ZenHalfTimeCrock
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Susan Blackmore is a prominent sceptic when it comes to the investigation of all psychic and paranormal phenomena and is worth paying attention to because she started off as a 'sheep' (believer) who became a 'goat' (non-believer).
This is because, as a student at Oxford, she once had a classic OOBE in which she ‘flew’ out of her body, saw auras and even became one with ‘the entire universe, expanding at the speed of light’. As a consequence, she resolved to spend her postgraduate years designing experiments intended to prove that this and other psychic/paranormal phenomena were genuine.
However, in later years she became a sceptic as it dawned on her that even spectacular experiences such as hers could be explained scientifically in terms of what happens to the brain when it is in a state of shock or is overstimulated (she had been partying hard for three days beforehand).
For example, she thinks that the out-of- body experience is just a dramatic expression of our ability to construct models of ourselves, to see ourselves from the outside. And when she tested people who claimed to be capable of astral projection to ‘visit’ her home and identify a number she had taped to a wall, none succeeded. Similarly, she got people who claimed to see auras to try to guess whether there was someone standing behind a door or not, as their aura should poke out beyond the edge of the door and be visible. None were able to guess correctly beyond the level of chance.
Blackmore has, nevertheless, still ended up becoming a Zen Buddhist, albeit one who does not believe in life after death.
Her book In Search of the Light: The Adventures of a Parapsychologist is well-worth seeking out.
On the other hand, someone who appears to have travelled in the opposite direction is psychiatrist Bruce Greyson. Although brought up to be sceptical by his father, decades of studying Near Death Experiences or NDEs in some of his patients seems to have convinced him that there is something to this phenomenon, and he has just published a book on this aspect of his career. Regardless of whether they are hallucinations in a dying brain, Greyson reveals that these experiences are powerfully and lastingly transformative.
When it comes to ghosts, Blackmore and Greyson's perspectives are relevant as the model of the relationship between the mind and the body that they have examined is inherently dualistic. In terms of Western philosophy, it is a concept that dates back to Plato and is famously reflected in Descartes' cogito expression.
Personally, I am inclined to favour David Hume's view that miraculous phenomena require a much higher standard of proof than we might demand when examining the credulity of more mundane claims. Given that the laws of nature tend to operate consistently, Hume argues that it is always preferable to disbelieve eyewitness testimony to the contrary.
Having said that, I still think Greyson's book should be taken seriously as he is a diligent researcher.
So overall, my recommendation would be to read both Blackmore and Greyson if anyone is inclined to go into this topic more deeply, and then make your own mind up.
This is because, as a student at Oxford, she once had a classic OOBE in which she ‘flew’ out of her body, saw auras and even became one with ‘the entire universe, expanding at the speed of light’. As a consequence, she resolved to spend her postgraduate years designing experiments intended to prove that this and other psychic/paranormal phenomena were genuine.
However, in later years she became a sceptic as it dawned on her that even spectacular experiences such as hers could be explained scientifically in terms of what happens to the brain when it is in a state of shock or is overstimulated (she had been partying hard for three days beforehand).
For example, she thinks that the out-of- body experience is just a dramatic expression of our ability to construct models of ourselves, to see ourselves from the outside. And when she tested people who claimed to be capable of astral projection to ‘visit’ her home and identify a number she had taped to a wall, none succeeded. Similarly, she got people who claimed to see auras to try to guess whether there was someone standing behind a door or not, as their aura should poke out beyond the edge of the door and be visible. None were able to guess correctly beyond the level of chance.
Blackmore has, nevertheless, still ended up becoming a Zen Buddhist, albeit one who does not believe in life after death.
Her book In Search of the Light: The Adventures of a Parapsychologist is well-worth seeking out.
On the other hand, someone who appears to have travelled in the opposite direction is psychiatrist Bruce Greyson. Although brought up to be sceptical by his father, decades of studying Near Death Experiences or NDEs in some of his patients seems to have convinced him that there is something to this phenomenon, and he has just published a book on this aspect of his career. Regardless of whether they are hallucinations in a dying brain, Greyson reveals that these experiences are powerfully and lastingly transformative.
When it comes to ghosts, Blackmore and Greyson's perspectives are relevant as the model of the relationship between the mind and the body that they have examined is inherently dualistic. In terms of Western philosophy, it is a concept that dates back to Plato and is famously reflected in Descartes' cogito expression.
Personally, I am inclined to favour David Hume's view that miraculous phenomena require a much higher standard of proof than we might demand when examining the credulity of more mundane claims. Given that the laws of nature tend to operate consistently, Hume argues that it is always preferable to disbelieve eyewitness testimony to the contrary.
Having said that, I still think Greyson's book should be taken seriously as he is a diligent researcher.
So overall, my recommendation would be to read both Blackmore and Greyson if anyone is inclined to go into this topic more deeply, and then make your own mind up.
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