Posted on 09/24/2008 6:14:06 AM PDT by edpc
A fellow at New York City's Weill Cornell Medical Center, Dr. Sam Parnia is one of the world's leading experts on the scientific study of death. Last week Parnia and his colleagues at the Human Consciousness Project announced their first major undertaking: a 3-year exploration of the biology behind "out-of-body" experiences. The study, known as AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation), involves the collaboration of 25 major medical centers through Europe, Canada and the U.S. and will examine some 1,500 survivors of cardiac arrest. TIME spoke with Parnia about the project's origins, its skeptics and the difference between the mind and the brain.
What sort of methods will this project use to try and verify people's claims of "near-death" experience?
When your heart stops beating, there is no blood getting to your brain. And so what happens is that within about 10 sec., brain activity ceases - as you would imagine. Yet paradoxically, 10% or 20% of people who are then brought back to life from that period, which may be a few minutes or over an hour, will report having consciousness. So the key thing here is, Are these real, or is it some sort of illusion? So the only way to tell is to have pictures only visible from the ceiling and nowhere else, because they claim they can see everything from the ceiling. So if we then get a series of 200 or 300 people who all were clinically dead, and yet they're able to come back and tell us what we were doing and were able see those pictures, that confirms consciousness really was continuing even though the brain wasn't functioning.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Well done, Mr.B...
LOL. Good one. ; )
When I die, you will all cease to exist!
“What Happens When We Die?”
People fight over our crap and our Social Security record goes into T1 pay status.
Not so funny, but today is my parents wedding anniversary. My mother used to cry because they always had an anniversary dance together. She died this past December and this morning I was talking to her and told her she can have finally have her dance with Daddy today and to enjoy.
I have to believe she is with my father and other loved ones watching over us. It’s what gets me through the days...
One thing is absolutely certain in regards to this question: every one of us, without exception, is going to receive the answer to it.
It's still early.
Happy Anniversary!
She was about 26 in 1958.
I theorized that in a past life he was a pig and that in this life he still is.
... and then, on evenings when they are irritated at life's little things and settle down to sleep, we can prank our family members by loosening a corner of their fitted sheets.
good one, lol
I have a friend who was dead on the table for five minutes. I asked him (as many have) what he remembered and said “absolutely nothing.”
However, he is a democrat and an athiest. Hm.
Right you are.
Since there are only two possible answers at death (we continue on in spiritual form, which would prove God’s existence, or we cease to exist altogether) I figure I have nothing to lose by choosing to believe in an eternal God and an afterlife. If I’m wrong, I’ll cease to exist and nothing will matter anyway. If I’m right, I go to be with God in paradise.
Not a bad choice, if you ask me.
Well it depends, if you live near Chicago or Philly you vote Democrat for the rest of eternity.
No matter where you live the government takes a goodly chunk of your estate because they kwno you can't stop it.
Also if you are male then someone else gets all your toys.
Well, when you do, let me know. Send an email or something.
(I mean, if I don't exist any more, then I don't have to pay bills and stuff, right? I'm OK with that!)
Substantial Change!
I believe this experiment has been done several times already with negative results.
Just don't do it!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.