Posted on 01/23/2010 3:48:39 AM PST by Biggirl
Is there life after death? Theologians can debate all they want, but radiation oncologist Dr. Jeffrey Long argues that if you look at the scientific evidence, the answer is unequivocally yes. Drawing on a decade's worth of research on near-death experiences — work that includes cataloguing the stories of some 1,600 people who have gone through them — he makes the case for that controversial conclusion in a new book, Evidence of the Afterlife. Medicine, Long says, cannot account for the consistencies in the accounts reported by people all over the world. He talked to TIME about the nature of near-death experience, the intersection between religion and science and the Oprah effect.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
YES!
There certainly is life after death.
Obviously I don’t believe there is, but I’m fascinated by the confidence with which those who do affirm that belief.
Luk 16:31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Other than your current tagline, it isn't obvious at all.
OTOH, when a dead person can tell of the activities of doctors and nurses around their bed, such activities they could not have seen being, well, dead, the evidence is powerfully compelling.
It would be this kind of evidence that should be the sole focus of any study which seeks to prove life after death.
As as aside, the anecdotal story of Dannion Brinkley and his descent into hell after being struck with lightning adds a new dimension to the various NDE reports.
Yes, there is life after death.
I thought that made it obvious enough.
Dannion Brinkley seems like a crack-pot, with his false claims of being a CIA sniper, among other things.
That said, the “common” experience that this article speaks of, is totally unconvincing. The “visions” are probably common because the brain’s dying process might be following similar patterns, with the regions with the least blood supply dying the first, and inducing activity in the remnant portions, or something equivalent.
Since members of various faiths describe their “visions” in terms relevant to their particular beliefs, it just might be that the dying brain is triggering deeply cherished desires in its final gasps.
Now, if someone comes out with a description of the Purgatory...
There is some very good evidence for reincarnation. This has been corroborated by outside observers, in which the preponderance of the evidence supports the theory.
For example, the community of Buddhist monks in Nepal, associated with the Dalai Lama, long ago discovered a great fondness for the US Pacific northwest, specifically Seattle. So much so, that a number of their elderly monks announced their intention to reincarnate there.
In their religion, the ability to reincarnate is taken as a given, and is to some extent ritualized, to help locate those who have been reincarnated. For example, a series of specific “omens” will happen, dreams and such like, leading up to the birth, and after some years, the young child will say and do things to reconnect them with the Seattle Buddhist community.
So there is a regular detachment of monks in Seattle, whose job is to look for omens and to wait for “walk ins” by confused parents whose children are acting strangely, by doing Buddhist things, or even openly wanting to meet with the monks.
Then, the diplomacy begins. The monks are trained to speak with parents and offer information about Buddhism, and to also offer full or part time Buddhist religious education for both the parents and the children.
In some cases, the reincarnated monks are not thrilled with the idea of going “back to Buddhist elementary school”, and are far more interested in going to Nepal to meet with any of their surviving old peers.
By all accounts, this is atypical behavior for five year old children.
However, the monks are also familiar with the process of getting passports, and they pay for the round trip flight to Nepal. Because, despite being reincarnated from an aged monk, children in the US are still required by law to attend school, so usually can only visit Nepal in summer.
We live in a strange world.
I saw a detailed presentation on this very thing some years back. In fifteen minutes, I saw more evidence that there is no life after death than I've ever seen from the other position. It even went through the "tunnel of light" thing being about the optic nerve's losing the ability to see properly in the final moments of life.
I'm afraid the information you detail in the rest of your post doesn't demonstrate that, though. I've heard the same stuff--didn't they make the movie Little Budha about this? (didn't see that movie)--but I've never seen any convincing documentation--it's always some Buddhist said so, and such.
Reincarnation is bunk, but some people want to believe it, and the passionate belief seems to be the "proof". (Not putting you in that category.)
Very interesting!
Exactly!
I belong to a group called IANDS which is the International Association for Near Death Studies. Having experienced my own NDE about 20 years ago during a bout of menengitus, I became a believer. I am a Christian and grew up in a Christian church, thus this was quite a shock to me at the time.
One of the most profound experiencers I met was a retired military man from Fayetteville NC who died on the operating table at Duke University Medical Hospital after having his lung removed due to lung cancer. He had the letters from the Drs. confirming that he not only was totally dead, but really freaked them out in that while he was totally dead, he had a conversation with Jesus out loud during that time. They could only hear his voice, but the one side of the conversation was very profound.
Dr, Ian Stevenson at the University of Virginia was the leading researcher on this subject for years. While he has died, many others at that facility have continued in his footsteps. The scientific research is profoundly convincing, especially the work he did tracing down children’s memories of past lives to verify the claim with the past life person’s family and medical records. Often the medical reports on the decedent would show a cause of death that corresponded to a birth mark or birth defect in the new child. One really profound case included a child born without fingers on his one hand, and when he tracked down the past life person, he found that that person had an accident where the same fingers had been chopped off.
I am a Director of an academic research group hosting a conference at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania this June 6,2010. This years keynote speaker is Dr. Robert Almeder Ph.D. professor emeritus, University of Georgia, author of 24 books, including “Beyond Death, The Evidence for Life After Death.” His lecture, Thursday June 3rd is free and open to the public. If anyone wants to come, they are welcome to join us.
I’ve researched this topic to the nth degree as a Christian and find no problem with reincarnation. I think there is a mis-translation to the scripture in Hebrews when Paul spoke of living once and then being judged. (I think it is 9:27 but I’m not positve from memory) There are many other scriptures supporting the concept of reincarnation, such as the Profit Elisha being John the Baptist or whendid the blind man sin if he was blind from birth in John 9:1? The Fifth Ecumenical Conference adopted anathmas against Origen’s writings as they included references to reincarnation.
I respect each person’s belief.
No, it’s fade to black when you go.
That's certainly what this scientifically educated FReeper used to think; and maybe I still do, I'm not sure. Read Life Before Life by Jim Tucker, also scientifically educated and associated with the University of Virginia.
ML/NJ
No offense, but the only reason you've given me to believe this guy is because he went to college?
The punchlines write themselves.
Sorry, I've met some lettered folks who believe in this bunk. It's still just plain ol' bunk. Thanks for not turning this into a flamefest, tho'! I will add this link to my "Next time I get in the mood to talk about" folder (where all this stuff goes).
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