hypoxia (oxygen deficiency)
anoxia
electrical activity
Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory
has not understood it.
- Niels Bohr
dreams
drugs
What happens after death is so unspeakably glorious that our imagination and our feelings do not suffice to form even an approximate conception of it.
- Carl Jung
CO2 overload
hallucinations
The Day Science Begins to Study Non-Physical Phenomena, it Will Make More Progress in one Decade Than in All The Previous Centuries of its existence.
- Nikola Tesla
misc psychological
hypoxia
Sourcing - The majority of the information contained on this page, that addresses the arguments raised by skeptics of the near-death experience, are sourced from Pim van Lommel's invaluable book Consciousness Beyond Life. Click here to visit the book's Amazon page. We strongly recommend this most comprehensive book on the science of the near-death experience.
NDE skeptics
Those who have had a near-death experience express it in the language of quantum physics. While they may not have the scientific vocabulary, it is clearly the realm they are describing. This includes the out-of-body experience (OBE), a dissolution of space/time, instant movement over great distance, receiving downloads of information, telepathic communication, and an instant recall and reliving of events in ones life in crystal clear detail. Each reflect elements of the quantum world; entanglement, nonlocality, block-universe, among others (see science page).
The surprising number of highly regarded physicians who have had verified NDEs also speak this language in describing their experiences. Additionally, they give us greater insight into the inner workings of the physiological nature of the NDE through their training and work in the field of medicine which is grounded in the physical material world and what we term classical-science.
Most skeptics, on the other hand, do not have a background in quantum physics nor have any had an actual NDE themselves. As a result, they are limited to physiological and psychological theories, grounded in a materialist world-view in trying to disprove a phenomena which has one foot firmly planted in the world of quantum physics. Their theories, none of which they have proven in large scale, independent studies, can only be classified as opinion and speculation.
If we are limited to discussing the NDE in the vocabulary of materialist, classical sciences, we are also constrained by the fact that the NDE is invisible to independent observation and is therefore not subject to the usual scientific method of experimental replication. It is an event that is, by nature, subjective and can only, realistically, be studied retrospectively(2). As such, we must rely on the quality, quantity, consistency and corroboration of the data researchers have gathered over the decades. Fortunately, researchers covered all their bases here.
Utilizing such data as a basis to confirm the existence of the NDE, beyond a reasonable doubt, can be accomplished through statistical analysis. In statistical hypothesis testing, a result has statistical significance when it is very unlikely to have occurred by chance, By this standard, their data overwhelmingly supports the case for the existence of the NDE. However, since even these results cannot, technically be labeled 100% definitive, a skeptic can find a sliver of daylight and disagree with all of the data.
Those who support the existence of the NDE are being forced to engage in a debate with both arms tied behind their back when in fact, it Is when you marry both materialism and quantum science that you have the strongest line of evidence in support of the NDE. While the existence of the NDE gains much footing through quantum physics, which skeptics tend to dismiss out of hand relative to the NDE, their arguments actually collapse once the element of linear space/time is introduced.
The out-of-body experience is the most conclusive evidence of an NDE. An OBE would be defined, in quantum physics, as a non-local event. This experience can occur hours after loss consciousness and clinical death. We know this through corroboration by attending doctors and nurses of what their patients witnessed happening in the operating room above or beside their bodies over this measure of time (an excellent example from a respected cardiologist.)
No scientist or medical professional can convincingly argue that the physical body can support consciousness or form memory hours after clinical death - even accounting for the skeptics main arguments operating individually or in concert.
The only explanation for a verified out of body experience, is the occurrence of a non-local event - the existence of consciousness apart and away from the physical body. All other evidence provided by researchers and science supporting the existence of an NDE, then logically falls into place.
The burden of proof now falls on the skeptics: demonstrate how a non local-event - non-local consciousness in this case - can occur hours after clinical death. To date, skeptics have not put forward their own independent, large sample size studies to support their hypothesis - subjective, objective, retrospective or prospective. Speculation and opinion are no longer sufficient in the face of the mountain of multidisciplinary evidence.
To your left, are the most common arguments raised by skeptics along with rebuttals. We recommend you visit our NDE Science and NDE Researches pages after spending time here.