Susan Blackmore: Scientific Evidence and the Near-Death Experience

[Lou Gold]

... in one NDE revelation I recall it was divined as an infinitude of Art for Art's sake ... in which case, best get used to it.

Or perhaps the Amateur Spirit of doing stuff for the Love of doing it.

[Jim Cross]

Posted a review of Blackmore's book.




https://broadspeculations.com/2021/09/0 ... -and-ndes/

[Freefrommainstream]

I thought you are a materialist? You actually wrote that psychic phenomena can not be true if science is.

[JJFinch]

The OBEs are more interesting than typical NDEs. If someone can be shown to have witnessed something they otherwise couldn't, then this would be an interesting phenomenon (I do think some of the stories are true)

That said, I always remain sceptical of how much science can reveal about metaphysical questions (not only because empiricism isn't the best epistemology). One could always argue that some as yet undiscovered thing explains away an issue, or similar retort.

[Jim Cross]

The OBEs are more interesting than typical NDEs. If someone can be shown to have witnessed something they otherwise couldn't, then this would be an interesting phenomenon (I do think some of the stories are true)

That said, I always remain sceptical of how much science can reveal about metaphysical questions (not only because empiricism isn't the best epistemology). One could always argue that some as yet undiscovered thing explains away an issue, or similar retort.

Which stories are true?

Typically the stories people regard as true happened many years and only supported by recollections of a few people, sometimes just one person.

But the phenomenon ought to be frequent, maybe common, maybe even reproducible with some select group of subjects, if what is happening is what people think is happening. We shouldn't have to reply on faulty and selective memories.

[JJFinch]

I'd have to look in to it more (really going on J.P. Moreland and Gary Habermas discussions, but haven't read the book)

This sounds like a form of the "divine hiddenness" kind, in any case. One could counter "why doesn't it happen more?" with "why does it happen at all?" As I say, the metaphysical implications I remain sceptical on (granted I probably don't fall in to the true idealist camp, anyway)

[Rodrisceg3]

interesting information

[Jim Cross]

I'd have to look in to it more (really going on J.P. Moreland and Gary Habermas discussions, but haven't read the book)

This sounds like a form of the "divine hiddenness" kind, in any case. One could counter "why doesn't it happen more?" with "why does it happen at all?" As I say, the metaphysical implications I remain sceptical on (granted I probably don't fall in to the true idealist camp, anyway)

Why does it happen at all?

The fact it "happens" so infrequently and never under controlled conditions with good evidence might lead one to believe that what the happening isn't what you think is happening.

[JJFinch]

The argument perhaps would be what constitutes 'evidence'

[Soul_of_Shu]

Not really going to add anything to the scientific debate, or appease the science skeptics, but still this may be of interest, delving into the vast spectrum of such experiences ...