51ºÚÁÏ

Researchers Moody and Greyson What do many NDE have in common? Out of body experience/floating Light at the end of a tunnel Void of darkness Angels/other beings Voices Meet dead relatives No fear of death BBC Documentary ‘The Day I died’ Pam Reynolds: The experience seemingly occurred during a complete shutdown of her brain and body functions that had been instigated purposely to allow delicate surgery on a brain aneurysm. It included accurate views of the operating room and equipment, hyper-awareness, visions of light, and interactions with deceased relatives. Her case is regarded by many as convincing evidence of survival, since her vital signs were monitored continuously, providing certainty that she was clinically dead at the time. What are the alternative explanations? Supernatural - It is the work of satan/devil Scientific a) Pharmacological - Caused by drugs b) Physiological - Lack of oxygen to the brain in death causes brain to create this NDE c)Neurological - Caused by malfunctions to the nervous system in death Psychological a) Isolation - People can experience strange phenomena similar to NDE when exposed to long stretches of extreme isolation eg shipwrecked sailors and those on polar expeditions. b) Dreams/hallucinations/delusions - wishful thinking/fantasies

Philosophy (A love of wisdom) Philosophers over the centuries have grappled with the questions ranging from: Does God exist? What is right and wrong? How do you live a good life? Greek Philosophers Plato, Aristotle and Socrates had their work translated into Arabic and kept in libraries in Baghdad. Aristotle’s Prime Mover and the existence of God Aristotle called the thing that caused the universe to go into constant state of motion the Prime Mover. For Aristotle the Prime Mover was God. The Prime Mover is in a state of pure actuality- it has no potential for change itself. As the Prime Mover has no potentiality, it cannot have put the universe in motion with a physical action, as this physical action would have caused change to the Prime Mover. Therefore, the Prime Mover is not the EFFICIENT cause of the universe, but the FINAL cause. The Prime Mover is perfect and all things want to imitate this perfection. All things in the universe are attracted to the prime mover. This attraction to perfection provides a PURPOSE for change. The desire for God and perfection is the goal or purpose for changing. Therefore the Prime Mover is the FINAL cause. Arguments against Aristotle’s Prime Mover Aristotle’s impersonal God is different to the traditional view of a God who is involved in the Universe (Christianity/Islam//Judaism/Hinduism). The Prime Mover is unloving and does not care or even know about human existence. is this really what a God would be like? Does there have to be a final cause or purpose for the Universe? Can it not just exist and not have a cause? (Bertrand Russell)