--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@...> wrote: he reality of his presentation.
> <snip> > Probably be a good idea to actually *read* the article, > first of all; and with regard to the book it was adapted > from, it would also be a good idea to check the author's > documentation rather than dismissing what he says as > unreliable because he's biased. Don't you think? <snip> Judy I had written a reply but it was 2:00am and I accidentally hit the exit browser button and it went to virtual heaven (which according to my materialit view does not exist) . I will not have a chance to make a decent reply until at least Sunday. Not only did Beauregard write his book, but Dr. Nelson also wrote a book, and they discuss the same case (Pam Reynolds), but I have not had time to compare notes. Nelson has been investigating NDEs for over thirty years, and quite obviously disagrees on the meaning of the data. The publisher describes Nelson as 'The world's leading neurologist on out-of-body and near-death experiences shows that spirituality is as much a part of our basic biological makeup as our sex drive or survival instinct.' and 'Dr. Kevin Nelson offers an answer to that question that is beyond what any scientist has previously encountered on the borderlands of consciousness. In his cutting-edge research, Nelson has discovered that spiritual experiences take place in one of the most primitive areas of the brain. In this eloquent, inspired, and reverent book, he relates the moving stories of patients and research subjects, brain scan analysis, evolutionary biology, and beautiful examples of transcendence from literature to reveal the machinery in our heads that enables us to perceive miracles-whether you are an atheist, Buddhist, or the most devout Catholic.' Whereas the publisher of Beauregard's book has the following description '[B]ut for acclaimed neuroscientist Mario Beauregard, Ph.D., along with a rising number of colleagues and others, this materialist-based view clashes with what we feel and experience every day.' and 'In Brain Wars, Dr. Beauregard delivers a paradigm-shifting examination of the role of the brain and mind. Filled with engaging, surprising, and cutting-edge scientific accounts, this eye-opening book makes the increasingly indisputable case that our immaterial minds influence what happens in our brains, our bodies, and even beyond our bodies. Examining the hard science behind "unexplained" phenomena such as the placebo effect, self-healing, brain control, meditation, hypnosis, and near-death and mystical experiences, Dr. Beauregard reveals the mind's capabilities and explores new answers to age-old mind-body questions.' By the way, the lady Dr Sue Blackmore with the multi-coloured hair, whose name graces the title of this FFL thread wrote a beautiful textbook called 'Consciousness, an Introduction'. Which came out in a new edition just last year (mine is the first edition from about at least a 2/3 of a decade ago). I think this book is a must read because of the wide range of material it covers. It is about US$50 in paperback. 'Now in a new edition, this innovative text is the first volume to bring together all the major theories of consciousness studies--from those rooted in traditional Western philosophy to those coming out of neuroscience, quantum theory, and Eastern philosophy. Broadly interdisciplinary, Consciousness: An Introduction, Second Edition, is divided into nine sections that examine such topics as how subjective experiences arise from objective brain processes, the basic neuroscience and neuropathology of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, mystical experiences and dreams, and the effects of drugs and meditation. It also discusses the nature of self, the possibility of artificial consciousness in robots, and the question of whether or not animals are conscious.'
