A doctor's experience with the afterlife

[TaraJo]

Am I the only one frustrated by this article?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/20...rlife.html

He's supposed to be a man of science. He's supposed to have an understanding of how the brain works and he's supposed to understand how it can affect your mind when changes are made to your brain (for example, bacteria eating your brain). He's even supposed to value empirical data and evidence. When you take that into consideration, it's extremely frustrating that he's chalking this up to afterlife.

[Darkstar]

So how is dreaming during a coma medically impossible? How is a NDE not entirely unlike that had by other people, which could be traced to brain activity in them, 'proof' of an afterlife? And here's the big one: How can he visit an afterlife if he wasn't dead!?!

[Minimalist]

Although I considered myself a faithful Christian,

There's your answer.

[TaraJo]

So how is dreaming during a coma medically impossible? How is a NDE not entirely unlike that had by other people, which could be traced to brain activity in them, 'proof' of an afterlife? And here's the big one: How can he visit an afterlife if he wasn't dead!?!

Because changes to your brain can change your own perceptions. If the right changes were made to your brain, you'd be absolutely certain that yesterday someone turned you into a duck and then changed you back (hell, the right changes can convince someone that they're still a duck). And if the right changes are made while you're unconscious, you'll be absolutely certain you saw angels and heaven.

[Tino]

Yes I too am frustrated by an alleged person of science leaping to this claim based on one subjective experience.

[Something completely different]

As far as I know whilest dying, ones mind goes through all sorts of memorised scenarios to find one wich might relate to the current one, and wich may help you save your life.
One might aswell (I`m assuming) go through fantasies one has had. I`m actualy looking forward to that. Remembering great past moments or just the fantasy of riding through pink Hamburg on a unicorn.
I am certain, that what one sees in his or her final minutes, hours or days, depends alot one wich memories have the biggest impact or wich things are remembered best or were indoctrinated in the best way. So if someone was indoctrinated in a religious way I wouldnt be suprised if he or she sees something religious in those moments.

I know of 3 cases in the erea where I grew up, where the dying started to sing nazi propaganda songs, wich they were succesfully indoctinated to sing as kids, in their final minutes. Try and make a religious ad out of that.

[Darkstar]

Because changes to your brain can change your own perceptions. If the right changes were made to your brain, you'd be absolutely certain that yesterday someone turned you into a duck and then changed you back (hell, the right changes can convince someone that they're still a duck). And if the right changes are made while you're unconscious, you'll be absolutely certain you saw angels and heaven.

Well, yeah, that's certainly the scientifically correct answer (which the doctor completely glossed over). My main point is, this guy is ignoring common sense in that he thinks he was able to visit the afterlife without dying.

[IATIA]

Simply the mind's interpretation of the hallucination due to memory deprivation.

[Anomalocaris]

If he is here to blather about it, then evidently it didn't occur after his death. Why is this not clear to even Christians?

[Minimalist]

Because they are thick as shit?