Bruce Greyson, Near-Death Experience Pioneer |494|

And how we didn't have NDE's really until the tech became available with defibs and advanced medical care etc.

I think it is argued that modern resuscitation techniques have caused more NDE's to be reported, the concept is much older. For example, people would get them from falling into ice cold water on lakes, suffering a severe electric shock, etc etc.

I don't know when manual cardiac massage was invented, but of course, that also can bring someone back from the brink of death.

David
 
Alright, think I got it right, this entire message is a tribute to my man, Dave! Also, shout out to LoneShaman, love that guy! However, I am just as guilty of Tourette syndroming Dave's name.

Ha! thanks mate, feel free to substitute your own name in that. Personas are just masks we wear to put on a show. Funnily enough the word persona, deriving from Latin refers to a theatrical mask.

Who is it beneath the mask? Peekaboo! What an interesting question it is.

The universe has countless names and countless faces it uses in the big show. ;)

Once upon a time, I, Zhuangzi, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Zhuangzi. Soon I awakened, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man."
-Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu) (369 BCE to 286 BCE),
 
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Ha! thanks mate, feel free to substitute your own name in that. Personas are just masks we wear to put on a show. Funnily enough the word persona, deriving from Latin refers to a theatrical mask.

Who is it beneath the mask? Peekaboo! What an interesting question it is.

The universe has countless names and countless faces it uses in the big show. ;)
I think Zhuangzi was a man having a butterflyish dream if he called himself Zhuangzi or another name, Trevor maybe :)
I suppose one day we might reincarnate to another physical body which had a different biological make up to what we consider is a human body
 
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Ha! thanks mate, feel free to substitute your own name in that. Personas are just masks we wear to put on a show. Funnily enough the word persona, deriving from Latin refers to a theatrical mask.

Who is it beneath the mask? Peekaboo! What an interesting question it is.

The universe has countless names and countless faces it uses in the big show. ;)

Nowadays, everybody has a mask on. In fact, you can't even get into the grocery store without one. I often wonder, is this how all clothing was developed? Can you imagine the time where everybody was just running around naked, then somebody showed up with a leaf covering their junk? Next, there was a "leaf on your junk" mandate?!?! Sooner or later, it is assumed that a leaf on junk is the new normal. I think that human beings are the most embarrassed animals alive. For sure, decorator crabs clothe themselves as well, but it isn't out of herd conformity and cowardice.

Cheers, brother! Good to hear from you!
 
I think Zhuangzi was a man having a butterflyish dream if he called himself Zhuangzi or another name, Trevor maybe :)
I suppose one day we might reincarnate to another physical body which had a different biological make up to what we consider is a human body

Yeah, everybody thinks something akin to Zhuangzi when they began talking about alternate states of consciousness and/or past lives. Everybody is either a culturally significant power figure, good or evil, such as Julius Caesar, Hitler, Cleopatra, John Lennon, Genghis Khan, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, etc......or they are some kind of ethereal animal or insect, such as a bird or butterfly. I am sure that there are some people that claim to be dolphins in a past life, too! That fits the bill or beak!

It isn't appealing to say, "Hey guys, in my past life, I was a maggot squirming through shit."

Or...., "I had a memory of my past life! I was an average bum eating out of garbage cans in Siberia! I licked dirty bottle caps and ate sawdust!"
 
Meanwhile, Greyson has just participated in another interview - with me being the interviewer. This is a written interview on the Psience Quest forum:

https://psiencequest.net/forums/thread-psience-quest-interview-no-6-bruce-greyson?pid=42410#pid42410

Anyone here who is a Psience Quest forum member, is invited to participate in discussion.

Anyone here who is not (yet) a Psience Quest forum member, is invited to become one and then participate as well!

Vortex, do you have an audio file of your interview with Greyson? Also, interesting avatar. It reminds me of sigils that I experimented with over time.
 
Vortex, do you have an audio file of your interview with Greyson? Also, interesting avatar. It reminds me of sigils that I experimented with over time.

There is no audio file - the interview was in the written format from the start. This means, I formulated my questions and sent them to Greyson via e-mail - and then he sent me his answers.

As for my avatar: thanks for the compliment. :) It is the Star of Chaos. For me, it is the symbol of primordal and ultimate spiritual Freedom that preceeds and transcends Being.
 
Yeah, everybody thinks something akin to Zhuangzi when they began talking about alternate states of consciousness and/or past lives. Everybody is either a culturally significant power figure, good or evil, such as Julius Caesar, Hitler, Cleopatra, John Lennon, Genghis Khan, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, etc......or they are some kind of ethereal animal or insect, such as a bird or butterfly. I am sure that there are some people that claim to be dolphins in a past life, too! That fits the bill or beak!

It isn't appealing to say, "Hey guys, in my past life, I was a maggot squirming through shit."

Or...., "I had a memory of my past life! I was an average bum eating out of garbage cans in Siberia! I licked dirty bottle caps and ate sawdust!"
True. at same time it might have a been a really insightfull dream but i dont think a being could have dreams unless it had some kind of biological make up
 
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There is no audio file - the interview was in the written format from the start. This means, I formulated my questions and sent them to Greyson via e-mail - and then he sent me his answers.

As for my avatar: thanks for the compliment. :) It is the Star of Chaos. For me, it is the symbol of primordal and ultimate spiritual Freedom that preceeds and transcends Being.

Cool info about the avatar, my friend. I signed up under the same name, ShaneTheThinker, on the forum you recommended. I look forward to participating.
 
True. at same time it might have a been a really insightfull dream but i dont think a being could have dreams unless it had some kind of biological make up

This is such an interesting subject matter. What if it were possible for things to dream that we don't think have a "bio" logical makeup? Let us think about the state we need to be in before we get to dreams. We take it for granted and call it, "asleep." I remember Mike Tyson, saying, "What if you are reincarnated as a rock?"

First off, if you were a rock in your first life, then you became reincarnated as a rock, certainly, you would be a chip off the old block. At face value, or stone value, that is what one may think. However, there are a lot of different kinds of rocks. Furthermore, all these different kinds of rocks have different properties. Also, when we have our most expansive dreams, it is often said that we were sleeping like a rock. What if rocks are dreaming the fuck out of this existence?

I find it ironic that people describe dreams in terms of creatures that have little or no time to dream, e.g.: birds and butterflies. As soon as those creatures decide to fall asleep, they will fall like a rock out of the sky. Other creatures that don't live in flight are often not considered dreamlike. A rock need take the constant effort to keep itself afloat in the sky to survive, so therefor, it has plenty of time to dream.

If one were to separate their typical psychology from human psychology, then they would see that rocks have life, too....instead of just sleeping like one and wanting to be a butterfly or a bird at the same time. It is a bit of double think, isn't it?
 
This is such an interesting subject matter. What if it were possible for things to dream that we don't think have a "bio" logical makeup? Let us think about the state we need to be in before we get to dreams. We take it for granted and call it, "asleep." I remember Mike Tyson, saying, "What if you are reincarnated as a rock?"

First off, if you were a rock in your first life, then you became reincarnated as a rock, certainly, you would be a chip off the old block. At face value, or stone value, that is what one may think. However, there are a lot of different kinds of rocks. Furthermore, all these different kinds of rocks have different properties. Also, when we have our most expansive dreams, it is often said that we were sleeping like a rock. What if rocks are dreaming the fuck out of this existence?

I find it ironic that people describe dreams in terms of creatures that have little or no time to dream, e.g.: birds and butterflies. As soon as those creatures decide to fall asleep, they will fall like a rock out of the sky. Other creatures that don't live in flight are often not considered dreamlike. A rock need take the constant effort to keep itself afloat in the sky to survive, so therefor, it has plenty of time to dream.

If one were to separate their typical psychology from human psychology, then they would see that rocks have life, too....instead of just sleeping like one and wanting to be a butterfly or a bird at the same time. It is a bit of double think, isn't it?
You make some good points. I agree we have to work and improve what we've got without wanting to be something else. Like a bird can fly but the chances of me taking flight in this lifetime (outside of a dream), much as i like the idea is non-realistic unless i had an aeroplane. I think though that the only beings that exist and have consciousness are organic beings/with some kind of biological make up (like alien women who were human but with more assets, i feel treacherous saying it but it could be true). On this planet i think there are humans, animals (inc birds and fish), insects and trees/plants. Somehow there seems to be like this universal electricity that pervades everything but am quite sure you really cant compare an organic being (even a little plant) with a rock. Of course plants need clean rocks around to live. Maybe the material world (minus the actual beings) is a make up of matter which includes a high percentage of bone dust which is similar to manure. Manure is not a being. Maggots are born on manure though. Who knows. The rocks will be coming up with secret above the law algorhythms next
 
You make some good points. I agree we have to work and improve what we've got without wanting to be something else. Like a bird can fly but the chances of me taking flight in this lifetime (outside of a dream), much as i like the idea is non-realistic unless i had an aeroplane. I think though that the only beings that exist and have consciousness are organic beings/with some kind of biological make up (like alien women who were human but with more assets, i feel treacherous saying it but it could be true). On this planet i think there are humans, animals (inc birds and fish), insects and trees/plants. Somehow there seems to be like this universal electricity that pervades everything but am quite sure you really cant compare an organic being (even a little plant) with a rock. Of course plants need clean rocks around to live. Maybe the material world (minus the actual beings) is a make up of matter which includes a high percentage of bone dust which is similar to manure. Manure is not a being. Maggots are born on manure though. Who knows. The rocks will be coming up with secret above the law algorhythms next

Haha man I like your train of thought, or volcano of thought! I think the difference between a train and volcano is just the happenstance of events. Trains are totally interesting until a volcano explodes! Birds and fish are actually kind of boring. So are dogs and cats! Have you ever snuggled up with a giant constricting snake? They are actually more affectionate than dogs or cats, but this is not part of the algorithm. Also, my brother, rocks have a much more solid reputation than plants or animals......give them a chance!
 
Could it be that the big meaning in life was not what life teaches us near death? Could it be the greater meaning in life was intrinsically connected to all those everyday, mundane experiences that we were trying to forget, trying to escape from? Could it be that that meaning of life was with us at each moment, yet we allowed something called duty to rip it from us, be it work, money, or fame? Could it be that we can still reclaim the meaning of life, despite all else?
 
Haha man I like your train of thought, or volcano of thought! I think the difference between a train and volcano is just the happenstance of events. Trains are totally interesting until a volcano explodes! Birds and fish are actually kind of boring. So are dogs and cats! Have you ever snuggled up with a giant constricting snake? They are actually more affectionate than dogs or cats, but this is not part of the algorithm. Also, my brother, rocks have a much more solid reputation than plants or animals......give them a chance!
You making me feel bad now. Am always kicking stones around or practicing my aim (a mighty weapon as stones are almost always on hand). Would probably literally have been wolf snack if it wasnt for a rock some years back. The wolf ran away (thank god) i didnt wrestle him to the ground or anything. Big fucker too
 
You making me feel bad now. Am always kicking stones around or practicing my aim (a mighty weapon as stones are almost always on hand). Would probably literally have been wolf snack if it wasnt for a rock some years back. The wolf ran away (thank god) i didnt wrestle him to the ground or anything. Big fucker too

The rock is with you, brother, if it helped to protect you from the wolf.
 
This is such an interesting subject matter. What if it were possible for things to dream that we don't think have a "bio" logical makeup? Let us think about the state we need to be in before we get to dreams. We take it for granted and call it, "asleep." I remember Mike Tyson, saying, "What if you are reincarnated as a rock?"

First off, if you were a rock in your first life, then you became reincarnated as a rock, certainly, you would be a chip off the old block. At face value, or stone value, that is what one may think. However, there are a lot of different kinds of rocks. Furthermore, all these different kinds of rocks have different properties. Also, when we have our most expansive dreams, it is often said that we were sleeping like a rock. What if rocks are dreaming the fuck out of this existence?

I find it ironic that people describe dreams in terms of creatures that have little or no time to dream, e.g.: birds and butterflies. As soon as those creatures decide to fall asleep, they will fall like a rock out of the sky. Other creatures that don't live in flight are often not considered dreamlike. A rock need take the constant effort to keep itself afloat in the sky to survive, so therefor, it has plenty of time to dream.

If one were to separate their typical psychology from human psychology, then they would see that rocks have life, too....instead of just sleeping like one and wanting to be a butterfly or a bird at the same time. It is a bit of double think, isn't it?
dang... that's good.

we got a new foster dog at our house... she doggy dreams a lot :)
 
I hope it's not too late to talk about future uses of the NDE scale. What would a good prospective study design measure?

Dr. Greyson specified the scale is not useful for verifying that a person had an NDE. Suppose you haven't had one yet. What is the base rate per year of having an NDE for adults? 1 in 1000? How many people would you have to follow and for how long to capture 100 NDE accounts? If I could convince 10,000 people sign up for a prospective study I would do a few things differently that Greyson probably can't or should not do:

1. ask in advance that everyone release their medical history to be included in the study.
2. get these people trained in phenomenology!
3. Be damned sure to ask the same questions to whomever you meet in your NDE -- all planned in advance
 
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