Philosophy Now Forum

I submit the following news itam for analysis and comment. The lead states: "Doctor claims that he can prove there's life after death"

http://www.aolhealth.com/health/what-ha ... n-we-die/1

I look forward to the result of the experiment with the shelf, with the triangle on the underside and another pattern on the top. But the result will not stop the philosophers from arguing.

If the experiment produces a positive result - patients do appear to have seen the pattern on the top - reductionist materialists will say "See, there is some additional physical process involved. We don't know what it is, but we will find out soon enough. So if you thought that our position was implausible because known physics and chemistry did not appear to be up to the job, think again. Now stop looking for anything beyond the physical". Opponents will respond that the reductionist materialists are presupposing the correctness of their position by interpreting the result in this way.

If the experiment does not produce a positive result, reductionist materialists will say "There you are, stopped brain, no mind. It's all in the brain. Now stop looking for anything more". Opponents will respond that dependence of the mind on the brain does not prove their identity.

Both of these materialist interpretations, and both responses, are only caricatures. They would need quite a lot of refinement before they could get into academic papers. But they will be refined and published, and of the words of philosophers there shall be no end.

But they will be refined and published, and of the words of philosophers there shall be no end.

You almost sound disappointed!

i truly appreciate this article and the research they are doing, its amazing. one thing i do not understand though is that alot of people say they saw a tunnel, etc... and that it was dreamlike... in one of my experiences it was dreamlike, (but that was the one where i stumbled upon the green mossy place as a child, i do not think anyways anything happened to me physically in that situation that i know of anyway)...

but the 2nd experience (when older and think my heart might have stopped or something) was not dreamlike at all and had no tunnel, it was as real as how i feel right now, but "surreal" however in that i couldn't believe it was happening. There was no "tunnel," i was just going up, kind of like how an astonaught might experience things, except i could not float around or control anything that was happening whatsoever, my mind could try to "will" parts of my body to move, but it wouldn't, (although felt as though flailing about, and suspened at the same time) but my mind was still my mind in that it could think and even argue against what was happening. who knows maybe there is a tunnel tho, and i didn't make it that far, lol. i'm glad for that, i'm happy to be here right now thank you very much

but this article was quite fascinating, i am tempted to contact the researchers to see if they might have insight into what happened to me, i'm not as embarrassed any more seeing that other people have had this happen to...

what i thought was also interesting as well as that they mentioned that some people seem to have this "consciousness" that "allows" these experiences...and some don't, i wonder why that is

have those with the "consciousness" & other capabilities possibly evolved, or devolved? or either or neither nor?

anyhow thanks, great article, lots to think about:)

By definition: death is the end of life. So a life after it's end implies the death was false in the first place.

Or, as according to the Buddhists, it was the original life that was false.