Ispectrum Magazine 11 by Ispectrum Magazine

ISPECTRUM Issue 11/January - February 2015

special issue

MAGAZINE

Near Death

Experiences insights into near and after-death experiences first-hand accounts from medical and scientific experts

CONTENTS Features

03 Neurological Explanations for NDE´s 07 Are NDE’S imagined events or hallucinations? 11 The five phase theory of Near Death Experiences 15 TO HEAVEN AND BACK: INTERVIEW WITH MARY C. NEAL 19 How is “Heaven”? 21 “To Heaven and Back” 23 Can science prove the Afterlife? 27 is there psychological explanation for nde 29 Psychological theories and evidences for the NDE 37 INTERVIEW WITH DR. EBEN ALEXANDER:THE SKEPTIC NEUROSURGEON WHO WENT TO HEAVEN AND CAME BACK 40 NDEs in the laboratory 42 “Proof of Heaven”

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45 SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR LIFE AFTER DEATH 52 Research into NDE 57 Past-life regression therapy 58 Evidence of reincarnation

editorial Mado Martinez Editorial Director

Dear Readers This month we have a special issue, and it is special because it is monographic. We have compiled all the articles published in previous numbers about neardeath experiences and we have added new ones, as we have noticed that this topic is one of the most debated. Is there a life beyond death? How can we define a near-death experience? As an hallucination? As proof of an afterlife? In this number you will find interviews with two doctors who survived near-death experiences; Eben Alexander, Neurosurgeon, and Mary C. Neal, orthopedic surgeon, authors of bestselling books Proof of Heaven and Heaven and Back.

Ispectrum magazine

Published Bimonthly

ISSN 2053-1869

Editorial Director Mado Martinez, madomartinez@ispectrummagazine.com Art Director Rayna Petrova raynapetrova@ispectrummagazine.com Contributing Editors Matt Loveday mattloveday@ispectrummagazine.com Jennifer James Ravinder Dhindsa Contributing Writers Ellie Pownall Rob Hutchinson

You will also find in this special dossier, different approaches to the phenomenon. Through the variety of points of view we may gain a better insight into the matter. Enjoy the reading, share your thoughts and comments with us, and follow us in Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter.

Elaine Vieira Images Cover : ÂŠPiku www.commons.wikimeadia.org , www.morguefile.com , www.freeimages.com www.ispectrummagazine.com admin@ispectrummagazine.com +44 7938 707 164 (UK)

by ellie pownall website

www.ispectrummagazine.com

Neurological Explanations for NDE´s

nomena that cannot be explained, sights, sounds and tastes that have no rationality. Socially we describe these as Near Death experiences (NDE’S), and it is one of life’s great questions that remains unanswered “What is the source of these occurrences?”

ave you ever had a moment close to death? Perhaps your heart stopped beating or you were momentarily paused in between living and dying? Medical staff talk of bringing people back from the dead, restarting hearts. Clinically dead patients recollect strange phe3

Some scientists argue we suffer a near death experience due to our brain malfunctioning, and the neurological explanation of our ‘near miss’ causing our minds to be tricked into a fractional moment, in which we believe we are dead. These events are usually brought to the attention after an individual has been pronounced clinically dead or has been very close to death. With recent developments in cardiac resuscitation techniques, the number of reported NDEs has rapidly

increased. Indeed, the accounts of near-death and out-of-body experiences can be found in the recounted stories and written literature of about 95 percent of the world’s cultures (Shelis 1978). The media has become increasingly interested with near death experiences after Raymond Moody’s 1975 published the book, ‘life after life’1 and the international association for neardeath studies in 1981 was founded.

The dramatic recollections of a variety of patients has fascinated the public, and fuelled a variety of professional debates. These

experiences have been reported in the press for example “Then, suddenly, the pain lifted and I was fading, floating above my body.” “Though I could still hear the voices of the nurses, everything was quiet, gentle and a beautiful pinky white colour” and “it was a dream-like scene where I found myself floating high above Earth, looking down from outer space”. There is a desire for people to understand what hap-

pens when the physical body dies and this fundamental question of life underpins religious beliefs, personal views and scientific doctrine. Hollywood has, through film and television, used the question of the afterlife and near death experiences to entertain the public, to encourage debate, selfreflection and enable the screen writer the opportunity to voice both their personal and societal opinion.

Dr Melvin Morse describes in his video ‘Near death experiences and what they mean to our spirituality impoverished society’2 a near death experience is “by no means due to lack of oxygen to the brain” and “not what we commonly call hallucinations”. He also outlines the idea that the presence of light is essential in a near death experience, arguably the cause of patients recalling “I saw a bright white light”3 .Morse suggests

Photo credit: www.aboutmodafinil.com

that you do not have to have a hypoxic (oxygen starved) brain and be close to death to have an NDE for example, “you could be jogging or meditating”. Many scientists disagree with him, for example Janice Holden who quotes in ‘The Handbook Of Near Death Experiences’, “many NDEs occur under conditions in which brain function is severely compromised4 ” suggesting a neardeath state occurs only when brain function is damaged, this opposes Dr Morse’s idea of no brain damage being needed to have a near death experience. Many scientists agree that near death experiences are a product of neurological stress to the brain and the derangement of electrical signals in the brain immediately following cardiac arrest, however just 6

how far are near death experience’s simply a neurological outcome?

In 2009, Janice Holden reported that when examining 93 veridical perception cases in the NDE literature, 92% were completely accurate in recounting the reality of events, 6% were with some errors and only one case was completely erroneous. Yet the question still remains if NDE’S are imagined events or hallucinations? Sam Parnia’s research into hospitals in the

Are NDE’S imagined events or hallucinations?

UK concluded that “only 9 per cent had experiences compatible with NDEs and 2 per cent exhibited full awareness compatible with Out of Body Experience’s (OBE’s) with explicit recall of ‘seeing’ and ‘hearing’ events?”5 But do we believe these seeing and hearing events are hallucinogenic rather than imagined? Janice Holden answers these remaining questions by confirming, “First, these phenomena are rare and elusive. For example, for my chapter in The Handbook, I combed the professional literature through 2006 and could find only a little over 100 cases. Second, I have conducted two of the six studies, and one of the many challenges is to find a target of a nature and in a location that the NDEr would (a) be able to perceive, (b) would notice, and (c) 8

would remember, and also have evidence that the NDEr perceived it while they were well past cardiac arrest but not yet resuscitated. Until recently, we believed that our best hope was in a multihospital study, but Sam Parnia’s study has so far not yielded a clear case. As to whether these failed attempts mean that veridical perception does not exist: It might. On the other hand, as illustrated in my chapter in The Handbook, several independently verified anecdotal accounts exist, which suggests that the phenomenon may simply be rare and elusive. A very rare phenomenon that has not yet been observed under controlled conditions may be assumed not to exist--or may be assumed to exist but be very difficult to capture. For now, the question

ment of our imagination. “This suggests a more spiritual explanation to the NDE’s.”.

must simply remain unanswered. In the meantime, I believe that the weight of existing evidence supports the hypothesis that veridical perception exists but is difficult to capture under controlled conditions.” This conclusion suggests that it is unclear whether Near Death Experiences are merely imagined, and it is difficult to define the boundary between hallucination and reality. Jan Holden suggests that the conditions are so rare in which we can see these phenomenon’s that knowledge on the subject is limited. However, there is reason to argue that in Near Death Experiences the hallucinations’ or imagined events are not veridical perceptions, and are merely a fig-

There is also wide debate as to whether near death experiences give evidence towards an afterlife, Jan Holden tells us more on this subject “Regarding the question of an afterlife, even if NDEs are transcendent phenomena, from a purely scientific perspective, they alone cannot provide definitive proof of, or information about the nature of, an afterlife. The reason is that every NDE has not stayed dead and has not, therefore, fully entered the afterlife. The nature of a hypoth9

a middle ground to ‘examine one’s own mind’ touches on the idea of spiritual explanations for near death experiences, proceed further into religious ideas of ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’ and deciding ‘where they want to go next’. Janice Holden

esized afterlife experience might change drastically once one is physically irreversibly dead. Research with irreversibly dead people is challenging--though perhaps the most promising is research using mediums, such as that being conducted at the Wind bridge Institute.“ Other opinions on the afterlife can vary, some people believe an afterlife is merely a myth such as Dr Kevin Williams who explains the afterlife as a ‘void’ that is visited briefly in Near Death Experiences. He suggests that “the general consensus among near-death reports is that the void is totally devoid of love, light, and everything. It is a realm of complete and profound darkness where nothing exists but the thought patterns of those in it. It is a perfect place for souls to examine their own mind, contemplate their recent Earth experience, and decide where they want to go next.”6 This idea of ‘the void’ and

also suggests that “The limits of NDEs to inform about an afterlife being acknowledged, I concur with cardiologist and NDE researcher Pim van Lommel who has asserted that a “convergence of evidence” from research on several phenomena point to the existence, if not the specific nature, of an afterlife. These phenomena include NDEs; nearing-death phenomena such 10

as terminal lucidity and deathbed visions; after-death communication; and mediumship”. This suggests a blurred haze over the true extent of the existence of the afterlife. Whether it be ‘’the void’ suggested by Dr Kevin Williams or the theory in recent news that Professor Robert Lanza ‘claims the theory of biocentrism [the theory of everything or life centre] teaches that death as we know it is an illusion created by our consciousness’. We must attach the existence of the afterlife with Near Death experiences as we pause to question where exactly our minds visit, if it is not simply a hallucination as previously discussed.

The five phase theory of Near Death Experiences

The five phase theory of Near Death Experiences presented by Maureen Venselaar also suggests a neurological occurrence in a near death experience is the most dominant over other spiritual or religious happenings. The theory suggests the five stages to be; “Separation from the p h y s i c a l body, a journey through a tunnel to a heavenly light, being in the presence 11

of light [near a border], the return through a tunnel to the physical body and unification with the physical body”7 This suggests

the mind comes away from the body which would explain the term “don’t head towards the light” used in many media productions. This theory eliminates the idea that Near Death Experiences are merely imagined events, and the physicality of this theory suggest there is no other way for the

mind to exit the body whilst being declared physically dead.

The idea of the neurological explanation for Near Death Experiences and the five phrase theory was further explored by Jan Holden as she answers the question of ‘how far do you personally believe near death experiences are merely neurological and follow the five phase theory rather than due to religious, super natural or stress reasons?’ to which she replied “Although I try to maintain a distinction between my personal beliefs and my scientific beliefs, my personal beliefs are influenced by my scientific ones, so here are my scientific conclusions. First, 12

regarding explanatory theories of NDEs, I concur with Greyson, Kelly, & Kelly’s conclusion in their Handbook chapter that, so far, no physiological model accounts for all features of NDEs. For now, that leaves only the transcendental model as accounting for all features. For me, most notable among those features is veridical perception during NDEs-the subject of my soleauthored chapter in The Handbook 8 . Although occasional cases of veridical perception might be explained alternatively through physiological processes, not all can be, which, again, leaves the transcendental model. So, regarding my personal beliefs, I have come to believe that NDEs represent transcendental phenom-

ena: functioning of the mind/consciousness/spirit apart from the physical body.” This gives evidence for the transcendental model of Near Death Experiences and also a biological explanation, similar to examples of near death experiences in the media. Scientist Sam Parnia undertook a study which found that forty percent of cardiac arrest patients described themselves as having some kind of ‘awareness’ at the time they were pronounced clinically dead 9. This gives further evidence of brain activity during near death experiences and suggesting a coexisting relationship between the neurological cause and the spiritual happenings in these Near Death Experiences.

40% percent of cardiac arrest patients described themselves as having some kind of ‘awareness’ at the time they were pronounced clinically dead

In conclusion, Near Death Experiences are explained in many different ways, doctors and psychologists such as Janice Holden, Dr Kevin Williams and Dr Melvin Morse all hold different opinions of the events that take place in Near Death

Experiences. Whether it be a visit to the spiritual void or a rare and exclusive phenomenon, Near Death Experiences hold an important spotlight in social media. Overall the neurological explanations for NDE’s do cover all of the ideas presented by

different theories and individuals, with further research it may become easier to pin point the exact aetiology of occurrences. However, is it better that some things remain unknown…….

references:

Experiences http://www.near-death.com/experiences/ research15.html

Raymond Moody book and information www.raymondmoody.org 2 Dr Melvin Moore Video http://youtu.be/PWT7N0uj_7U

7 Five Phrase Theory http://www.noetic.org/noetic/issue-twentythree-june/physics-of-near-death-experiences/

3 Near Death Experiences Stories Told http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story. php?storyId=104397005

8 The Handbook for Near Death Experiences- Edited by Janice Holden, EdD, Bruce Greyson, MD, and Debbie James, MSN.

4 The Handbook for Near Death Experiences- Edited by Janice Holden, EdD, Bruce Greyson, MD, and Debbie James, MSN.

9 Sam Parnia Article http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/life-after-death-largestever-studyprovides-evidence-that-out-of-body-andneardeath-experiences-may-actually-bereal-9780195.html

5 Study into consciousness- Sam Parnia http://www.horizonresearch.org/main_page. php?cat_id=38 6 Kevin Williams- The Void and Near Death

TO HEAVEN AND BACK: INTERVIEW WITH MARY C. NEAL

o Heaven and Back” is a book that Dr. Mary C. Neal had written about her spiritual journey and the neardeath experience she had in 1999, while kayaking in the Los Rios region of southern Chile. She wrote it because more than anything she wants people to know that God’s unconditional love for each of us is intense, complete, and is reflected in all of Heaven. According to Dr. Neal, before we return to Heaven, our real home, we have an incredible opportunity on Earth to face challenges that will help us learn, grow and to become more Christlike in the fruits of our spirit. Our time is so short that we need to be about God’s business every day. 15

by mado martinez website

www.madomartinez.com

Who is Dr. Mary C. Neal

Dr. Mary Neal is a board-certified orthopaedic spine surgeon who drowned while kayaking on a South American river. She experienced life after death. She went to heaven and back, conversed with Jesus and experienced Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s encompassing love. She was returned to Earth with some specific instructions for work she still needed to do. Her life has been one filled with the miracles and interventions from God. Her story gives reason to live by faith and is a story of hope.

the University of Southern California after which she lived in Sweden, Switzerland, and Los Angeles while undergoing one a half years of specialty training in spinal surgery before becoming the director of spine surgery at USC. Five years later, she left the University for Private Practice.

Dr. Neal was born and raised in Michigan and graduated from the University of Kentucky before attending the UCLA Medical School. She completed her orthopaedic surgery training at

She currently lives and works in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where she and her family enjoy everything the outdoor world offers, especially all forms of skiing, bicycling, boating, and hiking.

Dr. Mary C. Neal

M.M. You had a NDE and you assure that you were a in place that you clearly identify with Heaven, with a God and angels. Is Afterlife a Christian Heaven? M.N:Near death experiences occur in all cultures, all faiths, and even in atheists. In fact, 50% of atheists encounter Jesus in their NDE. Mine was a Christian experience, but I will never pretend to know what someone else’s dying experience will be like. What I do know, however, is that God loves each one of us intensely and eternally, regardless of who we are, or the circumstances of our birth.

very realistic sort of thinker and am always sceptical of people’s motivations and hidden agendas when they make claims such as these.

M.M. What does it feel like dying? M.N. I had always thought drowning would be a terrible way to die, but for me, it was painless, without fear, and peaceful. I never had a sense of panic or air hunger. I never felt pain, even as my legs were breaking. I felt wonderful.

M.M. Before you had your NDE, did you believe in the Afterlife or were you sceptic? M.N. Before my NDE, I would have said that I believed in God and I hoped that there was “something more” after death, but I was definitely sceptical about reports of near-death experiences. I am a

M.M. How is “Heaven”? What did you see there? M.N. I do not have the language to adequately describe what heaven is like. It is as though I am trying to describe a 3-dimensional world, using 2-dimensional language. That said, it was filled with beauty and colour that was of an intensity far greater than anything we experience on Earth. I could “see” all of the colours of the rainbow and more, all at the same time. It was as though I could see, feel, experience, and understand the essence of the colours and aromas. The aroma of the flowers was equally

magnified and intense, and everything was exploding with a joyful, complete, pervasive, all-encompassing love of God. I believe that God sends His most gentle messengers to collect us at the time of our death and speaks to us in ways we will both understand and appreciate. For example, everyone who experiences a NDE describes great beauty, but the details of that beauty vary from person to person, just as they do on Earth. I respond to colour, flowers, aromas, etc., so that is the beauty that I describe in my NDE. Other people may respond more to music or animals, so that is 19

(visions or information about the future). It happened to you too, right? M.N. I came back with knowledge of several things that were going to happen, such as the future death of my oldest son, and with expectations as to how I would respond to these events.

what they describe. We all describe the palpable and all-encompassing love of God.

M.M. I have interviewed many people who had suffered a NDEs and many of them assure that they came back to life with special powers or knowledge

M.M. You and Dr. Eben Alexander have in common NDEs that has made you to be sure that there is an Afterlife. M.N. Our experiences were similar, yet different in the details. We are both people of science and would never have expected that this sort

M.M. Your book is a personal story full of love. Why did you decide to share such a personal thing? M.N. Indeed, this book is very personal and not something I would have chosen to do under normal circumstances. My husband and I have always been very private people, I knew nothing about writing, and I have never felt comfortable speaking in public. When I was sent back to Earth, however, I was given a mandate to share my experiences with other people and, in giving of myself in this way, help others transform their hope or faith, in the promises of God, to an absolute trust in their truth. The writing of my book â&#x20AC;&#x153;To Heaven and Backâ&#x20AC;? was in obedience to what God expected of me. It continues to be a very personal story and it is often painful to share, but it is simultaneously a great privilege for me to help other people make this transformation.

Dr. Eben Alexander

M.N. I spent many months reviewing the details of my accident, reviewing my medical records, listening to those who were at the scene and in the emergency room, and researching the dying process. I thoughtfully considered whether my experience could have just been a dream or hallucination, a result of anoxia, or the chemical effect of a dying brain in which there is a sudden and large release of neurotransmitters. I read the literature on NDEs. After all the data was collected and analysed, I came to the conclusion that my experience was beyond the boundaries of medicine and of science.

of experience would happen to us and both experiences speak to the reality of life after death. I think that readers will find “To Heaven and Back” is not just a story about someone else’s experiences, but that it contains many stories with which the reader can identify. “To Heaven and Back” shows readers how they can also experience the transformative nature of NDEs into each person’s life and inspires others to embrace this transformation in their own life.

M.M. As a doctor and surgeon, do you have any scientific theory about NDEs? 22

M.M. Are you looking forward to your future death? M.N. I have no fear of death and look forward to the day when my time is over. I would not accelerate my death as I know that I have, just as every person has, more work to do here on Earth. One of the overwhelming feelings I had while I was in heaven, however, was the sense that I was “home” and I definitely look forward to the day when my work is done and I am able to go home again.

M.M NDEs it’s a very controversial topic. Most of the doctors simply deny them. Do you think it will arrive one day that science can prove the Afterlife or is it impossible, proving spiritual things with material tools? What’s your opinion? M.N. I believe spiritual things are outside the boundaries of science and medicine. I think our observations on death and on NDEs will continue to become more detailed, but absolute proof will continue to 23

be lacking. There is power in choosing to believe something without seeing it. As for evidence, however, I believe there is plenty. Judicial systems determine the guilt or innocence of a criminal based on one or two accounts of witnesses. There are hundreds of thousands of accounts of NDEs. How many is enough? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think physicians are different from other people in the sense that they are threatened by the concept of life after death and it is much easier to casually discount and discard accounts of NDE. I think this reflects an intellectual arrogance (that if we are smart enough and skilled enough we can understand and control everything), a laziness (it takes time and effort to collect data), and mostly a fear (if there really is a God and there really is life after death, then we each become accountable for our choices, our behaviour, our treatment of others, and how we spend each moment of time). Humans try to control what we do not understand.

M.M. Would you say that you are a different person since your NDE episode? In what sense? I would like to think I was a “good” person before my NDE, so I hope I have not outwardly changed dramatically, but I have certainly experienced a profound internal change. The reality of God, of life after death, and of the truth of all of God’s promises changes the way I experience every moment of every day. I live in a state of gratitude and prayer – that is, constantly giving thanks and listening for where God is leading me. I always try to say “yes” to where I think I am being led rather than findings the many reasons and ways

to say “no”. I accept not always knowing the answer to the questions of “Why…?” trusting that God has a plan for each person that is one of hope and that beauty comes from all things. I try to always reflect God’s love and to see God’s beauty in other people. I am still a very 25

organized person and plan for the future, but I hold on to my plans loosely, knowing that God may have different plans for my life.

is There a psycholoGical explanaTion for The near DeaTh experience?

by Rob HUTCHINSoN WEbSITE

WWW.ISPECTRUMMAGAZINE.CoM

I have always had an interest in NDEs and despite never experiencing one myself I am a strong believer in them. However, as a psychologist I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but delve into the past research and see if there was anything verging on a purely psychological explanation for the NDE. Many scientists point to neurobiological evidence, such as a lack of oxygen in the brain as the reason for NDEs, and other corroborating evidence also points to neurobiological factors. In fact, oxygen starvation causing

n the last issue of Ispectrum magazine we had a fascinating interview with Dr Eben Alexander, a distinguished neurosurgeon and sceptic of the near death experience (NDE). He never foresaw that, despite writing a paper discrediting peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience of NDEs, he would one day become a believer. After bacteria attacked his brain and put him in a coma for seven days he had his own NDE in a heavenly realm, and he awoke from that coma a changed man, a believer. Photo credit: bp girl (devianart.com)

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lections are subject to psychological interpretation, so an exploration of psychological mechanisms could shed light on the NDE reports and lead to a better understanding of the NDE itself. Could a psychological model explain the NDE? And if there is no psychological evidence, where would a psychological theory for the NDE start and what would it need to prove?

hallucinations is the most popular explanation for the NDE and does have various merits. Although neuroscience and psychology overlap I am more interested in focusing purely on the psychological aspect as so far this has been largely ignored in favour of neuroscience. It is possible that the NDE fulfils a psychological need, or could even be a psychological defence mechanism. In terms of the reports of the NDE itself it is likely that the recol28 42

PSYCHOlOGICAl THEORIES AND EvIDENCES One of the earliest psychological theories for the NDE was put forward by Grof and Halifax in 1977. They were looking for a psychological explanation as to why NDE reports are so universal. Their birth - memory - activation model postulated that a close shave with death triggered repressed memories of the process of birth. After all, everyone is born in generally the same way, so

that would explain why there is such consistency in NDE reports. The peace and transcendent feelings alongside the advancing through a tunnel is in fact a subjective recountance of being born and travelling through the birth canal, with the peace and light at the end representing the feeling of being born into the world. However, there are obviously major issues with this, not least that being born is a painful experience for the baby. Also, the infant does not have the capacity to remember this experience so it 43 29

Photo : ÂŠPiku is highly unlikely that it can remain buried and be activated by the moment of death. No empirical evidence supports this theory, and scientific evidence strongly indicates that infants simply do not have the mental pro-

cesses necessary to remember their experiences of birth.

Many psychological theories have shown that our reactions, experiences and desires are working to

fulfil a psychological need. However unlikely this may seem, it could be possible to explain the NDE in this way. The theory of crisis intervention supposes that pathological states can lead to an opportunity for positive growth. This opportunity for growth in crisis involves the person entering a state of disequilibrium due to great periods of stress. In this period the ego is overwhelmed and the person becomes more susceptible to positive and corrective influences. It is possible that the person has a regression to a very primitive level and this return to basic functioning leads them to view their experiences (real or imagined) in a sense of childlike awe and bliss. In essence, they are 44 30

regressing to a preverbal stage of development where they had an imbedded trust in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;realnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of their experiences and feelings of bliss associated with a time when, as a child, all their needs were readily met. This could explain why people report feeling so at ease and in awe of their experiences within the NDE. But could this regression indicate that the NDE served a psychological need? Greyson (1981) tried to explain why positive personality transformations sometimes occurred in those who had attempted suicide and experienced an NDE. He concluded that it was possible the NDE reduced the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suicidal intentions in the future by using psychological mechanisms. Some of these psychological mechanisms he used for these explanations included

die, so the psychological mechanism would serve no purpose. And, if it occurred just to those who went on to live, how could these mechanisms possibly know if the person was going to live or die? On the positive side, it would explain the consistency of the NDE reports, as well as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paranormal aspects and why it can have beneficial effects on the individual. that the NDE represents the death of the ego, providing a substitute for the death of the person, and the life The most promising psychological review helps to resolve old conflicts theories all seem to focus on why and move on with life. people have such a universal experience. There are some academics, such as Grosso, who have pointed to Could facing death cause a regres- the similarities between the universal sion in the mind of the individual to a experience of those who experience developmental stage of life, thereby the NDE with that of patients who allowing psychological mechanisms suffer Delirium Tremens. This disease to kick in , manifesting as the NDE? is caused by withdrawal from alcohol There is no hard evidence for this or sedative - hypnotic drugs, such and this idea relies a lot on factors as barbiturates. The symptoms of that cannot be tested easily. Also, Delirium tremens include, amongst does this happen just to survivors or others, palpitations, convulsions and to everyone at death? If this regres- auditory and visual hallucinations. sion occurred in everyone it would These hallucinations involve distorbe pointless as the huge majority tions of the environment and tactile of people who are dying do in fact sensations such as animals crawling 31 45

on the skin. The interesting The most promising psychologipart in relation to the NDE is cal theories all seem to focus on that there is a common elewhy people have such a universal ment reported in these halexperience. lucinations, be it walls morphing or visions of rats for example, and that this element is reported across cultures, age groups and personalities. breathing rate and sometimes seiIt seems that the common hallucina- zures. All these physiological changtory experience is universal in the es are rapidly affecting the same way as the NDE. we system, just like the body know Delirium Tremens may go through sharp is caused by withdrawal changes just before, from a drink or drug or during, a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that is usually prevaNDE. In the case of lent in the body sysDelirium Tremens tem, and it is characthese changes terized by high blood cause hallucinations pressure and pulse, that are similar in increased most sufferers, so why does it seem so strange to suggest that the similar experiences reported in the NDE could be caused by the physiological changes that they are experiencing? Many people assume that the NDE is such a special experience because of the common elements reported, but Delirium Tremens shows that it is not unique for people who suffer drastic changes in the physiological components of the body to experience common elements in visions or hallucinations. 32 46

So far the evidence for a psychological explanation for the NDE is looking pretty thin on the ground. The theories or ideas are there but nothing has been shown to be solid enough to be rigorously tested to provide hard evidence. A key factor in all psychological theories is having a workable model that can be tested, so what would a model for the NDE have to account for and how could it be put to the test? If we assume that the NDE does have some sort of psychological function then a working model would be able to explain it.

A psychological model would have to account for three things in relation to the NDE; the consistency of reports and the universality of those who report them,

the psychological reason behind it and the physiological processes in the brain that occur during the process. At the moment it is extremely difficult 33 47

to construct any kind of model in relation to the NDE as the psychological theories are just not robust enough to form the basis of a model. looking back

At this moment there seems not be a strong psychological explanation for the NDE

on Grof and Halifaxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birth - memory activation model it is almost impossible to test, and in terms of a model based on the regression theory it has more valid

points but still remains elusive in terms of providing anything that could lead to concrete results.

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At this moment there seems not be a strong psychological explanation for the NDE. There are some loose theories that are difficult to prove but could serve as a starting point for further analysis if a more in depth investigative method can be found. However, interesting points are raised in terms of explaining the consistency of NDE reports. As for producing a psychological model, the criteria it would have to explain are clear, but as yet no-one has been able to put forward anything substantial in terms of ticking all the boxes and providing valid results.

Physiological evidence on the other hand remains the most solid scientific explanation for the NDE. However, Dr Kenneth Ring, who has committed substantial time and efforts into researching the NDE, feels that with the consistency of the NDE reports and the fact that these reports are across cultures, age groups and different backgrounds, covering such a large spectrum, that it is hard to explain by just using the processes of the brain. How can it be so consistent across people from all continents? After all, scientists are still struggling to explain the consciousness, itself a key part of the NDE. If scientists cannot unravel the intricacies of this pivotal factor of the NDE, how can they hope to explain the NDE itself? This gives added impor-

tance to a psychological approach, which, if a testable theory could be developed, would at least focus more on the mind than the biology

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of the brain and may lead investigations into a different, more productive, direction.

INTERVIEW WITH DR. EBEN ALEXANDER THE SKEPTIC NEUROSURGEON WHO WENT TO HEAVEN AND CAME BACK by Mado Martinez website www.madomartinez.com

ferent man. Now he truly thinks, he truly knows that there is life beyond death.

rom a skeptic to a believer. What makes an atheist neurosurgeon who didn’t believe in Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), change his mind to the point of affirming that Heaven is real?

What happened? Well, it’s easy. Dr. Alexander almost died. His brain was attacked by a bacteria that kept him in a coma for seven days and turned off his synapses. While his physical body was in the bed of a hospital surrounded by his family, this neurosurgeon was in another place; a Heaven where he learnt important lessons…

For many years, Dr. Eben Alexander thought that everything finished when you die. Near-Death Experiences? What were they? Surely a result of a lack of oxygen in the brain but nothing else, and he was so sure about it that he even manifested it. But today Dr. Eben Alexander is a dif-

Do you want to know which ones?

M.M. You are a famous neurosurgeon that in the past, didn’t believe in NDEs. You even wrote papers against any remote possibility of life after death. What was your theory in this period of your past? E.A. As a surgeon, I was used to believing in what I could see, feel, and measure. At the time, NDEs and consciousness independent of the brain seemed like wishful thinking to me, and I never really looked for

proof of what happens after death. But after my experience, when I started really looking for scientific papers— not necessarily papers that had made it into the news, but papers and research with rigorous 38

science behind them—I found a wealth of information that revealed a firm grounding in science and belief in NDEs are not mutually exclusive.

M.M. So today you defend NDEs as real experiences, more real than the reality in which we live. Can you affirm that consciousness exists?

E.A. Consciousness might be defined as awareness of things outside oneself. So while philosophers have been debating more precise definitions for millennia, and the finer points are quite complicated, the core of the thing is easy; if you’re reading this, if you’re aware of this newspaper, you’re conscious.

The tougher question, and one that I have learned a lot about since my experience, is whether consciousness is essentially mechanical—that is, arising solely from physical processes in the brain—or holistic, in that it transcends the brain. As a neurosurgeon, I was used to a one-to-one correlation between the

physical brain and how the mind appeared to work. For example, if I had a patient with a tumor that affected a part of the brain associated with language, he would have trouble communicating. But I’ve since learned that it’s a lot more complicated than that.

M.M. Do you affirm it from the personal point of view or from a scientific point of view?

Е.A. While the science has been emerging throughout the last few decades, I refused to seriously consider it until my own personal experience. Since

then, I have learned a lot, and based on my experience, a wealth of anecdotal evidence, and emerging research in medicine and physics, I have come 39

to accept the hypothesis that consciousness exists beyond the physical brain.

M.M.

Is it possible to experiment with NDEs in a laboratory?

Е.A. Absolutely. However, as a doctor, I hold the Hippocratic oath—do no harm—in the highest regard. Doctors and scientists cannot in good conscience perform experiments that could harm their patients. Our lives are infinite-

ly precious, and while research in this area interests me, the health and well being of other people far outweighs anything we might learn using that method. I’m in contact with teams of researchers all over the world doing some very

exciting research in this area, and all of them have found creative ways to learn about consciousness—from neuroscience to theoretical physics—without risking patients health in any way.

M.M. Can Science explain everything, or does it need to open up to other disciplines of knowledge to explain the mysteries of life, physics and the universe?

Е.A. Ultimately, science is the study of the observable universe. I think science can explain everything—if we can find ways to observe a broader range of the universe.

mentally ill were assumed to be possessed. Now we have the right vocabulary and conceptual framework to talk about viruses and bacteria, and the right tools, like microscopes, to Just a few hundred years observe and measure and theory and proven ago, illness seemed them. But the differlike a curse, and the ences between “magic” fact aren’t always clear 40

until much later. And while we’ve learned a lot, we’re nowhere near 100%. Witch hunts continue even today in countries like Papua New Guinea, where a woman was burned alive in 2013. It would

be incredibly arrogant of us to assume that we have discovered every way to see the world and every tool to measure it. Scientists are at their best when they are open to all possibilities, and arrive at a study

without assumptions or preconceptions. from neuroscience to theoretical physics— without risking patients health in any way.

M.M. When a person says that she/he has had an NDE, a scientist doesn’t believe her/him. When people like Louis Hay, Gregg Braden, etc, say that they have cured themselves from a cancer with positive thinking, what do you - a doctor - have to say?

Е.A. As a doctor, I’ve seen people recover who every medical test indicated should have died. And I’ve seen people deteriorate who should have responded to treatment. We just don’t know everything about how the human body heals itself.

py and radiation therapy, works better than anything else. But it doesn’t work in every case, and there’s often no clear reason why it works for one person and doesn’t for another. I would never advise a patient to forgo chemo in favor of meditation or other mental efforts, but I don’t dismiss the Some studies show that show people in a We know that modern power of positive thinkcoma do better when treatment for cancer, ing. they hear positive talk including chemotheraat their bedside from doctors and loved ones—even people who “shouldn’t” be able to hear or process audio. Clearly, we still have a lot to learn about how the brain works, and how we interact with our environment when the brain is severely injured.

M.M. During your experience you met other beings, and you knew about other worlds, other universes, other existences. Do these experiences prove that “aliens” exist?

Е.A. I believe that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in most peoples’ philosophies. We know now that there

are other planets capable of sustaining life. Statistically speaking, it seems likely that at least some of those that can, do. Humanity is a

miraculous thing, but I am not so egotistical or naive as to think we have a monopoly on consciousness.

M.M. In “Proof of Heaven” we find the testimonial of a person that is a neurosurgeon; but it is not a scientific book. Are you only interested in ‘spreading the word’ or have you thought about conducting scientific research in order to publish papers and books for the scientific community?

Е.A. I wanted Proof of Heaven to be accessible to people without a medical background. While there are lots of studies about neardeath experiences, research jargon can be daunting for many people. Right now, I’m focused on continuing to share my story and helping people understand 42

how what I learned can change their lives for the better. While I don’t feel a calling to do laboratory work with NDEs, I do continue to follow current research about consciousness and NDEs, and support the researchers doing that work. There is some really exciting research out there right now, and I feel very blessed to be here at a time when we

are constantly learning new things about who we are, where we are, where we’re going, and what it all means.

WHO IS DR.Eben ALEXANDER? Eben Alexander is an American neurosurgeon and the author of the best-selling Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife, in which he describes his 2008 near death experience and asserts that Science will determine that Heaven really does exist. If you want to know more about him, check out http://www.ebenalexander.com/

PROOF OF HEAVEN: THE EXCERPTS any words, she spoke to me. The message went through me like a wind, and I instantly understood that it was true. I knew so in the same way that I knew that the world around us was real […] The message had three parts, [A girl] Without using and if I had to transA beautiful, incredible dream world… Except it wasn’t a dream. Though I didn’t know where I was or even what I was, I was absolutely sure of one thing: this place I’d suddenly found myself in was completely real.

not one universe but many –in fact, more than I could conceivebut that love lay at the center of them all. Evil was present in all the other universes as well, but only in the tiniest trace amounts. Evil Through the Orb, Om was necessary because told me that there is without it free will was late them into earthly language, I’d say they ran something like this: “You are loved and cherished, dearly, forever. You have nothing to fear. There is nothing you can do wrong”.

impossible, and without free will could be no growth –no forward movement, no chance for us to become what God longed for us to be.

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR LIFE AFTER DEATH by mado martinez and Elaine Vieira website

www.madomartinez.com

ince time immemorial, human beings have wondered if there is something beyond life. Many cultures, religions and systems of knowledge have been based on the belief that the dead are raised up into another world, going to paradise or reincarnating. But what if science could show evidence that there is life after death?

New scientific methods and technologies are being used to research the age-old question of whether life exists after death. Rigorous studies of mediumship,neardeath experiences and past-life memories suggest that consciousness indeed survives

In the last few decades, many scientists and medical researchers from universities and institutions around the world have been revolutionising the paradigm, providing evidence that consciousness indeed survives physical death.

The famous Brazilian medium Chico Xavier, who died in 2002, wrote MEDIUMSHIP IN THE more than 400 books by 600 spiriLABORATORY tual authors but never took credit Mediums claim that they can some- for being the author of any of them. how feel the spirits of deceased Heavily influenced by the works of 19th-century French spiritist Allan people. According to spiritist terminology, Kardec, Xavier professed that his these spirits are called â&#x20AC;&#x153;discarnateâ&#x20AC;?. hand was guided by spirits who dictated to him. An estimated 50 million copies of his books have been sold, and all the profits from these sales have been channelled into charity work. In 1981 and 1982, Xavier was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Furthermore, he attended to, free of charge, around 60 people per day in his modest home in the city of Uberaba. Apart from books, Xavier wrote letters from deceased people

Allan Kardec 46

whose family members were visiting him. In 1991, Chico Xavierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mediumship was investigated by Dr Paulo Rossi. His study confirmed that 93.3 per cent of the people who visited Xavier had not known him beforehand. Information from the letters received through Xavier contained so many details about the deceased and their families as to make fraud impossible. Around 62.2 per cent of the messages showed more than six relevant facts each, and 71.1 per cent had detailed information about the deceased people which was subsequently confirmed by their families. Dr Rossi concluded that the information revealed by Chico Xavier actually came from the spirits of dead people and was not the result of any kind of fraud. In

2004,

Chico Xavier

Moreira de Almeida gained his PhD degree from the University of SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil, with his research focus on mediumship experiences. He studied 115 spiritist mediums with the aim of building their sociodemographic profiles and checking their mental health. His study was based solely on spiritist mediums who follow the doctrine founded by Allan Alexander Kardec, because they 47

only use their mediumship free of charge to help the spirits. It is important to mention that Moreira de Almeida and his team chose these mediums because the spiritism founded by Allan Kardec is well known worldwide for its seriousness in studying the relationship between the spirit world and human nature.

The researchers concluded that the majority of the mediums developed their mediumship during childhood and that they also showed a high socio-educational level. In addition, they found only a very low level of psychiatric disorders among the mediums. Thus, the mediums who have so often been labelled as “crazy” turn out to be people with few psychological problems and a high

level of education. During 2001–2008, Professor Gary Schwartz and colleagues from the University of Arizona conducted detailed research into the authenticity of mediumship. They investigated the well-known mediums George Anderson and John Edward, and other mediums such as Suzane Northrop, Laurie Campbell and 48

Anne Gehman. Their studies confirmed that all of the mediums were very precise, and their degree of success was very high compared to probability. Factors such as fraud, error and coincidence were considered and eliminated. At The Windbridge Institute in Tucson, Arizona, USA, from 2008, Dr Julie Beischel has been con-

ducting fascinating research with mediums to demonstrate that there is life after death. Basically, she uses three methods to study the phenomenon of mediumship: proof-focused research, involving tests to verify whether the mediums are giving accurate information; process-focused research, which studies the experience of the mediums during their spiritual communications; and applied research, which examines how the information can benefit society in general.

August 2011 to ask more about the scientific method which she applies in these investigations. She said that she uses strict controls to investigate the phenomenon of mediumship through a scientific program that contains a great amount of data: â&#x20AC;&#x153;At The Windbridge Institute, we are primarily interested in mediumship, ITC [instrumental transcommunication] and haunting-related occurrences.

We use the scientific method and strict controls to investigate these The mediums studied by Dr Beischel phenomena, and the mediumship have given accurate information research program involves the largabout deceased people which was est amount of robust data. subsequently verified. Dr Beischelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s results confirm the hypothThrough our unique quintuple-blindesis that the spirit survives death. We emailed Dr Julie Beischel in ed readings with Windbridge certi49

fied research mediums (WCRMs) ,we can demonstrate a phenomenon called ‘anomalous information reception’ (AIR), which involves mediums reporting accurate and specific information about the deceased loved ones (termed ‘discarnates’) of living people (termed ‘sitters’) without any prior knowledge about the discarnates or sitters, in the absence of any feedback and without using deceptive means.

research paradigm is ideal in that the phenomenon is easily replicable and occurs on demand. We do not need to try to catch spontaneous events or experiences as they occur; we can bring the mediumship phenomenon into the laboratory and study it under controlled conditions and on a schedule that is convenient for all of the participants.”

Based on the inten…the mediums have higher sive testbrain activity and increased ing problood flow in the region of cedure the pineal gland compared we use to screen to the control group. p r o spective W C R M s and the subsequent studies in which they participate, we can confidently state that certain mediums are capable of AIR.”

In addition, Dr Beischel said: “This 50

In her study of mediumship, Dr. Beischel is very strict and accurate, applying a quintuple-blind scientific method, i.e., involving five elements. Compare this with the double-blind study, a very well known scientific method that is used in experiments with the aim of avoiding bias in the results induced by two elements: the placebo effect and the researcher. It is called “double blind” because the subjects in the study do not know to which experimental group they belong.

In a tripleblind study, a third element is included with the aim of avoiding even more bias. For instance, the third element could be a statistician who interprets the data without knowing the type of experiment that was performed, or a scientist who works on the project but does not know the experimental group. Dr Beischel’s research demonstrates that the anomalous information reception phenomenon is indeed authentic.

THE PINEAL GLAND AND MEDIUMSHIP

Neuroscientist Dr. Sérgio Felipe de Oliveira from São Paulo University, Brazil, investigates the relationship between the pineal gland and mediumship. In performing his research, he uses techniques such as X-ray diffraction, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Comparing the “brain sand” (calcified structures in the brain) of mediums and non mediums,he showed that mediums have a higher amount of brain sand in the pineal gland than do non mediums. In addition, he demonstrated that, during spirit communication, the mediums have higher brain activity and increased blood flow in the region of the pineal gland compared to the control group. Dr. Felipe de Oliveira hypothesises that the pineal gland is the sensorial organ of mediumship. For instance, the gland would be like a mobile phone that captures the electromagnetic waves coming from the spirit world.

Once the waves reach the pineal gland, they bounce off the brain sand, sequestering the electromagnetic field and transmitting the information to the cerebral cortex for the interpretation of the message. In October 2010 in Valencia, Spain, I (Martínez) conducted an interview with Dr. Sérgio Felipe de Oliveira, who showed images from his magnetic resonance experiments and pointed out these differences in the level of brain sand in the pineal gland that are related to extrasensory abilities.

RESEARCH INTO NEARDEATH EXPERIENCE At King’s College London there is a revolution going on in the world of thanatology, the scientific study of death. The researcher, Peter Fenwick, MD, is performing detailed experiments on the phenomenon that takes place between the 24 and 48 hours before and after death and also at the moment of death. He concentrates on visions from people who were lying in bed and spoke with deceased family

Dr Sérgio Felipe de Oliveira

experience (NDE) refers to a broad range of experiences associated with impending death. These can encompass multiple possible sensations including: detachment from the body; feelings of levitation, extreme fear, total serenity, security, warmth or absolute dissolution; and the presence of light. These phenomena are usually reported after an individual has been pronounced clinically dead and then comes back to life. These experiences suggest the existence of life after death. Since psyThe term near-death chologist Raymond members who came to receive them. He also investigates coincidences involving deceased people who contacted someone just to tell them that he/she has died. In addition, he studies family members who saw shadows around the bed of the ceased and observed that the room became a lot of brighter at the time of the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death. These occurrences happen in a very high percentage of cases, he concludes. Dr. Fenwick also insists that the soul is different from the brain.

Dr Peter Fenwick 53

Moody, Jr., MD, wrote his book Life After Life (1975) and Elisabeth KĂźbler-Ross, MD (the now-deceased eminent researcher who received a score of honorary doctorates from universities around the world) compiled hundreds of stunning testimonies and wrote some of the most powerful books concerning NDEs, scientists have become very attracted to this phenomenon.

Dr Kenneth Ring, then based at the University of Connecticut, and Sharon Cooper, then a PhD candidate from the University of New York, performed a two-year study of near-death experiences in the blind, with amazing results. These were published in their book Mindsight (1999), which provided strong evidence from 31 blind people who describe the experience of seeing for the first time in their lives, giving details of medical procedures on the operating table, for instance. Jeffrey Long, MD, an oncologist, directs the Near Death Experience Research Foundation (http://www.nderf.org), which has collected more than 2,500 case studies worldwide of people who have had near-death experiences.

the scientific method in his research, we decided to contact him to find out more about his work. In our e-mail interview with him in August 2011, he stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;My area of expertise is in neardeath experiences. NDEs provide, in my opinion, the strongest scientific evidence of life after death.â&#x20AC;? In his book Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences (2010), Dr. Long gives a summary of the nine lines of evidence that point to the reality of NDEs and their consistent message of an afterlife:

Because Dr. Long applies 54

1. Crystal Clear Consciousness The level of consciousness andalertness during near-death experiences is usually evengreater than that experienced in everyday life, even though NDEs generally occur when a person is unconscious or clinically dead. This high level of consciousness while physically unconscious is medically inexplicable. Additionally, the elements in NDEs generally follow the same consistent and logical order in all age groups and around the world, which refutes the possibility that NDEs have any relation to dreams or hallucinations.

Realistic Out-of-Body has occurred in those with significantly impaired vision and Experiences

Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are one of the most common elements of NDEs. What “NDErs” see and hear of earthly events in the out-ofbody state is almost always realistic. When the NDEr or others later seek to verify what was observed or heard during the NDE, the OBE observations are almost always confirmed as completely accurate. Even if the OBE observations during the NDE included events far from the physical body and far from any possible sensory awareness of the NDEr, the OBE observations are still almost always confirmed as completely accurate. This fact alone rules out the possibility that neardeath experiences are related to any known brain functioning or sensory awareness. This also refutes the possibility that NDEs are unrealistic fragments of memory from the brain.

even legal blindness. Several people who have been totally blind since birth have reported highly visual near-death experiences. This is medically inexplicable.

Consciousness During Anaesthesia

Many NDEs occur while under general anaesthesia—at a time when any conscious experience should be impossible. While some sceptics claim that these NDEs may be the result of too little anaesthesia, this ignores the fact that some NDEs result from anaesthesia overdose. Additionally, the description of an NDE differs greatly from that of one who experiences “anaesthetic awareness”. The content of NDEs that occur under general anaesthesia is essentially indistinguishable from NDEs that did not occur under general anaesthesia. Heightened Senses This is further strong evidence that NDEs are occurring completely indeNot only are heightened senses reported by most pendently from the functioning of the physical brain. who have experienced NDEs, but normal or supernormal vision

Perfect Playbacks

Life reviews in near-death experiences include real events that previously took place in the lives of those having the experience, even if the events were forgotten or happened before they were old enough to remember.

gion or near-death experiences, are essentially identical to those of older children and adults. This refutes the possibility that the content of NDEs is produced by preexisting beliefs or cultural conditioning.

Worldwide Consistency

Near-death experiences appear remarkably consistent around Family Reunions the world and across many different religions and cultures. NDEs from During an NDE, the people encountered are virtually always non-western countries are incredibly deceased and are usually relatives similar to those that occur in people of the person having the experience; in western countries. sometimes they are even relatives who died before the NDEr was born. Were the NDE only a product of memory fragments, it would almost Aftereffects certainly include far more living people, including those with whom the It is common for people NDEr had interacted more recently. to experience major life changes after having near-death experiences. These aftereffects are often powerChildrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Experiences ful, lasting and lifeenhancing, and the changes generally follow a consistent pattern. As the NDErs themselves almost always believe, near-death experiThe near-death experiences of children, including very young ences are, in a word, children who are too young to have real. developed concepts of death, reli-

PAST-LIFE REGRESSION THERAPY The research on past-life regression consists of practices and evidence based approaches. The results come from questionnaires completed before and after the therapy with a large number of individuals with a specific type of problem, including a control group to demonstrate their effectiveness (the double-blind scientific method). Between 1985 and 1992, Dr. Hazel Denning (now deceased), founder of the International Association for Regression Research and Therapies (http://www.iarrt.org), studied the results of eight regression therapists with about 1,000 patients. The results were measured immediately after the therapy, with follow-ups six months, one year, two years and five years afterwards. From the 450 patients who could be traced after five years, 24 per cent reported that their symptoms had completely disappeared, 23 per cent reported a significant improvement, 17 per cent reported an improvement, and 36 per cent reported no improvement. Overall, this makes a positive balance of

64 per cent. In 2006, Ron van der Maesen obtained his PhD in the research area of pastlife therapy from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. His doctoral thesis was based on different studies with people who underwent treatment with past-life therapy. The studies included one in Suriname, one with the Dutch Association of Reincarnation 57

Therapists and another with patients with Tourette syndrome. The studies showed that the pastlife treatments had statistically significant beneficial results in patients compared with the controls (with no health problems). The level of satisfaction among the patients who had improvements with past-life therapy was very high. Psychologist Dr. Helen Wambach, who carried out past-life research from the mid-1960s until her death in 1985,

conducted a 10-year survey of past-life recollection and reincarnation. She performed her main study with 26 regression therapists who had worked with a total of 17,350 patients. Among those, 63 per cent reported an improvement in physical symptoms whereas 40 per cent reported an improvement in their interpersonal relationships. Dr. Wambach had very specific questions about the time periods in which people lived other lives, the types

of clothes and shoes they wore, the kinds of utensils and money they used, the style of house they lived in, and so on. She concluded that the results were very accurate, and that fantasy and genetic memory could not account for the patterns that emerged from the results. With the exception of reports from 11 subjects, all descriptions of clothing, footwear, utensils, housing and so on were consistent with historical records.

EVIDENCE OF REINCARNATION Attorney Victor Zammit has gathered evidence for the existence of life after death that he thinks is strong enough to be accepted in any court of law.

Psychotherapist Brian Weiss, MD, is Chairman Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami. One day he found that one of his patients started to recall pastlife traumas in recurring nightmares and began to give astonishing details about Weissâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family and his dead son. Although at the beginning he was very sceptical, 58

he decided to do some in-depth research. He has since published several books where he describes his investigations of past lives. In Many Lives, Many Masters (1988), Dr Weiss explains the reality of reincarnation and the spirit world from the psychiatric perspective. Ian Stevenson, MD, who died in 2007, was one of the most well known researchers to have provided strong evidence for the reality of reincarnation. From 1957, at the University of Virginia, he headed the Department of Psychiatry and later the Division of Perceptual Studies until his 2002 retirement. He did not use the method of hypnosis to verify whether a person had a recollection of a previous life; instead, he studied thousands of cases in children in the USA, England, Thailand, Burma, Turkey, Lebanon, Canada, India and other countries who had spontaneous memories about their previous lives. First, he verified all the information from a child about their previous life. Next, he identified the deceased person whom that child claimed to be in their previous life. Later, he verified the facts of the past life of the deceased person that coincided with the memories of the child. He also compared

and verified body marks and birth defects with wounds and scars of thedeceased, all of them confirmed by medical records. A good example of a birthmark case involved Ravi Shankar. This child remembered being decapitated in his previous childhood by a family member who was hoping for a patrimony from the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father. Ravi Shankar had a birthmark around his neck. When Dr Stevenson investigated this case, he was able to confirm that the child whom Shankar told him about from his past life had in fact been decapitated.

Dr Ian Stevenson 59

It was Jim Tucker, MD, who took over Dr Stevenson’s research. At the University of Virginia, Dr Tucker is currently Medical Director of the Child and Family Psychiatry Clinic as well as Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. His book Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children’s Memories of Previous Lives (2005) summarises the 40 years of investigation of reincarnation which Dr Stevenson performed during his career.

THE SCIENCE AFTERLIFE

In August 2011, we conducted an email interview with Dr Tucker about the scientific evidence for life after death. He responded: “As to your questions, the most important evidence for life after death, other than neardeath experiences, includes controlled mediumship studies, carefully studied reports of apparitions, and verified claims by children of past-life memories. The most important evidence of reincarnation is this last phenomenon: children’s reports of past-life memories. Ian Stevenson spent 40 years studying such cases, documenting them as carefully as he could. Most of his cases came from cultures with a

Australian lawyer turned full-time researcher/writer Victor Zammit has investigated the afterlife from the judicial point of view. He thinks that the evidence he has gathered for the existence of life after death is strong enough to be accepted in any court of law (http://www.victorzammit.com). In his book A Lawyer Presents the Case for the Afterlife (2006, 4th ed.), Zammit showed 23 different areas that demonstrate the existence of life after death. He has put out a challenge to scientists to provide evidence that there is no life after death, promising to pay $1,000,000 if they do.

belief in reincarnation. I’ve been focusing on western cases, and I’m finding that the phenomenon is essentially the same here as it is in Asia. At this point, we certainly don’t have as many really strong cases here as Ian found in Asia, but we do have some interesting ones.”

THE

Professor Lisa Randall

The pioneering research of Dr Raymond Moody and Dr Elisabeth KüblerRoss has contributed to the development of this discipline. Now there are numerous studies being conducted in the area of spirituality and life after death, utilising the latest technologies and scientific methods. Over the years, significant research has been carried out by such luminaries as Dr Erlendur Haraldsson of Iceland University, pastlife therapist Dr Morris Netherton, psychologist Dr Peter Ramster, psychotherapist Andy Tomlinson, cardiologist

Pim van Lommel, MD, and many others. Is the quest progressing towards a final answer? Probably never: the more answers unveiled, the more questions revealed. Professor Lisa Randall is a theoretical physicist at Harvard University, a leading expert on particle physics and cosmology, and a member of the scientific staff at CERN. She theorises that our universe exists within a universe of many higher and unseen dimensions, and that the laws of nature may be very different in different regions of this socalled multverse. Then, 61

if this is so, the larger hidden dimensions in which our universe exists may influence our own three-dimensional space-time world and its laws of nature. But what is consciousness, one of the most vibrant areas of study in science today? According to Professor Randall (Discover, 29 July 2006): “Neuroscience is exciting. Understanding how thoughts work, how connections are made, how the memory works, how we process information, how information is stored—it’s all fascinating. Experimentally, though, we’re still rather limited in what we can do. I don’t even know what consciousness is. I’d like someone to define consciousness.” Right. So if we want to know more about the possibility of the survival of consciousness after death, maybe we need more accurate studies

which consider consciousness itself. In the meantime, some scientists are finding impressive evidence to suggest that there is life after death, or at least survival of consciousness, although they don’t know yet how it works.

ence works like that; for example, astronomers and astrophysicists can identify a relationship between the activity cycles of the Sun and the weather on Earth, so they assume that this relationship exists although they don’t

In the meantime, some scientists are finding impressive evidence to suggest that there is life after death, or at least survival of consciousness…

This is the reason why the key is in the brilliant confession of Professor Lisa Randall, one of the most influential scientists in the world: “I don’t even know what consciousness is. I’d like someone to define consciousness.” Yes, sometimes sci-

know how it works. Yet, as Professor Sami Solanki, of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, has stated (http://tinyurl. com/77taz9c) :“The correlation between solar cycles and terrestrial weather has not 62

been demonstrated.” Then why do they study this “correlation” if it has not been demonstrated that it really exists? The answer is simple: it is because they have observed evidence which suggests that it may be that way… Well, it seems that we are in a very similar situation with studies about the afterlife. Scientists h a v e observed evidence which suggests that there may be life after death, but they don’t know what the process is or what consciousness is, and they can’t say that life after death can be real in case it really is real!

“One of the near-death experience truths is that each person integrates their near-death experience into their own pre-existing belief system.” - jody long

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