Near death experiences in the news

Near death experiences in the news

by SouthernFriedInfidel Published on September 19th, 2008, 11:45 am Rift: X

Time reports that scientists are still working to discover what exactly happens in the brain as death occurs, and to figure out what these "near death experiences" or "out of body experiences" actually are.

I thought that it had long been known that these are hallucinations that the brain experiences as it shuts down over a finite period of time. But hey, if they want to get more details on that part of human existence, go for it, I suppose.

[Liv]

I'll let you know if I make it back someday.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

I'll let you know if I make it back someday.

I don't know if the world is ready for a zombie Liv...

[Liv]

I'm thinking more "Flatliners"...

[A Person]

Study into near-death experiences

This 'study' involves placing pictures, face up, on high shelves in resuscitation areas. The hypothesis is that since people undergoing near death experiences often report floating around the room, if true, they would be able to see the pictures and report back.

Why is this pointless? Because no matter what the results it will be irrelevant.

Result 1: Near death survivors don't see picture - Inconclusive, they had a lot on their minds, what with floating around the room and trying to spot Jesus

Result 2: Near death survivors see picture. What controls were in place on the picture? What constitutes a 'match'? Do the doctor or other staff know what the picture looks like before questioning the survivor?

Since keeping the pictures secret would be impossible, there is just too much possibility that the survivor could either see the picture before being questioned, or that staff, aware of the picture, could unknowingly provide clues. Correlating a description to a picture allows a lot of subjectivity - a circle can be the earth, the sun, a hole, a face, an apple, etc.

Expect some silly claims to come from this.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

The fact that they're still trying this -- I first heard of the attempt to check NDE perception using pictures, posters, etc. over a decade ago -- shows that the "researchers" are not willing to accept the facts already established. Either they see a flaw in the methods used in the past, or they think that more recent evidence warrants further study. Either way, it really strikes me as something that should be ignored. Who the hell pays for this crap? Templeton??

[Liv]

I say we actually try Flatliners on some Death Sentence volunteers in prison?

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

I say we actually try Flatliners on some Death Sentence volunteers in prison?

Yeah... medical experiments on prisoners. That's the ticket!

[A Person]

As long as we harvest the organs first, who's going to complain?

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

Another really slow news cycle for CNN, I guess. They're bringing up the old "near death experience" controversy as their biggest item on their page this morning. Apparently, some people who experience these happenings think their souls "went some different place," while scientists assure the world that it's all in the brain.

Anything new in this story? Something that hasn't been hashed over dozens of times in the past decade? Absolutely not. Bloody idiots at the editors' desk, wasting their readers' time? You betcha!

[Liv]

My problem with the whole reporting of the process is it's always binary. Either mis-firing of synapsis, or the after life. We never stop to think maybe there is more going on in the whole thing. Not that I'm saying there is, but you'd think we could spice it up a bit.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

It seems to me that in this case, it IS binary. How can you get a gray area on an afterlife?

[Liv]

It seems to me that in this case, it IS binary. How can you get a gray area on an afterlife?

Maybe some process we do not understand yet.