Category: Paranormal
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On the Separation and Attachment of Soul and Body
I was purchasing shotgun ammo at a gun store a while back. The proprietor brought out a box of double-aught buckshot shells which he recommended as having "the power to separate the soul from the body." The proprietor was a 'good old boy,' not someone with whom a wise man initiates a philosophical discussion. But his colorful…
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Sudduth on Survival
Jime Sayaka interviews philosopher of religion Michael Sudduth on the topic of postmortem survival. (HT: Dave Lull) Excerpt: My central thesis is that traditional empirical arguments for survival based on the data of psychical research—what I call classical empirical arguments—do not succeed in showing that personal survival is more probable than not, much less that…
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A. J. Ayer’s Near-Death Experience
Here. (Via Reppert. Merry Christmas, Vic)
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Phenomenon and Existence
E. C. writes: In the recent post Mary Neal’s Out of Body Experiences you state: "No experience, no matter how intense or unusual or protracted, conclusively proves the veridicality of its intentional object. Phenomenology alone won't get you to metaphysics." I have been attempting to reconstruct your reasoning here, and the following is the best…
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Eben Alexander: “We Are Conscious in Spite of Our Brains”
I am at the moment listening to Dennis Prager interview Dr. Eben Alexander. Prager asked him whether he now maintains, after his paranormal experiences, that consciousness is independent of the brain. Alexander made a striking reply: "We are conscious in spite of our brains." And then he made some remarks to the effect that the brain…
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Mary Neal’s Out-of-Body Experiences
The personable Dr. Neal recounts her experiences during this 13 and a half minute video clip. The following from an interview with her: The easy explanations—dreams or hallucinations—I could discount quickly, because my experience—and the experience described by anyone who's had a near death experience or other experiences that involve God directly—is different in quality and…
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Psychotropic Drugs, Veridicality, Criteria
It is gratifying to know that I am getting through to some people as is evidenced by the fact that they recall my old posts; and also that I am helping them think critically as is evidenced by the fact that they test my different posts on a given topic for mutual consistency. This from…
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Is Heaven Real? A Neurosurgeon’s Near-Death Experience
Excerpt: There is no scientific explanation for the fact that while my body lay in coma, my mind—my conscious, inner self—was alive and well. While the neurons of my cortex were stunned to complete inactivity by the bacteria that had attacked them, my brain-free consciousness journeyed to another, larger dimension of the universe: a dimension…
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Realms of Experience Beyond the Natural
This from a reader: I was reading your post on Religious Belief and What Inclines Me to It and was struck by a statement you made at the end regarding "mystical glimpses, religious vouchsafings, paranormal experiences." By this you seem to confirm a developing series of thoughts I have had for a few years. As…
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Stephen Braude on the Gold Leaf Lady
Fascinating. Stephen Braude is a very good philosopher who writes on the paranormal. I am currently reading, and recommend, his Immortal Remains. He evinces the right blend of skepticism and openmindedness. Here is his website.
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A Strange Experience in the Charles Doughty Memorial Suite
I had a strange experience in the late 1980's. Although my main residence at the time was in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, near the bohemian district called Coventry, I was teaching at the University of Dayton and during the school year rented rooms not far from the University. One night, spirited philosophical conversation with a graduate student aroused…