In this paper, I defend the traditional argument for a transphysical self from near-death experiences and respond to prominent objections in the literature that have accrued over the last decade, including naturalist interpretations by Borjigin et al., Vicente et al., and Parnia et al. in the AWARE I and II studies. \u00a0(Abstract, 202)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
For the sake of conciseness, Dr. Brissey refers to what he calls the \u201ctraditional near-death experience argument for a transphysical self\u201d as \u201cTNDEA,\u201d and, for a succinct formulation of the argument, he cites John Martin Fischer, who actually rejects<\/em>\u00a0it:<\/p>\nIt seems to people who have had NDEs that their rich and detailed experiences occurred when their brains were \u201coffline,\u201d that is, incapable of supporting conscious experiences<\/em>. \u00a0The individual may be in a coma due to a stroke, cardiac arrest, or accident, or the individual may be under anesthesia. \u00a0During these periods the brain is incapable of conscious experience, and yet it seems that the NDEs occur during these times<\/em>. \u00a0If the brain is offline during the NDEs, it seems that there must be some nonphysical mechanism that produces them<\/em>. \u00a0(202, emphasis added by Brissey)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nDr. Brissey himself provides a formalized version of the TNDEA, as follows:<\/p>\n
P1 [The Ontological Premise<\/em>] \u00a0If a person has conscious experiences while the brain is nonfunctional (offline), then the mind can operate independent of the brain, and there is a transphysical aspect of the self.<\/p>\nP2 [The Empirical Premise] \u00a0<\/em>Research shows that it is likely that NDErs have conscious experiences while the brain is nonfunctional.<\/p>\nP3 [The Supernatural Conclusion<\/em>] \u00a0Therefore, the mind can operate independent of the brain, and there is a transphysical component of the self. \u00a0(203)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nNow, I realize that the term transphysical<\/em> is a bit problematic from a Latter-day Saint perspective and that the term supernatural<\/em> may also be open to challenge. \u00a0But these are issues for another day, and relatively minor in any case. \u00a0For my present purposes, they are not relevant.<\/p>\nSpeaking of the syllogism above, Brissey writes that<\/p>\n
By logical inference, the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises. \u00a0The issue is whether the premises are true. \u00a0In this paper, I defend the TNDEA and respond to prominent objections that have accrued in the literature over the past decade of NDE studies. \u00a0(203)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
So he proceeds to outline the approach that he will take:<\/p>\n
Essentially, The Ontological Premise is not at issue among authors in the professional literature. \u00a0Not only supporters of the TNDEA but even prominent detractors have indicated that if there is continued consciousness in a nonfunctional brain, then there is a transcendent self. . . .<\/p>\n
Given this acknowledgment the common skeptical response to the TNDEA is not to deny P1, the Ontological Premise, but to deny P2, the Empirical Premise. \u00a0The issue is whether there are incontrovertible, or at least highly credible, cases in which mental activity occurred without reliance on the brain. \u00a0Given this issue, I turn to a defense of P2, the Empirical Premise. \u00a0(204)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In the remainder of the article, Dr. Brissey fleshes out his defense of P2.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 Yesterday, I published an article in Meridian Magazine about a reported phenomenon that puzzles me and that some of you might find . . . well, curious: \u201cRemarkable Signs in the Heavens the Night Joseph Got the Plates.\u201d\u00a0 If nothing else, you might enjoy it. Two very different takes on the legacy of Pope […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":109981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3973,25387,788,900,903,2265],"class_list":["post-109978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-kimball","tag-mendon","tag-mormon","tag-nde","tag-near-death-experience","tag-new-york"],"yoast_head":"\n
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