Quote:
Death is a depressingly inevitable consequence of life, but now scientists believe they may have found some light at the end of the tunnel.
The largest ever medical study into near-death and out-of-body experiences has discovered that some awareness may continue even after the brain has shut down completely.
It is a controversial subject which has, until recently, been treated with widespread scepticism.
But scientists at the University of Southampton have spent four years examining more than 2,000 people who suffered cardiac arrests at 15 hospitals in the UK, US and Austria.
And they found that nearly 40 per cent of people who survived described some kind of ‘awareness’ during the time when they were clinically dead before their hearts were restarted.
The largest ever medical study into near-death and out-of-body experiences has discovered that some awareness may continue even after the brain has shut down completely.
It is a controversial subject which has, until recently, been treated with widespread scepticism.
But scientists at the University of Southampton have spent four years examining more than 2,000 people who suffered cardiac arrests at 15 hospitals in the UK, US and Austria.
And they found that nearly 40 per cent of people who survived described some kind of ‘awareness’ during the time when they were clinically dead before their hearts were restarted.
This is nothing new. There have been stories about near death experiences since forever, but apparently this study, which they claim to be "the super most biggest study ever!!!" makes things different.
The comments are exactly what you might expect: A few serendipitous evangelicals screaming "SEE I TOLD YOU" followed by an overwhelming collective response of "NUH UH!" from every fat sweaty teenage boy on the internet who has it all figured out.
Before we start seeing more of the same here, I want to point out a couple of things. This study in no way proves or has anything to do with the existence of "God", spirits, the boogeyman or Casper the Friendly Ghost. Don't be that guy. All it's saying is there may be some form of consciousness where consciousness should otherwise be impossible under the idea that it is somehow the manifestation of our actual physical brain.
As someone who has personally done a great deal of research into lucid dreaming and alleged OBE, I personally believe this is possible because our consciousness is not physically stored by our brains and bodies, but received by it. The idea that death is exactly the same as reverting to the state one is in before they are born (an idea that consists of about half of all comments on these articles) is erroneous. There is something else that is born and grows alongside your physical brain and body as it grows-- call it your spirit, soul or whatever, but don't assume it has anything to do with religion and the whole rabbit hole of things that come with it. Ultimately it is your consciousness, and even if it really is entirely inside your head, it's still something quite large and very tangible, and very powerful.
Edited, Nov 12th 2014 10:37pm by Kuwoobie