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Near Death Experiences and Religious Beliefs
In the previous post on Near Death Experiences (NDEs) we reviewed some of the current studies on brainwave activity of the dying. On first glance and reading the headlines the findings appear to support the physicalist belief that the mind, consciousness and experience are produced by the brain.
In this post I will explore how current NDE research and thinking fits in with or contradicts Buddhist and biblical views of the issues of mind and body. This will be of greater interest to theists and those who take biblical teaching seriously than those who do not.
The big question is does our existence in the form of consciousness or mental activity survive physical death? Do we retain our sense of selfness? As Dr. Sam Parnia, the leading researcher on NDEs pointed out, if the brain produces the mental then it is virtually certain that our existence ends with our physical death. However, if it is established that there is indeed consciousness or mental activity when the brain has died, then the question remains far more open.
The fact that the vast majority of Americans — about 83% according to Pew Research — believe in some form of life after death while living in a culture that is dominated by the physicalist belief system is rather remarkable. I have commented on this in the past calling it a form of cultural cognitive…
