel? They are paralyzed is the impression I get. I could be wrong however if they are in a frozen state it wouldn't negate the brain from having some sort of activity. Again I'll leave it up to those with the qualifications to discuss such.

Edit: This article makes good arguments for spiritual-soul and consciousness in the brain.

Scientist: Mind Continues After Brain Dies

REUTERS Limited

June 29 - A British scientist studying heart attack patients says he is finding evidence that suggests consciousness may continue after the brain has stopped functioning, and a patient is clinically dead.

The research, presented to scientists last week at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), resurrects the debate over whether there is life after death and whether there is such a thing as the human soul.

"The studies are very significant in that we have a group of people with no brain function ... who have well-structured, lucid thought processes with reasoning and memory formation at a time when their brains are shown not to function," Sam Parnia, one of two doctors from Southampton General Hospital in England who have been studying so-called near-death experiences (NDEs), told Reuters in an interview.

Link here, -->http://aleroy.com/FAQz19.htm

SINcerely,

:devil:

Edited by Dying Seraph
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...he then experienced "something so profound that it gave me a scientific personal reason to believe in consciousness after death."

Fixed it. :P

I've seen this doctor in an interview before. It sounds like a lovely experience (minus the meningitis part), but it's purely subjective. I don't know if enough's known about the brain yet (though I would think he should know) to say this is outside of the realm of natural explanations.

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