Re: PROOF OF LIFE AFTER DEATH

david l burkhead (david8@dax.cc.uakron.edu)
9 Jul 1996 15:37:21 GMT

In article <rfoyDuA5no.2FA@netcom.com> rfoy@netcom.com (Richard Foy) writes:
>In article <31E19F2D.3258@megafauna.com>,
>Stephen Barnard <steve@megafauna.com> wrote:
>>Ed Conrad wrote:
>>>
>>> By ED CONRAD
>>>
>>> Conclusive evidence of life after death actually has been available
>>> for more than a quarter-century.
>>>
>>> This opinion is shared by two of the world's foremost authorities on
>>> death and dying, Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and Dr. Bruce Greyson.
>>> They agree that the proof had been provided by a pair of Pennsylvania
>>> coal miners who, back in 1963, revealed that Pope John XXIII had
>>> appeared to both of them at the same time during their 14-day
>>> entombment following an underground cave-in near Hazleton, Pa.
>>>
>>
>>Well, I guess that settles it. I can't express how relieved I am.
>>
>>(NOT)
>
>
>Have you read any of the work on Near Death Experiences?
>
>If so what is your opinion o what is going on with them?

I can't speak for Stephen, but I've read some of that "work" (as
well as some of the real work done by real researchers). A lot of
what passes for "work" is the gosh-wow stories of the credulous (the
kind of thing you see on "Sightings" and "Unsolved Mysteries").

However, work has been done (I'll see if I can find the author
I'm most familiar with--it's been a while and I can't remember her
name offhand) involving the actual physiology involved. Several of
the typical phenomena (the "floating above the body" and "moving down
a long dark tunnel" hallucinations) have been linked to known
psycological and physiological effects in the brain under conditions
that include those of "Near Death Experiences." As for visions of
peole, religious figures, etc., well, when oxygen is cut off to the
brain, you hallucinate. No great mystery there. What you hallucinate
will be based on what's already _in_ your brain--memories, religious
beliefs, etc. There are enough people out there who get into this
kind of situation that occassionally you'd expect to hit the
"jackpot." (Somebody hallucinated a living grandmother is ignored
while somebody who hallucinates a dead grandmother has a "near death
experience.")

Again, I'll try to track down the author who wrote up some
interesting research on the subject.

-- 

David L. Burkhead                    "If I had eight hours to cut down

david8@dax.cc.uakron.edu             a tree, I'd spend seven sharpening

FAX:  330-253-4490                   my axe." Attributed to Abraham

SpaceCub                             Lincoln