Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
Personalised accounts of out-of-body (OBE) and near-death (NDE) experiences are frequently interpreted as offering evidence for immortality and an afterlife. Since most OBE/NDE follow severe ...
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Personalised accounts of out-of-body (OBE) and near-death (NDE) experiences are frequently interpreted as offering evidence for immortality and an afterlife. Since most OBE/NDE follow severe curtailments of cerebral circulation with loss of consciousness, the agonal brain supposedly permits ‘mind’, ‘soul’, or ‘consciousness’ to escape neural control and provide glimpses of the afterlife. This study looks at the work of five key writers who support this so-called ‘dying brain’ hypothesis. The author disagrees with such otherworldly mystical or psychical interpretations, ably demonstrating how they are explicable in terms of brain neurophysiology and its neuropathological disturbances. The trust of this claim sees the recorded phenomenology as reflections of brains rapidly reawakening to full conscious-awareness, consistent with other reported phenomenologies attending recovery from antecedent states of unconsciousness: the ‘re-awakening brain’ hypothesis. From this basis, a re-classification of NDE into early and late phase sequences is given, thereby dismantling the untenable concepts of ‘core’ and ‘depth’ experiences. The book provides a detailed examination of the spiritual and quasi-religious overtones accorded OBE/NDE, highlighting their inconsistencies when compared with classical accounts of divine disclosure, and the eschatological precepts of resurrection belief as professed credally. In assessing the implications of anthropological, philosophical, and theological concepts of ‘personhood’ and ‘soul’ as arguments for personal survival after death, the author celebrates the role of conventional faith in appropriating the expectant biblical promises of a ‘New Creation’.Less
Personalised accounts of out-of-body (OBE) and near-death (NDE) experiences are frequently interpreted as offering evidence for immortality and an afterlife. Since most OBE/NDE follow severe curtailments of cerebral circulation with loss of consciousness, the agonal brain supposedly permits ‘mind’, ‘soul’, or ‘consciousness’ to escape neural control and provide glimpses of the afterlife. This study looks at the work of five key writers who support this so-called ‘dying brain’ hypothesis. The author disagrees with such otherworldly mystical or psychical interpretations, ably demonstrating how they are explicable in terms of brain neurophysiology and its neuropathological disturbances. The trust of this claim sees the recorded phenomenology as reflections of brains rapidly reawakening to full conscious-awareness, consistent with other reported phenomenologies attending recovery from antecedent states of unconsciousness: the ‘re-awakening brain’ hypothesis. From this basis, a re-classification of NDE into early and late phase sequences is given, thereby dismantling the untenable concepts of ‘core’ and ‘depth’ experiences. The book provides a detailed examination of the spiritual and quasi-religious overtones accorded OBE/NDE, highlighting their inconsistencies when compared with classical accounts of divine disclosure, and the eschatological precepts of resurrection belief as professed credally. In assessing the implications of anthropological, philosophical, and theological concepts of ‘personhood’ and ‘soul’ as arguments for personal survival after death, the author celebrates the role of conventional faith in appropriating the expectant biblical promises of a ‘New Creation’.
Yulia Ustinova
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199548569
- eISBN:
- 9780191720840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199548569.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
The Greeks knew of at least two ways of ‘brushing with death’: near-death experiences and mystery initiations. The chapter surveys literary descriptions of passages through darkness in the visions of ...
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The Greeks knew of at least two ways of ‘brushing with death’: near-death experiences and mystery initiations. The chapter surveys literary descriptions of passages through darkness in the visions of people who had been pronounced dead and eventually returned to life. These testimonies allude to tunnel experiences. This chapter also presents an overview of complex and richly documented cave experiences during mystery initiations (Eleusinian, Dionysiac, Orphic, Isiac, and Mithraic mysteries, some cases of male initiations). Mystery initiations as a way to overcome fear of death could be patterned to some extent by near-death experiences. Given the popularity of mystery cults, multifaceted cave experiences of numerous initiates were perhaps one of the most profound noetic sensations known to common people of the Classical world.Less
The Greeks knew of at least two ways of ‘brushing with death’: near-death experiences and mystery initiations. The chapter surveys literary descriptions of passages through darkness in the visions of people who had been pronounced dead and eventually returned to life. These testimonies allude to tunnel experiences. This chapter also presents an overview of complex and richly documented cave experiences during mystery initiations (Eleusinian, Dionysiac, Orphic, Isiac, and Mithraic mysteries, some cases of male initiations). Mystery initiations as a way to overcome fear of death could be patterned to some extent by near-death experiences. Given the popularity of mystery cults, multifaceted cave experiences of numerous initiates were perhaps one of the most profound noetic sensations known to common people of the Classical world.
Yulia Ustinova
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199548569
- eISBN:
- 9780191720840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199548569.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This chapter surveys the wealth of literature on altered states of consciousness which in many cases lead to the sensation of ineffable revelation of superhuman truth. Altered states of consciousness ...
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This chapter surveys the wealth of literature on altered states of consciousness which in many cases lead to the sensation of ineffable revelation of superhuman truth. Altered states of consciousness often occur in people exposed to sensory deprivation. As a result, seers, shamans, and other mediators between gods and mortals practise prolonged isolation in caves and other closed spaces in their quest of ecstatic illumination. The tunnel sensation is characteristic of near-death experiences, which appear to have influenced assorted mystical ideas and practices. The assessment of the cross-cultural nature of altered states of consciousness makes apparent that out-of-body sensations and ecstatic insights of the Greek visionaries and sages were not imported from abroad. They developed within the Greek culture, deriving from the universals of human consciousness.Less
This chapter surveys the wealth of literature on altered states of consciousness which in many cases lead to the sensation of ineffable revelation of superhuman truth. Altered states of consciousness often occur in people exposed to sensory deprivation. As a result, seers, shamans, and other mediators between gods and mortals practise prolonged isolation in caves and other closed spaces in their quest of ecstatic illumination. The tunnel sensation is characteristic of near-death experiences, which appear to have influenced assorted mystical ideas and practices. The assessment of the cross-cultural nature of altered states of consciousness makes apparent that out-of-body sensations and ecstatic insights of the Greek visionaries and sages were not imported from abroad. They developed within the Greek culture, deriving from the universals of human consciousness.
Jerry L. Walls
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195113020
- eISBN:
- 9780199834815
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195113020.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The Christian doctrine of heaven has been a moral source of enormous power in Western culture. It has provided a striking account of the ultimate good in life and has for two millennia animated the ...
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The Christian doctrine of heaven has been a moral source of enormous power in Western culture. It has provided a striking account of the ultimate good in life and has for two millennia animated the hope that our lives can be fully meaningful. Recently, however, the doctrine of heaven has lost much of its grip on the Western imagination and has become a vague and largely ignored part of the Christian creed. Not only have our hopes been redefined as a result, but also our very identity as human beings has been altered. In this book, Jerry L. Walls argues that the doctrine of heaven is ripe for serious reconsideration. He contends not only that the orthodox view of heaven can be defended from objections commonly raised against it, but also that heaven is a powerful resource for addressing persistent philosophical problems, not the least of which concern the ground of morality and the meaning of life. Walls shows how heaven is integrally related to central Christian doctrines, particularly those concerning salvation, and tackles the difficult problem of why faith in Christ is necessary to save us from our sins. In addition, heaven is shown to illumine thorny problems of personal identity, and to be an essential component of a satisfactory theodicy. Walls goes on to examine data from near‐death experiences from the standpoint of some important recent work in epistemology, and argues that they offer positive evidence for heaven. He concludes that we profoundly need to recover the hope of heaven in order to recover our very humanity.Less
The Christian doctrine of heaven has been a moral source of enormous power in Western culture. It has provided a striking account of the ultimate good in life and has for two millennia animated the hope that our lives can be fully meaningful. Recently, however, the doctrine of heaven has lost much of its grip on the Western imagination and has become a vague and largely ignored part of the Christian creed. Not only have our hopes been redefined as a result, but also our very identity as human beings has been altered. In this book, Jerry L. Walls argues that the doctrine of heaven is ripe for serious reconsideration. He contends not only that the orthodox view of heaven can be defended from objections commonly raised against it, but also that heaven is a powerful resource for addressing persistent philosophical problems, not the least of which concern the ground of morality and the meaning of life. Walls shows how heaven is integrally related to central Christian doctrines, particularly those concerning salvation, and tackles the difficult problem of why faith in Christ is necessary to save us from our sins. In addition, heaven is shown to illumine thorny problems of personal identity, and to be an essential component of a satisfactory theodicy. Walls goes on to examine data from near‐death experiences from the standpoint of some important recent work in epistemology, and argues that they offer positive evidence for heaven. He concludes that we profoundly need to recover the hope of heaven in order to recover our very humanity.
Jerry L. Walls
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195113020
- eISBN:
- 9780199834815
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195113020.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
An examination is made of data from near‐death experiences from the standpoint of some important recent work in epistemology, and arguments are presented that they offer positive evidence for life ...
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An examination is made of data from near‐death experiences from the standpoint of some important recent work in epistemology, and arguments are presented that they offer positive evidence for life after death (heaven). Among the persons whose work on near‐death experiences is discussed are Raymond Moody, Allan Kellehear, Carol Zaleski, Susan Blackmore (a critic who believes that near‐death experiences can be explained in purely naturalistic terms), Bruce Greyson, Alvin Plantinga, and William Alston. The views of Carol Zaleski (who offers a sympathetic account of near‐death experiences intended as an alternative to naturalistic approaches), and of Alvin Plantinga and William Alston (who are leading Christian epistemologists) are examined in detail.Less
An examination is made of data from near‐death experiences from the standpoint of some important recent work in epistemology, and arguments are presented that they offer positive evidence for life after death (heaven). Among the persons whose work on near‐death experiences is discussed are Raymond Moody, Allan Kellehear, Carol Zaleski, Susan Blackmore (a critic who believes that near‐death experiences can be explained in purely naturalistic terms), Bruce Greyson, Alvin Plantinga, and William Alston. The views of Carol Zaleski (who offers a sympathetic account of near‐death experiences intended as an alternative to naturalistic approaches), and of Alvin Plantinga and William Alston (who are leading Christian epistemologists) are examined in detail.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
This chapter shows that out-of-body (OB) and near-death (ND) experiences, despite conflation by experients and authors, stand as separate phenomena. OBE involves the viewing of subjects' bodies from ...
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This chapter shows that out-of-body (OB) and near-death (ND) experiences, despite conflation by experients and authors, stand as separate phenomena. OBE involves the viewing of subjects' bodies from an elevated, extra-corporeal vantage point that is also coincident with the locus of conscious-awareness. The other is deemed to take conscious-awareness into other realms, by means of a ‘tunnel’ into ‘light’, and where an assortment of individuals may be encountered. Other subjects may report some kind of life-review or judgemental episode before finding themselves rapidly projected back to earth and into their bodies. In exploring other features of extra-corporeal experiences (ECE) phenomenology, descriptive accounts of hellish experiences are provided, the perceptions of the afterlife perceived by the blind, and a critique of the special case of Pam Reynolds. Ms Reynolds underwent a prolonged brain operation during which she reported having an OBE and NDE. The case has been used as proof that an ECE can occur in the presence of a virtually ‘dead’ brain (after surgical cooling and local exsanguination).Less
This chapter shows that out-of-body (OB) and near-death (ND) experiences, despite conflation by experients and authors, stand as separate phenomena. OBE involves the viewing of subjects' bodies from an elevated, extra-corporeal vantage point that is also coincident with the locus of conscious-awareness. The other is deemed to take conscious-awareness into other realms, by means of a ‘tunnel’ into ‘light’, and where an assortment of individuals may be encountered. Other subjects may report some kind of life-review or judgemental episode before finding themselves rapidly projected back to earth and into their bodies. In exploring other features of extra-corporeal experiences (ECE) phenomenology, descriptive accounts of hellish experiences are provided, the perceptions of the afterlife perceived by the blind, and a critique of the special case of Pam Reynolds. Ms Reynolds underwent a prolonged brain operation during which she reported having an OBE and NDE. The case has been used as proof that an ECE can occur in the presence of a virtually ‘dead’ brain (after surgical cooling and local exsanguination).
Monika Renz
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780231170888
- eISBN:
- 9780231540230
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231170888.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gerontology and Ageing
This book introduces a process-based, patient-centered approach to palliative care that substantiates an indication-oriented treatment and radical reconsideration of our transition to death. Drawing ...
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This book introduces a process-based, patient-centered approach to palliative care that substantiates an indication-oriented treatment and radical reconsideration of our transition to death. Drawing on decades of work with terminally ill cancer patients and a trove of research on near-death experiences, Monika Renz encourages practitioners to not only safeguard patients’ dignity as they die but also take stock of their verbal, nonverbal, and metaphorical cues as they progress, helping to personalize treatment and realize a more peaceful death. Renz divides dying into three parts: pre-transition, transition, and post-transition. As we die, all egoism and ego-centered perception fall away, bringing us to another state of consciousness, a different register of sensitivity, and an alternative dimension of spiritual connectedness. As patients pass through these stages, they offer nonverbal signals that indicate their gradual withdrawal from everyday consciousness. This transformation explains why emotional and spiritual issues become enhanced during the dying process. Relatives and practitioners are often deeply impressed and feel a sense of awe. Fear and struggle shift to trust and peace; denial melts into acceptance. At first, family problems and the need for reconciliation are urgent, but gradually these concerns fade. By delineating these processes, Renz helps practitioners grow more cognizant of the changing emotions and symptoms of the patients under their care, enabling them to respond with the utmost respect for their patients’ dignity.Less
This book introduces a process-based, patient-centered approach to palliative care that substantiates an indication-oriented treatment and radical reconsideration of our transition to death. Drawing on decades of work with terminally ill cancer patients and a trove of research on near-death experiences, Monika Renz encourages practitioners to not only safeguard patients’ dignity as they die but also take stock of their verbal, nonverbal, and metaphorical cues as they progress, helping to personalize treatment and realize a more peaceful death. Renz divides dying into three parts: pre-transition, transition, and post-transition. As we die, all egoism and ego-centered perception fall away, bringing us to another state of consciousness, a different register of sensitivity, and an alternative dimension of spiritual connectedness. As patients pass through these stages, they offer nonverbal signals that indicate their gradual withdrawal from everyday consciousness. This transformation explains why emotional and spiritual issues become enhanced during the dying process. Relatives and practitioners are often deeply impressed and feel a sense of awe. Fear and struggle shift to trust and peace; denial melts into acceptance. At first, family problems and the need for reconciliation are urgent, but gradually these concerns fade. By delineating these processes, Renz helps practitioners grow more cognizant of the changing emotions and symptoms of the patients under their care, enabling them to respond with the utmost respect for their patients’ dignity.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
This chapter examines the consequences of near-death experience (NDE) on the subsequent lives of these experients. Most subjects are changed by their experience(s), becoming more tolerant towards ...
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This chapter examines the consequences of near-death experience (NDE) on the subsequent lives of these experients. Most subjects are changed by their experience(s), becoming more tolerant towards society, people, and family.Less
This chapter examines the consequences of near-death experience (NDE) on the subsequent lives of these experients. Most subjects are changed by their experience(s), becoming more tolerant towards society, people, and family.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
This chapter focuses on greater in-depth criticism of extra-corporeal experience (ECE) phenomenology related to its interpretation and meaning and, more generally, to its cultural relativity — ...
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This chapter focuses on greater in-depth criticism of extra-corporeal experience (ECE) phenomenology related to its interpretation and meaning and, more generally, to its cultural relativity — historically and geographically. Subjects undergoing a near-death experience believe themselves to have been rewarded with glimpses of the afterlife and indisputable convictions that an other-worldly domain does exist. Such convictions are private, unassailable and independent of previously held religious belief.Less
This chapter focuses on greater in-depth criticism of extra-corporeal experience (ECE) phenomenology related to its interpretation and meaning and, more generally, to its cultural relativity — historically and geographically. Subjects undergoing a near-death experience believe themselves to have been rewarded with glimpses of the afterlife and indisputable convictions that an other-worldly domain does exist. Such convictions are private, unassailable and independent of previously held religious belief.
Robert C. Fuller
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146806
- eISBN:
- 9780199834204
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146808.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Metaphysical spirituality has found a receptive audience among middle‐class Americans. The New Thought movement combined mesmerist psychology and the “power of positive thinking” to show Americans ...
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Metaphysical spirituality has found a receptive audience among middle‐class Americans. The New Thought movement combined mesmerist psychology and the “power of positive thinking” to show Americans how they might learn to become inwardly connected with powerful spiritual forces. Theosophy built upon this tradition and added a new vocabulary, partially drawn from Asian religions, for describing the higher spiritual worlds to which we are said to be inwardly connected. Avid interest in such topics as mysticism, altered states of consciousness, angels, and near‐death experiences have all been avenues through which Americans have pursued spiritual discovery outside of our established churches. The phenomenal popularity of James Redfield's bestseller The Celestine Prophecy illustrates how fully metaphysical spirituality has penetrated the American religious vernacular.Less
Metaphysical spirituality has found a receptive audience among middle‐class Americans. The New Thought movement combined mesmerist psychology and the “power of positive thinking” to show Americans how they might learn to become inwardly connected with powerful spiritual forces. Theosophy built upon this tradition and added a new vocabulary, partially drawn from Asian religions, for describing the higher spiritual worlds to which we are said to be inwardly connected. Avid interest in such topics as mysticism, altered states of consciousness, angels, and near‐death experiences have all been avenues through which Americans have pursued spiritual discovery outside of our established churches. The phenomenal popularity of James Redfield's bestseller The Celestine Prophecy illustrates how fully metaphysical spirituality has penetrated the American religious vernacular.
John C. Gibbs
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190878214
- eISBN:
- 9780190878245
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190878214.003.0009
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology
This chapter goes beyond Kohlberg’s, Hoffman’s, and Haidt’s theories to consider the question of a deeper reality. As noted, Kohlberg argued that existential thinkers in their soul-searching ...
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This chapter goes beyond Kohlberg’s, Hoffman’s, and Haidt’s theories to consider the question of a deeper reality. As noted, Kohlberg argued that existential thinkers in their soul-searching sometimes come to see their earthly moral life from an inspiring “cosmic perspective.” Perhaps such a reality can be glimpsed not only through existential crises, but also through physically life-threatening ones. Accordingly, this chapter studies cases of persons who have had a so-called near-death experience (“When some people come close to death, they go through a profound experience that may include a sense of leaving the body and entering some other realm or dimension” [Greyson]). A review of the literature—especially, recent medical research literature—suggests that the experience entails a transcendent significance congruent with Kohlberg’s cosmic perspective. In this light, “growing beyond the superficial” and “taking the perspectives of others” take on radical new meaning.Less
This chapter goes beyond Kohlberg’s, Hoffman’s, and Haidt’s theories to consider the question of a deeper reality. As noted, Kohlberg argued that existential thinkers in their soul-searching sometimes come to see their earthly moral life from an inspiring “cosmic perspective.” Perhaps such a reality can be glimpsed not only through existential crises, but also through physically life-threatening ones. Accordingly, this chapter studies cases of persons who have had a so-called near-death experience (“When some people come close to death, they go through a profound experience that may include a sense of leaving the body and entering some other realm or dimension” [Greyson]). A review of the literature—especially, recent medical research literature—suggests that the experience entails a transcendent significance congruent with Kohlberg’s cosmic perspective. In this light, “growing beyond the superficial” and “taking the perspectives of others” take on radical new meaning.
John C. Gibbs
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199976171
- eISBN:
- 9780190256272
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199976171.003.0009
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology
This chapter explores the relationship of moral development and behavior to a deeper reality. It considers the near-death experience phenomenon because of its potentially major implications for moral ...
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This chapter explores the relationship of moral development and behavior to a deeper reality. It considers the near-death experience phenomenon because of its potentially major implications for moral development and reality by presenting the stories of Pam Reynolds Lowery and Thomas Sawyer. It also examines the ontological significance of the near-death experience and suggests that it is not entirely a matter of subjective projection, but also involves something real. This theory is in agreement with Lawrence Kohlberg's suggestion that a cosmic reality underlies moral development and inspiration. The chapter discusses five questions related to near-death experience: whether the context of the near-death experience influences and even determines the content of the experience; whether near-death experiencers interpret the experience as real; whether verifiable aspects of the near-death experience are accurate or veridical; whether the likelihood or depth of the experience is associated with proximity to physical death; and whether the typical near-death experience actually takes place during near-death.Less
This chapter explores the relationship of moral development and behavior to a deeper reality. It considers the near-death experience phenomenon because of its potentially major implications for moral development and reality by presenting the stories of Pam Reynolds Lowery and Thomas Sawyer. It also examines the ontological significance of the near-death experience and suggests that it is not entirely a matter of subjective projection, but also involves something real. This theory is in agreement with Lawrence Kohlberg's suggestion that a cosmic reality underlies moral development and inspiration. The chapter discusses five questions related to near-death experience: whether the context of the near-death experience influences and even determines the content of the experience; whether near-death experiencers interpret the experience as real; whether verifiable aspects of the near-death experience are accurate or veridical; whether the likelihood or depth of the experience is associated with proximity to physical death; and whether the typical near-death experience actually takes place during near-death.
L. Stafford Betty
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195335224
- eISBN:
- 9780199868810
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335224.003.0022
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
A good course on death does more than explore the way we die and grieve. It does more than show us how to prepare a living will or to decide whether physician-assisted suicide is ethical. It does ...
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A good course on death does more than explore the way we die and grieve. It does more than show us how to prepare a living will or to decide whether physician-assisted suicide is ethical. It does more than survey the various religious views on death and afterlife or the philosophical arguments for or against survival of bodily death. A complete course will address the question of meaning. What is the meaning of death? The meaning of death hinges on the question of afterlife—as does the meaning of life. Do we survive death? If so, what do we survive into? There is no evidence more helpful in deciding how to answer these questions than that coming out of psychical research. This chapter looks at the most important of these evidences: near-death experiences, deathbed visions, studies of children who remember previous lives, and mediumistic accounts of the world beyond.Less
A good course on death does more than explore the way we die and grieve. It does more than show us how to prepare a living will or to decide whether physician-assisted suicide is ethical. It does more than survey the various religious views on death and afterlife or the philosophical arguments for or against survival of bodily death. A complete course will address the question of meaning. What is the meaning of death? The meaning of death hinges on the question of afterlife—as does the meaning of life. Do we survive death? If so, what do we survive into? There is no evidence more helpful in deciding how to answer these questions than that coming out of psychical research. This chapter looks at the most important of these evidences: near-death experiences, deathbed visions, studies of children who remember previous lives, and mediumistic accounts of the world beyond.
Paul Badham
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195335224
- eISBN:
- 9780199868810
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335224.003.0021
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter was originally written as a guide for teachers in Britain responsible for teaching Philosophy of Religion to Advanced Level Students. The “A” Level examination is taken at age 18 in ...
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This chapter was originally written as a guide for teachers in Britain responsible for teaching Philosophy of Religion to Advanced Level Students. The “A” Level examination is taken at age 18 in Britain and this chapter was first published in the journal Dialogue in November 2003. The chapter explores the wide range of beliefs held in contemporary society giving both the case for extinction on naturalistic grounds as well as spelling out the importance for world religion of belief in life after death. It explores the case for dualism in the writings of leading British philosophers. It looks at Resurrection in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as the importance of the law of Karma in the religions of the East. It outlines the philosophical arguments for life after death in Christian philosophy, and examines the empirical evidence for reincarnation with special to the Tibetan and Pure-land traditions of Buddhism. The chapter ends with an examination of Near-death experiences and their possible significance.Less
This chapter was originally written as a guide for teachers in Britain responsible for teaching Philosophy of Religion to Advanced Level Students. The “A” Level examination is taken at age 18 in Britain and this chapter was first published in the journal Dialogue in November 2003. The chapter explores the wide range of beliefs held in contemporary society giving both the case for extinction on naturalistic grounds as well as spelling out the importance for world religion of belief in life after death. It explores the case for dualism in the writings of leading British philosophers. It looks at Resurrection in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as the importance of the law of Karma in the religions of the East. It outlines the philosophical arguments for life after death in Christian philosophy, and examines the empirical evidence for reincarnation with special to the Tibetan and Pure-land traditions of Buddhism. The chapter ends with an examination of Near-death experiences and their possible significance.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
This chapter argues that the foundation for much out-of-body and near-death phenomenology is the recovering brain, which provides the neuronal basis for whatever bits of those phenomenologies are ...
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This chapter argues that the foundation for much out-of-body and near-death phenomenology is the recovering brain, which provides the neuronal basis for whatever bits of those phenomenologies are experienced. However, the experiences undergone are coloured and rendered non-uniform by two critical insights. First, because the stored perceptual model idealizations of what might be entailed in dying and accessing the afterlife are personally and psychologically idiosyncratic. Second, because the circumstances of and recovery from each extra-corporeal experience (ECE) depend on several important biological and environmental factors which are personally and clinically idiosyncratic. These are crucial factors which demand careful analysis. They alter considerably prevailing concepts and expectations of what ECE are really about.Less
This chapter argues that the foundation for much out-of-body and near-death phenomenology is the recovering brain, which provides the neuronal basis for whatever bits of those phenomenologies are experienced. However, the experiences undergone are coloured and rendered non-uniform by two critical insights. First, because the stored perceptual model idealizations of what might be entailed in dying and accessing the afterlife are personally and psychologically idiosyncratic. Second, because the circumstances of and recovery from each extra-corporeal experience (ECE) depend on several important biological and environmental factors which are personally and clinically idiosyncratic. These are crucial factors which demand careful analysis. They alter considerably prevailing concepts and expectations of what ECE are really about.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
This chapter elucidates other possible neurophysiological aetiologies of extra-corporeal experience (ECE). These include such items as endorphins, hypoxia, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide narcosis, ...
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This chapter elucidates other possible neurophysiological aetiologies of extra-corporeal experience (ECE). These include such items as endorphins, hypoxia, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide narcosis, and whether the anaesthetic agent ketamine could be considered to be a credible mediator of ECE phenomenology.Less
This chapter elucidates other possible neurophysiological aetiologies of extra-corporeal experience (ECE). These include such items as endorphins, hypoxia, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide narcosis, and whether the anaesthetic agent ketamine could be considered to be a credible mediator of ECE phenomenology.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
Since extra-corporeal experiences (ECEs) are widely alleged to offer new insights into phenomena exemplary of the afterlife, there is an imperative to examine these experiential claims. This chapter ...
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Since extra-corporeal experiences (ECEs) are widely alleged to offer new insights into phenomena exemplary of the afterlife, there is an imperative to examine these experiential claims. This chapter examines whether ECEs can justifiably fulfil criteria of divine disclosure, and thus be construed as truly spiritual events. This is an important issue, raising the problem how God communicates with earthbound subjects and, importantly, how the brain is involved.Less
Since extra-corporeal experiences (ECEs) are widely alleged to offer new insights into phenomena exemplary of the afterlife, there is an imperative to examine these experiential claims. This chapter examines whether ECEs can justifiably fulfil criteria of divine disclosure, and thus be construed as truly spiritual events. This is an important issue, raising the problem how God communicates with earthbound subjects and, importantly, how the brain is involved.
Gary Scott Smith
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199738953
- eISBN:
- 9780199897346
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199738953.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
During this period, many Christians emphasized several long-standing themes about heaven, most notably the majesty and glory of God, the splendor of paradise, and heavenly worship and rewards. More ...
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During this period, many Christians emphasized several long-standing themes about heaven, most notably the majesty and glory of God, the splendor of paradise, and heavenly worship and rewards. More than any previous era, stress was placed on the temporal and eternal benefits of focusing on heaven. Numerous developments made American portraits of the afterlife more diverse and complicated: the efforts of the Catholic Church after Vatican II to adjust its theology and practice to modern times; the rise or growing importance of new theological positions and religious movements that held distinctive perspectives of heaven, especially process theology, liberation theology, Death of God theology, the New Age movement, and Mormonism; the vastly larger number of reported near-death experiences and the public's substantial interest in them; and the depiction of the hereafter in movies, television shows, and novels. To counter these alternative perspectives, evangelicals reasserted the traditional Christian conception of heaven.Less
During this period, many Christians emphasized several long-standing themes about heaven, most notably the majesty and glory of God, the splendor of paradise, and heavenly worship and rewards. More than any previous era, stress was placed on the temporal and eternal benefits of focusing on heaven. Numerous developments made American portraits of the afterlife more diverse and complicated: the efforts of the Catholic Church after Vatican II to adjust its theology and practice to modern times; the rise or growing importance of new theological positions and religious movements that held distinctive perspectives of heaven, especially process theology, liberation theology, Death of God theology, the New Age movement, and Mormonism; the vastly larger number of reported near-death experiences and the public's substantial interest in them; and the depiction of the hereafter in movies, television shows, and novels. To counter these alternative perspectives, evangelicals reasserted the traditional Christian conception of heaven.
Timothy Quill
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195139402
- eISBN:
- 9780199999859
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195139402.001.0001
- Subject:
- Palliative Care, Patient Care and End-of-Life Decision Making, Palliative Medicine and Older People
In this book, the author uses his wide range of clinical experience caring for severely ill patients and their families to illustrate the challenges and potential of end-of-life care. Section One ...
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In this book, the author uses his wide range of clinical experience caring for severely ill patients and their families to illustrate the challenges and potential of end-of-life care. Section One utilizes the near-death experiences of two patients to explore values underlying medical humanism, and then presents the case of “Diane” to explore the fundamental clinical commitments of partnership and non-abandonment. Section Two explores, illustrates, and provides practical guidance for clinicians, patients, and families about critical communication issues including delivering bad news, discussing palliative care, and exploring the wish to die. In Section Three, difficult ethical and policy challenges inherent in hospice work, including the rule of double effect, terminal sedation, and physician-assisted suicide, are explored using a mix of real cases and an analysis of underlying clinical, ethical, and policy issues. In the final chapter, the author discusses the tragic death of his brother, which occurred as this book was being completed, and how his family made the most emotionally challenging decisions of their lives. The author exposes readers to an internally consistent and practical way of thinking by simultaneously embracing the potential of palliative care, and also acknowledging that it has limitations. His philosophy of offering forthright discussions with patient and family, mutual decision making, ensuring medical and palliative care expertise, and committing to see the dying process through to the patient's death, is vividly illustrated.Less
In this book, the author uses his wide range of clinical experience caring for severely ill patients and their families to illustrate the challenges and potential of end-of-life care. Section One utilizes the near-death experiences of two patients to explore values underlying medical humanism, and then presents the case of “Diane” to explore the fundamental clinical commitments of partnership and non-abandonment. Section Two explores, illustrates, and provides practical guidance for clinicians, patients, and families about critical communication issues including delivering bad news, discussing palliative care, and exploring the wish to die. In Section Three, difficult ethical and policy challenges inherent in hospice work, including the rule of double effect, terminal sedation, and physician-assisted suicide, are explored using a mix of real cases and an analysis of underlying clinical, ethical, and policy issues. In the final chapter, the author discusses the tragic death of his brother, which occurred as this book was being completed, and how his family made the most emotionally challenging decisions of their lives. The author exposes readers to an internally consistent and practical way of thinking by simultaneously embracing the potential of palliative care, and also acknowledging that it has limitations. His philosophy of offering forthright discussions with patient and family, mutual decision making, ensuring medical and palliative care expertise, and committing to see the dying process through to the patient's death, is vividly illustrated.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
This chapter considers the manner in which authors have, themselves, elucidated gross phemomenologies of out-of-body (OB) and near-death (ND) experiences. This is most important in providing the ...
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This chapter considers the manner in which authors have, themselves, elucidated gross phemomenologies of out-of-body (OB) and near-death (ND) experiences. This is most important in providing the backdrop upon which thoughts and conclusions in regard to these phenomenological issues can be further developed in succeeding chapters. The outcome hinges on two major factors: authors' conceptions of the afterlife, and the problem of the acquisition or enhancement of psychical powers.Less
This chapter considers the manner in which authors have, themselves, elucidated gross phemomenologies of out-of-body (OB) and near-death (ND) experiences. This is most important in providing the backdrop upon which thoughts and conclusions in regard to these phenomenological issues can be further developed in succeeding chapters. The outcome hinges on two major factors: authors' conceptions of the afterlife, and the problem of the acquisition or enhancement of psychical powers.