---Introduce yourself---

Hello skeptikos, am a newbie. Saw a tweet that mentioned NDE so I followed the link here.

Not quite sure so will ask. Is this site generally to discuss or promote how science can prove things about spirituality? When I first saw the name, I thought it was more about poking holes into spirituality/religion.

Wanted to introduce in case an urge arises to post. Have been flying under the radar of late. A few years back I had a fatal injury (then "came back") w/NDE thingy. Back then, I had not heard of such things and it was not until reading another story a couple years later where it gave some context. I do not know if such things are more common now, but we sure hear about them all the time. So that was my introduction to "spirituality" and nothing has made any sense since. So the rollercoaster goes.

Cheers.
 
Hello, fellow inhabitants of the physical universe.

I have spent a bit of time lurking here, and I suppose some context as to why wouldn't hurt. I was brought up Lutheran for most of my early life. Even back then, though, I asked questions that nobody had answers to like "why did God create us". Fortunately, our pastor was a really nice guy(hardly the kind of person that Christian clergy get stereotyped as being)and didn't seem to have any issues with my questions beyond not being able to actually answer them.

Anyway, he eventually died and I began drifting away from the church. My beliefs persisted, but were in the front of my mind less often. Some time later, I was up at night and my mind was wandering, as minds often do at that hour. Then, my mind briefly dipped into what I can only describe as oblivion, or as close as it gets while still having any awareness. That jolted me awake with what is best described as soul-crushing fear and despair. It freaked me out in ways I didn't realize were possible. I ran off to the Bible in the days that followed, but that didn't help much. I tried prayer, but so far as I'm aware I have yet to receive an answer.

I proceeded to hit the internet hunting for answers on, well, everything basically. This is one of the sites I came across. As of now, I still have little idea as to what's going on in existence, and I could honestly go either way, as there are several things I've either learned about or experienced that I can't reconcile and they lean different directions, leaving me uncertain.

I'm here to share whatever knowledge I have and try to make sense of everything, or at least as close to it as is humanly possible. Sorry about the wall of text BTW, just trying to provide as much context as I can.
 
Hello, fellow inhabitants of the physical universe...

Welcome, IP. This is hardly a wall of text--check out some of my posts; they'll make yours look like a twitter message.;)

Anyway, I look forward to your future contributions and hope you get something out of it that helps you along your way. I know I've learnt a lot since I've been around here and on the old Skeptiko forum, and with luck you will, too.
 
Hi All.

Been listening to Alex's interviews for some time and enjoyed. Never gotten around to reading or participating with the forum though.

I'm a EE and more recently an inventor.

I'm in my late 50s and for the first 50+ years I was blissfully unaware of the evidence of a non-materialistic existence. I always equated anything other than a belief in matter as superstitious or religious, neither of which I take seriously at all.

Several years ago, due to a variety of reasons I decided to take a closer look at some unexplained topics which I discovered were actively ignored by main stream science and I discovered to my total surprise that the evidence was leading me away from my cherished and unquestioned belief in mainstream scientific consensus. None of this has shaken my belief in the scientific method though. I just think we need to understand that some phenomena aren't going to hold still long enough to be easily studied, which causes a bit of a problem in terms of duplication of experiments...

I'm not trained in philosophy so still learning the jargon. But I'll get there...

-Jake
 
Hello old friends. I don't know if you remember me but I was quite active on the old forum at mind-body. I was also quite active at JREF, taking on pseudo-skeptics there and at the old forum.

Glad to be here, looking forward to getting to know the Skeptiko crowd again.

I am a psi-proponent with many personal experiences under his belt. I am very spiritual and very knowledgeable about comparative mysticism, comparative mythology, comparative religion. I look forward to debating skeptics!
 
Welcome to the Skeptiko forum. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

(if you created an entry in the old Skeptiko forum please re-post it here)

Greetings, all!

I discovered this podcast a few weeks ago. I have heard it mentioned by Graham Hancock and others. I did initially thought the show, given it's name was a 'skeptics' show...I was mistaken. I have listened to about two dozen shows and I am in love with it! I like Alex's style and open minded nature.

To tell you a but about myself. I have an MA in History/Political Science and have also studied art, photography and creative writing in college. I have given thought about returning to school to study theology. I like to write science fiction, fantasy and horror and often incorporate esoteric topics into my work. Since I was a child I have been interested in religion, mythology, storytelling and history.

I have always had an intuitive sense of the greater nature of existence and have fostered this through reading and dabbling. I have always been suspect of the science they taught me in school...I was never fully satisfied with it. I always thought that I was the weirdo.

Looking forward to participating! Nice to meet you all.

--botch cat
 
Hello everyone. My name is Jimmy, and I have listened to the past podcasts now for about a month. I'm fascinated and hooked.

I do not have any personal experience with NDE's, or anything considered paranormal for that matter, but I've gradually become convinced in consciousness surviving the brain (due in part to the research cited in this podcast).

Looking forward to more.
 
Greetings, all!

I discovered this podcast a few weeks ago. I have heard it mentioned by Graham Hancock and others. I did initially thought the show, given it's name was a 'skeptics' show...I was mistaken. I have listened to about two dozen shows and I am in love with it! I like Alex's style and open minded nature.

To tell you a but about myself. I have an MA in History/Political Science and have also studied art, photography and creative writing in college. I have given thought about returning to school to study theology. I like to write science fiction, fantasy and horror and often incorporate esoteric topics into my work. Since I was a child I have been interested in religion, mythology, storytelling and history.

I have always had an intuitive sense of the greater nature of existence and have fostered this through reading and dabbling. I have always been suspect of the science they taught me in school...I was never fully satisfied with it. I always thought that I was the weirdo.

Looking forward to participating! Nice to meet you all.

--botch cat

Hey there Botch Cat.. Welcome..

I'm new here too and what I discovered is that reading and posting to the forums is an education in itself,, more than the actual interview in many cases. It will especially give you a solid grounding in the terminology and in many cases the wider theories and points of view on the subject. For example, reading and understanding the B. Kastrup thread will probably qualify you for a college degree... : )

If you listen to an interview that really catches your fancy, I would highly recommend reading the associated forum thread. You may find it very interesting....
 
Hi folks. I'm new here and discovered this place pretty much by accident. Some years ago I had read Dawkins' God Delusion and found it quite convincing, thereafter regarding myself as an atheist as depressing as it is. I'm not close minded though so I recently read Greg Taylor's book and really enjoyed it. The material about NDE's and related occurrences presented strong arguments, although the stuff about mediums I was more strongly sceptical of, probably because there are just so many fraudsters around. I have been looking for another book on NDE's to read and can't quite decide. I looked at the post here Links, Sources and Resources and it says to visit the old forum, which unfortunately was not very helpful as I don't know anything about the old forum. If anyone has any suggestions on reading material (or assistance on where to find it) it would be appreciated.

I am unlikely to be a prolific poster, but may jump in with a question here and there, so please forgive me if some of these are a bit dumb. Cheers
 
I have been looking for another book on NDE's to read and can't quite decide. .... If anyone has any suggestions on reading material (or assistance on where to find it) it would be appreciated.

You might find these on-line sources helpful:

Chapter 2 in "Your Eternal Self by R. Craig Hogan, Ph.D. (The sections on NDEs are at the bottom)
http://ebook.youreternalself.com/chapter2text.htm

(The above book is about the evidence for the afterlife if you are intereseted in the rest of it the link is:
http://www.ebook.youreternalself.com/chapter1textlink.htm)

Near-death experiences between science and prejudice by Enrico Facco and Christian. (2012) Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/.../fnhum.2012.00209&name=Human_Neuroscience&x=y

Near death, explained By Mario Beauregard at Salon.com, Saturday, Apr 21, 2012
http://www.salon.com/2012/04/21/near_death_explained/

Cosmological Implications of Near-Death Experiences by Bruce Greyson, Journal of Cosmology, 2011, Vol. 14.
http://journalofcosmology.com/Consciousness129.html

Other free e-books about the afterlife are:

"A Lawyer Presents the Case for the Afterlife" by Victor J. Zammit
http://www.victorzammit.com/book/4thedition/index.html

"The Survival Top 40" by Miles Edward Allen
http://www.aeces.info/Top40/top40-main.shtml
 
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Hello.

Newbie to this site, old JREF refugee where I posted as Ichneumonwasp.

I hope this doesn't sound too stalkerish, but I found this site by searching for Paul A -- I was looking around for old JREF folk who like to discuss consciousness and found this place.

I'm a neurologist, so I tend to be fairly skeptical about consciousness independent of brain function. I am, however, open to ideas.
 
Hello.

Newbie to this site, old JREF refugee where I posted as Ichneumonwasp.

I hope this doesn't sound too stalkerish, but I found this site by searching for Paul A -- I was looking around for old JREF folk who like to discuss consciousness and found this place.

I'm a neurologist, so I tend to be fairly skeptical about consciousness independent of brain function. I am, however, open to ideas.


I remember that name "Ichneumonwasp". I was a prolific poster on the jref using the name "Interesting Ian".

Does being a neurologist make one subscribe to the notion that brains create consciousness because neurolgists have knowledge that other people do not posses? Or is one is unlikely to be employed as a neurologist if one expresses a belief that consciousness might survive the death of the brain?
 
I remember that name "Ichneumonwasp". I was a prolific poster on the jref using the name "Interesting Ian".

Does being a neurologist make one subscribe to the notion that brains create consciousness because neurolgists have knowledge that other people do not posses? Or is one is unlikely to be employed as a neurologist if one expresses a belief that consciousness might survive the death of the brain?

Ian, how are you? Talk about a blast from the past.

No, neurology and consciousness surviving death are not mutually exclusive, but most neurologists are nerds and tend to be physicalists. Yes, most neurologists subscribe to the notion that brains create consciousness (certainly not all) in large part because we work with disease and injury of the brain and so see what alterations in mental function and consciousness occur with those injuries.
 
Welcome Phil,

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experience in relation to the topics explored on this forum. A lot of the subject matter is very challenging, and an open mind is I believe essential in accommodating the data you will be confronted with. I hope you have fun, make new and valued acquaintances, and that this forum helps you to grow as much it has done me.
 
Welcome Phil,

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experience in relation to the topics explored on this forum. A lot of the subject matter is very challenging, and an open mind is I believe essential in accommodating the data you will be confronted with. I hope you have fun, make new and valued acquaintances, and that this forum helps you to grow as much it has done me.

Thanks, soulatman. I look forward to the journey.
 
Yes I'm fine. I was banned from the JREF 10 years ago?

I agree that all the changes brought about in our mental states through brain injury constitutes powerful evidence that the brain produces consciousness. But I think that evidence is outweighed by other considerations.

Anyway best not clutter up this thread with this topic.
 
Hello.

Newbie to this site, old JREF refugee where I posted as Ichneumonwasp.

I hope this doesn't sound too stalkerish, but I found this site by searching for Paul A -- I was looking around for old JREF folk who like to discuss consciousness and found this place.

I'm a neurologist, so I tend to be fairly skeptical about consciousness independent of brain function. I am, however, open to ideas.

If you're a psi sceptic with a truly open mind, then I think you'll be very welcome here. Sad to relate, they're rare as hen's teeth and consequently there aren't often constructive discussions with them here. You'll find if you read what many of us who lean to the existence of psi say, then you'll soon realise that we are actually sceptical about a great many things: we can and do often tear certain claims a new one; sometimes every bit as rabidly as any psi sceptic. If you don't prejudge and pigeonhole us, you might be surprised.

If you do, on the other hand, then you might end up on the ignore list of some of us. I'm hoping you won't end up on mine along with Paul A., Linda and Arouet. Just for once it would be so nice to have a constructive conversation with an open-minded sceptic.
 
Yes I'm fine. I was banned from the JREF 10 years ago?

I agree that all the changes brought about in our mental states through brain injury constitutes powerful evidence that the brain produces consciousness. But I think that evidence is outweighed by other considerations.

I just started a thread saying the above in a FB group called Human Consciousness Project. Someone mentioned "terminal lucidity". Have you heard about this phenomenon Phil?
 
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