Contents

OpeningQuotePreface:ExitMusic

Introduction:GhostsintheMachine?Chapter1:NoOneDiesAlone

Chapter2:AGlimpseBehindtheVeilChapter3:VoicesfromBeyond?

Chapter4:BroadeningOurHorizonsChapter5:MementoMori

ClosingQuoteAcknowledgementsAuthorInformation

Notes

Whatisthisdying?Noonewhohasdoneitcantelluswhatitislike.

Arewemeresparksofsentiencethatdeathextinguishes,orfledgelingimmortalswhofeartoleavethenest?Orboth,orneither?

Weareconceivedinmystery,andintomysterywedie.

–OlafStapledon

PREFACE

ExitMusic

Theearthismostlyjustaboneyard.Butprettyinthesunlight.

–LarryMcMurtry

YOUAREGOINGTODIE.

Okay,probablynotthebestwaytostartabook.Hangintheredearreader–atleastthingscanonlygetbetterfromthispageonwards.Ijustwantedtobeclearregardingoursharedmortality,asmanyof us tend to drift through life trying our best to ignore that rather important fact. It’s anunderstandable reaction toour impendingannihilation.But thrustingourheads in thesandwillnothelpusone iotawhen that day finally rolls around, the adventofperhaps themost significant andspecialeventofourlives:itstermination.Howspecialaneventisit?Onlyaneliteclubofsome100billionhumanshaveexperienceditthus

far.1Andthisyear,just58millionmorepeoplewillbepermittedtojointhoseshadesofthedeparted–around160,000peopleeachday(or,toputitanotherway,sinceyourlastbreathfivepeoplehaveslippedthismortalcoil,theirexistenceupontheEarth–withallitsattendanthopes,dreams,joysandloves–apparentlyextinguishedforever).2 Someofthosepeoplewillwelcometheapproachofthegrimreaper,expectingunionwiththeirgodorsaviourofchoice;otherswillhandthemselvesovertodeathconfidentintheirbeliefthatitistheutterendofthemineverysense.Butnoneofthemknowforsure–andregardlessoftheirbelief(ornon-belief,iftheyseeitthatway),inthebackoftheirmindtheyprobablyallknowit.And thisbookwill not change that.For all our ingenuity and the exquisiteknowledge-gathering

powerofscience,wehavenotfoundthedefinitiveanswertowhathappenstousafterwedie.That’sinlargepartduetothefactthatthedeaddon’ttendtocomeforwardwithinformationtoooften,sothedata is abit thinon theground.Butalsobecause research into thequestionof ‘whathappensafterdeath’ remains a rather taboo topic for some strange reason.As philosopherMichaelGrosso haspointedout,“thecurrentU.S.militarybudgetisroughly$350billion,alldedicatedtothetechnologyofdeath.Contrastthiswiththefundsavailabletodoresearchontheconscioussurvivalofdeath.DidIhearanamusedsnicker?”That’snottosaythatthereisn’tanyresearchbeingdonehowever.Overthepast150years,asmall

percentage of scientists have taken it upon themselves to investigate testimony given by the dyingfromtheirdeathbeds,bypatientswhowentasclosetodeathaspossiblebeforereturningtolife,andfrom otherswho claim to be able to speakwith the dead.At risk of ridicule and damage to theirreputationswithintheacademiccommunity,thesescientistshaveneverthelessreportedonwhattheyhavefound–andas thefollowingchapterswillshow, there’snoshortageofhintsandsuggestionsthatsomepartofusdoescontinueonafterthephysicaldeathofourbody.ButIwanttomakeclearfromthebeginningthatthisbookisnotaboutconvincingorconverting

anyreadertoabeliefinanafterlife.Belief,asthesagaciousRobertAntonWilsononceremarked,“isthedeathofintelligence”.Oncewebelieveinsomething,westopquestioningthatmodelofreality,

andwethusfailtoupdateandmodifyourworldviewandmoveforwardthroughcontinuedlearning.Additionally, asWilson noted, once locked into only one belief,we are also “destined to becomevirtuallydeaf,dumb,andblind”tothebeliefsandopinionsofothers,whichisasurefirerecipeforinhumanity.Weare,however,humanbeings,andit’sdifficulttolivelifewithoutsomesortofmodelofreality.

Andthat’sfine–assemblethefactsandevidencethatyou’vecomeacrossthroughoutyourlife,andconstruct thebestpossiblemodelyoucan tohelpgetyou throughtheday-to-dayof life.Justdon’tbelieveinitalltooseriously,andbewillingtoupdatethatmodelasyouintegratenewevidencewithit.Assuch,Iencouragereaderstopracticeskepticism,anddoubteverythingyoureadinthepagesof

thisbook.NotbecauseI’vefilledthefollowingpageswithanynonsenseIcouldfind–farfromit,I’veendeavouredtodiscussthetopicusingonlyevidencethatIfindtrulyfascinatingandworthyofinclusion.Butdoubtisanecessitywhenswimminginthesewatersattheedgesofthescientificworld– ithelpsprotectyou from thesharks interestedonly inprofit, rather thanyoureducation,and thedesperateflailingofthosedrowningintheirownbeliefsystem,keentobringyoudownwiththem.Sodon’tjustreadthisbook–followthereferences,searchthewebfordiscussionsofthetopic,learnmore.Myonlywarningtoyouistopracticethatsamedoubtwhenyouencounteranyotherresources–and that includes thosecreatedbyso-called ‘skeptics’,manyofwhomareembeddedwithin theirown belief system andwish to impose it upon you. Attaching the label of ‘skeptic’ to themselvesshould not grant them an exclusion from your doubt. Form your own opinion, based on the bestavailableevidenceandcriticisms,allthewhilebeingashonestwithyourselfaspossible.ThetitleforthisbookhasitsorigininatalkIhadwithmyfatherafewyearsago,whenhewasin

thelatestagesofEarly-OnsetAlzheimer ’sDisease.Sometwelveyearsonfromhisdiagnosisatage54,Dadcouldnolongertalk,andtomostappearancesseemedtohaveonlythebarestunderstandingof theworld around him. As his brain continued to lose control of his body,muscle spasms andseizuresbecameconstantsthroughouthisday,andthemostbasicmovementsnowseemedHerculeantasks for him. Concerned that he may have been grimly ‘holding on’ for us, his family, at greatpersonalexpense,Itoldhimthatwhilehefoughtonhehadourtotalsupport,butthatifhewantedto‘letgo’thenItotallyunderstoodandrespectedthatdecision.And,assomeonewhohasbeeninterestedinthescientificinvestigationofthepossibilityoflifebeyonddeathformanyyearsnow,Ialsolethimknowmythoughtsonwhathemightexperienceifhediddesire to letgo.DrawingoneverythingIhave read, fromscientific studies through to skeptical investigations, I toldDadmyopinionat thatpointintime:thatthereprobablyissomesortofafterlife.Iemphasisethe‘probably’forthereasonsoutlinedabove:Iretaindoubt,andtherighttorevisethatopinionasmoreevidenceonthesetopicsiscollected.But,giventhefactsI’vecomeacrossinmyownresearch–inwhichIbelieveI’vebeenashonestaspossiblewithmyself–thatisthemodelofrealitythatseemsthemostlikelytomeatthispoint.I’mnotsureifDadhadtheabilitytocomprehendeverythingIsaidinmyconversationwithhim.I

doknowthatwhenIfinishedtalking,asingletearrandownhischeek–butwhetherthatwasaresultofourdiscussion,orjustthebreezefromaceilingfanaggravatinghiseye,Icannotsay.Iprefertothink the former, that somewhere deep within the besieged fortress of his mind, he understoodeverythingIsaid.Daddied the followingyear. In thepagesof this book, I’vedonemybest to sharewithyou the

perspectives that informedmy talk with him, as I think it’s worthwhile information to havewhencontemplatingthefactthatyoutoowillonedaydie.

INTRODUCTION

GhostsintheMachine?

Byfarthemostusualwayofhandlingphenomenasonovelthattheywouldmakeforaseriousrearrangementofourpreconceptionsistoignorethemaltogether,ortoabusethosewhobearwitness

forthem.

–WilliamJames

InDecember1943,asWorldWarIIragedacrosstheEuropeancontinent,PrivateGeorgeRitchielayperilouslyclosetodeathinaTexasmilitaryhospitalashesufferedfromaseverecaseofpneumonia.Thetwenty-year-oldhadrecentlycompletedhisbasictraining,andwasbookedonthenextday’straintoRichmondtostudyasadoctorattheMedicalCollegeofVirginia.However,asafevertookhold,the young soldier ’s body temperature soared above 106 degrees. On the cold winter ’s night ofDecember20th,1943,PrivateRitchieleftonanother,farstrangerjourney:

Iheardaclickandawhirr.Thewhirrwentonandon.Itwasgettinglouder.Thewhirrwasinsidemyheadandmykneesweremadeofrubber.TheywerebendingandIwasfallingandallthetimethewhirrgrewlouder.Isatupwithastart.Whattimewasit?Ilookedatthebedsidetablebutthey’dtakentheclockaway.Infact,wherewasanyofmystuff?Ijumpedoutofbedinalarm,lookingformyclothes.Myuniformwasn’tonthechair.Iturnedaround,thenfroze.Someonewaslyinginthatbed.3

PrivateRitchiedidn’tstoptothinkanyfurther,assumingthathehadsleptthroughthenightandwasnow late for his Virginia-bound train. He rushed out into the corridor and attempted to gain theattentionofanapproachingsergeant.However,thesergeantappearednottoseehimandbrushedpastwithouttheslightestacknowledgement.The young private decided to take matters into his own hands, and dashed down the corridor

toward theexit, apairof swingingmetaldoors.Suddenlyhe foundhimself flying through theair,fasterthanhe’devertravelledbefore,asifhe’dsuddenlytakenonthepowersoftherecentlycreatedcomic book character Superman. When he finally came to a halt, Private Ritchie realized withamazementthathehadtraveledtohisdesireddestination,Richmond–“onehundredtimesfasterthanany train could”. Despite still wearing his army-issue hospital pyjamas, he approached a civilianstrangertoaskforsomebearings,buttohisdistressthemandidn’tappeartoseehimeither.WhilethatfactdisturbedPrivateRitchie,whatfollowedlefthimgaping.Reachingouthislefthandtotapthemanontheshoulder,hefoundtohisastonishmentthathishandpassedstraightthroughthestranger ’sbody.Atthispoint,PrivateGeorgeRitchierealizedthathewas,infact,dead:

AndsuddenlyIrememberedtheyoungmanIhadseeninthebedinthatlittlehospitalroom.Whatifthathadbeen…me?Oranyhow,thematerial,concretepartofmyselfthatinsomeunexplainablewayI’dgottenseparatedfrom.WhatiftheformwhichIhadleftlyinginthehospitalroominTexaswasmyown?Andifitwere,howcouldIgetbacktoitagain?4

Within an instant of this thought he found himself rushing back to the army hospital, where hedesperatelysearchedwardafterwardforhisphysicalbody.Scanningthefacesofsleepingsoldiers,

PrivateRitchiewasatwit’sendwhenhefinallycameacrossabodycoveredwithasheet.Noticingtheonyxandgoldfraternityringonthemiddlefingerofthecadaver ’shand,hewas–notsurprisingly–onlyslightlyrelievedtorealizethatthiscorpsewashisownbody.Suddenly the room became much brighter, and a ‘being of light’ appeared to Private Ritchie.

Episodesofhis lifebegan toplayoutbeforehim–“everything thathadeverhappened tomewassimplythere,infullview,contemporaryandcurrent,allseeminglytakingplaceatthesametime”–while ‘the Light’ asked one simple question: “What did you do with your life?” But despite themagnitudeandinterrogatoryphrasingofthisquestion,atnotimedidRitchiefeelthathewasbeingjudgedbythebeing.Afterthisreviewofhislife,thebeing–whomthenewly-deadmanguessedwasJesus–thentookhimonatourofbothearthlyandheavenlyrealms.ToPrivateRitchie’ssurprise,thebeingthengavehimorderstoreturntothelandoftheliving.IfanybodywasmoresurprisedathisreturntolifethanGeorgeRitchie,itwasprobablythearmy

physicianwho had just signed the young soldier ’s death certificate. An orderly had noticed somemovement as he prepared the corpse for the morgue, and summoned the doctor who quicklyadministeredashotofadrenalinestraight into thedeadman’sheart.PrivateRitchiereturned to lifewithaburningthroatandacrushingweightonhischest,afullnineminutesafterhehadappearedtohavetakenhislastbreath.

DeathbyScience

TheresurrectionexperienceofGeorgeRitchiemarksakeymomentinthemoderndebateovertheexistenceof ‘theafterlife’,as itdirectly inspired themodern fascinationwithaphenomenonwhichhas becomeknown as the near-death experience (NDE).The youngprivatewent on to becomeDrGeorgeRitchie,apsychiatristwhosedescriptionofthedeathlyrealmsmadeagreatimpressionupononeofhisstudents,oneRaymondMoody,whenherelateditduringaphilosophylecturein1965.Adecadelater,thatsamestudenttoldtheworldaboutnotonlyDrRitchie’sNDE,butalsoagreatmanyotherswhenhepublishedhisbest-sellingbookLifeafterLife.Goingontosellmorethan13millioncopies,Moody’s bookbrought theNDE into thepublic consciousness for the first time, inspiringHollywoodmoviessuchasFlatliners, andsparking further scientific investigationof thesestrangeexperiences.Todaythenear-deathexperiencehaswellandtrulyestablisheditselfinpopularculture:as an example,witness howperhaps themost crucial scene in one of themost popular books andfilms of all time –Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,where Harry dies and meets up withProfessor Dumbledore in an afterlife way-station – is closely modelled on near-death experienceaccounts.Whatwas it aboutMoody’s book thatmade it such a hitwith the general public?No doubt the

diminishing role of organized religion in many peoples’ lives during the 20th century had left aspiritual hole that theNDE filled quite adequately.But itwas perhaps somethingmore than this aswell.Acenturyprevious,before‘near-deathexperience’becameahouseholdword,thepublichadasimilarfascinationwithSpiritualism–amovementthatrevolvedaroundtheideathatthedenizensofthe spirit world were still able to communicate with the living, most notably through ‘spiritmediums’.What is notable about both of thesemodernmodes of encountering the concept of anafterlifeisthattheyare,bytheirverynature,experiential.Foranextendedtimeinthelast2000years,withChristianityasthedominantforceshapingWesternculture,theideaofanafterlifewaslargelytaken as a given, and a simplematter of religious faith.Thedeadhad their place inheaven (or insomeunfortunatecases,hell), andhumans theirplaceonEarthuntil theyweredulycalledby theirMaker.PeoplewereaskedsimplytoputtheirtrustintheauthorityandtruthfulnessoftheChurchandtheBible.

ButfromthetimeoftheRenaissance,bothGodandWesterncivilization’scollectiveegohadbegunto take some serious hits. In the 16th century, the heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus haddisplacedEarthfromthecentreoftheUniverse,byshowingthatourplanetwasactuallyonlyoneofmanythatrevolvedaroundourSun(previously,thecommonbeliefwasthattheSun,planetsandstarsallrevolvedaroundtheEarth).Inthe17thcentury,IsaacNewton’sformulationofhisfamouslawsofmotionsuggestedtoscientists

thatourUniversewasdeterministic:onethingfollowedanotherbasedonstrictphysicallawsofcauseandeffect.Therewasnodivinecreatorwhointervenedonbehalfofman;atbesttherecouldonlybea‘SupremeArchitect’,theequivalentofawatchmakerwhodesignedthecosmosbutsteppedasideafterthatpointandletitrunasitwasmeantto,obeyingtheuniversallawsthatNewtonhaddiscovered.Theimplications of a deterministic Universe for human beings were humbling, almost demeaning.AstrophysicistBernardHaischexplains:

UnfortunatelyweourselvesareincludedintheUniverse.Andifwethinkofourselvesasjustcomplexorganicmachines,thenevery thought and every action thatwe thinkwe are consciously and freely choosing is in reality just the consequence of thepreviousstateoftheUniverse.Thereisnofreedom,thereisnotruechoice,notintheslightest.Inthisview,weourselvesarenomorethanwind-updolls,automatons,executingthoughtsandactionsthatweinheritedfromeverythingthatcamebeforeus.Everychoice we make is illusory from this perspective, because even the atoms and molecules in our brain are just following thepositionsandmotionstheyinherited.Theuniversebecomeslikeagiantbilliardtablewhosecountlessbilliardballs(theparticlesmakingupmatter)arejustfollowingthelawsofmechanics: the5-ballhitsthe9-ballknockingthe8-ball inthepocketandthatexplainswhyIjustscratchedmyheadthinkingIwasdoingsoofmyownfreewill.5

Andthehitskeptcoming.Thefollowingcenturybrought themind-blowingconceptofDeepTime,which contradicted the Biblical tale of the Creation. Contrary to the calculations of Bishop JamesUssher–whoin1650haddeclaredthedateofCreationtobethenightprecedingSundaythe23rdofOctober,4004B.C.–scientistsinthenascentfieldofgeologywerestaggeredtofindthatthehistoryof the Earth should be measured not in thousands, not even in millions, but in billions of years.Suddenly, the human life-span shrank into insignificance. The mathematician John Playfair, uponviewing the geological evidence in June 1788, remarked that “themind seemed to growgiddy bylookingsofarintotheabyssoftime.”Eventheentirelife-spanofhumancivilizationitselfbecamelostintime.MarkTwainputthingsintoperspectivewiththesewords:“IftheEiffeltowerwerenowrepresenting theworld's age, the skin of paint on the pinnacle-knob at its summitwould representman's share of that age”.6 If humans had lost their exalted place in theUniversewith the ideas ofCopernicus,theyhadnowalsolosttheirplaceintime.Butinthemid-19thcenturycamethecoup-de-grâce:CharlesDarwin’stheoryofevolutionbymeans

ofnatural selection.Far frombeingGod’smost cherishedcreation–made inhis imageno less–humansturnedouttobenothingmorethanmonkeys.Insignificantlittlepuppetmonkeys,dancingona pebble in the unfathomable depths of time and space,with their fates already pre-determined byNewton’slawsofmotion…In the last century and a half, this diminished view of humanity’s significance has become the

dominantparadigmwithinthescientificcommunity.TheeminentlyrecognizabletheoreticalphysicistProfessorStephenHawkinghasstatedplainlyhisviewthat“thehumanraceisjustachemicalscumonamoderate-sizedplanet”.7Andnotonlyarewesimply“scum”,we’rescumwithnocontroloverourfate: thelateFrancisCrick–co-discovererof thestructureofDNA–echoedBernardHaisch’s“billiard-ballanalogy”ofthecurrentscientificconsensusontheideaoffreewillwhenhenotedthat“you,yourjoysandyoursorrows,yourmemoriesandambitions,yoursenseofpersonalidentityandfreewill,areinfactnomorethanthebehaviourofavastassemblyofnervecellsandtheirassociatedmolecules”.8While scientists such as Hawking, Crick, Richard Dawkins and others certainly don’t reject the

inherent beauty of life and the cosmos – quite the opposite, in fact, as they believe the scientificdiscoveriesofthelastfewcenturiesonlyenhancethewonderofourUniverse–theyhaveasserted,sometimesquiteaggressively,thatthereisnodeepermeaningtolife,andcertainlynothingafterlifeforeachofus.Butwhataretheimplicationsofthesediscoveriesfortheaverageperson?In hiswonderful fictional seriesTheHitchhiker’sGuide to theGalaxy, the lateDouglasAdams

(who was, incidentally, an atheist and a close friend of Richard Dawkins) introduced the ‘TotalPerspectiveVortex’–amachinebuiltbyinventorTrinTragula,whoafterbeingconstantlynaggedbyhiswife to "Have some senseofproportion!" (sometimes asoften as thirty-eight times in a singleday),decidedtobuildamachine“justtoshowher”.Intooneend,hepluggedthewholeofreality(inclassicAdams fashion, extrapolated fromapieceof fairy cake), and into theotherhepluggedhiswife,sothatshewouldbeshowninoneinstant“thewholeinfinityofcreationandherselfinrelationto it”. To his horror, Trin Tragula realized that this single, devastating shock had completelyannihilatedhiswife’sbrain,buttohissatisfaction“herealizedthathehadprovedconclusivelythatiflifeisgoingtoexistinaUniverseofthissize,thenonethingitcannotaffordtohaveisasenseofproportion”.ThestoryoftheTotalPerspectiveVortexcouldverywellbeananalogyforthelastfivehundred

years of human history. If humanity can be equated with Trin Tragula’s wife, then the ground-breaking scientific discoveries during that period have acted somewhat as the Total PerspectiveVortex.Toavoidhavingtheirbrainannihilated,manypeoplehaveunfortunatelyfledfromasenseofproportionbyrejectingscienceoutright,retreatingintofundamentalistreligiosity,orattheveryleastenveloping themselves in a blissful (to them) shroud of ignorance. A false dichotomy has beencreated–andsomewhatpromoted, itmustbesaid,bybothfundamentalistpreachersandoutspokenatheists – where the widespread public view seems to be that you’re either with science, or withspirituality,butyoucan’thaveafootinbothcamps.

HumanityResurrected

However,what is not aswell known is thatmany prominent scientists – some of the finestmindsalive,infact–actuallyargueagainstdiminishingthecosmicroleofhumanlifeandconsciousness,andfeel that there issomedeeperreasonfor thepresenceofbothintheUniverse.Indeed,manyofthesethinkersbelievethat‘mind’–ratherthanbeinganaccidentalby-productofphysicalprocesses–may actually be a, perhaps the, fundamental part of the cosmos. As theoretical physicist andmathematicianFreemanDysonhasnoted:

TomethemostastoundingfactintheuniverseisthepowerofmindwhichdrivesmyfingersasIwritethesewords.Somehow,bynaturalprocessesstilltotallymysteriousamillionbutterflybrainsworkingtogetherinahumanskullhavethepowertodream,tocalculate,toseeandtohear,tospeakandtolisten,totranslatethoughtsandfeelingsintomarksonpaperwhichotherbrainscaninterpret.Mind,throughthelongcourseofbiologicalevolution,hasestablisheditselfasamovingforceinourlittlecorneroftheuniverse.Hereonthissmallplanet,mindhasinfiltratedmatterandhastakencontrol.Itappearstomethatthetendencyofmindtoinfiltrateandcontrolmatterisalawofnature.9[myemphasis]

RespectedcosmologistPaulDavies,inhisessay“Life,Mind,andCultureasFundamentalPropertiesoftheUniverse”,arguesthattheorthodoxviewabouttheinsignificanceoflife–asespousedbythelikesofStephenHawking–is“profoundlywrong”.Daviessaysthat“NotonlydoIbelievethatlifeisakeypartoftheevolutionoftheuniverse,Imaintainthatmindandculture,too,willturnouttobeoffundamentalsignificanceinthegrandstoryofthecosmos.”Heexplainsfurther:

It is fashionable to downplay the significance of consciousness, perhaps because of its perceived mystical associations.However, this is inmyviewa serious error.Consciousorganisms shouldnot be casually shrugged aside as just another sort of

physicalsystem,albeitapeculiarone.Thequalitiesofconscioussystemsaretotallyunlikeanythingelsefoundinnature.Mentalentities suchas thoughtsand feelingsareclearlynot just “other sortsof things”…somephilosophersareprepared todefend thefundamental nature of the mental realm, and to argue that subjective experience cannot be relegated to a sequence of mereepiphenomenaattachingtophysicalprocesses.10

Daviesgoesontopointoutthatasintrinsic,physicalpartsoftheUniverseourselves,ourcapacityforinvestigationandunderstandingthroughscientificandmathematicalthinkingsuggeststhereisadeepandmysteriouslinkbetweenourconsciousnessandthegreatercosmos.Inhiseyes,thehumanmindisnomere illusionorunneededby-productof thebrain. Instead, thearrivalofhumanawareness–and in particular the humanunderstanding of nature – seems to be nothing less than awatershedmomentinthehistoryofthecosmos:

Somehow,theuniversehasengineerednotonlyitsownself-awareness,butitsownself-comprehension.Itishardtoseethisastonishingpropertyof (at least some) livingorganismsasanaccidental and incidentalby-productofphysics, a lucky flukeofbiologicalevolution.Rather,thefactthatmindislinkedintothedeepworkingsofthecosmosinthismannersuggeststhatthereissomethingtrulyfundamentalandliterallycosmicintheemergenceofsentience.11

The acclaimed American philosopher (and atheist) Thomas Nagel has recently voiced a similaropinion, to theconsternationofanumberofhis fellowacademics.“Theappearanceof reasonandlanguage in the course of biological history seems, from the point of view of available forms ofexplanation, something radically emergent,” Nagel states in his 2012 book Mind and Cosmos.EchoingthewordsofPaulDavies,hewritesthat“eachofourlivesisapartofthelengthyprocessoftheuniversegraduallywakingupandbecomingawareofitself”.12Thecuriousfactthathumanconsciousnessseemstobeawayfortheuniversetoobserveitselfties

in closely to developments in science over the past century,most notably in the field of quantumphysics– the fieldof scienceconcernedwithphenomenaat themicroscopic scale (atomsand sub-atomicelements).Theenigmathatemergesatthequantumlevelisthattheactofobservationseemstobe a crucial part of creating ‘reality’: until observed, the fundamental buildingblocks fromwhichphysicalthingsareconstructedexistonlyasprobabilities,in‘quantumsuperposition’;itisnotuntilthereisameasurementorobservationthattheseparticlessolidifyintosomethingtangibleand‘real’.Interpretationsofthisquantummysteryvary,buteveryoneoftheminvolvesconsciousnessinsomeway.13Thedevelopmentofthisnewparadigmofphysicsinthe20thcenturyunderminesboththeideaofa

deterministic cosmos – as suggested by Newtonian physics – as well as the assumption thatconsciousnessisanaccidentofbiologywithnorealsignificance.Andyet,respectedphysicistHenryStappnotes,despitenearlyacenturyhavingpassedsincetheNewtonianworldviewwasshowntobe“fundamentally incorrect”, the notion of mechanical determinism “still dominates the generalintellectualmilieu”.14Theshadowof theNewtonianworldview ispromulgatedby thosewhowish,forwhateverreason,toreinforcetheviewofadeterministicUniversewithconsciousnessasabizarreepiphenomenon.Stapppoints out, as an example, that one of the leadingmodern philosophers ofmind,DanielDennett,hassaidhisown‘mundane’viewpointonconsciousnessrestsontheideathat“a brain was always going to do what it was caused to do by current, local, mechanicalcircumstances”.Yetthisstatementseemsatoddswiththecurrentandacceptedparadigmofthelawsofphysics.Just asDavies,Dyson andNagel have argued, anumberof scientists now suggest, basedon the

theoryofthequantumworld,thatconsciousnessmayinfactbeafundamentalpropertyofthecosmos–farfromthe‘accidentalby-product’ofabiologicalbrain.ThepioneeringcosmologistSirJamesJeansmadeclearhisownthoughtsabouttheimportanceofhumanconsciousness–tohim,mindis

themostimportantelementofthecosmos:

I incline to the idealistic theory that consciousness is fundamental, and that the material universe is derivative fromconsciousness,notconsciousnessfromthematerialuniverse...Ingeneraltheuniverseseemstometobenearertoagreatthoughtthantoagreatmachine.Itmaywellbe,itseemstome,thateachindividualconsciousnessoughttobecomparedtoabrain-cellinauniversalmind.

But if this radical new view of consciousness is correct, what happens to it when our body – thephysicalsubstrateuponwhichitappearstodepend–nolongerexists?It’sanoddquestionactually,because your body has never been a permanent thing – it is an illusion. As cardiologist Pim vanLommel has pointed out, every second some 500,000 cells in your body are broken down andregenerated,andwithintwoweeksallofthemoleculesandatomsinyourbody’scellsarereplaced.Whichraisessomeinterestingquestions:“Howcanweaccountforlong-termmemory”,vanLommelasks, “if themolecularmakeupof thecellmembraneofneurons is completely renewedevery twoweeksandthemillionsofsynapsesinthebrainundergoaprocessofconstantadaptation?”15Our self, our consciousness, persists as a continuity despite the physical substrate of our body

beingconstantlydestroyedand replaced.Soare thereany reasons tobelieve that this ‘fundamentalproperty’continuesoninsomewayafterwedie?

FacingourFears

WoodyAllenoncewrote“It’snotthatI’mafraidofdeath.It’sjustthatIdon’twanttobetherewhenithappens.”Hiswordsprobablymirrorthethoughtsofmosthumanbeings.Mostespeciallyforthoseofusnot facingadvancedageora terminal illness,death isgenerallyperceivedas something thathappenstosomeoneelse,notus,andisthusbestnotthoughtabout.Wehidetheconceptoutofsight,usingeuphemismssuchas“passedaway”(orwithpets,“wenttosleep”)todisguisetheactualeventofdeath.AndevenwhenwedocontemplatethedaythattheReaperwillcomeknocking–thefinalandperhapsmostsignificanteventofourlifetime–manypeopleexpresstheirdesiretobeignorantoftheactualmoment,hopingtodieintheirsleep,orsoquicklytheyareunawareofitshappening.Thismodernfearofdeathmaywellbe,more thananything,stark terror in thefaceofoblivion.

Formanypeople today,basedon thecurrentorthodoxscientificworldview,allourmemories,ourambitions,and thatcentralpartofus thatwe identifyas ‘I’,areseen tosuddenlydisappear foreveruponourphysicaldeath.However,aswehaveseen,thereareanumberofscientistsandthinkerswhodon’tagreewiththe‘orthodox’viewofthecosmos.Andyoumaybesurprisedtolearnthatthereisasubstantialamountofevidencethatsuggestshumanconsciousnessliveson,beyondthedeathofourphysicalbody–andthatittrulyisathingapartfromthephysicalUniverse.Though scientists and outspoken atheists often regard belief in an afterlife simply as a natural

human reaction to the idea of annihilation, the idea of survival of our consciousness in somediscarnateformhasbeenwidelyheldinalmosteveryculturefromthebeginningofhumanhistory–basednotonblindfaithinsomesortofGod-likebeingmaintainingacelestialsalvatoryforsouls,asfoundinChristianity,butinsteadondirectpersonalexperiencesthatsuggestpostmortemsurvival.16Wehave already seenGeorgeRitchie’s own apparent experiencewith some sort of afterlife state,which certainly convinced him of the belief that consciousness survives the body’s death. Manymillions of people around the world have had this ‘direct experience’ of some sort of afterlife,courtesyofanear-deathexperience.Othershavehadthatexperiencenotbygoingthroughthedyingprocess themselves,butbycommunicatingwithvisionsorapparitionsof thosewhohavepassed.17And yet others claim to have talkedwith the deceased through so-called ‘psychicmediums’. Suchstrangeness isnot restricted toacertain ‘type’ofperson,normallycategorizedas“delusional”,or

morepolitely“fantasy-prone”.Individualsfromscientists toheads-of-state tobusiness leadershavebeenknowntohaveperceptionsofaworldbeyondtheveilofdeath,andinteractwiththosethatresidethere. And while these experiences do not necessarily prove the existence of an afterlife, thesemanifold interactions with some sort of ‘beyond’ are nearly always absolutely convincing to theexperiencer themselves, so much so that many precipitate Damascus-road type conversions. Thisshouldatleastgiveuspause,andpromptfurtherinvestigationwithaviewtofindingthetruth,asbestwecandetermineit,behindthesemysteries.Theresultsmayjustcontainmorethanafewsurprises…

ONE

NoOneDiesAlone

Deathisnotextinguishingthelight;itisputtingoutthelampbecausedawnhascome.

–RabindrananthTagore

InOctober2011,thedeathofApplefounderSteveJobsmadenewsacrosstheworld.Hisprematurepassingattheageof56wasyetanotherremindertousthat,nomatterwhatyourage,orthepositionyouholdinlife,deathisthegreatleveller.Buthisdeathmightalsooffercluestosomethingmore:inher eulogy, Steve Jobs’ sisterMona Simpson closed by sharing the technology guru's last spokencommunicationbeforehispassing.AccordingtoSimpson…

…Steve’sfinalwords,hoursearlier,weremonosyllables,repeatedthreetimes.Beforeembarking,he’dlookedathissisterPatty,thenforalongtimeathischildren,thenathislife’spartner,Laurene,andthenovertheirshoulderspastthem.

Steve’sfinalwordswere:OHWOW.OHWOW.OHWOW.18

Perhaps Steve Jobs’ exclamations were referring to his family, an attempt to transmit his deepfeelings of affection and awe for each of them, or maybe he was simply summing up his ownamazinglifeinhisfinalmomentsofreflection.ButMonaSimpson’sdescriptionofthescenecouldalso be read anotherway– and is perhapsmeant to be, given that just a few sentences earlier shementionedhowherbrotherhadtoldher“thathewasgoingtoabetterplace”.Sherelatesthatwhenexclaiming “OHWOW” three times, he was not looking at his family anymore, but "over theirshoulders past them". This scenario is strongly suggestive of a strange experience that sometimesoccursshortlybeforethetimeofpassing:theso-called“death-bedvision”,or“take-awayvision”,inwhichthedyingpersonseesapparitionsofalready-departedlovedones–andalsosometimeswhatappear to be heavenly creatures such as ‘angels’ – who have apparently come with the expresspurpose of collecting the individual and guiding them into the afterlife. For example, one recentdeath-bedaccountfromapalliativecarertellshowalady…

…aboutanhourbefore shedied said, "they’reall in the room; they’reall in the room".The roomwas fullofpeople sheknew and I can remember feeling quite spooked really and looking over my shoulder and not seeing a thing but she coulddefinitelyseetheroomfullofpeoplethatsheknew.19

How often do these experiences occur? A lot more commonly than you might think: in a recentBritishstudy,researchersfoundthatalmosttwo-thirdsofdoctors,nursesandhospicecarersreportedwitnessing‘end-of-lifeexperiences’(ELEs)suchasdeath-bedvisions(DBVs)intheirpatients.20Thesurvey, headed by neuropsychiatrist Dr. Peter Fenwick, concluded that such experiences were acommonelementof thedyingprocess, andadditionally that theywereoften“healingexperiences”forboththedyingandtheirfamilies.PeterFenwick(pronounced‘Fennick’)wouldonlyhavebeenmildlysurprisedbythedatathough,

ashehasbeenstudyingend-of-lifeexperiencesformorethanthreedecadesnow,duringwhichtimehehascollectedhundredsofcasesandhasauthoredanumberofbooksonthephenomenonwithhiswifeElizabeth;hemayjustbetheclosestthingthereistoanexpertonthetopic.Withhisrangy78-year-oldframe(thatseemstobeperpetuallydressedinasuitahalf-sizetoobig),ashockofsilveryhairflowingfromthebackofhismostlybaldhead,andagenial,cut-glassEnglishaccent,FenwickwouldalsonotlookoutofplaceasateacheratHogwartsSchoolofWitchcraftandWizardry.Buthisapproach toend-of-lifeexperiences issolidlygrounded inscience–even though,asheandfellowresearchersHilaryLovelace andSueBraynepointout, the currentviewofmainstreamscience“isthatELEs,particularlydeathbedvisions,havenointrinsicvalue,andareeitherconfusionalordruginduced”. That view, however, seems to be profoundly wrong: the vast majority of the carersinterviewedintheirstudy“agreedthatELEswerenotduetoconfusionalstatesresultingfromeithermedicationorthetoxicprocessesinvolvedindying”,and“usuallyoccurredinclearconsciousness”.What’smore,carersconsideredend-of-lifeexperiences“tobeprofoundlysubjectiveandmeaningfulevents” thatoften“helped the individual to letgoof lifeand lessened the fearofdying”.Far frombeingofnovalue,end-of-lifeexperiencessuchasdeath-bedvisionswereseenasimportant‘spiritual’events,imbuedwithpersonalmeaning,andwhichtookpatientsbeyondthedistressofdying.AnIrishstudyin2009of40carersrevealedverysimilarnumberstoPeterFenwick’sBritishstudy,

witharoundtwo-thirdsofrespondentshavingwitnessedend-of-lifeexperiencesintheirpatients.21Alarger scale study in the U.S. with 525 respondents found that more than half of them reportedinstancesofadyingpersonseeingorhearingdeceasedlovedones.22AndasmallstudyinAustraliathat surveyed just five palliative care nurses found that all five reported witnessing at least four‘paranormal’ experiences while tending dying patients, most common of which were death-bedvisions.23Buttobeclearonapointaboutdeath-bedvisionsmadeabove:asPeterFenwick’sstudyexplicitly

noted,carersaren’treferringtofeverishvisionsundertheinfluenceofdrugs,ordementia-inducedhallucinations–infact,researchhasfoundthatpatientswerelesslikelytohavedeath-bedvisionsiftheyweremedicatedwith drugs, or suffering from an illnesswhich affected their normal state ofconsciousness.24Intheirownsurvey,researchersKarlisOsisandErlendurHaraldssonfoundthat80percentofthosewhohadexperiencedadeath-bedvisionwerenotundertheinfluenceofdrugswhenit occurred. And for one doctor at least, the issuewas resolvedwith a patient whowas reportingfrequentvisionsofgiantspiders,alongwiththeoccasionalreportthathis(alreadydead)brotherwasvisitinghim.Thephysiciansubstitutedanotherpainrelieverforthemorphinethatthepatientwason,and the giant spider hallucinations immediately stopped. The visions of his brother, however,continuedupuntilhispassing,leadingthedoctortostatethat“itappearsreasonablycertainthatdeath-bedvisionsarenotpartofadeliriumcausedbymedicalillnessordrugtoxicity”.25In fact, rather than being a feverish hallucination, patients recount death-bed visions calmly and

rationally to family or carers, usually exhibiting no fear or confusion aboutwhat they have seen.Indeed, during their final days the terminally ill are often said to be almost living in twoworlds,swapping nonchalantly between chattingwith palliative carers and family physically present in theroom,and interactingwithvisionsofpreviouslydeceased individualswhoappear tobe– in someway– there to help them through the dying process.Andperhaps guiding themon to the afterlifeworld:overandoveragaininthesestories,thedominantthemeisthatthe‘here-and-now’issuddenlynotofany importance to thedyingperson; their focusnowlieswith thenextworldand thosewhohavecometotakethemthere.Forinstance,inItalyawiferantoherdyinghusband’ssideonlytobetoldbyhimthathermother–whohaddied3yearspreviously–“ishelpingmetobreakoutofthisdisgustingbody.Thereissomuchlighthere,somuchpeace”.26Death-bed visions are certainly not just a recent phenomenon – they have been recognised and

writtenaboutforcenturiesacrosstheworld,fromindigenouscultures27tomodernWesternsociety.For example, in 1878 we find testimony from a doctor concerning the prevalence of death-bedvisionsthatcouldjustaseasilyapplytotheJobsfamilyin2011:“Thereisscarcelyafamilyintheland”,thedoctorwrote,“someoneofwhosemembershasnotdiedwithagloriousexpressiononthefeatures,orexclamationonthelips,which,tothestandersby,wasatokenofbeatificvision”.28Inthesameera,theauthorFrancesCobbesimilarlywrotethat“inalmosteveryfamilyorcircle,aquestionwill elicit recollections of death-bed scenes, wherein, with singular recurrence, appears one verysignificant incident, namely, that thedyingperson, precisely at themomentof death, andwhen thepowerofspeechwaslost,ornearlylost,seemedtoseesomething”.29Cobbenotedthatoverandoveragain, theexperience isdescribed“almost in the samewordsbypersonswhohaveneverheardofsimilar occurrences, and who suppose their own experience to be unique”. Certainly, Cobbe’sdescriptionofsuchscenescorrelateswithMonaSimpson’saccountofSteveJobs’finalmoments:

It is invariably explained that the dying person is lying quietly, when suddenly, in the very act of expiring, he looks up,sometimesstartsupinbed,andgazesonwhatappears tobevacancywithanexpressionofastonishment,sometimesdevelopinginstantly into joy, and sometimes cut short in the first emotion of solemnwonder and awe. If the dyingmanwere to see someutterlyunexpectedbutinstantlyrecognizedvision,causinghimagreatsurpriseorrapturousjoy,hisfacecouldnotbetterrevealthefact.30

It is this commonality between experiences that is so suggestive thatwe are viewing an importantphenomenon here.And an example fromCobbe’s book should suffice to show that very little haschangedintheexperienceoverthissubstantialamountoftime.ItgavemegoosebumpsthefirsttimeIreadit:

Iwaswatchingonenightbesideapoormandyingofconsumption.Hiscasewashopeless,buttherewasnoappearanceoftheendbeingverynear.Hewasinfullpossessionofhissenses,abletotalkwithastrongvoice,andnotintheleastdrowsy.Hehadsleptthroughtheday,andwassowakefulthatIhadbeenconversingwithhimonordinarysubjectstowhileawaythelonghours.Suddenly,whilewewere thus talkingquietly together, hebecame silent, and fixedhis eyesononeparticular spot in the room,whichwasentirelyvacant,evenoffurniture.Atthesametime,alookofthegreatestdelightchangedthewholeexpressionofhisface,and,afteramomentofwhatseemed tobe intensescrutinyofsomeobject invisible tome,hesaid tome ina joyous tone,“ThereisJim”.Jimwasalittlesonwhomhehadlosttheyearbefore,andwhomIhadknownwell;butthedyingmanhadasonstillliving,namedJohn,forwhomwehadsent,andIconcludeditwasofJohnhewasspeaking,andthathethoughtheheardhimarriving.SoIanswered,“No.Johnhasnotbeenabletocome”.Themanturnedtomeimpatiently,andsaid:“IdonotmeanJohn,Iknowheisnothere:itisJim,mylittlelameJim.Surely,yourememberhim?”“Yes”,Isaid,“IrememberdearlittleJimwhodiedlastyearquitewell”.“Don'tyouseehim, then?Therehe is”,said theman,pointing to thevacantspaceonwhichhiseyeswerefixed;and,whenIdidnotanswer,herepeatedalmostfretfully,“Don'tyouseehimstandingthere?”

I answered that I couldnot seehim, though I felt perfectly convinced that somethingwasvisible to the sickman,which Icouldnotperceive.WhenIgavehimthisanswer,heseemedquiteamazed,andturnedroundtolookatmewithaglancealmostofindignation.Ashiseyesmetmine,Isawthatafilmseemedtopassoverthem,thelightofintelligencediedaway,hegaveagentlesigh and expired. He did not live fiveminutes from the time he first said, “There is Jim”, although there had been no sign ofapproachingdeathprevioustothatmoment.31

ThetitleofCobbe’sbookinwhichtheaboveaccountisfound,ThePeakinDarien,wasinspiredbyJohnKeats’sonnet"OnFirstLookingintoChapman'sHomer”,referringtothemomentinthepoemwhentheSpanishconquistadorHernánCortésandhismenclimbedamountainintheDariénprovinceofPanamaandweremetwiththegrandandunexpectedvistaofthePacificOceanstretchingintothedistance as far as the eye could see.Cobbemade the analogy that certain death-bed visionsmightsimilarly give us a glimpse into the grand and unexpected vista of the afterlife realms, with theexperiencerbeholdingfromtheirownpeak“anoceanyethiddenfromourview”.32The final days of another technology guru illustrate Cobbe’s analogy well: eighty years to the

monthbeforeSteveJobspassedawaythegreatAmericaninventorandbusinessmanThomasEdison

hadhisowndeath-bedvision.AccordingtothetestimonyofDr.HubertS.Howe,whowasEdison’spersonalphysicianduringhisfinalillnessinOctober1931,thefamousinventorsuddenlyopenedhiseyesandgazedintospace,hisfaceilluminatedwithasmile.“Itisverybeautifuloverthere!”,Edisonexclaimed,leadingDr.HowetowonderifEdisonhad“climbedtheheightswhichleadintoEternityandcaughtaglimpsebeyondtheveilwhichobstructsourearthlyvision?”33Dr.Howewasmovedtoask, inwhat appears some frustration, “Must thisquestion always remainhidden in themysteryofdeath?”Anotherinterestingfacetofdeath-bedvisionsisthattheyseemtooccurregardlessofage–ifthey

are just a ‘trick of the brain’, thenwewould have to consider it somehow, and for some strangereason, hardwired into our biological make-up. The brilliant fin de siècle physicist Sir WilliamBarrett, in researching the phenomenon, was impressed by not only the commonality of thedescriptionoftheexperienceinthoseofayoungerage,butalsothattheirdyingvisionsdidnotagreewithwhatmightbeexpectedbythemfromtheirreligiousupbringing.Barrettalsorecountedthecaseofaschoolgirl,HattiePratt,whopassedawayfromdiptheriainthe

early1900s,whosedeath-bedvisiononceagainshowshowthedyingseemtostraddletheboundarybetweenthelivingandthedead.Asthefamilygatheredaroundduringherfinalhours,gazinguponher“dear features, as the lightof lifegraduallywentout, and theashypallorofdeath settledoverthem”, another family member apparently appeared to help young Hattie on her way to the nextworld.Ifeelcompelledtoquoteitatlength:

Althoughherthroatwassochokedupwithdiphtheriticmembranethathervoicewasverythick,anditrequiredcloseattentiontocatchallofherwords,hermindseemedunusuallyclearandrational.

Sheknewshewaspassingaway, andwas tellingourmotherhow todisposeofher littlepersonalbelongingsamongher closefriendsandplaymates,whenshesuddenlyraisedhereyesasthoughgazingattheceilingtowardthefarthersideoftheroom,andafterlookingsteadilyandapparentlylisteningforashorttime,slightlybowedherhead,andsaid,“Yes,Grandma,Iamcoming,onlywaitjustalittlewhile,please”.Ourfatheraskedher,“Hattie,doyouseeyourgrandma?”Seeminglysurprisedatthequestionshepromptlyanswered,“Yes,Papa,can'tyouseeher?Sheisrighttherewaitingforme”.Atthesametimeshepointedtowardtheceiling in the direction in which she had been gazing. Again addressing the vision she evidently had of her grandmother, shescowleda little impatientlyand said, “Yes,Grandma, I'mcoming,butwait aminute,please”.She then turnedoncemore tohermother, and finished tellingherwhatofherpersonal treasures togive todifferent onesofher acquaintances.At last givingherattentiononcemoretohergrandma,whowasapparentlyurgingher tocomeatonce,shebadeeachofusgood-bye.Hervoicewasvery feebleandfaint,but the look inhereyesassheglancedbrieflyateachoneofuswasas lifelikeand intelligentas itcouldbe.Shethenfixedhereyessteadilyonhervisionbutsofaintlythatwecouldbutjustcatchherwords,said,“Yes,Grandma,I'mcomingnow”.Thenwithoutastruggleorevidenceofpainofanykindshegazedsteadilyinthedirectionshehadpointedouttouswhereshesawhergrandma,until theabsenceofoxygeninherblood-stream,becauserespirationhadceased, leftherhandsandfaceallcoveredwiththepalloroflifelessflesh.

She was so clear-headed, so positive of the vision and presence of her grandma, with whom she talked so naturally, sosurprised that the rest of us could not see grandma, the alternation of her attention and conversation between her grandma andfatherandmotherweresodistinctlyphotographeduponthecameraofmybrainthatIhaveneversincebeenabletoquestiontheevidenceofthecontinuanceofdistinctrecognizablelifeafterdeath.34

Peak-in-DarienExperiences

Whiledeath-bedvisionsarenodoubtanextraordinaryexperienceforthosepresentatalovedone’spassing,dotheyofferanyseriousevidencethattheyarea‘real’interactionofsomesortwithapost-deathworld,orcantheybedismissedsimplyasanhallucinationbasedonwishfulthinking,broughtonbyamisfiringbraininitsdeaththroes?Certaincasessuggest,quiteincredibly,theformer.In her 1882 book describing death-bed experiencesmentioned above, the author FrancesCobbe

wroteofanincident“ofaverystrikingcharacter”thatoccurredinafamilywithverytightbonds.Adyingladyexhibitedtheusualtell-talesignofadeath-bedvisionbysuddenlyshowingemotionsof

recognition and joy, andbegan tellinghow,one after another, threeofherbrotherswhohad longbeendeadhadappearedintheroom.Then,strangely,afourthbrotherappearedtoherasdead,despitethefactthathewasbelievedbythosepresenttostillbealiveandwellathisresidenceinIndia–thesuggestionthathehadpassedawaywasenoughtocauseonepersontorunfromtheroominshock.Beingthelate19thcentury,therewasnoinstantwayofcheckingonthebrother ’shealth,butsometimelaterletterswerereceivedannouncinghisdeathinIndiaatatimebeforehisdyingsisterappearedtorecognizeavisionofhimatherbedside.35ThoughCobbe’sanalogyofthe‘PeakinDarien’wasreferringtodeath-bedvisionsingeneral,in

modern research that phrase is now associated with the particular type of experience “of a verystrikingcharacter”narratedabove–thosewherethedyingpersonhasavisionofapersonthoughttobealive,butwhohasactuallypassedawaysometimebeforetheyappearedtothedyingperson.Suchexperiencesdooffersomeevidencethatthevisionhassomebasisinreality,astheyseemtodisplaydirectknowledgegleanedfromanencounterwiththoseintheafterliferealm.Asanotherexample,consider the followingdeath-bedstory, related inChapter2ofSirWilliam

Barrett'sDeath-BedVisions:ThePsychicalExperiencesoftheDying,publishedin1926.Inthebook,Barrett–aBritishscientistofsomerenown–investigatedtheso-called"Peak-in-Darien"experience,andtoldthestoryofawomannamed'MrsB'(alsoreferredtoas 'Doris'),whohadgivenbirthtoababydespitethefactthatshewasdyingfromheartfailureherself.ThisstorywaspassedontoBarrettbyhiswife,whowastheattendingobstetrician.Hetheninvestigatedfurtherandgatheredtestimonyfromotherspresentduringtheincident.Barrett’sinterestinthecasewasduetothefactthat,asMrs.Bapproacheddeath,shehadavisionof

hersister–despiteherbeliefthatthissisterwasaliveatthetime,havingnotbeentoldbyherfamily(duetoherfragilehealth)thathersisterhadrecentlydied.Asshebegantoslipaway,Mrs.BgrippedLadyBarrett’shandtightlyandlookeduptowardthemostbrightlylitpartoftheroom,whileaskingthesurgeonnottoleaveher.“Oh,don’tletitgetdark,”shepleadedtothoseintheroom,“it’sgettingso dark…darker and darker”. The woman’s husband and mother were sent for immediately, butshortly after this moment Mrs. B’s desperation quickly turned to rapture. Looking across to adifferentpartoftheroom,aradiantsmilelitupherface.“Oh,lovely,lovely,”shecried.Whenaskedwhatshecouldsee,shereplied“Lovelybrightness,wonderfulbeings”.TheconvictionwithwhichshereportedthisshookLadyBarrett,wholaternotedthatitwasdifficult“todescribethesenseofrealityconveyedbyherintenseabsorptioninthevision”.Atthatmoment,Mrs.Bfocusedsuddenlyonaparticularpointintheair,andcriedjoyously“Why,

it’sFather!Oh,he’ssogladI’mcoming.”Abeatificvisionthenunfoldedbeforeher,somethingofsuchmajesticandheavenlyqualitiesthatthenewmotherfeltjustifiedinleavinghernew-bornbabyforit:

Herbabywasbroughtforhertosee.Shelookedat itwithinterest,andthensaid,“DoyouthinkIoughttostayforbaby'ssake?”Thenturningtowardsthevisionagain,shesaid,“Ican't–Ican'tstay;ifyoucouldseewhatIdo,youwouldknowIcan'tstay”.But she turned toherhusband,whohadcome in, and said, “Youwon't letbabygo to anyonewhowon't lovehim,willyou?”Thenshegentlypushedhimtooneside,saying,“Letmeseethelovelybrightness”.

LadyBarretthadtoleaveatthispointtocontinueonwithherduties,herplaceatthebedsidetakenbythe Matron, who reported that subsequent to this initial vision, Mrs. B then saw something thatshockedthosepresent:

Mrs. B. said, “Oh,why there'sVida”, referring to a sister ofwhose death threeweeks previously she had not been told.Afterwardsthemother,whowaspresentatthetime,toldme,asIhavesaid,thatVidawasthenameofadeadsisterofMrs.B.'s,ofwhoseillnessanddeathshewasquiteignorant,astheyhadcarefullykeptthisnewsfromMrs.B.owingtoherseriousillness.

Mrs.B'smothergavefurthertestimonywhichmadeclearthatherdaughterwasperplexedbythefactthathersisterVidahadappearedwithherdeadfather:

Shespoketoherfather,saying,“Iamcoming”,turningatthesametimetolookatme,saying,“Oh,heissonear”.Onlookingatthesameplaceagain,shesaidwithratherapuzzledexpression,“HehasVidawithhim”.[myemphasis]

LadyBarrettwasatpainstopointoutthatMrs.Bwasnotsimplyinastateofdeliriumatthistime,reportingthatsheseemedtohaveadualconsciousnessofboththeotherworldlyvisitorsaswellasthosephysicallypresentintheroom.Inspiteofthe‘afterlife’visionsshewasexperiencing,shealsoretainedenoughworldlinessduringherfinalmomentstomakearrangementsforthecareofhernewbaby.Mrs.Bdiedwithinthehour.An earlier, but very similar account, is given by aMrHensleighWedgwood, brother-in-law of

CharlesDarwin,writingintheSpectatorinthe19thcentury:

Ayounggirl,anearconnectionofmine,wasdyingofconsumption.Shehadlainforsomedaysinaprostratecondition,takingno notice of anything, when she opened her eyes, and looking upwards, said slowly, “Susan – and Jane – and Ellen!” as ifrecognisingthepresenceofherthreesisters,whohadpreviouslydiedofthesamedisease.Then,afterashortpause,“andEdward,too!”shecontinued–namingabrotherthensupposedtobealiveandwellinIndia–asifsurprisedatseeinghiminthecompany.Shesaidnomore,andsankshortlyafterwards.Inthecourseofthepost,letterscamefromIndiaannouncingthedeathofEdwardfromanaccident,aweekortwoprevioustothedeathofhissister.36

Such examples are not restricted to previous centuries however. In their 1993 book Final Gifts,hospice nursesMaggieCallanan and PatriciaKelley reported the case of an elderlyChinese lady,terminallyillwithcancer,who…

…hadrecurrentvisionsofherdeceasedhusbandcallinghertojoinhim.Oneday,muchtoherpuzzlement,shesawhersisterwithherhusband,andbothwerecallinghertojointhem.ShetoldthehospicenursethathersisterwasstillaliveinChina,andthatshehadn’tseenherformanyyears.Whenthehospicenurselaterreportedthisconversationtothewoman’sdaughter,thedaughterstatedthatthepatient’ssisterhadinfactdiedtwodaysearlierofthesamekindofcancer,butthatthefamilyhaddecidednottotellthepatienttoavoidupsettingorfrighteningher.

Inhis2010bookVisions,TripsandCrowdedRooms,DavidKessleroffersanothermodernversionofthePeak-in-Darienexperience.Heather,amedicalnurse,wassufferingthroughaterribletimeinherlifewithbothofherparentsseriouslyill:herfatherJosephwithAlzheimer ’sDisease,andhermotherMabeldiagnosedwithpancreaticcancer.Confinedtoseparatefacilities,itwasallHeathercoulddotovisitbothregularly,whilecontinuingwithherjobandlookingafterherownchildren.At81yearsofage, her mother decided not to undergo chemotherapy or other aggressive treatments, serenelynotingthataftereightdecades,itwassimply‘hertime’.Butashermother ’sconditionworsened,andit became apparent that the end was approaching, Heather began to fret, wondering if she shouldfigureoutawayofbringingherfathertothefacilitytospendafinalfewhourswithhiswife.

Thatevening,myfamilyandIsatbymymom,whowasstillveryalert,butherbreathingwasmoreaudiblethanusual.Shesuddenly looked up and said, “Joseph died,Why didn’t anyone tellme this?” I jumped in and quickly corrected her: “Mom,Daddyisn’tdead.He’sstillinthenursinghome.”

Startledbyherstatement,IsuddenlyrealizedthatI’dbetterfindawaytogetDadoverhere.Wewereafraidthatmymomwasbeginningtoloseherfaculties,andwewantedhertoseeherhusbandwhileshecouldstilltalktohim.“Mom,”Isaid,“we’llsee if thenursinghomewill letuspickupDadsohecanvisit.” InoddedtomycousinJackie tocall thenursinghometomakearrangementsforoneofustogethim.

“Josephalreadycametosaygood-bye,”Mominsisted,“andhe toldmethat I’dbewithhimsoon.”Weall just lookedateachother,acknowledgingthatmymotherwashallucinating.Igentlyrepeated,“Mom,Dadisinthenursinghome.We’regoingtobringhimhere.”

Onceagainsherepeated,“No,he’sdead,”butthistime,shealsosatup.“Look,thereheis!”Sheseemedtobegazingpast

everybody,andthenshesaid,“Joseph,youcamebackforme.”Hereyesfilledwithtears,andshelaybackonthebed.

Justthen,anurseandmycousinmotionedformetocomeoverandtalktothematthenurses’station.Imetthemjustoutsidethe doorwhen Jackie said, “Heather, I don’t know how to tell you this. I called the nursing home, and Joseph died about 15minutesago.Hehadaheartattack.”

Momdiedtwodayslater.

Anotheraccount relatedbyTechnicolorpioneerNatalieKalmus involved thefinalmomentsofhersisterEleanor ’slife.Thedyingwomanbeganhavingvisionsofdeceasedlovedonesappearingintheroomwithher,when suddenly shealso sawher cousinRuth,whowas– as far as sheknew– stillalive, and exclaimed “What’s she doing here?” In actuality, Ruth had died unexpectedly a weekprevious,butEleanorhadnotbeentoldduetothedelicatenatureofherowncondition.37

TheDeathWhisperer

Regardless of our own opinion on whether death-bed visions offer evidence of the survival ofconsciousnessafterdeath,forthedyingtheyoftenbringgreatmeaningandguidanceinthefinaldaysorweeksbeforedeath.AccordingtoAustralianpalliativecarephysicianMichaelBarbato,“thosewhohaveadeath-bedvisionarerarelyconcernedaboutpossiblecauses”.Tothedying,Barbatosays,suchvisions help guide them through the final moments of their life. “In nearly all cases they areconsumedbyjoyandwonder,andexplanationsareirrelevant,”Barbatotellsme.“Theexperienceissorealtheyhavenodoubtofitsvalidityandmeaning.”That’snottosaythatBarbatodoesn’thaveaninterestinwherethesestrangeexperiencesoriginate.

Inalmostaquarterofacenturyoftendingtothedying,hehasseenmorethanhisfairshareofdeath-bedstrangeness–infact,hiscareerwasinsomewaysinspiredbyonesuchexperienceinthe1980s.Barbato had been in medical practice for some 15 years at the time it occurred, but had neverencounteredanything thatmadehimquestion the idea thatconsciousnessendswith thedeathof thephysicalbody.Buthewasmystifiedwhenayoungmandyingfromleukaemiarousedfromthecomahe’dbeinfordays,justashissister–arrivingfromtheothersideoftheworld–enteredtheroom.Hegazedather,gaveherabigsmile,and then lapsedback intounconsciousness,dying justa fewhourslater.TheexperienceshookBarbato,butmanyofhisphysiciancolleaguesdismissedit,eventhoughthey

couldn’t explain it.He began to question both his own and the entiremedical profession’s attitudetowardsthedying,andhowtheyshouldbecaredfor.Hisjobbecamemoreandmoretediousforhim,anditstartedimpactinghishomelifeaswell.Heandhiswifewerealreadystrugglingmentallyandemotionally after losing their one-month-old daughter Moira to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS)someyearsprevious.Barbatodecidedtotakeafewdaystoclearhisheadandtryanddivineaway forward in his career, settingoff for some camping andbushwalking, only to be turnedbackhomebyfloodwaters.Withhismoodgettingdarkerby thehour,hewasnot impressed toopenhisletter box and find the latest copy of theMedical Journal of Australia.Though reading about themedicalprofessionwasthelastthinghewantedtodo,heflippeditopenoutofhabit–andinoneofthose seemingly benign moments that turn out to be life-changing, it fell open on the ‘PositionsVacant’ section. In themiddleof thepage, staringbackathim,wasanadvertisement fora job: theSacredHeartHospiceinSydneywasseekingaPalliativeCarePhysician.Barbato’sheartjumped,andhe immediately knew he had found his calling. “Fate, in its own strange way,” he recounts, “hadplayeditspart”.38Sincethattime,inmorethantwodecadesofworkingwiththedying,Barbatohascometorealize

thatstrangeexperiencesliketheoneheencounteredwiththeyoungleukaemiapatientarehardlyrare:

“When I first heard aboutdeath-bedvisions Iwonderedwhynoneofmypatients had shared theseexperienceswithme”.Thekey,Barbatofound,wassimplytakingthetimetotalk(andlisten)tohispatientsaboutwhat theyweregoing through.“ItwasonlywhenIstarted toask that thefloodgatesopened – they were only too willing and happy to share, provided I showed an interest and awillingnesstolisten”.39OnceBarbato knewmore about these experiences, he realizedmany had probably been passing

him bywithout him even realising.He offersme an analogy: “When you buy a new car, you aresurprisedtofindhowmanyofthesesamecarsareontheroad.Thesameappliestodeath-bedvisions:onceyouknowaboutthem,younoticethemmore”.Now,hesays,hardlyaweekgoesbywithouthimwitnessingorhearingabout“somemysteriousormagicalmomentsurroundingaperson’sdeath”.Inasmallstudyhecarriedoutinthe1990s,Barbatofoundthatabout20to30percentofpatients

reportedadeath-bedvision.40Buthepointsoutthatthisis“almostcertainlyanunderestimation”ofthenumberofexperiences,ashisstudyonlyincludedreportsfromthepatientornext-of-kin.“I,likemany, suspect the incidence of death-bed visions increases as death approaches, but loss ofconsciousnessor sheer fatigueget in thewayof thesevisionsbeing shared”,Barbatonotes. “Thisnumbermay thereforebe the tipofan iceberg,withmany,andpossibly themajority,ofdeath-bedvisionsgoingunnoticed”.41This may also be part of the reason why death-bed visions are barely discussed in the public

sphere, while other strange experiences related to death, such as the near-death experience (NDE)haveamuchhigherprofile.Thosewhoreportanear-deathexperience,Barbatopointsout,livetotelltheir story.Thosewhohave a death-bed vision thoughmaynot get the opportunity to report theirexperience,beingtoosickorunconsciousinthelead-uptotheirdeath.Buteveniftheydo,Barbatosays,manyinthecaringprofessionlabelitasdeliriumandtheexperiencegoesunrecognised.“Themedicalprofession(includingpalliativecare)hascontributedtothe‘poorer-brother ’statusofdeath-bedvisions[relative to theNDE]bynotacknowledgingtheiroccurrence,”heopines.“WhenIfirstsubmitted an article to an International Palliative Care Journal some 15 years ago on death-bedvisions,theirreplywas‘thisisnotforus’–codefor‘it’stoofringy’.”Barbato found further evidence of this deleterious attitude toward reports of death-bed visions

duringhisworkwiththeindigenouspeopleofCentralandNorthernAustraliawhiletheywere–astheytermit–‘finishingup’.“TheAboriginalhealthworkers,indispensablemembersofthepalliativecare team, told me that visions of pre-deceased relatives or ‘spirits’ are common among theirpeople,” he reveals. They believe the job of these spirits is to lead the person to ‘the other side’.WithinAboriginalculture,Barbatonotes,visionssuchas these“areacceptedaspartof thenormalprocessof‘finishingup’,andsurvivingfamilymembersarenotatallshockedorperturbedbywhattheyaretoldorwitness”.SuchvisionsarerespectedandhonouredbyAboriginalpeopleand,Barbatosays, play an important role in alerting significant family members “to the need to make theprescribedpreparations for ‘finishingup’: preparations that arenotonlyunique to that culturebutalso to the dying person and his/her tribe”. Barbato found, however, that the dying and thosesurroundingthemareunfortunatelyreluctanttosharetheexperiencewithnon-Aboriginalpeople,forfearthattheirexperiencewillbemisunderstood,dismissedorseenthroughtheprismofmaterialistWesternmedicine.42These fears and misunderstandings regarding death-bed visions – across cultures – prompted

Barbatotowriteabooktohelpinformrelativesandfriendsof thedying,healthcareworkers,andexperiencers themselves about these strange phenomena that occur near the time of death: howcommontheyare,andhowtheycanbeofhelpinthedyingprocess.Thetitle,ReflectionsofaSettingSun…

…camefromaconversationIoncehadwithanelderlyChinesewomanwhowasdyingofcancer.AlthoughshespokelittleEnglish,Mrs.TandIwereabletocommunicateusingherchildrenasinterpreters.Amongmanythings,Mrs.Ttoldmeaboutherfaith,hercultureandherbeliefs,allofwhichwerecomfortingtoheratthattime.WhenthesubjectofdeathbedvisionsaroseshebecameanimatedandnotonlyindicatedherbeliefinthembutshealsoreferredtoanoldChinesesayingthatcouldbeinterpretedas,‘thelastshiningofadyingcandle’orthe‘transientrevivingofthedying’.Shedidnotlikeeitherexpressionandpreferredherownmetaphoricalinterpretation,‘reflectionsofasettingsun’.Shewantedmetorememberthisandaskedherdaughtertorecordthesayingonpaperformetokeep.Mrs.Tdiedathomewithherhusbandandchildrenbyherside.Herwordshavelivedoninmymind.43

Barbatohopesthatbyreadinghisbook,morepeoplewillbereadyandwillingtoaccept,understandanddiscussthesesignificantexperiencesiftheyoccur.“Whensomeoneistalkingabouttheirdeath-bedvision”,Barbatosays,“beliefsandprejudicesshouldbeputasideandthefocusmustbeontheperson andwhat the experiencemeans for them. The importantmessage is that when someone isdying,carers,familyandfriendsaccompanythemontheir(thedyingperson’s)journeyratherthanthereverse”.Infact,Barbatowonderswhysomeseemsodesperatetoevenfindthecauseofdeath-bed visions. “The problem, if there is one, only resides with those who want answers orexplanations.”But, as a physician, doesn’t he want to understand why humans have these strange, fulfilling

experiencesnearthetimeofdeath?“OfcourseIaminterestedintheirorigin,”heconfesses.Howeverthat interest is “another story” to the one that has beenmost important to him as a palliative carephysician.“TheapproachItakeistofocusonlyontheexperienceandwhatitmeansforthepersonratherthanquestionitsorigin,”heexplainstome.“Weshouldrememberthatforthosewhohaveadeath-bedvision,theexperienceisveryreal,personallysignificantandalmostalwayshelpsthemastheytransitfromlifetodeath.That,surely,iswhatreallymatters”.That’snottosayheisanti-science,orscaredofwhattheanswermightbe.“Ihavenoproblemwith

sciencesearchingforacause”,Barbatoclarifies.Infact,heishimselfquiteinterestedinthescientificexplorationofthephenomenonofdeath-bedvisions,anddiscussessomeofthepossibleexplanationsinhisbookReflectionsofaSettingSun.Butasacarerforthedying,hismainfocushasalwaysbeenon what the phenomenon provides to the experiencer: “Even if they can be attributed to someneurological/psychologicalexplanationthisshouldnotinvalidatetheexperienceoritsmeaning”.HequotesthewordsofpioneeringpsychologistWilliamJamestosummarizehisposition:“Thefruitsoftheseexperiencesareagreatdealmoresignificantthantheirroots”.44It is difficult to argue with Barbato’s position. We are, after all, human beings searching for

meaning in both life and death. And, when confronted with a dying person who is relating ameaningful death-bed vision of their deceased parents, who have apparently come to guide andaccompany them to the next life, how many of us would feel it appropriate to start debating theobjectiverealityoftheexperience,actingasa‘bean-counter ’oftheevidencecollectedthusfar?Butthen,foreverypersonwhohasdied,othersareleftbehind,oftentryingtomakesenseoftheir

loss. And most of us do, in some way, weigh the evidence and come to a conclusion about thepossibility of an afterlife. So, beyond Peak-in-Darien experiences, is there any other evidence tosuggestthatthedyingcontinuetosurviveinsomewayafterthephysicaldeathoftheirbody?

VisionsoftheLiving

ArthurJamesBalfourwasastalwartofBritishpoliticsattheturnofthe20thcentury,servingasbothPrimeMinisterof theUnitedKingdomand lateras theForeignSecretary.His influence isstill felttoday, via his authoring of the landmark Balfour Declaration of 1917, which supported theestablishmentofaJewishhomelandinPalestine.Lesswell-knownthoughisthetaleofhisfinaldays,in which the former PrimeMinister and Foreign Secretary was apparently feted by a diplomatic

missionfromthe‘UndiscoveredCountry’.Withhisniece(bymarriage)JeanBalfoursittingbyhisbedside, Arthur lay listening to his favourite music, seemingly content with his lot, despite hisimpending appointment with death.With the nurse having retired downstairs, and Balfour ’s sisterEleanor Sidgwick sitting with them in the room, Jean suddenly felt “an odd sort of feeling ofexpectancy,asthoughanythingmighthappen”.

[P]resentlyIbecameawarewithasensationofamightyrushingwind(whichwasentirelysubjective,asnothingaroundmewasevenstirred),thattheroomwasfullofaradiant,dazzlinglight.ThisIfeltratherthansaw,asablindpersonmightdo,andIstartedtrembling.Nowitseemedtomethattherewerepeopletheretoo;theyhadnoconcernwithme,theywereinvisible;butIknewthattheywereclusteredaboutA.J.B.'s[ArthurBalfour’s]bed,andthattheirwholeattentionwasconcentratedonhim.Theyseemedtometobemostterriblyeager,andverylovingandstrong;andIrecollectfeelingagooddealofapprehensionbecauseIfelttheywerethereforsomepurpose,thoughIdidnotknowwhatitcouldbe.

Icouldnotstopthetrembling,soIwaswonderingifIoughttogooutoftheroomintothepassageforalittlewhile,whenitseemedtomethatsomethinglikeavoicewithinmesaid,“Youarenot togoaway”,andI lookedatE.M.S[EleanorSidgwick]sitting in thearmchair tosee if shewasawareofanythingunusual,butshedidnotappear tobe.Themusiccame to thepassagewherethewordsoccur:“AndinmyfleshshallIseeGod”.AtthatmomentmyeyeswerecompelledtolookatA.J.B.Hisface,transfiguredwithsatisfactionandbeauty,seemedtoexpressall thegloriousvisionwhichbothmusicandwordsconveyed;andIstared,fullyexpectinghimtodieat thatmoment,andtopassstraight intotheHeaventhatawaitedhimonallsides.Buthisfacechanged,andthenhewasshakenwiththeseizurethatmarkedthelastphaseofhisillness,andIwasfilledwithterroranddistress.Perhapsmy shockwas the greater for having just been upon such spiritual heights; and the extraordinary thingwas that Iwasvividly aware that the feeling in the roomhad not changed, that the radiant joy and light still thrilled around him, and that theagonisingspectacleof thepoorbody'safflictioncausednodismaytothoseunseenoneswhowatched,but that itwaswhat theyhadwantedtohappen.ThatwaswhatseemedtomesoincredibleasIfledfortheNurse;andasIranimmediatelyafterwardstotelephonefortheDoctor,Iwassayingoverandovertomyself,“Itwasintended–itwasintended”.

...ThinkingitoverafterwardsIbegantorealisethatthoughtomybodilyviewitwasterrible,tothosewhoseethespirititmayhavebeensimplyafierceefforttocastoffthebodyandsetfreeasoulalreadywiththem;andsinceamercifulunconsciousnessaccompaniestheonsetofastrokewedonotknow,andneverwillknow,intowhatpeaceandjoyhissoulmayhaverecededinthatlittlespace...45

TheexperienceofJeanBalfourhighlightsanotheraspectofdeath-bedvisionswhichgoesagainstthetheorythattheyaresimplyanhallucinatoryartefactofthedyingpatient’smisfiringbrain.Andthatis,that in somecases,otherquitehealthypeoplepresent in the roomalso experience the ‘veil’ to theafterlifebeinglifted.Forexample,therehavebeennumerouscasesinwhichcarersforthedyinghavedescribedseeing

abright light surrounding thedyingperson,exudingwhat they relateas“a rawfeelingof love”.46Whatsortofnumbersarewetalking?ResearcherPeterFenwickwasamazedtofindinasurveythatone in every three palliative carers reported accounts of “a radiant light that envelops the dyingperson,andmayspreadthroughouttheroomandinvolvethecarer”,whileinasimilarDutchstudy,morethanhalfofallcarersreportedwitnessingthis‘light’!47InthesurveyofpalliativecarenursesinAustraliamentionedearlier,onerespondenttoldhowhe,anothernurse,andthepatient’shusbandsawablue-whitelightleavethebodyofthepatientanddrifttowardtheceiling.“Asshediedwejustnoticedlikeanenergyrisingfromher…sortofablueywhitesortofaura,”thenurseexplained.“Welookedateachother,andthehusbandwasontheothersideofthebedandhewaslookingatus…hesawitaswellandhesaidhethinksthatshewenttoabetterplace”.Asisoftenthecase,thisexperiencewas transformative for thenurse: “It probably changed theway I felt aboutpeopledyingandwhatactuallyhappensafterdeath”.48 In fact theresearcher responsible for theAustralianstudy,DeborahMorris,49 was herself originally inspired to investigate death-bed experiences further by her ownexperienceofseeing‘thedyinglight’.“TherewasayoungmanwhohaddiedintheroomwithhisfamilyandIsawanauracomingoffhim,”sherecounts.“Itwaslikeamist.Ididn’ttellanybodyforyears.I’veneverseenitagain”.50Familymembers toohave reported strangesights, soundsand feelings, justas JeanBalfourdid.

PeterFenwick relates an instance inwhichaperson, at the timeof theirbrother ’sdeath,witnessed“odd tiny sparksofbright light” emanating from thebody– andwhat’smore, these ‘sparks’werealsoseenbyanotherperson in theroom.51 Inanothercase,acarerawoke in thedarknessofearlymorning to the sight of “a flame licking the top of thewall against the ceiling” above her dyingfather ’sbed.“Isawaplumeofsmokerising,likethevapourthatrisesfromasnuffed-outcandle,buton a bigger scale…it was being thrown off by a single blade of phosphorus light”, the witnessrecounted.“IthungaboveDad’sbed,about18inchesorsolong,andwasindescribablybeautiful…itseemed to expressperfect loveandpeace”.She switchedon the light to investigate further, but thelight instantly vanished; “the room was the same as always on a November morning, cold andcheerless,withnosoundofbreathingfromDad’sbed.Hisbodywasstillwarm”.52Thissightingofavapour-likesubstanceleavingthebodyatthetimeofdeathisanotherelementthatisoftenreported:

AshediedsomethingwhichisveryhardtodescribebecauseitwassounexpectedandbecauseIhadseennothinglikeitleftupthroughhisbodyandoutofhishead.Itresembleddistinctdelicatewaves/linesofsmoke(smokeisnottherightwordbutIhavenotgotacomparison)andthendisappeared.Iwastheonlyonetoseeit.Itleftmewithsuchasenseofpeaceandcomfort.Idon’tthinkthatwewereparticularlycloseasmysisterandIhadbeensentofftoboardingschoolatanearlyage.IdonotbelieveinGod.ButastoanafterlifeInowreallydonotknowwhattothink.53

Anothercaseinvolvedacarerlookingaftertheirmotherathomeduringherfinaldays.Thewomantold Peter Fenwick that when hermother died she was “holding her inmy arms and there was abrother there and a niece and I distinctly heardmy father ’s voice calling her, just at the point ofdeath”.Thecarertriedtorationalizetheexperience,butcouldn’tdenyitsimpact:“HemayhavebeeninmysubconsciousbutIdistinctlyheardhisvoicecallhername.Thatwasamazing!Itwaslovely”.Another individual, as she sat beside her mother ’s death-bed, suddenly experienced a vision of abeautifulgarden,inwhichheralready-deadauntgreetedhermotherandledherawayintothis‘other-world’. Shewas adamant that the visionwas not her imagination or a dream, and reported that itbroughthergreatcomfort.54SimilarlyresearcherO.O.Burgessrecountedthecaseofaman,‘Mr.G.’whoexperiencedavision

that persisted for some five hours as he watched over his dying wife in May 1902. The man’sstatementbeganwithwhathebelievedtobeimportantinformationabouthisownbeliefsandstateofmindatthetime:“Forthebenefitofanywhomayreadthispaper,IwillstatethatIamnotaddictedtotheuseofalcoholicliquors,cocaine,ormorphine,beingalmoststrictlytemperate;noramInervousor imaginative, but considered cold, calm and deliberate, and a disbeliever in what is known asmaterialization,spiritualism,ortheexistenceofspiritualbodiesvisibletomortaleyes,andhostiletoallsuchtheories”.Hethenwentontooutlineexactlywhathesaw:

Ihappened to look towards thedoor,whenIsawfloating through thedoorway threeseparateanddistinctclouds instrata.Each cloud appeared to be about four feet in length, from six to eight inches inwidth, the lower one about two feet from theground,theothersatintervalsofaboutsixinches.

Myfirstthoughtwasthatsomeofourfriends(andImustasktheirpardonforthethought)werestandingoutsidethebedroomsmoking,andthatthesmokefromtheircigarswasbeingwaftedintotheroom.Withthisidea,Istarteduptorebukethem,when,lo!I discovered there was no one standing by the door, no one in the hallway, no one in the adjoining rooms. Overcome withastonishmentIwatchedtheclouds;andslowly,butsurely,thesecloudsapproachedthebeduntiltheycompletelyenvelopedit.

Then,gazingthroughthemist, Ibeheld,standingat theheadofmydyingwife,awoman'sfigureabout threefeet inheight,transparent,yetlikeasheenofbrightestgold;afiguresogloriousinitsappearancethatnowordscanbeusedfitlytodescribeit…Twofigures inwhitekneltbymywife'sside,apparently leaningtowardsher;otherfigureshoveredabout thebed,moreor lessdistinct.55

Mr.G. then noticed a ‘cord’ extending from hiswife’s forehead to a nude,white figure hovering

above the bed.At times the figure “struggledviolently, threwout its arms and legs in an apparentefforttoescape”.Viewingthisscenecontinuallyforsomefivehours,Mr.G.believedhimselftobelosinghismind.“Interruptions,asspeakingtomyfriends,closingmyeyes,turningawaymyhead,failed todestroy the illusion, forwhenever I looked towards thatdeath-bed thespiritualvisionwasthere…thesensationsweresopeculiarandthevisionssocontinuousandvividthatIbelievedIwasinsane,andfromtimetotimewouldsaytothephysicianincharge:‘Doctor,Iamgoinginsane’.”Hisdoctor, however,made a statement to researchers days later that he could “exclude every possibletendency to any form of chronic mental alienation [and] put aside a temporary acute state ofhallucinatoryinsanity”asthecauseofthevisions.Withtheexhalationofhiswife’sfinalbreath,Mr.G.reportedthatthecloudsandfiguresimmediatelydisappeared.56Anotherwomanreportedthatasshewatchedhermotherpassaway…

…SuddenlyIwasawarethatherfatherwasstoodatthefootofherbed.Mymotherwasstaringathimtooandherfacewaslitupwithjoy.ItwasthenthatIsawherfaceappearedtobeglowingwithagoldlight.Thelightbegantoleavethroughthetopofherheadandgotowardstheceiling.Lookingbacktomymother’sfaceIsawthatshewasnolongerbreathing.57

Similarly,PeterFenwickwastoldbyoneladythatwhilesittingatherdyinghusband’sbedsidetherewassuddenly“amostbrilliantlightshiningfrommyhusband’schest”.Thelightbegantorisetowardtheceiling,andshebeganhearing“themostbeautifulmusicandsingingvoices”,fillingherwithanoverwhelmingfeelingofjoy.Atthispoint,thenurseinterruptedwithnewsthatherhusbandhadjustpassed, and the light and the music instantly disappeared, leaving the woman bereft at being leftbehind,afterbeingshownjustthebarestofglimpses‘behindtheveil’.58As well as the light phenomenon, the ‘heavenlymusic’ mentioned in the case above is another

anomaly that iswidely reportedat thedeath-bed,bothby thosedyingand those close to the dyingindividual, be they carers, friends or family. Perhaps the most famous example is that of thecelebratedGermanwriterWolfgangGoethe:

Onthe22nddayofMarch,1832,about10:00intheevening,twohoursbeforeGoethe’sdeath,acarriagestoppedoutsidethegreat poet’s house. A lady got out and hastened to enter, asking the servant in a trembling voice, “Is he still alive?” It wasCountessV.,anenthusiasticadmirerofthepoet,whoalwaysreceivedherwithpleasurebecauseofthecomfortingvivacityofherconversation.While shewas going up the stairs she suddenly stopped, listening to something, then she questioned the servant,“What!Musicinthishouse?Goodheavens,howcananyoneplaymusichereonsuchadayasthis?”Themanlistenedinturn,buthehadbecomepaleandtrembling,andmadenoreply.Meanwhile,theCountesshadcrossedthedrawingroomandgoneintothestudy,whereonlyshehadtheprivilegeofentry.FrauvonGoethe,thepoet’ssister-in-law,wenttomeether:Thetwowomenfellinto eachother’s arms, bursting into tears.Presently theCountess asked, “Tellme,Ottilie,while Iwas comingupstairs I heardmusicinthehouse.Why?Why?OrwasIperhapsmistaken?”

“So you have heard it too?” replied Frau von Goethe. “It’s inexplicable! Since dawn yesterday a mysterious music hasresoundedfromtimeto time,getting intoourears,ourhearts,ourbones.”At thisvery instant thereresoundedfromabove,as iftheycamefromahigherworld,sweetandprolongedchordsofmusicwhichweakenedlittlebylittleuntiltheyfadedaway.

…The Countess, going back into the drawing room, said, “I don’t think I can be mistaken; it must be a quartet playingfragmentsofmusicsomewayoffwhichreachusfromtimetotime.”

ButFrauvonGoetheforherpartremarked,“Onthecontrary,itseemedtomethatIwashearingthesoundofapiano,clearandcloseby.ThismorningIwassosureof it that I sent theservant to imploremyneighbours tostopplaying thepiano,outofconsideration for thedyingman.But theyall said the same thing: that theyknewverywellwhatcondition thepoetwas in,andweretoomuchdistressedtodreamofdisturbinghislasthoursbyplayingthepiano.”

Suddenlythemusicburstoutagain,delicateandsweet;thistimeitseemedtoariseintheroomwheretheywere;only,foronepersonitseemedtobethesoundofanorgan,fortheotherachoralchant,andforthethird[thissoundsasifJean,thevalet,musthavebeenwiththem]thenotesofapiano.

…[T]he mysterious music went on making itself heard up until the moment whenWolfgang Goethe breathed out his last

sigh.59

In fact, researcherD.ScottRogo found somanycasesof ‘transcendentalmusic’ that he filled twobookswith case examples60,many ofwhichwere coincidentwith the time of death.One of thosecases featuresmusic heard during a death-bed vision, as well as a separate element that was alsoreportedinJeanBalfour ’sanecdoteabove:a‘rushofair ’.ANewYorkladywascaringathomeforherAuntSelma,whohadterminalcancer,whenoneday,whilewalkingupthestairstoAuntSelma’sroomtobringherlunch,shefelt“arushofverywarmair”.Then,assheapproachedthedoortothebedroomshewas“startledtohearfaintstrainsofbeautifulmusic,thatcamefromherroomanddweltlightlyinthehallwhereIwas”.Uponopeningthedoor,itwasimmediatelyobvioustoherthatAuntSelma “was seeing something that I could not, even though I did hear the music”. As she stoodspellbound by the sight before her,Aunt Selma turned to face her, “smiled themost peaceful andhappysmileIeversaw”,andgentlyfellbackonthepillow,dead.61Another case features an experience of heavenlymusic occurring alongside a ‘Peak inDarien’

vision.Aladywasonherdeath-bed,butperfectlycomposedandmakingarrangementsforafterherpassing(whichoccurredthefollowingday).Suddenlysheaskedthepersonshewastalkingwith,“Doyouhearthosevoicessinging?”Whentoldthattheycouldnothearanything,sheremarked“IhaveheardthemseveraltimestodayandIamsuretheyaretheangelswelcomingmetoHeaven”.Butshewasalsopuzzledbyonevoiceamongsttheangelicchoirthatshefeltwashauntinglyfamiliar.Then,allofasudden,shepointedovertheheadoftheoneotherpersonintheroom,crying“Why,theresheisinthecorneroftheroom;itisJuliaX[ayoungladywhohad,sixorsevenyearsprevious,spentaweekwiththedyinglady,singingwithhergirls]…sheispraying;dolook,sheisgoing”.Theyturnedtolook,butsawnothing,andadmittedthattheysimplyconsideredthevision“tobethephantasiesofadying person”.However, two days later, on picking up a copy of theTimes, theywere amazed todiscoveranoticeannouncing thedeathof JuliaX.Checkingwithher father forconfirmation, theywere told that yes, she had recently died, and that “on the day she died she began singing in themorning,andsangandsanguntilshedied”.62Thelistofaccountsthatincludevisionsofdeceasedlovedones,seenbyhealthypeoplewhileinthe

companyofthedying,issurprisinglylong.SirWilliamBarrettincludedacaseinhisbookregardingaseventeen-year-oldgirlwho,afteraprolongedillness,wasinherfinaldays.Heralready-widowedmother, facing thesecondmajor lossofa lovedone,was tending toherwhenshenoticed thegirlseemed absorbed in something nearby. Querying her as to what she was so focused on, the girlpointedtothebed-curtainsandaskedwhathermothersaw.“Ifollowedthedirectionofherhandandsawaman'sform,completelywhite,standingoutquiteclearlyagainstthedarkcurtain,”themotherrecalled later. “Having no ideas of spiritism, my emotion was intense, and I closed my eyes notwishing to see any longer”. The girl was puzzled by hermother ’s silence, askingwhy she didn’treply,buthermother– through fear,or incredulity–wasunable toadmit to thevision. “Ihad theweakness to declare to her, 'I see nothing'; butmy trembling voice betrayedme doubtless, for thechildaddedwithanairof reproach, 'Oh, littlemother, Ihaveseen thesamethingfor the last threedaysatthesamehour;it'smydearfatherwhohascometofetchme’”.63Barrettalsoreportedthecaseofadyingwomanwhoclaimedthat“hersisterhadcomeforher”as

she had seen her in the room. During the same evening all three of her nieces had witnessed anapparitionofthedyingwoman’sdeceasedsisterwalkingthroughthehouse.64Howdoweexplainsuchreportsfromhealthypeople,whendeath-bedvisionsaresupposedtobe

hallucinationsof thedyingbrain? It isof courseobvious thatpeople tending to thedyingarealsounderheavyemotionalstress–perhapsthiscansometimestriggerashift intosomesortofalteredstate,inwhichtheyhallucinateor‘overlay’theirownwishesandhopes(thatthedyingperson’sspirit

liveson)uponthescenebeforethem.Buthowthendoweexplainthecaseswheremultiplepeopleareinvolved, suchas theAustraliannursewhosawablue-whiteaura leaving thebodyalongwith twootherpeople?Somesortoftrickofthelightcoincidingwithameaningfulmoment,perhaps?Wefindourselvesreachingtoimposemundaneexplanationsupontheseextraordinarilymeaningfulmoments,whenperhaps the obvious answer (‘they arewhat they seem to be’) should be given at least equalweightinourconsideration.

‘Coincidences’attheTimeofDeath

Mostofus,eveninthisdigitalage,knowwhatagrandfatherclockis–butdoyouknowhowtheygottheir name?Theywere once known as long-case clocks, but in 1876American songwriterHenryClayWork wrote the song that would give birth to the name that we know them by today: “MyGrandfather ’sClock”.Thelyricstellthetaleofthepassingofagrandfatherfromthepointofviewofhisgrandson,andhowaclockthatwasboughtonthedaythegrandfatherwasbornsuddenlystoppedatthemomentofhisdeath:

Itranganalarminthedeadofthenight,Analarmthatforyearshadbeendumb.Andweknewthathisspiritwasplumingforflight,Thathishourofdeparturehadcome.Stilltheclockkeptthetime,withasoftandmuffledchime,Aswesilentlystoodbyhisside.Butitstoppedshort,nevertogoagain,Whentheoldmandied.

ItissaidthatHenryClayWorkwrotethissongafterhearingareportabouttwobrotherswhoranahotel in theUnitedKingdom and owned the longcase clock that inspired the song.When the firstbrother died, the clock began losing time, until, when the second brother died aged 90, the clockstoppedworkingcompletely.65Aniceenoughanecdote,butthistypeof‘coincidence’actuallyseemstobearelativelycommonoccurrencewhenitcomestopeople’spassing.InPeterFenwick’srecentsurveyofBritishpalliativecarers,33%relatedexperiencesof“synchronisticevents”atthemomentofdeath,suchasclocksstopping,electronicdevicesshuttingdown,lightsgoingonandoff,anddogshowling.66More thanahundredyearsbefore that survey,a19th century researcher foundsomanyrecorded reports of such happenings that he concluded that they “cannot be considered a merefiction”.67Thisisaphenomenonthathasbeenexperiencedconstantlythroughouttheages.These types of coincidences becomemore puzzlingwhen they extend to dreams and visions of

friendsand familyat the timeof theirdeath.PeterandElizabethFenwick, in theirbookTheArt ofDying,presentanumberof‘coincidental’visionsbythoseclosetothedyingthatappeartobevisitstosay farewell. Their research suggests thatmany such ‘visits’ come via sleep: either in dreams, orimmediatelyuponawakening,orinthehypnagogicandhypnopompicstates(thedrowsy,half-asleepperiods that occur as people slip in and out of true sleep, respectively). As such, there is often acertain‘unreal’feeltothevisions,thoughtheirtimingincoincidencewiththepassingofalovedoneensuresthatthe‘visit’isdeeplysignificanttotheexperiencer.JeanHallsworth’sstoryisanexcellentexampleofthistypeof‘coincidental’visionatthetimeofa

lovedone’spassing.Her74-year-oldmotherhadbeentakentohospitalonaThursdayafterfeelingunwell,butherhealthhadpickedupthefollowingday,andbySaturdayitlookedlikeshewouldbeokaytocomehomewithinafewdays.ButintheearlyhoursofMondaymorning,Jeanawokeandbecameawareofthefigureofhermother,“veryclearlystandinginaspotlightinaverydarkarea”.Dressedinherusualattire,shehadherhandsclaspedtightlytogether,andrepeatedthewords“Don’tworryJean,I’mallright”.Hermotherfadedfromsight;Jeanturnedtothebedsideclockandnoted

thatitwas3.20a.m.Uponwakinginthemorning,shewasinformedthathermotherhadpassedduringthenight,atthatexacttime.68Dr.Michael Barbato relates a similar account in his bookReflections of a Setting Sun. He was

caring for a youngSouthAmericanman namedAlbert,whowas dying from cancer. Immediatelyafter his death,Albert’swife rang close familymembers to let them know of his passing, one ofwhomwashisbrotherinChile.Albert’sbrother,however,wasalreadyawarethathehaddied.“Albertappearedtomeinadreamseveralhoursagotosaygoodbye,”hetoldhisbrother ’sshockedwife.69Respected psychologist Dr. Stanley Krippner has told how he developed a personal interest in

paranormal topics: “At about the age of 12, while awake”, Krippner recalls, “I had a suddenpremonitionthatmyunclehaddied.And,Iwasinmyroom,andhearddownstairsthephonering,andthenIheardsobbingandcrying,andindeedmycousinhadjusttoldmymother,sayingthatherfather–myuncle–hadjustdied.Thatwasquiteanalarmingexperience,Ididn’ttellanybodyaboutthatforyears”.These strange ‘coincidences’ have longbeen recognized as yet another oddphenomenon linked

withthedyingprocess.Fromitsinceptionin1882,theBritishSocietyforPsychicalResearch(S.P.R.)setouttoexplorestrangephenomenasuggestiveofthesurvivalofconsciousnessinanintelligentandacademic manner. Blessed with a membership consisting of many hard-working, respectedintellectuals,theS.P.R.investedmuchtimeandeffortcollectingtestimonyfromthethepublicaboutanystrangeexperiences theymighthavehad–notonly throughprivate inquiriesamongtheirownsocialnetworks,butalsobypublishingadvertisements inmajornewspapersandperiodicals.70 Theresponse to their enquiries was overwhelming, with the number of death-related visions alone –including those inwhich adyingpersonwas ‘seen’ as theypassed awayelsewhere (labeled ‘crisisapparitions’bytheS.P.R.)–reaching400withintheyear.TheSociety’sresearchersquicklyrealizedthat these ‘crisis apparitions’differed substantially from themore commonlyknownghost stories,not least due to their lack of ‘spook factor ’: such tales, the groupwrote in 1882,were “farmorelikelytoprovokesleepinthecourseofperusalthantobanishitafterwards”.71Instead,thesevisionsof the dead were overtly ordinary – there was generally no fright involved, and no amazement.Witnessessimplysawsomeonetheyknew,whowouldthenmysteriouslydisappearfromview;onlyaftersometimehadpassed(rememberingtheerainwhichthesewerereported)wouldtheyfindoutthattheseindividualshaddiedaroundthesametimeasthevision.In 1886 the S.P.R. published their detailed report on such accounts as a book, under the title

Phantasms of the Living.More than 1300 pages long and consisting of over 700 cases, the workinvolvedincompilingthetwo-volumereportwasenormous:researcherswouldfollowupeachcasereportedtothem,interviewingthewitnessandseekingtoverifytheaccountwithtestimonyfromthirdparties,contemporarywrittenreportsandsoon.Themainresearcherandauthor,EdmundGurney,wouldoftenpen50to60lettersaday;locationshadtobevisitedandwitnessesinterviewed;caseshadtobedeliberateduponandcategorized.Andthen,ofcourse,thebookhadtoactuallybewritten.One ‘textbook’ case presented inPhantasms of theLivingwas that of Lieutenant-GeneralAlbert

Fytche,who served as theChief Commissioner of theBritish colony of Burma during the 1860s.Arising frombedonemorning,Fytchewasplease to findanold friendhadcome tovisithim.Hegreetedhimwarmlyandsuggestedtothefriendthattheymeetontheverandaforacupoftea,thoughthemandidn’t seemto respond inanyway.WhenFytchewent to joinhima fewminutes later, thefriendwasnowheretofound.Fytchewasshockedtolaterreadinthenewspaperthatthisfriendhadactuallydiedatthetimehehadseenhim,some600milesdistant.HereisLieutenant-GeneralFytche’sdirecttestimony,asreproducedinPhantasmsoftheLiving:

AremarkableincidentoccurredtomeatMaulmain,whichmadeadeepimpressionuponmyimagination.Isawaghostwith

myowneyes inbroaddaylight,ofwhich Icouldmakeanaffidavit. Ihadanold schoolfellow,whowasafterwardsacollegefriend,withwhomIhadlivedintheclosestintimacy.Years,however,passedwithoutourseeingeachother.OnemorningIhadjustgotoutofbed,andwasdressingmyself,whensuddenlymyoldfriendenteredtheroom.Igreetedhimwarmly;toldhimtocallfor a cupof tea in theverandah, andpromised tobewithhim immediately. I dressedmyself in all haste, andwentout into theverandah,butfoundnoonethere.Icouldnotbelievemyeyes.Icalledtothesentrywhowaspostedatthefrontofthehouse,buthehadseennostrangegentlemanthatmorning;theservantsalsodeclaredthatnosuchpersonhadenteredthehouse.IwascertainIhadseenmyfriend.Iwasnotthinkingabouthimatthetime,yetIwasnottakenbysurprise,assteamersandothervesselswerefrequentlyarrivingatMaulmain.Anightafterwardsnewsarrivedthathehaddied600milesoff,abouttheverytimeIhadseenhimatMaulmain.72

Obviously,Ican’treproducethevastnumberofaccountsinPhantasmsoftheLivinghere–forthoseinterested,thebookisnowinthepublicdomainandcanbefoundonline.73Sufficetosay,however,that the number of such ‘coincidences’ now collected, from the S.P.R.’s investigations through toaccountsgiventomodern-dayresearcherssuchasPeterFenwick, isvoluminous.Thisisnota rareoccurrence: in theBritish surveyofpalliativecarers, a fullhalf of respondents said that theywereawareof“coincidences,usuallyreportedbyfriendsorfamilyofthepersonwhoisdying,whosaythe dying person has visited themat the timeof death”!74And as if to illustrate this point,when Iannounced that Iwaswriting thisbook, anumberof readers immediately contactedmewanting toshare theirownexperiences,suchas thefollowingaccountbyartistKevinWrightwhichconformsverycloselytotheclassiccrisisapparitionspresentedbytheS.P.Rmorethanacenturyago:

Earlyin1995myfatherwasdiagnosedwithmyelodysplasticsyndrome,arareandfatalcondition,similartoleukemiainthatit stops the bone marrow from producing white blood cells, which are crucial to proper immune system function. His doctorsassuredusthat,withweeklywhitecelltransfusions,hewouldlikelysurvivethroughtheholidaysandintothefollowingyear.

FastforwardtoaveryhotAugustofthatyear.Myfatherhadhisweeklyappointmentatthehospitalforhistransfusionand,because it was a time-consuming process to receive the white cells, my sister decided to go along for company. I was in thebasement of my home some 35 miles distant, doing some weight-lifting prior to a jog. As I was in the middle of a standingdumbbell exercise, I suddenly sensed that someone was standing next to me, slightly behind my left shoulder. Stopping theexercise, I turned to lookandwasstartled todiscovermyfatherstandingbesideme.Hemadenoattempt tocommunicate,andvanishedperhaps5secondsorsoafterIviewedhim.

Themomentwasverydisorienting,andIstruggledtounderstandwhathadjusthappened.SoshakenwasIthatIabandonedtheweightsafterafewminutes,andheadedupthestairstoexitandbeginmyrun.Afterhydratingproperly,Imadeforthedoorjustwhenthephonerang. Itwasmysistercalling to tellme thatourfatherhadpassedwhileright in thehospital,anundetectedcaseofpneumoniashuttingdownlungsdamagedbymanydecadesofcigarettesmoking.Themedicalstaffwasonhiminaminute,butwereunabletorevivehim.

[T]heeffectofthecrisisapparitionhasbeennothingshortoftransformative,becauseitgavemeasenseofcertaintyasregardsthe survival of consciousness beyond bodily death…and accelerated my disinterest in money or material possessions (save,perhaps,foraverygoodpiano).

Butcoulditbe,asmanyskepticsmightargue,thattheprosaicexplanationforsuch‘coincidences’–sosurprisinginisolation–isthatweshouldinfactexpectthemasrandom,mundaneoccurrencesinany survey of a large number of people? Edmund Gurney addressed this question himself byconductingageneralcensusof5705people,whowereaskedwhethertheyhadexperienced“avividimpression of seeing or being touched by a human being, or of hearing a voice or soundwhichsuggestedahumanpresence,whennoonewas there?”.With23responses in theaffirmative–1 inevery248peoplesurveyed–Gurneyusedalittlemathtoextrapolate(usingthenumberofdeathsperdayinBritainatthetime)tofindthattheprobabilityofanyonepersonintheprevioustwelveyearshaving a coincidental vision of the dying should be around 1 in 4,000,000. But the Phantasmsinvestigationhadreachedonlyperhaps300,000peoplewithitsenquiries,andyetinthatsametwelveyearperiodGurneycouldpointto32well-attestedvisualcrisisapparitionsinhiscollection.75Asforthetheorythattheseaccountswere,perhaps,juststories–confectionsofcreativeminds–

Gurney’s response was scathing. “When we submit the theory of deliberate falsification to thecumulative test…there comes a point where the reason rebels”, Gurney wrote. The hundreds ofaccounts collected were from many well-regarded people, and every effort had been made byinvestigators to corroborate the accounts. Some even featuredmultiplewitnesses! For example, inonecaseamanandhis5-year-oldsonsimultaneouslysawhisfather ’sfaceabovethem,althoughhiswifedidnot(thoughshedidacknowledgewitnessingtheirreactionandcommentsatthetime).Theylearnedlaterthattheman’sfatherhaddiedatthistime.And Gurney was further convinced by hearing the stories directly from the witnesses’ mouths,

noting ina letter to theeminentpsychologist (andS.P.R.member)WilliamJames thathecouldnot“describetoyoutheeffectonmyownmindwhichmyhundredsofpersonalinterviewshavehad”.Itwasvery rare,Gurneywrote,“thatacasewhichseemedgenuineandsoundonpaperhasnotbeenstrengthened by the impression (and often by the details) which conversation and careful cross-questioningadded”:

Ihaveagainandagainandagaincomeawaywitharealfeelingofirritationanddiscontentathavingbeen…theonlyonewhohadhadachanceofgettingtheimpressionwhichdeservedtobegot;andwhichIhavealmostentirelyrefrainedfromeventryingtoexpressinthebook,asitseemedtobemeundesirabletogivetestimonialsandtowearythereader’spatienceandputhisbackupbyforcingonhimmyviewofthecharacterofmywitnesses…ThevivavoceaccounthasconstantlystruckmeasjustwhatyouorImightgiveofasingularexperience,whichdidhappen,butwhichwaswhollyisolatedandinexplicable.76

Modernresearchersof thenear-deathexperience–coveredlater in thisbook–havesaidasimilarthing: that it is only through hearing the direct testimony of the witness that one truly feels theconvincing nature of such cases. Whether we believe that they are simply coincidences, oralternativelythattheyareevidenceforthesurvivalofthesoul,tothosewhoactuallyexperiencethesephenomena,theeffectisprofound:“Forthepeopleconcernedtheemotionalimpactoftheexperienceis so great that it remains a lasting source of comfort”, Peter and Elizabeth Fenwick comment.“Whetheritisdismissedbyothersas‘simplycoincidence’isirrelevant”.77Andinmanycases,theynote, even for researchers like themselves the evidence reaches a pointwhere coincidence “seemsmuchlessreasonableorrationalthanthealternativeexplanation”.78Forexample,theyciteonecaseoftheirsfromamannamedChrisAlcockwho…

…describedhowintheearly1950soneofhisschoolfriends,Kit,wasayoungarmyofficeronactiveserviceinKorea.OnenightKit’smother,agirlfriendofhis,andChris’ssister,whowasalsosweetonhim,allhadindependentsimilardreamsinwhichtheysawKit,whoappearedlookingworriedandsaid“I’mlost”andthenfadedaway.Allthreewokeupandtheexperiencewassovividthattheyallfearedtheworst.LatertheyfoundoutthattheexperiencecoincidedwithhisdeathinKorea.

Thiscase,andtheonefromPhantasmsoftheLivingmentionedabove(involvingamanandhis5-year-old son),provideyetmore solidevidence that something trulymysterious ishappeninghere,given that multiple witnesses of an apparition would seem to rule out simple hallucination as thecause.Andtheydonotstandalone:inthemid-20thcentury,researcherG.N.M.Tyrell identified130casesinwhichcrisisapparitionswereperceivedbytwoormorepeople,thoughheremarkedthathehad“nodoubtthatthislistisnotexhaustive”.79PeterandElizabethFenwick’sfeelingsareclear:“Tokeeponciting‘coincidence’forallthevery

convincing accounts we have been given,” they state, “becomes first a weak and then a franklyimplausibleexplanation”.Takingintoconsiderationalltheevidenceathand,theFenwickshavecometo the conclusion that “thehypothesisof extendedmindmanifestingat the timeofdeath is amuchmorepersuasiveexplanationformostoftheseexperiencesthancoincidenceorexpectation”.80

TerminalLucidity

Imaginebeingnotonlymentallydisabled,butbeingsoin1930sNaziGermany.Thatwastheterriblelotof‘Käthe’,aseverelyhandicappedfemalepatientinanasylumrunbyPastorFriedrichHappich.Thankfully,Happich’sownthoughtsranatoddswiththeNaziregime’sattitudethatsuchpatientswereunworthyoflife–instead,hebelievedthatsuchpatientshada“hiddeninnerlife”notvisibletotherestofus,andasevidenceherecordedsomeofthe“numerousexperiences”thathehadwitnessedinhisasylum.81Käthewasamongthemostdisabledpatients inHappich’sasylum:sinceherbirth,shehadneverspokenaword;hermovementswererestrictedtouncontrolledspasms;sheseeminglytookno notice of anything happening around her; and the only sounds she made were animal-likeutterances. So, when she became seriously ill with tuberculosis, Pastor Happich was astounded toenterherroomduringherfinalhoursandfindhersinging.‘‘Wedidnotbelieveoureyesandears,”herecounted.“Käthe,whoneverspokeoneword,entirelymentallydisabledfrombirthon,sangthedyingsongstoherself.Specifically,shesang‘Wheredoesthesoulfinditshome, itspeace?Peace,peace,heavenlypeace!’overandoveragain.Forhalfanhourshesang.Then,shequietlydied”.Those present reported that the woman’s face, previously so lifeless, was “transfigured and

spiritualized”.Withtearsinhiseyes,theattendingphysicianrepeatedoverandoveragaintoPastorHappich, “I cannot explain this in medical terms”. In his own opinion, “from an anatomicalperspective,thinkingcouldnothavebeenpossible”.Thedoctor ’sowntestimonyagreedwithPastorHappich’s:“Itistrue,”henoted,“Käthesang,veryintelligibly…asmilecaressedherstultifiedface,thesoulflungoffrestraints”.82The case of Käthe is one of a number of anomalous incidents, reported through the ages and

collected in a paper by Dr. Michael Nahm, of what is now known as ‘terminal lucidity’. Alsosometimes referred to as ‘lightening’, it describes the appearance of suddenmental clarity in thepatient as death approaches. Like the young leukaemia victim thatMichaelBarbato cared for, it isoftencharacterisedbythepatient‘emerging’fromunconsciousnessoraconfusedstate,andsuddenlybeing lucid and engaging. In many cases this sudden brightening of an almost extinguishedconsciousnessoffersanopportunityforthedyingpersontosaytheirgoodbyes.Nahmnotes that cases of terminal lucidity have been reported throughout history,with classical

scholarssuchasHippocrates,PlutarchandCiceroallrecordingitsoccurrence.83TheirviewwasinaccordwithPastorHappich’s:thatbeneaththedamagedanddyingbodyandbrain,themindor‘soul’remainsintact.Itwastheirbeliefthatduringthedyingprocess,thesoulwas‘freed’somewhatfromitsmaterialprison,andabletopresentitselfmoreclearlytothoseattendingthepatient.84Over the years, researchers and physicians have recognised twoways that terminal lucidity can

manifest. In some cases, the mental clarity of the dying person improves slowly in an inverserelationship with the decline of their physical health. In other, more spectacular cases, the mentalclarityappearssuddenlyandunexpectedlyshortlybeforedeath,ofteninpatientsthatarebelievedtohavealready‘gone’mentally.In1812BenjaminRush,authorofthefirstAmericantreatiseonmentalillness,observedthatmost

‘mad’patients“discoveragreaterorlessdegreeofreasoninthelastdaysorhoursoftheirlives’’.85Meanwhile,aroundthesametimeinBritain,physicianAndrewMarshalpublishedanumberofcasesofterminallucidityinpersonswithmentalillness,includingonereportthatisaperfectillustrationofterminal lucidity. Marshal was a passionate investigator of the relationship between brainabnormalities andmentalpathologies–heoncecame toblowswith anotherphysicianwhodeniedanyconnection–butthisparticularcaseinhiscollectionhadastrangeandcounter-logicalcoda.Itinvolved an ex-lieutenant of theRoyalNavywho suffered from severememory loss (he couldn’tevenrememberhisownname),actedirrationallyandhadbecomeveryviolent.Afterhispassing,hisautopsyrevealedthat“hiscraniumwasfilledwithastraw-colouredwatertoadegreethatitwidened

partsofthebrain,whereasthebrainmatteritselfandtheoriginofthenerveswereuncommonlyfirm,theolfactorynervesdisplayinganalmostfibroseappearance”.Andyetonthedaybeforehisdeath,Marshal reported, the man suddenly became rational, asked for a clergyman, and with him “thepatientconversedattentivelyandexpressedhishopethatGodwouldhavemercyonhissoul”.86In 1885, the prominent French physician Alexandre Brierre de Boismont noted that “in certain

diseases,thesensesacquireanextraordinarydelicacyontheapproachofdeath,whenthesickpersonastonishesthoseabouthimbytheelevationofhisthoughts,andthesuddenlucidityofamindwhichhasbeenobscuredduringmanylongyears”.Acentury-oldanecdoteregardingterminallucidityalsotiesinwithourearliermentionof‘heavenlymusic’beingheardatthedeath-bed:PeterNielsendiedfromstomachcancer,agedjust53,inthewinterof1914.Caredforathomebyhiswifeanddaughterduringhisfinalmonths,hewasbarelyabletoeatandwasthusemaciated,unabletomoveandseemedtonotcomprehendnearbyconversationsastheendapproached.However,hesuddenlyrousedfromhis death-like state, sat upright with his eyes wide open, and exclaimed joyfully “The angels aresinging!Howbeautifulitis”.Hepaused,perhapslisteningtothetranscendentalchoir,beforesayinghappily to those at his bedside, “And I’m coming too!”He then, just as suddenly, calmly lay backdownanddied.87In1921wefindanaccountbyG.W.Suryarecordingtheexperienceofafriendwhosebrotherwas

apatientatanasylum:

Oneday,Surya’sfriendreceivedatelegramfromthedirectoroftheasylumsayingthathisbrotherwantedtospeaktohim.Heimmediatelyvisitedhisbrotherandwasastonishedtofindhiminaperfectlynormalmentalstate.Onleavingagain,thedirectorof the asylum decently informed the visitor that his brother’smental clarity is an almost certain sign of his approaching death.Indeed, the patient diedwithin a short time. Subsequently, an autopsy of the brainwas performed, towhich Surya’s friendwasallowedtoattend.Itrevealedthatthebrainwasentirelysuppuratedandthatthisconditionmusthavebeenpresentforalongtime.Suryaasks:‘‘Withwhat,then,didthisbrainsickpersonthinkintelligiblyagainduringthelastdaysofhislife?’’88

Surprisingly,Surya’sstoryisoneofthefewrecordedexamplesofterminalluciditythatcanbefoundinthemedicalliteratureofthepastcentury.Inhisresearchonthetopic,Dr.MichaelNahmfound80references to the phenomenon by 50 different authors, but though many of the reports were byprominentphysiciansoftheirtime,nearlyallpredated1850.Thismay,however,bemorerelatedtotheunwillingnessofphysiciansandscientiststodiscusstheseanomalousoccurrencesinthemodernscholarlyliterature,ratherthanalackofcases,asintherecentBritishsurveyofpalliativecarersandphysicians one out of every three admitted an experiencewith a “patientwho has been in a deepcoma, suddenlybecomingalert enough tocoherently saygoodbye to lovedonesat thebedside”.89And in thesimilar Irishstudy,“oneof themost frequentexperiences” reportedbypalliativecarers(57.5%ofrespondents)was‘Patientsinadeepcomabecomingsuddenlyalertenoughtosaygoodbyetorelatives’.90Thesmall-scaleAustraliansurveyofpalliativecarersfeaturedonereportofterminallucidity,that

ofapatientwhohadbeeninaseverelyweakenedstate,requiringtwopeopletocareforhim:“Hejuststartedtalking,andhesatboltuprightinhisbedandthiswassomethingveryunusualbecausehewaspreterminal…hewaslookingovertowardsthedoorway…andhewastalkingtothedoorwayandImyselffeltanotherpresenceintheroom…andIsaidtohim‘whoareyoutalkingto?’andhesaid‘Oh,that’smybrother ’.”Whenthepatientfinishedhis‘conversation’,helaybackdownagain,“likehe didn’t have any strength to hold himself up any longer”.91 Another recent case report fromAmericainvolvedawomanwhowasdyingofcongestiveheartfailure,andthuswasonoxygenandinacoma,unable tocommunicate.Herdaughter,waitingbyherbedside,was thereforeastonishedwhen“shenotonlysatupinbedbutleapedoverthebottomrailofthebed,saying‘Jim[herdeceasedbrother],waitforme,don’tgo…’ShewaslookingatthewallbehindwhereIsatandobviouslysaw

something I did not”.92And researchersKarlisOsis andErlendurHaraldsson in 1977 discussed ameningitispatientwhohadbeen“severelydisorientedalmosttotheend”,who“clearedup,answeredquestions,smiled,wasslightlyelatedandjustafewminutesbeforedeath,cametoherself”.93Obviously, with the lack of scientifically documented cases in recent years, this is an area that

remainscontroversial.Nevertheless,thelargenumberofexperiencesofthistypereportedbycarerssuggest that it is an area that deserves far more attention. If it can be shown that patients withsignificantdegradationoftheirbraintissue(forexample,inadvancedcasesofAlzheimer ’sDisease)become lucid, with memories intact, in their final days, what implications does this have for therelationshipbetweenmindandbrain?And,inpracticalterms,whatdoesthissayaboutthe‘innerlife’thatsuchpatientspossiblyexperiencethroughouttheirillness,andwhatchangesshouldwemakeinourtreatmentandcarewiththisrevelationinmind?Indeed, the entire subject of anomalous death-bed experiences deserves much more scientific

attention than ithasreceived.Foralmostacentury the topichasbeen ignored, thoughanumberofnew studies in recent years bring hope that we might be entering an era where more openinvestigationofthesemysteriousphenomenaisencouraged,andwecouldsoonbetterunderstandtheexperienceswehaveaswedie–andwhattheymeanforus.

TWO

AGlimpseBehindtheVeil

Whatifyouslept?Andwhatif,inyoursleep,youdreamed?

Andwhatif,inyourdream,youwenttoheavenAndtherepluckedastrangeabeautifulflower?

Andwhatif,whenyouawoke,Youhadthatflowerinyourhand?

–SamuelTaylorColeridge

ShortlybeforeChristmas2011,AmericanteenagerBenBreedlovepostedashortvideotoYouTubethatwouldgoontogarnermillionsofviews,despite itssimplicity.94AccompaniedbyGaryJules’wonderfulrenditionoftheTearsforFearstrack“MadWorld”,thevideoisstark:Breedlovesimplysitsbeforethecameraanddoesn’tsayaword,insteadshowinghand-writtencardsinordertotellhisstory. “Hello, I’m Ben Breedlove”, reads the first, followed by “all my life I’ve had a heartcondition…HCM,short forhypertrophiccardio-myopathy”.Thehandsome18-year-oldgoeson toelaboratehow,ashehasmatured,hehasbecomemoreawareofhowdangeroushisconditionis:“itscaresmealot,andIhatethatfeeling”.Havingintroducedhimselfandhiscondition,Benbeginsdetailingthetimesinhislifethathehas

“cheateddeath”,thefirstbeingwhenhewasjustfouryearsold.Theonlythingheremembersfromthatinitialexperiencewasbeingwheeleddownahallonastretcherbytwonurses,withhismotherrunningalongside,andseeing“abigbrightlightaboveme”:

Icouldn’tmakeoutwhatitwasbecauseitwasSObright.Itoldmymom,“Lookatthebrightlight!”andpointedup.Shesaidshedidn’tseeanything.Therewerenolightsoninthishall.Icouldn’ttakemyeyesoffit.AndIcouldn’thelpbutsmile.

At thispoint in thevideo, just recalling thememoryof theoccasionmakesBenbreak intoawide,radiantgrin.“Ihadnoworriesatall,”readsthenextcard,“likenothingelseintheworldmattered,andkeptsmiling.Ican’tevendescribethepeace…howpeacefulitwas”.Heleaveslittledoubtastohowmuchthisvisionandfeelingimpacteduponhim:“IwillNEVERforgetthatfeelingorthatday”.Thiswouldn’t be the only time thatBenBreedlovewould cheat death though. In 2007 his heart

began giving him trouble again, which led to the permanent implantation of a pacemaker anddefibrillator – a point at which his heart problem became a “bigger burden”, resulting in anemotionallowthatcametoaheadinthesummerof2011whenhewentintocardiacarrestduringaroutine tonsillectomy.Thankfully, thesurgeonswereable tobringhimback to life, and from thispointBensayshesimplydecidedtojuststopworryingaboutthingsasmuch.Within sixmonths,however,Benwouldcheatdeatha third time.OnDecember6th 2011,hewas

walking in the school hall when he suddenly felt faint and passed out. He woke to find himselfsurroundedbyEMSpersonnel…

Icouldn’ttalkormove,Icouldonlywatchwhattheyweredoing.Theyputtheshockpadsonmychest.Iheardoneofthem

say “They are ready”. And the other guy said “Go!”. I passed out again. My heart stopped and I wasn’t breathing for 3MINUTES…Iheardthemsay“He’snotbreathing,hisheartisstoppedandhehasnopulse”.Ireallythoughttomyself,thisisit,I’mdying.

Thenext thing thathappened, I’mnotsure if itwasadream,orvision,butwhile IwasstillunconsciousIwas in thiswhiteroom.Nowalls,itjustwentonandon…Therewasnosound.ButthatsamepeacefulfeelingIhadwhenIwas4.Iwaswearingareallynicesuit,andsowasmyfavoriterapper,KidCudi.Whyhewastheonlyonetherewithme,I’mstilltryingtofigureout.ButIwaslookingatmyselfinthismirrorthatwasinfrontofme.ThefirstthingIthoughtwas‘Damn,welookgood!’.Ihadthatsamefeeling,Icouldn’tstopsmiling.Ithenlookedatmyselfinthemirror.IwasproudofMYSELF.Ofmyentirelife,everythingIhavedone.ItwastheBESTfeeling.

KidCudi broughtme to a glass desk and put his hand onmy shoulder.Right thenmy favorite song of his came on, ‘MrRager’.Thepartwhereitsaid,“WhenwillthefantasyEND,whenwilltheheavenBEGIN?”.Andhesaid“Gonow”.RightthenIwokeupandtheEMSweredoingCPR.

Ididn’twanttoleavethatplace.IwishINEVERwokeup.

Inthefinalmomentsofthevideo,Benasks“DoyoubelieveinangelsorGod?”,beforeholdingupthefinalcard,withhissimpletwo-wordanswer:“Ido”.Iwould love to have interviewedBen about his experience for this book.But I can’t, because a

week after posting his video to YouTube, Ben Breedlove’s heart gave out for the final time, onChristmasDay,2011.Hewas18yearsold.Ben’s older sisterAlly, in her eulogy for her brother,made clear howmuch these experiences

meant to him.One night, after his collapse and resuscitation at school onDecember 6th, AllywaslookingaroundtheirhouseatLakeAustin tryingtofindBen,andwasgettingworriedbecauseshecouldn’tfindhim.Sheeventuallyfoundhimsittingoutonthedockbesidethelake.Concerned,Allyasked Ben if hewas okay, andwhat hewas doing out on the dock at night. He told her that “thestillnessofthewaterandthequietinthemiddleofthenightwastheclosestfeelinghecouldfindtothatpeacethathefeltinhisvision”.AllyaskedBentotellhermoreabouthis‘dream’,and,shesays,“hemade two thingsvery clear tome”.He toldher that “even thoughhecalled it adream,hewasawake,anditwasveryreal,andhetoldmethatwhenhelookedintothatmirror,inhiswordshesaid‘IknewIwasreadyforsomethingalotmoreimportant’.”AfterBenhadfinishedtellingAllyabouthis dream, she askedhim if hewashappy that hewokeup: “He said ‘I guess’, and thenhe startedcryingreallyhard”.95TheSaturday following their talk,Ben had collapsed oncemore, but again had been able to be

resuscitated.Beingtooweaktogotochurchthefollowingday,theBreedlovefamilyhadgatheredathomeforapersonalservice,atwhichhisfatherquotedPhilippians4:7,“AndthepeacethatsurpassesallunderstandingwillguardyourheartsandmindsinJesusChrist”.LookingatBen,heasked“Wedon’tknowwhat thatpeacefeels like,butyoudo,don’tyou?”, towhichBenrepliedsimply“Yes”.Whenhisfatheraskedifhecoulddescribethisfeelingofpeacetothem,Benanswered“It’sjustliketheversesays–youcan’tdescribeit,youjusthavetobethere”.Afterthefamilyalltookturnstoprayfor him,Ben then offered his own prayer, for the rest of his family: asking that theywouldn’t bescaredorsad,andthattheywouldhavethesamepeacethathefelt.96BenBreedlovediedjustdaysafterthisfamilyservice.Whatwerethesestrangeexperiencesthatled

him to such a feelingofpeace and contentedness inhis life, and ready for “something a lotmoreimportant”?AnumberofelementsofhisencounterswithdeathsuggestthatBenhadwhatisknownasanear-deathexperience(orNDE).InhisbestsellingbookLifeafterLife,RaymondMoodyrecountedthevariousphenomenathatone

might expect to encounterduringanear-deathexperience,basedon the testimonygiven tohimbyhundredsofnear-deathexperiencers.ThefollowingpassageisanidealiseddescriptionoftheNDE,assembledbyDrMoodyfromthetestimonyhecollectedfromthosewhohadflirtedwithdeath:

Amanisdyingand,ashereachesthepointofgreatestphysicaldistress,hehearshimselfpronounceddeadbyhisdoctor.Hebeginstohearanuncomfortablenoise,aloudringingorbuzzing,andatthesametimefeelshimselfmovingveryrapidlythroughalong dark tunnel. After this, he suddenly finds himself outside of his own physical body, but still in the immediate physicalenvironment,andheseeshisownbodyfromadistance,asthoughheisaspectator.Hewatchestheresuscitationattemptfromthisunusualvantagepointandisinastateofemotionalupheaval.

After a while, he (I will continue to use Moody’s example of a ‘man’ dying, though consider itinterchangeablewith‘woman’,‘child’andsoon)collectshimselfandbecomesmoreaccustomedtohisoddcondition.Henotesthathestillhasa‘body’,butoneofaverydifferentnatureandwithverydifferentpowers from thephysicalbodyhehas leftbehind.Further thingsbegin tohappen.Otherscometomeetandtohelphim.Heglimpsesthespiritsofrelativesandfriendswhohavealreadydied,and a lovingwarm spirit of a kind he has never encountered before – a being of light – appearsbefore him. This being asks him a question, non-verbally, to help him evaluate his life, andsometimesaidshiminthistaskbyshowingapanoramic,instantaneousplaybackofthemajoreventsinhislife.Atsomepointhemayfindhimselfapproachingsomesortofbarrierorborder,apparentlyrepresentingthelimitbetweenearthlylifeandthenextlife.Yethefindsthathemustgobacktotheearth,thatthetimeofhisdeathhasnotyetcome.Atthispointheresists,forbynowheistakenupwith his experiences in the afterlife and does not want to return. He is overwhelmed by intensefeelingsof joy, loveandpeace.Despitehisattitude, though,hesomehowreuniteswithhisphysicalbodyandlives.Later,he tries to tellothers,buthehas troubledoingso.In thefirstplace,hecanfindnohuman

words adequate to describe these unearthly episodes (the ‘ineffability’ of the experience). He alsofinds thatmanywhohe initially tellsscoffathisstory,sohestops tellingpeopleabout it.Still, theexperienceaffectshislifeprofoundly,especiallyhisviewsaboutdeathanditsrelationshiptolife.Moody’saccountisfictional–the‘perfect’NDEsotospeak;a‘real-world’NDEwillusuallynot

includeeveryoneoftheseelements.Forinstance,asurveyofDutchcardiacarrestpatientsfoundthat,ofthosewhohadatleastsomememoryofthetimeoftheir‘death’,24%reportedan‘out-of-bodyexperience’ (OBE), 31% said they traveled through a tunnel-like structure, 13% underwent a lifereview,and56%experiencedfeelingsofpeaceand/orjoy.97Still,mostrecordedNDEsdoincludeanumber of these elements. For example, George Ritchie’s experience, presented in the previouschapter,includeda‘whirring’noiseatonset,theexternalviewingofhisownbody,andanencounterwithabeingoflightwhohelpedevaluatehislife.BenBreedlovehadalifeevaluation,feltintensejoyandpeace,encounteredablissfullight,wasdisappointedtohavereturnedtolife,andcouldfindnohuman words to describe his experience (although it’s worth noting that his experience wasanomalous in its manifestation of a still living person, the rapper Kid Cudi, as guide – a rareoccurrence inNDEs).Manyother real-world reports exhibit other of these ‘recurrent regularities’mentionedbyMoodyinhis‘archetypalNDE’.Forexample:

Igotupandwalkedintothehalltogogetadrink,anditwasatthatpoint,astheyfoundoutlater,thatmyappendixruptured.Ibecameveryweak,andIfelldown.Ibegantofeelasortofdrifting,amovementofmyrealbeinginandoutofmybody,andtohearbeautifulmusic.Ifloatedondownthehallandoutthedoorontothescreenedporch.There,italmostseemedthatclouds,apinkmistreally,begantogatheraroundme,andthenIfloatedrightstraightonthroughthescreen,justasthoughitweren’tthere,andupintothispurecrystallight,andilluminatingwhitelight.Itwasbeautiful,andsobright,soradiant,butitdidn’thurtmyeyes.It’snotanykindoflightyoucandescribeonEarth.Ididn’tactuallyseeapersoninthislight,andyetithasaspecialidentity,itdefinitelydoes.Itisalightofperfectunderstandingandperfectlove.

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Fifteen years ago when I was fifty-nine I had a heart attack… Then everything became warm and bright and light andbeautiful…Iwas travellingalonga tunnel. Itwas light, light, light. Ididn’tmovemy feet, I just ‘floated’ I suppose.But itwas

calmandpeacefulandjustlovely.Graduallytherewasabrilliantlightattheend–reallybrilliant–andIknewIwasgoingrightintotheglowingheartofthatlight,butthenIsawagroupofpeoplebetweenmeandthelight.Iknewthem;mybrother,whohaddiedafewyearsbefore,wasgesticulatingdelightedlyasIapproached.Theirfacesweresohappyandwelcoming.Thensomehowmymother became detached from the group. She shook her head andwaved her hand (rather like awindscreenwiper) and Istopped,andIheardthedoctorsay,“She’scomingaround,”andIwasinmybedandthedoctorandmyhusbandwerethere.Myfirstwordstothedoctorwere,“Whydidyoubringmeback?”

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My heart stopped beating. I didn’t know at that time that that was exactly what happened to me, but anyway when thishappenedIhadanexperience.Well,thefirstthingthathappened–nowIamgoingtodescribeitjustthewayIfelt–wasthatIhadthisringingnoisebrrrrnnnnng-brrrrnnnnng-brrrrnnnnng,veryrhythmic.ThenIwasmovingthroughthis–you’regoingtothinkthisisweird–throughthislongdarkplace.Itseemedlikeasewerorsomething.

NDEs have been reported during a number of life-threatening situations, including cardiac arrest,lossofa largequantityofblood, traumaticbrain injuryorstroke,near-drowningorasphyxia,andotherserioushealthissues.Buttheyhavealsomanifestedduringsituationswheredeathonlyseemedimminent and the health of the bodywas not compromised at the time of theNDE, such as in animpendingtrafficaccidentorafallfromagreatheight.Onesuch“fear-deathexperience”98wasthecaseofawomaninacarthatwentintoaspin,whosuddenlyfoundherselftravellingthrougha“blacktunnel,orfunnel”accompaniedbyaloudroaringsound,andawareof“presences”aroundher thatweredebatingwhethersheshouldbesentback.Shethenfoundherselfbackinhercar,abouttocrashinto another vehicle.99 Strangely, therefore, this type of case does not seem to depend on aphysiologicaltrigger,suchasadoseofdrugsoralackofoxygen.Near-deathexperienceshappentopeopleofallages.Theycanoccurinveryyoungchildren,even

in infants who would seem to not yet have a true concept of what death means for them, norexpectationsofwhatmighthappenduring theexperience.Psychiatrists reportedone caseof a29-month-oldwhobitintoanelectriccordandnearlydied.Theboylatertoldhismotherthathe"wentintoaroomwithaniceman.Therewasabrightlightontheceiling.HewantedtoknowifIwantedtogohome,orcomeplaywithhim”.100DoctorsatMassachusettsGeneralHospitalreportedthecaseofan8-month-oldwhoappearstohavehadanNDEafternearlydyingofkidneyfailure.Assoonasshecouldtalk,atagetwo,shetoldherparentsofhavinggoneintoatunnelandintoabrightlight.Thestraightforward language used by young children in describing these fascinating experiencesconfronts us with a real mystery – why do they so often conform so closely to the archetypalexperienceasputforwardbyMoody,despitethechild’slackofknowledgeaboutdeathandtheNDE?Inanycase,youcan’thelpbutbeentertainedbythedescriptiveaccountsgivenbykids:onechildwhoalmostdrownedafterbeingtrappedinacarwhichhaddrivenoffabridgerecountedhisexperiencebysayingthatafterthecarfilledupwithwater,“everythingwentallblank.ThenIdied.Iwentintoahugenoodle.Itwasn’tlikeaspiralnoodle,butitwasverystraight.WhenItoldmyMomaboutit,Itoldheritwasanoodle,butitmusthavebeenatunnel,becauseithadarainbowinit.Noodlesdon’thaverainbowsinthem”.101TheNDEhasbeenfoundtohaveastrongtransformationaleffectonexperiencers(ascomparedto

others who have also nearly died, but did not have an NDE), making them more intuitive andempathic,andpromptingincreasedinvolvementwithfamily,interestinself-examination,adecreasein competitivenesswith others as well as a decrease in the desire formaterial possessions, and aheightenedappreciationof‘thelittlethings’inlife.Near-deathexperiencersalsohaveasignificantlydiminishedfearofdeathandmuchhigherdegreeofbeliefinlifeafterdeath.Researchershavealsobeensurprisedbythe long-lastingnatureof theseeffects,consideringtheirorigin inanexperiencethat is usually only minutes in length – one study found these post-NDE effects persisting inexperiencerswheninterviewed8yearsaftertheirNDE.102

Despiteonlycomingtopublicprominenceinthelastfewdecades,thenear-deathexperienceisnotasrareanoccurrenceassomemightthink:inrecentstudies,researchershavefoundthat11-18%ofcardiacarrestsurvivorshavesomesortofNDE–roughly1in7!103Thoughitmaywellbethecasethat the experience has become more prominent during this time period due to the revolution inresuscitationtechniquesthatoccurredinthe1960s,allowingmanymorepeopleto‘die’andthenbesubsequentlybroughtbacktolife.

DeathBeforeLifeAfterLife

A number of skeptics of the near-death experience were however quick to suggest that the mostimportantcontributortothesuddenwealthofnear-deathexperiencereportsfromthe1980sonwardswas perhaps the success of RaymondMoody’s Life After Life itself, with most subsequent NDEsreportedjustbeing‘copycat’effects,broughtonbycontagion–unconsciouslyorconsciously–dueto the massive popularity of Moody’s book. Despite his impressive collection of original casereports,skepticsseemedhappytoreversethecausality,withMoody’sarchetypalNDEnowallegedlyservingastheinspirationforlaterreportsfeaturingelementssuchasthetunnel,thepastlifereview,and thebeingof light.TheNDEwas explained away as a psychological hiccupbrought onby thethreatofdeath,basedalmosttotallyonexpectationsfromreadingLifeAfterLifeandotherafterlife‘mythologies’.However, the fact of the matter is that there are many examples of ‘pre-Moody’ experiences,

recorded throughout history and in many different cultures. It seems that this is, quite simply, aphenomenon that has been with us since time immemorial. Take for example the writings of thefamousGreekphilosopherknown tousasPlato (428–348BCE). Inanumberofhis ‘dialogues’,Platodescribesthehigherplanesofexistenceinfamiliarterms.Hetalksofhowthesoulofapersonseparatesfromthephysicalbodyatthetimeofdeath,howthissoulmayfinditselfcrossingabodyofwaterona‘shipofdeath’,andmaythenmeetandconversewiththespiritsofdeceasedfamilyandfriends.ForPlato,deathisakintoawakeningfromadream–astateofbeinginwhichtheformerlyimprisonedsoulisreleasedintoastateofgreaterawarenessandmemory.ItisinBook10ofPlato’sclassic,TheRepublic,thatwefindaremarkablenarrativewhichsuggests

that thenear-deathexperiencehasbeenwithus throughouthistory.Here the legendaryphilosopherrecountsthetaleofaGreeksoldiernamedEr,apparentlykilledinbattle,butwhorevivedwithscantminutestogobeforehisbodywastobeimmolatedinthefuneralpyre.Afterawakening,Erdescribedhowhissoulhadgoneoutofhisbodyandtravelledtothedeathlyrealms,wherehehadseensoulsbeingjudgedbyadisplayoftheirpastdeeds.However,hehadbeenorderedtoreturntothelandofthelivingandexplainwhathehadseentoothers–afeatureofmanyNDEs.TheRomanhistorianPlutarchalsorelated,some2000yearsago,theexperienceofoneAridaeus

ofSoli,who“fellfromacertainheightuponthenapeofhisneckanddied…Thethirddayhewascarriedawaytobeburiedwhenhecamebacktohimselfandrapidlyrecovered”.Aridaeustoldhow,having‘died’,hefelthisspiritbodyexitinghisphysicalbodythroughhishead.Hissenseofvisionnowseemedaugmented;sharper,andstrangelycapableofviewing“aroundinalldirectionsatonce”.LikeGeorgeRitchie,Aridaeusfoundthathecouldnow“moveinalldirectionseasilyandquickly”.Adeceasedrelativewhohaddiedatayoungagethenappearedbeforehim,showingAridaeustheinnerworkingsoftheafterliferealms.Itisinterestingtonotethatuponrevivingfromthisstate,Aridaeustransformedhimself,becomingmorepureofheartandhelpfulinhiscommunity.Somuchsothathewasgivenanewname,‘Thespesius’,meaning‘divine’or‘wonderful’.ThestoryofAridaeuscouldbeliftedstraightfromthepagesofRaymondMoody’sLifeAfterLife

–apartfromthefactthatitwaswrittenalmosttwomillenniabeforehand!Moodymakesspecialnote

inhisbookabouthowexperiencersarechangedby theirNDEs,oftendevelopingazest for lifeaswell as the dual pursuits of focusingmore on personal relationships and questing for knowledge.Mostalsoseemtoloseanyfearofdying.Theytoohavebecome‘Thespesius’.Forexample,inLifeAfterLifewefindoneindividual’stestimonythattheynow“trytodothingsthathavemoremeaning,andthatmakesmymindandsoulfeelbetter.AndItrynottobebiased,andnottojudgepeople.Iwanttodothingsbecausetheyaregood,notbecausetheyaregoodtome…Ifeellikethisisbecauseofwhathappenedtome,becauseoftheplacesIwentandthethingsIsawinthisexperience”.The360-degree-visiondescribedbyAridaeusisanothercommonpointwiththereportsofmodern

near-deathexperiencers.Forexample,onerecentaccountdescribeshow“Istillhada‘body’,but…Icould see in three dimensions as if I had no body at all…I could see all directions at once”.104Anotherexperiencerexplicitlynotesthathe“couldsee360degreesaroundmeatthesametime”.Thispoint appears to offer solid support for the conclusion that Aridaeus’s experience was an ancientaccountofanNDE.Even seeminglyminorpointsmade inAridaeus’saccount, suchashis spirit leaving throughhis

head,agreewithmorerecentaccounts–forexample,considerthisreportfromMoody’sLifeAfterLife:

Ilostcontrolofmycaronacurve,andthecarlefttheroadandwentintotheair,andIrememberseeingtheblueskyandsawthatthecarwasgoingdownintoaditch…Atthatpoint,Ikindoflostmysenseoftime,andIlostmyphysicalrealityasfarasmybodyisconcerned…Mybeingormyselformyspirit,orwhateveryouwouldliketolabelit–Icouldsortoffeelitriseoutofme,throughmyhead.Anditwasn’tanythingthathurt,itwasjustsortoflikealiftinganditbeingaboveme…Asitwentoutofmybody,itseemedthatalargeendleftfirst,andthesmallendlast.

Similarly,another‘pre-Moody’NDE–thatofaDr.A.S.Wiltse,asrelatedinFredMyers’classic1903book,HumanPersonalityandItsSurvivalofBodilyDeath–alsomentionsthisfacet:“Ibeganslowlytoretreatfromthefeet,towardthehead,asarubbercordshortens.Irememberreachingthehipsandsayingtomyself,‘Now,thereisnolifebelowthehips’.AsIemergedfromthehead,Ifloatedupanddownandlaterallylikeasoapbubble”.Aridaeus’s NDE is certainly not an isolated case however. There are numerous other examples

frommanycenturiesago.Forexample,adocumentwritteninTibetduringthe8thcentury–althoughalmostcertainlypartofamucholderoraltradition–describesafter-deathencounterssimilartothoseoutlinedbyRaymondMoody.Infact,thisdocumentprovidedanactual‘manual’forthejourneyafterdeath.Known as theTibetanBook of theDead, this enigmaticworkwas usually read to either thedying or the recently dead, to assist them in their transition to the afterlife realms. It describes atlengthnumerousstagesofthejourneyfromthelandofthelivingtotheworldofthedead,someofwhichmatchelementsofthemodernNDEremarkablywell.For instance, theTibetanBookof theDead explains that after the soul of the deceased separates

fromthephysicalbody,itislikelythatroaring,thunderingandwhistlingsoundswillbeheard.Thesoulwilllikelybeabletoobservethephysicalsurroundings,butwillbeunabletointeractwiththem.However, the newly dead will also find that travel within this new plane of existence is virtuallyinstantaneous, the journeymade simply by desiring to go to a destination – just as young PrivateRitchiefound.Atlaterstagesofthepost-deathjourney,thisancientbookdescribesameetingwithapurelight,andalifereviewinwhichallpastdeedsarereplayedinordertosummarizethelifeofthenewlydeceased.It isworthnotingthatbeyondtheseexperiences, therearemany‘deeper ’stagesofdeathdescribed in theTibetanBookof theDead,whichnosurvivorofanear-deathexperiencehaseverrecalled.Tibetan tradition isnot theonlyplacewherewefindhistoricalcrossoversbetweenreligionsand

theNDE.InherbookTheNearDeathExperience:MysticismorMadness, theologianJudithCressy

pointsoutthatanumberofthebiographiesofcelebratedmysticstellofanapparentdying,followedbyareturntolifewithavisionarymessagetopasson.Forinstance,CressyhighlightstheexperienceofTheresaofAvila:

I thought Iwasbeingcarriedup toHeaven: the firstpersons I saw thereweremymotherand father, andsuchgreat thingshappened in so short a time…Iwish I couldgiveadescriptionofat least the smallestpartofwhat I learned,butwhen I try todiscover away of doing so, I find it impossible, forwhile the lightwe see here and that other light are both light, there is nocomparisonbetween the twoandthebrightnessof thesunseemsquitedull ifcomparedwith theother. [Afterwards]Iwas…leftwithverylittlefearofdeath,ofwhichpreviouslyIhadbeenverymuchafraid.

Hereweagainseemanyof thestandardelements found inmodernNDEs–adeath, followedbyameetingwithdeceasedrelatives,theineffabilityoftheexperience,a‘light’whichisbeyondcompare,andthepost-experiencetransformationandlossofthefearofdying.

More‘Modern’Examples

Movingthroughtime,inthe18thcenturywefindthedetailedaccountofAdmiralFrancisBeaufortoftheBritishRoyalNavy (creatorof theBeaufortScale for indicatingwind force). In1795Beaufortwas a young sailor recently signed up to the Navy, and was sculling about in a small boat inPortsmouthHarborwhenhefell into thewater.Notknowinghowtoswim,hespentaconsiderableamount of time submerged before he was successfully rescued. Beaufort described what heexperiencedasherealizedhewasprobablygoingtodie,anditrunscountertoeverythingyoumightexpectthatadrowningpersonwouldreport:

All hope fled, all exertion had ceased, a calm feeling of themost perfect tranquility superseded the previous tumultuoussensations…Thoughthesenseswerethusdeadened,notsothemind;itsactivityseemedtobeinvigoratedinaratiowhichdefiesall description, for thought rose after thought with a rapidity of succession that is not only indescribable, but probablyinconceivable,byanyonewhohasnothimselfbeeninasimilarsituation.ThecourseofthesethoughtsIcanevennowinagreatmeasureretrace–theeventwhichhadjusttakenplace,theawkwardnessthathadproducedit,thebustleitmusthaveoccasioned,theeffectitwouldhaveonamostaffectionatefather,andathousandothercircumstancesminutelyassociatedwithhomewerethefirstseriesofreflectionsthatoccurred.

Thissharpnessofthoughtandabilitytoanalysevastamountsofinformationinaseemingshorttimeare hallmarks of theNDE.However, the next stage of the experience touches on one of themostcommonaspects–thelifereview.Beauforttellshowhisthoughtsthenbegantotakeawiderrange:

…ourlastcruise,aformervoyageandshipwreck,myschool,theprogressIhadmadethereandthetimeIhadmisspent,andevenallmyboyishpursuitsandadventures.Thustravelingbackwards,everypastincidentofmylifeseemedtoglanceacrossmyrecollection in retrograde succession; not, however, in mere outline as here stated, but the picture filled up every minute andcollateralfeature;inshort,thewholeperiodofmyexistenceseemedtobeplacedbeforemeinakindofpanoramicreview,andeach act of it to be accompanied by a consciousness of right orwrong, or by some reflection on its cause or its consequence;indeed,many trifling eventswhich had been long forgotten, then crossed intomy imagination, andwith the character of recentfamiliarity.

Beaufort’sexactwords–“panoramicreview”–cropupregularlyinmoderndescriptionsofthispartof the experience, almost verbatim. For example, oneNDEr notes that during the experience their“wholelifesofarappearedtobeplacedbeforemeinakindofpanoramic,three-dimensionalreview,andeacheventseemtobeaccompaniedbyanawarenessofgoodandevilorbyan insight into itscauseandeffect”.Furthermore,theypointout,“Throughout,Inotonlysaweverythingfrommyownpointofview,but I alsoknew the thoughtsof everybodywho’dbeen involved in these events…ItmeantthatIsawnotonlywhatIhaddoneorthoughtbutevenhowthishadaffectedothers”.105Thislatterobservation (mentionedalso inMoody’sarchetypalNDE) is fascinating: theNDElife review

isn’tjusta‘dump’ofmemorieswithoutpurpose;fromAdmiralBeaufort’sNDE,throughtomodernaccounts,thereviewisaccompaniedby“aconsciousnessofrightorwrong.”Neitherisitaguilttrip:Moodyquotesoneexperiencerasviewing“someinstanceswhereIhadbeenselfishtomysister,butthenjustasmanytimeswhereIhadreallyshownlovetoherandhadsharedwithher.”ResuscitationexpertDr.SamParniamentionsanothersimilarinstancerelatedtohimbyapatientinhisrecentbookErasingDeath:

Iwasn’t justwatching theevents; Iwasactually reliving themagain,whileat thesametimeIwasalsore-experiencing theactionsfromotherpeople’spointsofview.Iwasthem.Iwasrelivingtheexperiencefromtheirpointofviewandatthesametime(andIdon’tknowhowthisworks)Iwasalsoexperiencingitfromahigherreality;thetruthofthematter.SowhatIsawwasmyownliesandmyownselfdeceptiontomyself,whichIhadusedtoconvincemethatdoingcertainthingswasokaybecausepeoplehaddeservedit.ThenIwasexperiencingtheemotionalimpactithadonotherpeople.Ifelttheirpain.Ifelttheshockonthem…[But]thejudgmentcameallfrommyself.Itwasnotfromanoutsidesource,butthenthisbeingthatwaswithmewasalsosendingmecomfortingmessages–thankgoodness!–andoneofthemwasitwasalrightasIwasonlyhuman.

Thelifereviewisalsoprominentinoneofthefirststudiestorecordsomeoftheelementsofwhatwould later become known as the near-death experience. In 1892,Albert Heim, a Zurich geologyprofessor, presented his findings from 25 years of research into the experiences of people whosurvivedacutelife-threateningsituations–notably,climberswhofellduringtheirascents.Hefoundthat95percentofhissubjectsreportedacertain,consistentexperience:

Therewasnoanxiety,notraceofdespair,nopain;butrather,calmseriousness,profoundacceptance,andadominantmentalquicknessandsenseofsurety.Mentalactivitybecameenormous,risingtoahundred-foldvelocityorintensity.Therelationshipsofevents and their probable outcomeswere overviewedwith objective clarity.No confusion entered at all. Time became greatlyexpanded… Inmany cases there followed a sudden review of the individual’s entire past; and finally the person falling oftenheardbeautifulmusicandfellinasuperblyblueheavencontainingroseatecloudlets.

In his paper “Historical Perspectives onNear-DeathEpisodes”,NDE researcher JohnAudette alsocitesthe‘pre-Moody’caseofanotherAdmiral,theexplorerRichardByrd,describedbyByrdhimselfinhisbook,Alone,publishedin1938.ItoccurredasaresultofcarbonmonoxidepoisoningthatByrdsufferedduringhiswell-knownAntarcticexpedition.He recalled that“I sawmywhole lifepass inreview,”andalsothathe“realizedhowwrongmysenseofvaluehadbeenandhowIhadfailedtoseethat thesimple,homely,unpretentiousthingsof lifearethemost important”–again,bothcommonelementsoftheNDE.Byrdtoldhowthestruggle“wentoninterminablyinahalf-lightedborderlanddividedbyagreatwall.SeveraltimesIwasnearlyacrossthewallintoafieldfloodedwithagoldenlightbuteachtimeIslippedbackintoaspinningdarkness.”OneofthemostfascinatingaccountsmentionedbyAudetteisthecaseofLouisTucker,aCatholic

priest.Tuckerdescribedhisownnear-deathexperienceinhis1943memoirs,ClericalErrors,anditisone of the closest analogues of Moody’s ‘archetypal NDE’ that is likely to be found, despite ithappeningmanydecadesprevioustoLifeAfterLife’spublication.Ittookplacein1909,whenTuckerwas suffering the life-threatening effects of a severe case of food poisoning. With the familyphysicianinattendance,Tuckerlostconsciousness,andwasshortlythereafterpronounceddeadbythedoctor.What followed is worth quoting at length, as Tucker goes intowonderful detail about theexperience:

Theunconsciousnesswas short.The sensationwas not quite like anything earthly; the nearest familiar thing to it is passingthroughashorttunnelonatrain…Iemergedintoaplacewherepeoplewerebeingmetbyfriends.Itwasquietandfulloflight,andFatherwaswaitingforme.Helookedexactlyashehadinthelastfewyearsofhislifeandworethelastsuitofclotheshehadowned…IknewthattheclothesFatherworewerebecausetheywerefamiliartome,sothatImightfeelnostrangenessinseeinghim,andthattosomelesserextent,hisappearancewasassumedalso;Iknewallthesethingsbycontagion,becausehedid.

SoonIdiscoveredthatwewerenottalking,butthinking.Iknewdozensofthingsthatwedidnotmentionbecauseheknew

them.Hethoughtaquestion,Iananswer,withoutspeaking;theprocesswaspracticallyinstantaneous…Whathesaidwasinideas,nowords:ifIweretogobackatallImustgoatonce…Ididnotwanttogoback;notintheleast;theideaofself-preservation,thewill to livewasquitegone…Iswung into theblacknessagain,asamanmight swingona train, thoroughlydisgusted that Icouldnotstay,andabsolutelycertainthatitwasrightformetogoback.Thatcertaintyhasneverwavered.

TherewasashortintervalofconfusedandhurryingblacknessandIcameto,tofindmyselflyingonmybedwiththedoctorbendingovertellingmethatIwassafenowandwouldlive…ItoldhimIknewthatsometimeago,andwenttosleep.

It’s interesting to noteTucker ’s analysis of howhis father ’s appearancewas “assumed” so that hewould “feel no strangeness in seeing him” – a real-life foreshadowing of the scene in themovieContact (based on the science fiction novel by Carl Sagan) in which the spokesman of the alienspeciestakestheformofEllie’sfatherinordertosetheratease.Alsoworthpointingoutistheaspectof “not talking, but thinking,” as this is yet another aspect common tonear-death experiences.Forinstance,RaymondMoody quotes one experiencer as saying “I could see people all around, and Icouldunderstandwhattheyweresaying.Ididn’thearthem,audibly,likeI’mhearingyou.Itwasmorelikeknowingwhattheywerethinking,exactlywhattheywerethinking,butonlyinmymind,notintheiractualvocabulary”.GeorgeRitchiementionsinhisownseminalaccountthat“thewordswereout, in this strange realmwhere communication took place by thought instead of speech, before Icouldcallthemback”.

BringingSciencetoBear

Sowhatarewe tomakeof these strangeexperiences?Are theyhallucinationsofamalfunctioningbrainunderthreatofdeath,oraglimpseintosomesortoflifebeyonddeath?Foranexpertopinion,Idecided to ask Dr. Bruce Greyson, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at theUniversityofVirginia.When it comes to theNDE,Greyson is an authority–hehasbeenactivelyresearchingnear-deathexperiencesinanacademicsettingformorethanthreedecades,isafounderandpast-presidentoftheInternationalAssociationforNear-DeathStudies(IANDS),andforover25yearswastheeditoroftheJournalofNear-DeathStudies.BruceGreyson’sacademichome,theDivisionofPerceptualStudiesattheUniversityofVirginia–

ofwhichheistheDirector–isoneofthefewplacesintheworldwherescientistsareencouragedtoresearchthesestrangeexperiencesthathintatthesurvivalofconsciousnessbeyonddeath.Theunitisfunded by an endowment from the late Chester Carlson, who made a fortune from inventing theXeroxprocess.Towards theendofhis life,Carlsonbecame interested inBuddhismandreportsofreincarnationmemories(ratherbefittingtheinventoroftheXeroxprocess!),andsodecidedtospendsomeofhiswealthinvestigatingthequestionoflifeafterdeathinarational,scientificmanner.TheDivision of Perceptual Studies was founded in the 1960s “with the express purpose of studyingscientifically thequestionofwhetherwe survivebodilydeath”.Formost of its life, theDivision’sresearchwasdoneinasmall1920shousejustoffthegroundsoftheUniversityofVirginia–aplacethatGreysondescribesas“greatforthinkingandwriting,butwhentrucksdrovebythewholehouseshook,whichmade it hard todo theEEG readings”.106 In2009 theDivisionofPerceptualStudiesmovedintoanewfacility, fittedwithastate-of-the-artEEGlabwithelectromagneticshielding,andcurrently has seven doctoral level faculty members, two research assistants, and a number ofvolunteersandstudentshelpingout.107Butdoesbeingpartofanafterlifeinvestigationunitrequiresomedegreeofabeliefinsurvivalin

thefirstplace?WhenIaskBruceGreysonifhewasaskepticorbelieverintheNDEwhenhefirstcametothetopic,heisquicktoclarifythetwolevelsof‘reality’involvedwhentalkingaboutbeliefintheNDE.Someratherrabid‘skeptics’oftheNDEhavesuggestedthatitdoesn’texistatall,andthat

all experiencers fabricate their accounts out ofwhole cloth. So, saysGreyson, “if youmean did Ibelievepeoplereallyhavesuchexperiences,thenIneverseriouslyquestionedthat,anymorethanIdoubtpeoplewhoclaimthattheyfeelanxiouswhentheyspeakbeforelargecrowds”.Continuingwiththe speaking analogy, Greyson points out that though neither of the two experiences can becorroborated by observers, “both have effects that can be observed and studied”. And as apsychiatrist,Greyson’sprimaryconcerniswiththeexperiencespeoplehave,andtheeffectofthoseexperiencesontheirlives.“OnceIunderstoodthatnear-deathexperiencesarefairlycommonevents(reported by 10-20% of people who come close to death) and that they have profound and long-lastingeffectsonexperiencers'attitudes,beliefs,values,andbehavior,itbecameformeavalidareaforscientificinvestigation”.WhenitcomestowhetherhethinkstheNDEisaglimpseintosomesortofanafterlifehowever,

Greyson is more circumspect. “We have a lot of data leading us toward or away from varioushypotheses,butwearevery far fromunderstandingall the factors thatcontribute topeoplehavingNDEs”, he confesses. But Greyson’s carefulness in not jumping to conclusions applies equally toprosaicanswersputforwardbyskepticsassolutionstothemysteryoftheNDE:henotesthatnoneoftheseexplanationshavebeensupportedbyanyresearchevidencethusfar–andmostofthemareinfactcontradictedbytheevidencecurrentlyavailable.TheNDEremainsascientificmystery.Greysonisn’ttalkingoutofschoolonthematter.Inapapertitled“ExplanatoryModelsforNear-

Death Experiences”, he and co-authors Emily Williams Kelly and Edward Kelly systematicallyworkedthroughthelistofpossible‘solutions’thathavebeenofferedsofar,“payingspecialattentiontohowwelltheycanaccountforthevariousfeaturesofNDEs”.Thesesolutionscanbeseparatedintotwo groups – psychological-based theories, and those focusing on physiological factors. In theformer category we find offerings such as the ‘expectation model’ (in which NDEs are seen asproducts of the imagination, created to protect ourselves when facing threat of death, and whichconform to personal or cultural expectations); depersonalization (feelings of detachment andremovalfromrealitywhenfacingthreatofdeath);‘thebirthmodel’(thesuggestionthatthetunnel,brightlightandotherworldlyrealmsoftheNDEarememoriesofourbirthexperience,reproducedatdeath); and personality factors (susceptibility to hypnosis and dissociation, fantasy proneness,absorption,dreamrecall,andsoon).Physiologically-basedexplanationsfortheNDEincludealteredblood gas levels (lowered levels of oxygen, known as hypoxia or anoxia, or increased levels ofcarbon dioxide, known as hypercarbia); neurochemical theories (the release of endogenousendorphins,opioidsorpsychedelic-likechemicalssuchasketamineordimethyltryptamine(D.M.T.)duringtimesofstress);neuroanatomicalmodels(abnormalactivityinpartsofthebrain,suchasthelimbicsystemandtemporallobes,broughtonbystressand/oralteredgasandchemicallevels);andrapid eye movement intrusion (mentation typical of REM sleep intruding into wakingconsciousness).108ButGreysonandhisco-authors found thatwhilemanyof these, in theory,seemlikeworthwhile

candidates, in practice the evidence does not support them. For instance, the birth model iscontradictedbythefactthatNDEaccountsfeaturing‘travelthroughatunneltoanotherrealm’werejust as common among those born by Caesarean section as with those born by normal vaginaldelivery. Meanwhile, the expectation model is confounded by the NDEs reported by children tooyoungtohaveformedafterlifeexpectations,andalsothatnear-deathexperiencesinadultsoftenrunsharplycountertotheNDEr’sspecificbeliefsaboutdeathandtheafterlife.Brainstimulationstudieshavenotprovided the support forneuroanatomicalmodels that supporters claim,with experiencesreported in such situationsbearing little resemblance to theNDE.And thealteredbloodgas levelstheory falls flat whenwe remember that NDEs occur in situations where there are no changes inblood gas levels, such as the afore-mentioned ‘fear-death experiences’.109 Furthermore, as other

researchers have pointed out, “any acute alteration in cerebral physiology such as occurring inhypoxia, hypercarbia,metabolic, anddrug induceddisturbances and seizures leads todisorganisedandcompromisedcerebralfunction[and]impairedattention,”butthenear-deathexperiencesreportedbythosewhohavesufferedcardiacarrest“areclearlynotconfusionalandinfactindicateheightenedawareness,attentionandconsciousnessatatimewhenconsciousnessandmemoryformationwouldnotbeexpectedtooccur”.110The point that Greyson and his fellow researchers make clear is that in isolation, individual

elementsofthenear-deathexperiencecouldpossiblybedescribedbyoneoranotherofthetheoriesmentioned above, even though there is very little evidence supporting them. But “when severalfeaturesoccurtogether…andwhenincreasinglayersofexplanationmustbeaddedontoaccountforthem, these hypotheses become increasingly strained”. For thosewho think that theNDEhas beensatisfactorily explained by science, their advice is sobering: “Theories proposed thus far consistlargelyofunsupportedspeculationsaboutwhatmightbehappeningduringanNDE”.111Noting this criticism, I ask Bruce Greyson about a recent theory put forward by Dr. Jason

Braithwaite of the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. Braithwaite has takenelements of a number of the theories outlined above – on their own, lacking as a completeexplanationoftheNDE–andplacedthemundertheumbrellaofoneover-archingmechanismknownas “neural disinhibition”, which he says can be induced or triggered by any one of a number offactors, including anoxia, confusion, trauma, sensory deprivation, illness, pathology, epilepsy,migraine, drug use and brain stimulation. But Greyson is unimpressed. Braithwaite's neuraldisinhibition explanation,Greyson says, “completely ignores contradictory evidence fromNDEs”.HedebunksBraithwaite’sclaimthatnoonesofarhasmeasuredoxygenlevelsduringNDEs,citinganumber of studies that have.112 And another major problem with Braithwaite’s argument, notesGreyson,isthatitassumesamaterialbasisforconsciousnessratherthanattemptingtoproveit–andindoingso,hiswholeargumentbecomesanexercise inself-justifyingclaims.“Braithwaitearguesthatinorderforanyexperiencetoberemembered,itmustbeencodedinthebrain,andthereforetheexistence ofNDEmemories by definition proves that the brainwas functioning during theNDE”,Greysonpointsout.“Ofcourse,ifyouacceptthematerialistbeliefthatmemoriescanbecreatedonlyifthebrainisfunctioning,thenthatwillbeyourconclusion.Butthat'sexactlythepointinquestion:whether mental functions like perception and memory can occur without the brain. Braithwaiteappearsnottounderstandthathisargumentholdsonlyifoneacceptsapriorithebeliefthat‘themindiswhatthebraindoes’”.ThisaspectseemstobeamajorstumblingblockfortheoriessuggestingthatNDEsarecausedby

animpairedbrain,asexperienceraccountsnearlyalwaysmentionsomesortofelevatedorenhancedmentalactivity.“AlmostallNDErsreportthattheirthinkingprocesseswere‘fasterandclearerthantheyeverhavebeenbefore’,despitetheirbrainbeingimpaired–forexample,incardiacarrest”,saysGreyson,asif“mindwasfreeofthelimitationsofthephysicalbrain”.Herelatesthestoryofamanwho had overdosed on medication in a suicide attempt, and began hallucinating small humanoidfiguresaroundhim.Havingsecondthoughtsaboutleavingthismortalcoil,hetriedtomakeittothetelephone to call for help, but his way was being blocked by the figures. At this point the mansuddenlyhad anout-of-body experience, duringwhichhis thinking suddenlybecameclear and thehumanoidfiguresdisappearedfromview.

Atthatpointhedrewoutofhisbody,andfromapositionabout10feetbehindhisbody,histhinkingsuddenlybecamecrystalclear.Andhelookedathisbody,andhisbodywaslookingaroundconfusedly.Andfromwherehewas,10feetbehind,hecouldnot see these humanoid figures. But he remembered being in the body hallucinating. So here we have a brain that's stillhallucinating,whilethesubject,theperson,outofthebody,isnothallucinating.Sohowdoesmedicalsciencemakesenseofthat?113

Interestingly,Greyson’sfinalwordonJasonBraithwaite’sneuraldisinhibitionexplanationforNDEsincludesmention of a few lines of investigationwhich could offer evidence thatmind is indeed aseparatethingtothebrain.

ThemainproblemwithBraithwaite'spositionisthathedoesnotconsiderevidencethatcontradictshisposition…hestatesthatallreportedNDEfeatureshavebeenshowntooccur‘withpathology,disease,illness,neurologicalconditions…anddirectformsofbrainstimulation’.Well,ofcourse,ifyoulimityourconsiderationofthoseNDEfeaturesthatcanoccurinthoseconditions,thenthere will be nothing unique in NDEs that needs to be explained. But he, and many others, completely ignore features likeaccurateout-of-bodyperception,encounterswithdeceasedindividualsnotknowntobedead,andsoonthatdonotoccurinanypathologicalconditionanddefyexplanationintermsofbrainfunction.

Waitasecond–accurateout-of-bodyperception?Greysonexplains:“Therearenumerouspublishedexamples of experiencers describing accurately unexpected and unpredictable events that occurredwhen they were unconscious and being resuscitated”. These experiences, at face value, should beimpossible,especiallyincardiacarrestsituationswhere–duetolackofbloodflow–thereshouldbenobrainactivityatall.ButcoulditbepossiblethattheNDEdidn’tactuallyhappenwhenexperiencersthought it did, and insteadwere created as ‘deathmemories’ in the periods immediately before orafterslippingintounconsciousness?Greysonanswersthatanumberofaccountsseemtodisputethispossibility:“ThebestevidenceforwhentheNDEsofcardiacarrestpatientsoccuris‘timeanchors’,”he says – details that patients report “that can be definitively linked to a specific timeduring theircardiac arrest”.And there are a numberof cases already recordedwhich suggest not only that theNDEoccurredatatimethatitshouldn’thavebeenpossible,butalsothattheexperiencerwasabletoperceivethingsaccuratelyfromapositionexternaltotheirphysicalbody.Giventhesignificanceoftheseanomalousaccounts,ifprovedtrue,theycomprisetheirownlineof

inquiry in theNDEresearchfield,under the term‘veridicalperception’.Let’s takeacloser lookatthisfascinatingsubject.VeridicalOBEs

AlSullivan, a 56-year-old van driver,was atwork on aMondaymorning in early 1989when hisheartbeat suddenly became irregular. Admitted to Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, Sullivan wasundergoingdiagnostic testingwhenoneofhisarteriesbecameblocked,andhewasrushedintotheoperatingroomforwhatbecamequadruplebypasssurgery.Duringthisoperation,Sullivansuddenlyfelthisconsciousnessseparatefromhisphysicalbody,andaftertravelingthrougha“black,billowysmoke-likeatmosphere”,foundhimselflookingdownfromaboveuponhisownlife-savingsurgery:

Iwaslaying[sic]onatablecoveredwithlightbluesheetsandIwascutopensoastoexposemychestcavity.ItwasinthiscavitythatIwasabletoseemyheartonwhatappearedtobeasmallglasstable.Iwasabletoseemysurgeon,whojustmomentsagohadexplainedtomewhathewasgoingtododuringmyoperation.Heappearedtobesomewhatperplexed.Ithoughthewasflappinghisarmsasiftryingtofly…114

Atthetimeofwitnessingthisstrangebehaviourfromthesurgeon,Sullivanalsonotedthathisownchestcavitywasbeingheldopenbymetalclamps,andwasequallypuzzledbythefactthattwoothersurgeonswereworkingonhisleg,ratherthanhisheart.Inanycase…

…ItwasthenthatIturnedmyattentiontothelowerright-handsideoftheplaceIwasat.Isawthemostbrilliantyellowlightcomingfrom,whatappearedtobe,averywelllittunnel…ThelightthatcamefromthetunnelwasofagoldenyellowhueandalthoughthebrightestIhadeverlookedinto,itwasofnodiscomforttotheeyesatall.Then,precededbywarmth,joyandpeaceandafeelingofbeingloved,abrowncloakedfiguredriftedoutofthelighttowardme.Asmyeuphoriarosestillmore,I,muchtomydelight,recognizedittobethatofmymother.Mymotherhaddiedatagethirty-sevenwhenIwassevenyearsold.Iamnow

inmyfiftiesandthefirstthoughtthatcametomymindwashowyoungmymotherappeared.Shesmiledatmeandappearedtobeshaping words with her mouth and these was [sic] not audible to me. Through thought transfer we were soon able tocommunicate.115

ReaderswillrecognisesomeoftheelementsinSullivan’sNDEfromotherreportsdiscussedabove,such as the intense light that doesn’t hurt the eyes, and the use of ‘thought transfer ’ forcommunication.Sullivanthendescribedhowhismotherseemstohave‘intervened’inthesurgery:

Allatoncemymother’sexpressionchangedto thatofconcern.At thispointsheleftmysideanddrifteddowntowardmysurgeon. She placed the surgeon’s hand on the left side of my heart and then returned to me. I recall the surgeon making asweepingmotionasiftoridtheareaofaflyinginsect.Mymotherthenextendedoneofherhandstome,buttryasImightIcouldnotgraspit.Shethensmiledanddriftedbacktowardthelittunnel.116

Assoonasheregainedconsciousnessandwasabletotalk,SullivantoldhiscardiologistDr.AnthonyLaSala of his amazing experience. Initially skeptical, Dr. LaSala immediately paid more attentionwhenSullivandescribedtheflappingelbowsofthecardiacsurgeon,Dr.HiroyoshiTakata,asthiswasan idiosyncratichabit ofhis thatDr.LaSalahadwitnessedhimself– after scrubbing in,Dr.Takatawouldpointatthingsusinghiselbowstoavoidcontaminationofhishands,givingtheimpressionthathe was impersonating a chicken attempting to fly. However, according to Sullivan, when hisextraordinaryNDEwasreportedtoDr.Takata,thesurgeondisplayednointerestinhisaccount.Later,whenSullivanhad a follow-upvisitwith the doctor andpersonally brought uphis experience,Dr.Takatasimplyreplied“Well,you’rehere,you’realive,soImustdosomethingright”.Almostadecadelater,Dr.BruceGreysonresolvedtoinvestigatethisreportandspoketobothof

thedoctorsinvolvedinthesurgery.Dr.LaSalaconfirmedthatSullivanhadtoldhimabouthisNDEimmediately after regaining consciousness, and also noted the ‘flapping’ elbows of Dr. Takata –addingthathehadneverseenanyothersurgeondothis.Dr.Takataalsoconfirmedthatduringtheoperationhestoodwithhandsonchest,pointingatthingswithhiselbows,becauseafterhescrubbedinhedidn’twanthishandstotouchanythinguntilhewasreadytodothesurgery.GreysonalsonotedthatSullivan’sOBEobservationsoftheopenchestcavityandsurgeonsworkingonhisleg–whichhelaterlearnedwasthestrippingofaveinoutofhislegtocreatethebypassgraftforhisheart–offera‘timeanchor ’(asmentionedearlier)whichseemstoconfirm“thatMr.Sullivan’sobservationofDr.Takataflappinghisarmsoccurredwhenhewasundergeneralanesthesiaand,at least toobservers,unconscious”.117Needlesstosay,howAlSullivan‘saw’whathedidremainsamystery.Onitsown,wemightbeabletoexplainthiscaseasanamazingsequenceofcoincidences,orvia

someotherunexpectedexplanation.ButAlSullivan’sexperienceisnotunique…

TheCaseoftheMissingTeeth

Reports of ‘veridical OBEs’ during near-death experiences such as Al Sullivan’s can be foundsurprisingly often, such as the following account that graced the pages of the respected medicaljournalTheLancet.In1979,a44-year-oldman(‘Mr.B’)wasbroughtintotheemergencydepartmentatCanisiusHospitalintheNetherlandsbyambulance,afterbeingdiscoveredcomatose,hypothermicandwithoutapulseinacold,dampmeadowinthemiddleofthenight.Hospitalstaff,includingthesenior nurse (‘T.G.’), placedMr. B upon a resuscitation bed, turning him on his side in order topositionaheartmassagepump(knownasa‘Thumper ’)beforeturninghimontohisbackoncemore.T.G. began to put a ventilation mask on the patient, but noticed that he was wearing dentures, soremovedthemandplacedthemonthe‘crashcart’beforeinstallingthemask.TheThumperwasthenswitchedontorestartresuscitationattempts(thepatienthadundergoneresuscitationproceduresinthe

ambulance,butthetransfertothehospitalroomhadtakensomeminutes,duringwhichonlyminimalresuscitationwaspossible).Foranhourandahalf,hospitalstaffworkedtobringMr.Bbacktolife,before finally reachingapointwhere they felthispulseandbloodpressurewere stableenough toallowhimtobetransferredtotheintensivecareunit,thoughheremainedcomatoseandventilated.118Itwasn’tuntilmorethanaweeklaterthatT.G.finallysawMr.Bagain–hehadbeentransferred

from the ICUback to the cardiacward–whiledoinghis roundsdistributingmedication.T.G.wasastonishedwhen thepatienthehadbroughtback to life suddenlyexclaimed ‘‘Oh, thatnurseknowswheremydenturesare!’’.SeeingthelookofsurpriseonT.G.'sface,Mr.Bexplainedhimself:sincecomingbacktoconsciousness,Mr.B.hadbeenlookingforhisdentures.‘‘YouweretherewhenIwasbroughtintohospitalandyoutookmydenturesoutofmymouthandputthemontothatcart,”hesaid.“Ithadallthesebottlesonitandtherewasthisslidingdrawerunderneathandthereyouputmyteeth”.T.G.wasconfusedbythis,asherememberedthathehaddonethiswhenthepatientwasunconsciousandundergoingCPRtobringhimbacktolife:

WhenIaskedfurther, itappearedthemanhadseenhimselflyinginbed,thathehadperceivedfromabovehownursesanddoctors had been busywithCPR.Hewas also able to describe correctly and in detail the small room inwhich he had beenresuscitatedaswellas theappearanceof thosepresent likemyself.At the time thatheobserved thesituationhehadbeenverymuch afraid thatwewould stopCPR and that hewould die.And it is true thatwe had been very negative about the patient’sprognosisduetohisverypoormedicalconditionwhenadmitted.ThepatienttellsmethathedesperatelyandunsuccessfullytriedtomakeitcleartousthathewasstillaliveandthatweshouldcontinueCPR.Heisdeeplyimpressedbyhisexperienceandsaysheisnolongerafraidofdeath.Fourweekslaterhelefthospitalasahealthyman.119

ThepointworthreiteratinghereisthatMr.B’saccounttookplacewhenhewasunconscious,withnobloodcirculationandthusnobrainactivity.AsT.G.pointsout,“atarrival in the[CCU]department[the patient had]wide light-stiff pupils, signs of serious oxygen deprivation in the brain, no heartrhythm…therewasdefinitelynobloodcirculation”.120Bythetenetsoforthodoxmedicalscience,hecouldnothaveobservedtheremovalofhisdenturesinanynormalway,evenbysomereconstructionthroughimaginationandmemorybasedontouchandsounds,ashisbrainwasshutdownatthetimeofthedenturesremoval.AndyetMr.B.relatedthathesaweverythingfromavantagepointneartheceilinginthecorneroftheroom.Butwhatif,bysomechance,Mr.B.didhearwhatwasgoingonandreconstructedthescenefrom

thoseobservations?Oneskeptichaspointedouthow thingsmighthaveplayedout:“Itwasacrashcartwithametaldrawer,andonecanhearitsopeningandclosing,”GeraldWoerleesays,whichgaveMr.B.everyclueas towherehisdentureshadbeenplaced.Weprobablywouldallmake thesameassumption,right?Theproblemwiththistheorythoughisthatitwasnotametaldrawer,asmostofusmight assume: it was a flat wooden shelf (according to T.G., the cart was custom crafted, anduniqueinthisaspect),anditwas“alreadypulledout”,asthenurseshadusedittopreparebottlesandsyringesuponhearingaresuscitationpatientwasontheirway–justasdescribedbythepatient.AndwearestilllefttoexplainhowMr.Brecognisedbysightthenursewhoremovedhisdentures,whenhewasnotconsciousduringtheresuscitationattempts.Furthermore,Mr.Bwasalsoabletodescribeto T.G. the rest of the room, and those working in it: a small niche on the right side of the bedcontainingawashbasin;wherethemirrorwas;thecartontheleftsideofthebedwithbottlesonit,wherehisdentureswereput;anarrowmetalstoragecabinet;andtheappearanceofafemalenurseintheroomaswell.

There’sLifeintheEye!

PennySartori is aBritish nursewhowas awarded a Ph.D. in 2005 for her extensive research into

near-deathexperiences.Amongstherresearchwasoneparticularcaseofinterest:a60-year-oldmanwasrecoveringfromemergencysurgeryforbowelcancerandsubsequentcomplications.Inordertobeginregainingsomemuscletone,hisphysiotherapistattemptedtogetthepatientsittinguprightinachair,butbeforelonghisrespiratoryrateincreasedsignificantlywhilehisoxygenbloodsaturationlevelsplummeted.Sartori intervenedbymanuallyventilating thepatientwithoxygen,buthisbloodpressuresuddenlydroppedprecipitouslyandhisconditiondeterioratedfurther.Thenursesmovedthepatient back into his bed, by which time he was unconscious and not responding to even painfulstimuli.Ajuniordoctorandaconsultantanaesthetistperformedexaminationsofthepatientandprescribed

extrafluidstoimprovehisbloodpressure.Thedoctorcheckedthepatient’seyesforaresponsebyshininga light in eacheye, and remarked that theywereboth reacting,but that the rightpupilwaslargerthantheleft.Oncethedoctorreturnedtohisoffice,thephysiotherapistbeganfrettingthatshemight be responsible for the deterioration in the patient’s condition, and stood outside the screen,pokingher head around intermittently to checkonhis status.Meanwhile, a nurse cleanedup somedroolthathadleakedfromthepatient’smouthduringtheepisode,firstlywithalongsuctioncatheterandthenapinkspongesoakedinwater.Thepatientbegantoreturntoconsciousnesssome30minuteslater,thoughittookafullthreehoursforhimtorecovercompletely.Atthispoint, themanexcitedlytriedtocommunicatesomethingtothemedicalstaffsurrounding

him.Ashewasstillconnectedtotheventilator,andthusunabletospeak,thephysiotherapistprovidedhimwithaletterboard,throughwhichhespeltoutastunningmessageforallthoseinattendance:‘‘Idied and I watched it all from above”.121 As Sartori was at that time working on her near-deathexperience research, she explained her interest in this statement to the patient and asked him to beinterviewedabouthisNDEoncehewasofftheventilator.Whenable,thepatienttoldSartoriwhathadhappenedfromhispointofview:

Theywantedme togetoutofbed,withallmytubes inmeandsit in thechair.They insisted,especiallyonesister. Ididn’twanttobecauseIfeltsoweak;theneventuallyIgotout.AllIcanrememberislookingupintheairandIwasfloatinginabrightpinkroom.Icouldn’tseeanything;Iwasjustgoingupandtherewasnopainatall.IlookedupthesecondtimeandIcouldseemy father andmymother-in-law standing alongside a gentlemanwith long, blackhair,whichneeded tobe combed. I sawmyfather–definitely–andIsawthischap.Idon’tknowwhohewas,maybeJesus,butthischaphadlong,black,scruffyhairthatneededcombing.Theonly thingniceabouthimwashis eyesweredrawingyou tohim; theeyeswerepiercing; itwashis eyes.WhenIwenttolookatmyfather,itwasdrawingwithhiseyesaswell,asifIcouldseethemboth[at]thesametime.AndIhadnopainatall.Therewastalkingbetweenmeandmyfather;notwordsbutcommunicatingotherways–don’taskmewhat,butwewereactuallytalking.Iwastalkingtomyfather...notthroughwordsthroughmymouth,butthroughmymind.122

Aswementioned earlier, this ‘talkingusingourminds’ seems to be a recurring element noted bymanynear-deathexperiencers.Thepatientcontinued:

Butlookingback,Icouldseeotherpatientsaswellbelowme.That’swhatIcouldn’tfigureout:Icouldseeeverybody.Iwashappy,nopainatall,untilIfeltsomebodygoingtomyeye.IlookedbackandIcouldseemybed,mybodyinthebed.Icouldseeeverythingthatwashappeningonthefloor.IsawdoctorswhenIwasupthere;Iwaslookingdownandcouldseethedoctorsandeven the sister,what shewasactuallydoing in theward. Itwasmarvellous; I couldseenursesaroundmeand thedoctors.IwasstillgoingupintheairandIcouldfeelsomebodygoinglikethistomyeye.[Heraisedhisfingeruptohiseye.]Ieventually looked back and I could see one of the doctors pullingmy eye, what for I didn’t know.One doctor was saying:“There’slifeintheeye.”

Icouldseeeverybodypanickingaroundme.Theblondeladytherapistboss,shewaspanicking;shelookednervousbecauseshewastheonewhogotmeoutinthechair.Shehidbehindthecurtains,butkeptpokingherheadaroundtocheckonme.IcouldalsoseePenny,whowasanurse.Shewasdrawingsomethingoutofmymouth,whichlookedtomelikealong,pinklollipop,likea long,pink thingonastick–Ididn’tevenknowwhat thatwas. Iwasstillgoingup,andeventually thegentlemansaid tomyfatherandmymother-in-law,“He’sgottogoback;he’snotreadyyet”…IlookedupandMam[hismother-in-law]saidafewwordsandDad.

Eventually,Ifeltmyselfcomingslowlybackintomybody.IwentinmybodyonthebedandIwasinterriblepain;thepainwasworsethenthanithadeverbeenbefore.Allthesecableswereinme,astheywerebeforeIwentup.Icouldn’tspeakbecauseIhadtubesinmythroatandmynose.Then[thephysiotherapist]cametospeaktomeanditwasfrustrationreally,becausetheywereallaskingmewhathappened,howIwasfeeling…Thephysiotherapistwantedtoknowwhathappened.Icouldn’tspeak,soshegotabookwithwordsandsayingsonit.EventuallyshecametoapageIrecognizedandIpointedtothatandsaid,“Iwasdead”.123

Thepatientwasbemusedastowhyhismother-in-law–whomhehadneveractuallymetinperson,asshediedfromcancerbeforehemarriedhiswife–appearedalongwithhisfather,andwonderedwhyhisownmotherdidn’tappear.ButSartorihadotherthingsonhermind:aspartofherresearchintoNDEs, she hadplaced cardswith images on themout of everyday sight on top of themonitors inpatients’rooms,hopingthatanynear-deathexperiencersmightbeabletoprovethattheyweretrulyoutoftheirbodybyaccuratelydescribingtheimagesasseenfromneartheceiling.Sartoriaskedthepatient whether he had noticed anything on top of the monitor…but unfortunately the patient was‘looking’thewrongway:“Ididn’ttwistmyheadbackthatway”,heapologized.“Iwasjustlookingatmyside.Icouldseeyouandthedoctorandtwotothreeothersaroundme”.124Nevertheless,Sartoriwasatalosstoexplainhowthepatientknewthephysiotherapistwasglancing

aroundthescreennervously,andthatsheusedthesuctioncatheterandspongetocleanupthedrool,when at this time the patient was unconscious and had his eyes closed. Despite this, the patientadamantlyclaimedthathe“couldseethat,asplainasIcanseeyounow”.Addingto themystery,astrangeoutcomeoftheexperiencewasthatthepatientwaspartiallycuredofalifelongproblem:duetocerebralpalsy,hisrighthandhadalwaysbeenseverelycontractedintoafist.ButaftertheNDE,hecouldnowopenit.

AProliferationofCases

Ontheirown,anecdotesofthiskindarecertainlyperplexing–butinisolationwemightbetemptedtosimplywritethemoffduetotheirsingularnature.However,againandagainwefindexamplesinthemedicalliteratureofveridicalobservationduringthenear-deathexperience.Forexample,Canadianneuroscientist Dr. Mario Beauregard reported in the journal Resuscitation that a patient heinterviewed had a “subjective experience” that raised “a number of perplexing questions”. In aretrospective study of patients who had undergone deep hypothermic cardiocirculatory arrest(cooling the patient down to around 18°C/64.5°F in order to allow a complete stop of bloodcirculationwhileheartdefectsareoperatedon,withoutcausinglastingdamagetothebodyorbrain),Beauregard’s teamfound that threepatientsoutof thirty-three“reportedconsciousmentalactivity”duringtheirsurgery.Buttheaccountofoneofthosethreeseemedtoofferevidencethattheirmindwasoutsideoftheirbodyatthistime.Thepatient,‘J.S.’,was31weekspregnantwhen,onOctober26,2008,shewokeupfeelingshortof

breath and weak. The 31-year-old expectant mother was transported to Hôpital Sacré-Coeur inMontrealbyambulance,whereitwasfoundshewassufferingfromaseriousheartconditionknownasanascendingaorticdissection:

J.S.firstunderwentanemergencycaesareansection.Afterhavingsuccessfullydeliveredababyboy,shewasthentransferredtoasurgeryroomtoundergothereplacementoftheascendingaorta.Shedidnotseeortalktothemembersofthesurgicalteam,and itwasnotpossible forher to see themachinesbehind thehead sectionof theoperating table, as shewaswheeled into theoperatingroom.J.S.wasgivengeneralanesthesiaandhereyesweretapedshut.

At one point during surgery, J.S. claims to have had an out-of-body experience (OBE). From a vantage point outside herphysical body, she apparently “saw” a nurse passing surgical instruments to the cardiothoracic surgeon. She also perceivedanesthesia and echographymachines located behind her head.Wewere able to verify that the descriptions she provided of the

nurseandthemachineswereaccurate(thiswasconfirmedbythecardiothoracicsurgeonwhooperateduponher).Furthermore,intheOBEstateJ.S.reportedfeelingsofpeaceandjoy,andseeingabrightlight.125

A similar case from the 1990s, well-known to many, is the seemingly veridical out-of-bodyexperience reported by musician Pam Reynolds during surgery to fix a brain aneurysm. Initiallybelieved to be inoperable, Reynolds was given hope by neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Spetzler, whobelievedthathecoulddothesurgerybyusingaradicalprocedurenicknamed‘Standstill’–likethecaseofJ.S.above,Reynolds’bodywouldbecooleddown,andherheart(andthusbloodcirculation)brought toahalt.Thesurgeonwoulddrain thebloodfromherheadwhile in thiscooledstate,andthenrepairtheaneurysm.Against all odds, the operation was a success, and Reynolds survived. But her doctors were

astoundedwhenReynolds reported that,while shewas apparently unconscious (though before herheartwasstopped),shehadleftherbodyandwatchedpartoftheoperationfrombesidethesurgeon’sshoulder.Reynoldsrecountedthatshehad…

…suddenlybeenbroughttoconsciousnessbythepiercingsoundofthecranialsaw.ShesaidthesawemittedanaturalDtoneandthatitpulledheroutofthetopofherhead.ShecametorestatalocationnearSpetzler’sshoulder.Shedescribedasenseofawarenessfargreaterthanshehadeverexperiencedbefore,aswellasgreatlyenhanced“vision”withwhichshesawwithclarityanddetailthecranialsaw,herhead,theoperatingroom(OR),andORpersonnel.Shesawthingsthatshehadnotexpectedorthatcontradictedherexpectations,suchastheappearanceofthecranialsaw,theinterchangeablesawbladesinasocket-wrench-typecase,and thewayherheadwasshaved.Shealsowassomewhatdismayed toseesomeoneconductingaprocedure inhergroinareawhenthiswassupposedlybrainsurgery.Fromthatarea,sheheardafemalevoicereportthatthevesselsweretoosmallontherightside,andamalevoicedirectinghertotrytheotherside.126

Ata laterpoint,Reynoldsmovedfromtheoperatingroomtoan‘afterlifeenvironment’wheresheencountered deceased loved ones, including her grandmother and an uncle. Later, this uncleaccompaniedherbacktothesurgerytoassistherinreturningtoherphysicalbody.Butuponseeingtheterribleconditionofthebody,sherecoiled:“Ididn’twanttogetintoit…Itlookedterrible,likeatrainwreck”.Her uncle gave her a sudden push, and shewoke suddenly back in the ‘real’world.According to Reynolds the re-entry was “like diving into a pool of ice water…it hurt!”.127 On alighternote,whensheawokethemusicbeingplayedintheoperatingroomwas‘HotelCalifornia’byThe Eagles, right at the line “You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave” –Reynoldslaterjokedwithherdoctorsthatitwasanincrediblyinsensitivechoiceofmusic.128The Pam Reynolds case is of special interest because it is difficult to explain away simply by

sayingshereconstructedthescenefromsoundsthatsheheard,asoneaspectoftheoperationwasthatitrequiredaloudclickingnoisetobeplayeddirectlyintoherearsthroughoutthesurgeryinordertomonitorherbrainstemactivity.Thisclickwasplayed11 timespersecondata levelof95decibels(ratherloud),throughsmallspeakersthathadbeenmoldedandgluedintoherears,andwhichwerethencoveredoverby“mounds”oftapeandgauze.Themanresponsibleforinsertingthesespeakershasopenly stated that hedoesn’t believe apersonwouldbe able to “hear through the stimuli” thatReynolds was presented with. And according to the neurosurgeon that saved her life, Dr. RobertSpetzler:

Idon’tthinkthattheobservationsshemadewerebasedonwhatsheexperiencedasshewentintotheoperatingtheater.Theywere justnotavailable toher.Forexample, thedrill andsoon, those thingsareall coveredup.Theyaren’tvisible; theywereinside their packages. You really don’t begin to open until the patient is completely asleep, so that you maintain a sterileenvironment…At that stage in theoperationnobodycanobserve,hear in that state.And I find it inconceivable that thenormalsenses,suchashearing,letalonethefactthatshehadclickingmodulesineachear,thattherewasanywayforhertohearthroughnormalauditorypathways.Idon’thaveanexplanationforit.Idon’tknowhowit’spossibleforittohappen.129

AlsoofinterestintheReynoldscaseisthatherexpectationswereconfounded:shedidnotseewhathermentalrepresentationoftheoperatingroomwas.Instead,shewassurprisedbytheappearanceofthecranialsawandthebladesintheircase,aswellasthewayherheadhadbeenshaved.Weseethisinother cases of out-of-body experiences duringNDEs; for instance, in some accounts, theNDEr isshockedtoseewhat theyactuallylookliketoothers,rather thanwhat theythemselvesthought theylooked like:“Boy, I suredidn't realize that I looked like that!’oneNDEr reported.“Youknow, I'monlyusedtoseeingmyselfinpicturesorfromthefrontinamirror,andbothofthoselookflat.ButallofasuddenthereI–ormybody–was,andIcouldseeit…ittookmeafewmomentstorecognisemyself”.Reynolds’surgeonDr.RobertSpetzlerisn’tthefirsttobeperplexedbyveridicalreportsduringa

patient’soperation.InaninterviewpostedonYouTube,pioneeringcardiacsurgeonDr.LloydRudytells of a certain incident that convincedhimpersonally that there’smore to human consciousnessthanjusttheelectricalactivityofthebrain.130Afterperformingbypasssurgeryonapatienttocorrectavalvedefect,Rudywasdevastatedtofindthatheandhisteamcouldn’tgetthepatientoffthebypassmachine – each time they tried, the patient’s blood pressure would plunge. Eventually, they wereforced togiveup.They turnedoff theheart-lungmachine,pronouncedhimdead, andhis surgicalassistant did a ‘temporary close’ of the patient’s body in preparation for the impending autopsy(requiredbylawindeathsonthesurgicaltable).The anaesthesiologist went to go grab some food as he hadn’t eaten all day, and Rudy and his

assistantlefttheroomtotakeofftheirsurgicalgownswhileassistantsbegancleaningupthetheatre.Thepair returned in their street clothes, andwere standing in thedoorwaywith their arms folded,discussing theoperation,when theynoticedsomeelectricalactivityon theechocardiogram(ECG).As thissometimeshappens in thewakeofdeath– theheart twitches,but isunable tostartpumpingbloodunderpressure–theydidn’tthinktoomuchofit,notleastassome20minuteshadpassedsincetheyhadpronouncedthepatientdead.Butthentheactivitybeganturningintoaheartbeat,andslowlythepatient’spressurebegantorise.Dr.Rudywasastounded,andleaptintoactionwhileyellingorderstoanyonethatcouldhearhim:“Getanaesthesiabackinhere,getthenurses!”Eventuallytheywereabletofullyresuscitatethepatientandstabilisehimenoughtobetransferred

to the Intensive Care Unit. And he not only recovered, but showed no signs of any neurologicaldeficits,despitenothavinganyblood-flowtohisbrainforanextendedperiod.Anamazingstory,butthebestwasyettocome.Afewdayslater,Rudywastalkingtothepatientabouttheoperation,askinghimifhehadfeltor

experiencedanythingduringthisstrangesituation.ThepatienttoldRudyabouthavingseenabrightlightattheendofatunnel–standardfareforanNDE–butitwaswhatherelatedabouttheEarthlyrealm that “astounded” the experienced surgeon: “He described that operating room [and] floatingaroundandsaying‘Isawyouandthe[otherdoctor]standinginthedoorwaywithyourarmsfoldedtalking…Ididn’tknowwheretheanaesthesiologistwasbuthecamerunningbackin.AndIsawallofthesepost-itnotes,sittingonthisTVscreen’.”ThisparticularaspectwasthemostintriguingtoRudy–duringasurgery, ifhereceivedanyphonecallshewouldget thenurse toanswerand thenwritedown thenameandnumberonapost-itnote,andstick it to themonitorso thathecouldcall themback once the operationwas finished.Dr.Rudy laughs at this point and exclaims animatedly: “HEDESCRIBED THAT!! I mean there’s no way he could have described that before the operationbecauseIdidn’thaveanycalls…hedescribedthescene,thingsthatthereisnowayheknew”.Withaflabbergastedlookonhisface,Rudyclarifies:“Imeanhedidn’twakeupintheoperatingroomandseeallthis–hewasout,andwasoutforadayortwowhilewerecoveredhimintheIntensiveCareUnit”.TheexperiencechangedDr.LloydRudyinaprofoundway.“Italwaysmakesmeveryemotional,”

heconfesses.“Ithasconvincedmethatthere’ssomethingoutthere”.Almost a century previous, the Scottish surgeon SirAlexanderOgston also related an anecdote

whichseemedtoconfirmthatmindcanoperatebeyondthebrain–althoughin thiscase, itwashisownexperienceneardeath’sdoor.Ogstonwasnostrangertoskepticismfromtheestablishment–hisground-breakingdiscoveryoftheStaphylococcusbacteriainthe19thcenturywasmetwithdisbeliefand in some cases outright hostility bymedical authorities. One can only imagine thenwhat theymade ofOgston’s near-death experience during his service in the SouthAfricanWar.Admitted toBlomfonteinHospital suffering from typhoid fever,Ogston reported that ashe lay in a stupor, hismindandbodyseemedtobebecomingtwoseparateentities.

Iwasconsciousofthebodyasaninert,tumbledmassnearadoor,itbelongedtomebutwasnotI…InmywanderingstherewasastrangeconsciousnessthatIcouldseethroughthewallsofthebuilding,thoughIwasawarethattheywerethereandthateverything was transparent to my senses. I saw plainly, for instance, a poor Royal ArmyMedical Corps surgeon, of whoseexistenceIhadnotknown,andwhowasinquiteanotherpartofthehospital,growveryillandscreamanddie;Isawthemcoverhiscorpseandcarryhimsoftlyoutonshoelessfeet,quietlyandsurreptitiously,lestweshouldknowthathehaddied,andthenextnightIsawhimtakenawaytothecemetery.AfterwardswhenItoldthesehappeningstothesisters,theyinformedmethatallthishadhappenedjustasIhadfancied…131

JoyceHarmon,asurgicalintensivecareunit(ICU)nurse,relatedwhatseemedtobeaminorincidentthathassimilarimplicationsforhowweviewthe‘reality’ofthenear-deathexperience.Shehadjustreturned from a vacation, during which she had purchased a new pair of rather noticeable plaidshoelaces.Shewaswearingtheselacesonherfirstdaybackatthehospital,whenshewasinvolvedinsuccessfully resuscitating a female patient. The next day, Harmon met with the patient and wasshockedwhenthewomanrecognisedher:“Oh,you'retheonewiththeplaidshoelaces!”Harmonwasastonished,andsaysshestill remembersfeeling thehaironherneckrisingupas the lady toldherexactlyhowsheknewaboutherlaces.“Isawthem,”thewomancontinued.“IwaswatchingwhatwashappeningyesterdaywhenIdied.Iwasupabove”.132Could the evidence found in these ‘veridical reports’ be put down to educated guesses?

CardiologistMichaelSabomsurveyedpatientswhohadundergoneresuscitationtofindhowmuchofthe descriptions of operating theatres given by near-death experiencers could be put down toguesswork and inference.Asking patients to describewhat their resuscitation ‘looked’ like from athird-personperspective,hefoundthatthedescriptionsof25cardiacpatientswhodidnotreportanNDEwere significantly less accurate than the accounts of the 32 NDErs he interviewed. Sabom’sresearchshowedthat80%ofthe‘control’patients(thosewhodidn’thaveanNDE)madeatleastonemajorerrorindescribingthescene–butnotoneofthenear-deathexperiencersdidso.Additionally,six of the 32NDErswent even further in describing unexpected events that occurred during theirresuscitation, that theywouldn’thavebeenexpected tohaveanyrecallof.133Sabomconcluded thatthe near-death experiencers appeared to somehow be describing actual observations of theresuscitation,ratherthancreatingthemfromtheirimagination.134NDE researcher Janice Miner Holden has looked further into the prevalence of these types of

reports, and published her findings in an article titled “Veridical Perception in Near-DeathExperiences”.ShecollectedasmanyaccountsfromtheNDEliteratureasshecouldfind(purposefullyexcluding somebookgenres thatmightbe considered ‘untrustworthy’), endingwith a total of 107cases,which she then analyzed and categorized based on how correct the accountswere, and howstrong theywereasevidenceofveridicalperception.A typicalexampleofferedbyHoldenwas thecaseofanNDErwhoreportedthatwhileherbodywasunconscious,“shesawherstepfather,whomshehadalwaysknowntobeahealth-fooddevotee,buyacandybarfromavendingmachinewiththeintentiontoeatit;whentheNDErregainedconsciousness,shetoldhermotherwhatshesaw,andher

motherconfirmedtheaccuracyofherdaughter ’sperception”.135Asimilarstoryisthatofawomanin childbirthwho reportedhaving anOBE, and seeinghermother in thewaiting roomsmoking acigarette–anunexpectedsight,ashermotherdidnotsmoke.However themother“admittedmuchlaterthatshehad‘tried’oneortwobecauseshewassonervous!”.136Holdenfoundthatthestrengthofevidenceinthecasesshecollectedrangedwidelyfromweakto

extremely strong, but what impacted on her was the large number of cases that did suggest‘something’wasgoingon.“Thesheervolumeofanecdotesthatanumberofauthorsoverthecourseof the last 150 years have described suggests [veridical NDE perception] is real,” she concludes.Whileacknowledgingthateachindividualinstanceonitsownmightnotbeabsolutelyconclusive,shepoints out that “the cumulative weight of these narratives” should be enough to “convince mostskepticsthatthesereportsaresomethingmorethanthanmerehallucinationsonthepatient’spart”.Itisdifficulttooverstatethesignificanceofthesetypesofreports.Ifthesenear-deathexperiencers

trulydidperceiveeventsfromaviewpointoutsidetheirbodies,whileitlayinertandonthecuspofdeath,thenit totallyoverturnsthereigningscientificviewofhumanconsciousness.Themindisnolonger tied to the brain, does not require a functioning human body, and can therefore functionindependently and in the post-death state.We have already seen that some great scientific figures,including Freeman Dyson, Paul Davies and Sir James Jeans, have stated their opinion thatconsciousnessmaybeafundamentalaspectofthecosmos,andthisopinionissupportedbyreportsofveridical perception during NDEs. But though Janice Miner Holden might think skeptics will beconvincedbythe‘cumulativeweight’ofreportsofthiskind,inpracticethisisnotsolikely:insteadsuch reports are generally dismissed as ‘anecdotes’, not data, and thus cannot be trusted as truescientific evidence (regardless of how thoroughly investigated each case is, or how strong thetestimonyis).Soisitpossibletomoveforwardfrombeingintriguedbythemultitudeofreportsofveridical perception, to actually proving in the court of science that human consciousness canseparatefromthebody?

AreyouAWARE?

Takeawaythewhitecoat,andyou’dstillprobablybeabletoguessthatSamParniaisadoctor.Evenwhen talkingaboutdeath, inparticular thepossibility thatconsciousnesscouldsurvive thephysicaldeathofthebody,heremainscalmanddispassionate.Likeapersonalphysician,hetalksinburstsofinformation,beforestoppingandcheckingthatthelistenerunderstandswhathasjustbeensaidwithaglance theirwayandaquiet,questioning“okay?”.His softly-spokenmanner seems tobeevidencethat, while Parnia is no doubt fascinated by reports of near-death experiences and the possibleimplicationsforhumanconsciousness,heismakingaconsciousattempttoremainasobjectiveandneutralaspossibleonatopicthatisoftendebatedmoreemotionallythanintellectually.Forexample,whenaskedbyABCjournalistBobWoodruff–whohadanNDEinIraqin2006whenthevehiclehewas travelling inhitan improvisedexplosivedevice– ifhisexperiencewasadream,or ifhewasreallylookingdownonhisphysicalbodyfromabove,Parnia’sanswerwasbrutallyhonest.“Idon’tknow”,he toldWoodruff,beforefollowingwithawarningaboutseekingadefinitiveanswerfromothers: “And if anyone says they know, they’re just speculating”. Indeed, Parnia’s attempts to stayneutralhave landedhim in thatdamned locationbetween theextremesofbeliefandnon-belief thatsomehavelabeled‘theexcludedmiddle’,sufferingcriticismdirectedathimbybothskepticsoftheNDEaswellasbelievers.ButthiscarefulattitudemaywellpayoffhandsomelyinthelongtermforSamParnia,because through ithehasmanaged to instituteperhaps themostdaring researchstudyintothenear-deathexperiencethatcouldbeimaginedinthemodernworldofmedicine,dominatedbyethics committees and research programs based purely on profit margins: the AWARE, or

‘AWArenessduringREsuscitation’study.Acriticalcaredoctorandexpert in thefieldof resuscitation,Parniahasbeenfascinatedwith the

questionofwhathappenstoconsciousnessatthemomentofdeathsincethetimehelostapatientasastudentdoctorattheageof22.WorkingatMountSinaihospitalinNewYorkaspartofhisfinalyearofmedicalstudies,ParniawascalledtotheemergencywardtoexamineDesmond,a62-year-oldmanofWest Indianoriginwhohadcome to thehospital after coughingupblood.Parniadetected fluidsurroundingtheman’slungs,butotherwisehisvitalsignswerestrongandsoheorderedsometestsforDesmondandlefttheemergencyroom.Asheleft,thetall,thinWestIndianlookedhimintheeyeandsalutedgood-naturedly.Thirtyminuteslater,Parnia’spagerwentoffagain,alertinghimthattherewasacardiacarrestin

theemergencyward.Rushingbacktothearea,Parniapulledbackthecurtainstofindthatthepatientbeing resuscitated was Desmond. But the news was not good – blood had filled his airways andclotted,stoppingoxygenfromgettingintohissystem.TheannouncementcameasashocktoParnia:“It’simpossibletoresuscitatehim”.

Just like that,Desmondwasdead.Oneminutehewashere, thenexthewasgone.Whathadhappened to theperson Ihadbeen talking to a half hour ago about his surprise birthday party? What was left of his memories, thoughts and feelings? Itappearedtherewasjustalifelessbody.Thisintervalbetweenlifeanddeathhadbeensoquick.Questionsbuzzedaroundmyhead.WhathadDesmondexperienced?Hadhebeenabletoseeustryingtoresuscitatehim?Whatwashappeningtohimnow?Couldhehaveretainedsomeformofconsciousness,orwasthattheend?Evenwithmymedicaltraining,Icouldn’tevenbegintoanswerthosequestions.137

Desmond’sdeathhadaprofoundimpactonParnia’slife.Itwouldleadtheyoungdoctortospecializeinthefieldofcriticalcareandresuscitationmedicine(heisnowDirectorofResuscitationResearchatStonybrookUniversitySchoolofMedicine),andalso intostudying theenigmaof thenear-deathexperience,ofwhichhehasbecomeanexpertofworldrenown.“Contrary to popular perception,” he reveals on the AWARE Project’s website, “death is not a

specificmoment”.138Afteracardiacarrest,Parnianotes, there isaperiodof time, rangingfromafewsecondstomultiplehours(usuallyincasesinvolvingextremecold),inwhichemergencymedicalefforts may succeed in restarting the heart and bringing the patient back to ‘life’. We may havelaughedwhenMiracleMax said, inThe Princess Bride, “There's a big difference betweenmostlydeadandalldead.Mostlydeadisslightlyalive”.Butthemodernfieldofresuscitationscienceisbuiltonthisveryidea.Studyingtheexperiencesthatsomepatientssayhappenedwhiletheywere‘mostlydead’provides

“a unique window of understanding into what we are all likely to experience during the dyingprocess,” saysParnia.He compares these patients to astronauts, in that theymay be able to tell usthings about a location that prior to just a few decades agowe had no knowledge of: “These arepeople”,saysParnia,“whohavebeentotheMoonandback”.Andtheissuethathasmostintriguedhiminanumberoftheseepisodes–thosewherepatientshave

reportedhighlydetailednear-deathexperienceswhiletheirheartwasstopped–isthatmemoriesofevents during this time should not be possible, given our current understanding of how the brainworks. “The remarkablepoint about theseexperiences,”he says, “is thatwhile studiesof thebrainduring cardiac arrest have consistently shown that there is no measurable brain activity, thesesubjects have reported detailed perceptions that indicate the contrary – namely, a high level ofconsciousnessintheabsenceofdetectablebrainactivity”.Thisis,toputitmildly,amystery.Butaswehaveseen,patientsdon’tjustreportconsciousnessduringNDEs.Theysometimesclaim

to have seen what was happening in the room, and elsewhere, through their mind ‘leaving’ theirphysical body and observing theworld from outside of it. These are, to be sure, extraordinary –

world-changing – claims. And to Parnia these out-of-body experiences offer a way forward forbringing science to bear on the question of whether NDEs offer evidence for the survival ofconsciousness beyond the body’s death. “Ifwe canobjectively verify the claimsof these patients,”ParniaexplainsontheAWAREwebsite,“theresultswouldbearprofoundimplicationsnotonlyforthe scientific community, but for theway inwhichwe understand and relate to life and death as asociety”.Parnia was not the first to realize that veridical out-of-body experiences could be tested

scientifically.Inthe1960sconsciousnessresearcherProfessorCharlesT.Tartrananexperimentwithayoungladyheknewwhohadregularout-of-bodyexperiences.139‘MissZ’,asTartreferredtoher,assentedtospendingafewnightsinhissleepresearchlaboratorywherehemonitoredherphysicalreactionsinvariouswaysduringtheseOBEs(EEG,eyemovements,heartrateandbloodpressure).ButhealsodecidedtotestwhetherMissZ’sout-of-bodyforayswereinanysense‘real’:Tartcopiedafive-digitrandomnumberontoasmallpieceofpaperwithablackmarkingpen,andthenslippedthepieceofpaperontoashelfsomesixfeetabovethesleepingsubject.Over the four nights in Tart’s laboratory,Miss Z had two full OBEs, one ofwhich provided a

stunninghit:

Onthefourthnight,at5:57AM,therewasasevenminuteperiodofsomewhatambiguousEEGactivity,sometimeslookinglikestage1,sometimes likebriefwakings.ThenMissZawakenedandcalledoutover the intercomthat the targetnumberwas25132, which I wrote on the EEG recording…The number 25132was indeed the correct target number…. The odds againstguessinga5-digitnumberbychancealoneare100,000to1,sothiswasaremarkableevent!

As already noted, British nurse Penny Sartori also attempted something similar during her Ph.D.research on near-death experiences in 2005: she placed cards with images on them on top of themonitorsinpatients’rooms,hopingthattheymightreportbackaccuratedescriptionsoftheimages‘seen’whileout-of-bodyduringanear-deathexperience.Unfortunately,however,shedidnothavethesamesuccessasCharlesTart.ParniawasinspiredtotryasimilarexperimenttoTartandSartoriafterpersonallyhearingreports

ofveridicalNDEs.Onesuchcaseinvolvedathree-and-a-half-year-oldboynamedAndrewwhowasadmitted tohospital foropen-heart surgery.Parnia relates theboy’sexperience inhis recentbook,ErasingDeath:

Abouttwoweeksafterthesurgery,Andrewstartedaskinghisparentswhenhecouldgobackto“thesunnyplacewithalltheflowersandanimals.”Hismothertoldhimthattheywouldgototheparkwhenhewasfeelingbetter.Hesaid,“No,Idon’tmeanthepark.ImeanthesunnyplaceIwenttowiththelady.”Whensheaskedhimwhatlady,hereplied,“Theladythatfloats.”

Hismothertoldhimthatshedidn’tunderstandwhathemeantandapologizedthatshemusthaveforgottenwherethissunnyplacewas.Hesaid:“Youdidn’ttakemethere.Theladycameandgotme.Sheheldmyhandandwefloatedup.YouwereoutsidewhenIwashavingmyheartmended.Itwasokay,theladylookedafterme…theladylovesme…itwasn’tscary.Everythingwasbrightandcolorful[but]Iwantedtocomebacktoseeyou”.140

Whenaskedwherehewaswhentheladycametohim,Andrewrepliedthathewas“upontheceiling,andwhen I looked down Iwas lying in a bedwithmy arms bymy sides and doctorswere doingsomethingtomychest”.Andrewwasabletorecognisethebypassmachineusedduringhissurgery(“Ihadthatmachine…IknowIwasasleep,butIcouldseeitwhenIwaslookingdown”),andwouldlater spook his mother by recognising a photo of his deceased grandmother as the “lady thatfloats”.141SamParnia’sjointfascinationwithresuscitationandthenear-deathexperienceledhimtoestablish

the AWARE project, which is now a major collaboration between doctors and researchers in thecoronary units of medical centers and hospitals across the globe. Dedicated to exploring and

advancing our knowledge of these two inter-related areas, it began with an 18 month pilot studyrestrictedtojustafewhospitalsintheUnitedKingdom,beforetheAWAREprojectproperlaunchedonSeptember11,2008withtheinvestigationextendedtomorelocations,includingsomeinEuropeand the United States. To examine the veridical out-of-body experience component of near-deathexperiences, Parnia and his team installed approximately one thousand shelves high up on wallswithinroomsintheemergency,coronaryandintensivecarewardsofparticipatinghospitals,thoughthey were unable to cover all beds due to time and financial constraints – with 25 participatinghospitals,thetotalnumberofshelvestheywouldhaveneededtoinstallforfullcoveragewouldhavebeencloserto12,500.Ontheseshelvestheyplacedahidden‘target’,whichtheyhopedpatientswhohad OBEs might report back on after being successfully resuscitated. By targeting these specificwardstheywerehopingtocoversome80%ofcardiacarresteventswiththeir‘shelftest’.Inthefirstfouryearsofthestudy,AWAREhasreceivedatotalofmorethanfourthousandcardiac

arresteventreports–somethreeperday.Butwhilefourthousandeventsmayseemagoodsamplesizeforin-depthresearchintoveridicalNDEs,itmustberememberedthatthesearecardiacarrests–not ‘heart attacks’, with which many people confuse the term, but cases in which the heart hascompletely stopped beating. As such, in only a third of those cases were medical staff able toresuscitatethepatient–andthen,onlyhalfofthosecritically-illsurvivorsremainedalivetoapointwheretheycouldbeinterviewedbytheAWAREteam.Further, thosemedicalstaffdoinginterviewsonbehalfoftheAWAREstudyhadtodosoaroundtheirnormaldailyduties,andsonotallpatientswereable tobe interviewedpost-resuscitation (especiallyso if theycame inon theweekend).And,unfortunately,theteam’scoverageofcardiacarresteventsviashelfpositioningwaslowerthanhoped–only50%occurredinalocationwithashelf,ratherthanthehoped-for80%.Now, given that near-death experiences were only reported by 5% of survivors in the AWARE

study,andthattheout-of-bodyexperienceonlyoccursinalowpercentageofNDEs,youmightbegintoseetheproblem.Outofsome4000cardiacarrestevents,theAWAREteamwasleftwithlittlemorethan a hundred cases in which a patient with a shelf in their room reported back after theirresuscitation,and thenonly5 to10of thoseactuallyhadanNDE. Inall,after fouryears,andfourthousandrecordedcardiacarrestevents,theAWAREstudyhasatthisstagedocumentedagrandtotalofjusttwoout-of-bodyexperiencereportsduringcardiacarrest.Nevertheless, the fewNDEs recorded thus far verymuch conform to the archetypal experience.

OneofParnia’sAWAREcolleagues,KenSpearpoint,recountedonepatient’sexperience:

Hisjourneycommencedbytravellingthroughatunneltowardsaverystronglight,whichdidn’tdazzlehimorhurthiseyes.Interestingly,hesaidthattherewereotherpeopleinthetunnel,whomhedidnotrecognize.WhenheemergedhedescribedaverybeautifulcrystalcityandIquote“Ihaveseennothingmorebeautiful.”Hesaidtherewasariverthatranthrough.Thereweremanypeople,withoutfaces,whowerewashinginthewaters.Hesaidthatwhenthepeoplewerewashingitmadetheirclothesverybrightandshiny.HesaidthepeoplewereverybeautifulandIaskedhimifherecalledhearinganything–hesaidthattherewasthemostbeautiful singing, which he described as a choral – as he described this he was very powerfully moved to tears. His nextrecollectionwaslookingupatadoctordoingchestcompressions!

Forthepatientthiswasaprofoundspiritualexperience,andcertainlypowerfulformetoo…unfortunatelytheeventwasnotinaresearcharea[anareawithaboard].142

Itwasn’tuntil2011thattheAWAREstudyhaditsfirstout-of-bodyexperiencereport.A57-year-oldmanhadsufferedacardiacarrest in thecardiaccatheterization laboratory inSouthamptonGeneralHospital(intheUnitedKingdom),butunfortunately,intheheads-or-tailsoddsofwhetherthepatientwas in a roomwith a shelf, Parnia calledwrong: the out-of-body experience occurred in an areawhere therewasno target for thepatient toview.Nevertheless, thepatientwaskeen to recounthisstory–despitehisfamilyhavingtoldhimitwas likelyjustaneffectof thedrugsused–sayinghe

believed“itwasimportant”totellothersaboutit.The patient, ‘Mr. A’, had been at work, and started feeling a bit odd. Being a diabetic, he

immediatelycheckedhisbloodsugarlevel,butitwasfine.Hecontinuedtofeelincreasinglyunwell,until he finally askedhis fellowoffice-workers for assistancewhenhe started feeling short of air.Theyimmediatelyphonedanambulance,andwhentheparamedicsarrivedandhookedthepatientuptoanECG,thegravityofthesituationbecameapparent:

[T]heywantedtowhiskmeoffandnottalktomeandjustdoit.DoyouknowwhatImean,doctor?Thatunnervedmealittlebitbecause I amnotused to anything like that, so I said, “Hangon,what areyoudoing?”They said, “Weneed togetyou tohospital.”Anyway,theydid.

…Icanremembercomingintothe[hospitalbay]…andanursecameonboard.[Theparamedics]hadtoldmeanursecalledSarahwouldcometomeetmewhenIarrived…Shecameonboard theambulance like theysaidshewouldand thenshesaid,“Mr.A,Iamthemostimportantpersoninyourlifeatthemoment.IamgoingtoaskyousomequestionsandIwantyoutoanswereveryoneofthem.”Isaidyes.IcanrememberthatIwantedtosleepallthetimeatthatstageandallshekepttryingtodo,itfeltlike,wastokeepmeawakeandtalkwithher.DoyouunderstandwhatImean?Andthat’showitwaswithher.143

Themedical teambroughtMr.Aintothecatheterizationlaboratoryinthehospitalonatrolley,andplacedasteriledrapeacrosshisupperbodysothattheycouldworkonhimwithouthimseeingwhatwashappening.Assuch,hedidn’tnoticewhenthedoctorarrived,norwhentheteamgavehimalocalanaestheticsothattheycouldpushawireintothebloodvesselinhisgrointofeedituptotheheart.Atthisstage,thepatientsaid,hewasstilltalkingtothenurseSarah,when“allofasudden,Iwasn’t”.Mr.A’shearthadstoppedbeating.Butinsteadofblackingout,asshouldbethecaseoncebloodflowtothebrainstops,thepatientsaidhelefthisbody:

Icanremembervividlyanautomatedvoicesaying,“Shockthepatient,shockthepatient,”andwiththat,upinthatcornerofthe room [hepointed to the far cornerof the room], therewasapersonbeckoningme. I can seehernow,and I can rememberthinking(butnotsaying)tomyself,“Ican’tgetupthere.”ThenextsecondIwasupthereandIwaslookingdownatme,thenurseSarah,andanothermanwhohadabaldhead…Ididn’tevenknowtherewasanothermanstandingthere.Ihadn’tseenhim.NotuntilIwentupinthatcorner–thenIsawthem.YouunderstandwhatIamsaying?144

It’sinterestingtonoteherethatMr.Aseemstohavehadacross-overbetweenadeath-bedvisionandanear-deathexperience.Alargenumberofdeath-bedvisionreportsdiscusstheapparitionasbeingupinthecorneroftheroom.Similarly,Mr.Ainitiallysawapersoninthecorneroftheroomfromhis‘death-bed’perspective,andtheninaninstanthewas‘upthere’withthem.MrA.wenton,describinghisviewofthemanwiththebaldheadwhowasworkingonhisbody,

whomhehadn’tnoticedfromhisbodilyviewduetothesteriledrape.

Icouldseeallthissideofthem.[Hepointedtotheback.]AsclearasthedayIcouldseethat.[Hepointedtoanobject.]ThenextthingIrememberiswakinguponthatbed.AndthesearethewordsthatSarahsaidtome:“Ohyounoddedoffthen,Mr.A.Youarebackwithusnow.”Whethershesaid thosewords,whether thatautomatedvoice reallyhappened, Idon’tknow—onlyyouwouldknowthose things. Idon’tknowhowtobeable toconfirmthat those thingsdidhappen. Iamonly tellingyouwhathappenedwithmeandwhatIexperienced.

Icouldn’tseehisfacebutIcouldseethebackofhisbody.Hewasquiteachunkyfella,hewas.Hehadbluescrubson,andhehadabluehat,butIcouldtellhedidn’thaveanyhair,becauseofwherethehatwas.145

The robotic-sounding voice thatMr. A had heard initially was an automated external defibrillator(AED), an electronic system that can detect when the heart has stopped beating regularly and isfibrillating,andwhichissuesfeedbacktotheuserifanelectricshockneedstobeadministeredtotheheart.Despitebeingincardiacarrest,Mr.A.wasabletocorrectlydescribethecommandgivenbytheAED,aswellasdescribethedoctorinattendance,eventhoughhehadnotpreviouslyseenhimdueto

thedrapeacrosshischest.Ultimately,however,toskepticsoftheNDEthisisyetanother‘anecdotalreport’,inadmissibleinthecourtofscience.WewillhavetowaitandseeiftheAWAREstudyisabletoproducesomethingmoreconclusiveintheyearsahead.

TheSearchContinues

ThoughParniamightfeeldisappointedwiththelackofout-of-bodyexperiencesinhissamplesofar,hewasprobablyheartened to hear testimony fromothermedical professionals at a conferenceonemergencycardiovascularcarethatheattendedinlate2012.Aftergivinganinvitedtalkonthetopicof near-death experiences, a number of audience members volunteered their own experiences ofpatientswhohadbeenresuscitatedandsubsequentlyrelatedtothemeventsandconversationsthathadoccurred during the time they were apparently ‘dead’. For instance, Dr. Tom Aufderheide, aprominentfigureinthefieldofresuscitationscience,volunteeredhisownstorythatoccurredrightatthestartofhismedicalcareer:

I walked into the room and introduced myself, and the gentleman introduced himself back. Then at that point his eyessuddenlyrolledbackinhishead,andhefellbackintohisbed.Beingadoctorforjustfivedays,Ifiguredtherewereprobablyonlytwooptionstoaccountforwhathadjusthappened–eitherhehadfainted,orhehadsufferedacardiacarrest.Iknewitwasthe latter, as I suddenly saw five nurses run into the roomwith terrified faces!At thatmomentmy ownworst fears had beenrealized.Iwasallalone.Ihadnoonetocollaboratewith,andIhadnevertakencareofacardiacarrestpatientbefore.Athoughtdirectedtomyseniorswhohadsentmetotheroomalonerushedthroughmyhead:“Howcouldyoudothistome?”

But Igotover that reallyquicklyandstartedCPR. In thosedays therewasnocath lab.Therewasno therapy foraheartattack.Youwouldjustleavethepersontofinishhisheartattack,andifhehadacardiacarrestyouwouldshockhimquickly[giveanelectricalshockusingadefibrillator].FinallyaftertenminutesofCPR,manymorepeoplecameintotheroom,buthejustkeptonrearresting[havingcardiacarrests].Thisprocesswentonforquitesometime,andthedoctorswhowereintheroomhadotherthingstoattendto–sowhatdidtheydo?Theylefttheinterntostandbyanddelivertheshocktreatmentwhenheneededitagain.So I remained at thisman’s bedside from5:00A.M. to 1:00P.M. in the afternoon, shocking him repeatedlywhen hewent intoventricularfibrillation.Hehadaprolongedcardiacarrest.Atthispointthehousekeepingstaffcameintohisroomtoservehislunch.Iwashungry.SoIatehislunch!Icertainlycouldn’tleavehisroom,andhewasn’tgoingtoeatit!

Wefinallystabilizedhimaftermanyhours,andheendeduphavingalongandcomplicatedhospitalcourse.Thensomethirtydayslater,onhislastdaybeforedischarge,hesaidtome,“Canyoupleaseshutthedoorandcomeandsitdown?”Ithoughtthatwaskindoffunny,soIwentandshutthedoorandsatdown.Hesaid,“Iwanttotellyousomething.Ihavebeenmeaningtotellsomeone,andyouarereallymydoctor.Youhavebeenhere themost,andIfeltIcanshare thiswithyou.”Hethenwentontodescribeacompletenear-deathexperience.Hewentdownatunnel.Hesawthelight.Hetalkedtohisdeadrelatives.Hetalkedtoahigherbeingandwasultimatelytoldheneededtocomeback.Thiswasareallydetailedandprolongednear-deathexperience,butattheendofithesaid,“Youknow,Ithoughtitwasawfullyfunny…hereIwasdyinginfrontofyou,andyouwerethinkingtoyourself,‘Howcouldyoudothistome?’Andthenyouatemylunch!”

So thatcertainlygotmyattention in the first fivedaysofbeingaphysician! Ihavebeen fascinatedby theexperienceeversince,andIoftenaskmypatientsabouttheirexperiences.146

ThoughfouryearshaveelapsedsincetheAWAREstudywassetinmotion,andtheresultssofarhaveshownthedifficultyininvestigatingtheout-of-bodyexperiencecomponent,SamParniaisaskeenasevertocontinueonwiththeresearch,andalsotoimprovetheprocedures.Forinstance,henotesthatinthecaseofMr.A.,ashelfintheroommightnothavemadeanydifference,asthepatientsaidhewas floating in theoppositecornerof the room,wellaway fromwhere the shelfwouldhavebeenplaced.PerhapsareviewofthemostreportedOBEviewingpositionsmightallowforbettertargetinginfuture?But this tail-chasing has some researchers more skeptical of the chances of the study finding

evidenceforveridicalOBEs.Dr.BruceGreysonoftheDivisionofPerceptualStudiesisassociatedwiththeAWAREstudy,butheholdsdoubtsthatitwillyieldanymeaningfulresultswhenitcomestoveridical OBEs. “If you were to ask travellers the name on the ID badge of the TSA agent who

beckonedthemthroughthemetaldetectorontheirlastflight,itishighlyunlikelyanycouldidentifythat‘target’,”Greysonexplainstome.“Thedesignatedtarget–theTSAIDbadge–wasrightinfrontofthemtosee,buttheyhadnoreasontopayattentiontoit,andnoreasontorememberitiftheyhadseenit”.Theproblemwiththeexperiment,hesays,isinthedesign,whichdoesn’tincludeanyreasontoexpectthatexperiencerswouldseeorrememberthedesignatedtarget.“Patientswhoreportleavingtheir bodies in themidst of a near-death crisis have no reason to notice a randomly-chosen targetplantedinacorneroftheroomthathasnoparticularsignificanceforthem,”Greysonasserts,“andiftheydohappentoseeit,theyhavenoreasontorememberit.SoIdonotexpectmeaningfuldatafromtheAWAREstudy,althoughitisbetterthannotdoinganyresearchatall”.Nevertheless,theAWAREstudydoessurveyavarietyofaspectsoftheNDEbeyondjustveridical

perception, allowing other possible insights into its mysteries. For instance, from the data so farParnia has also been able to put forward a possible reason for why so many people that areresuscitated don’t remember having a near-death experience. Noticing a correlation between thelengthofcardiacarrestandwhetheranNDEwasreported,Parniasuggests that“ifacardiacarresteventisrelativelyshort,thenthepost-resuscitationinflammationanddiseasethatnormallyengulfthebrain and causewidespreaddamage (includingdamage to thememory circuits) are also relativelymildbycomparison tosomeonewithaprolongedcardiacarrest”.Assuch,saysParnia, thosewhoreportdetailednear-deathexperiencesmaydoso“simplybecausetheyhadsufferedlessdamagetotheirbrainsandspecificallythememorycircuitsinthedaysandweeksafterthecardiacarrest”.147Fornowthough,Parniaandhiscolleaguesarecontinuingtocollatedatafromthecasesontheir

filessince2008,andoncefinalizedwillpublishtheirresultsinareputablemedicaljournal.Theywillthenamendanyproblemswiththestudythattheyhavenoticedinthisinitialphase:forexample,theyhopetoprovidefundingforadedicatedmemberofstaffateachmedicalcentrewhocanattendeverysinglecardiacarrest,possiblywithatabletcomputerdisplayingarandomtargetimagethattheycanplaceinanelevatedpositionintheroom,andwhowouldbeabletofollowupwitheachpatientwithindaysoftheirresuscitation.For the restofus,we’ll justhave towait and see ifSamParniaandhisAWAREcolleaguescan

uncover evidence that the minds of those who die really do ‘leave’ their bodies. If they do, thediscoverywouldperhapsrankamongthegreatestdiscoveriesinscience,uptherewiththeparadigm-shatteringideasofCopernicusandEinstein.Mindwouldnolongerbeseenasarisingfromthebrain,andourperceptionofourselvesandourpartintheuniversewouldbeforeverchanged.

ISeeDeadPeople…

While Sam Parnia’s attempts to find objective evidence supporting veridical NDEs are the goldstandard, it’s stillworth surveyingother areas that appear tooffer evidence that themind survivesbeyondthedeathofthephysicalbody.Onesuchareaisthenear-deathexperienceparallelofthe‘Peakin Darien’ death-bed vision, in which NDErs returning to life report having seen people in the‘afterliferealms’whowerethoughttobealive,butturnedouttohavebeendeadatthetime.Inrecenttimes,thepopularTVshowGrey’sAnatomybroughtsuchanexperienceintothepublicconsciousnesswhenthemaincharacter,MeredithGrey,hadanNDEinwhichshehadavisionofhermother,whomshe thoughtwas alive but had actually just passed away elsewhere in the hospital.The scene has anumberofparallelswithreallifeevents.Forinstance,in1968afemalenear-deathexperiencerreportedhavingtheclassicOBEviewofher

hospitalroomfromoutsideherphysicalbody,beforefindingherselfin‘heaven’withanangelandafamiliar-looking youngman. “Why, Tom, I didn’t know youwere up here,” she said to the closefamilyfriend,withTomreplyingtoherthathehadjustarrivedhimself.Notlongafterreturningto

herbody,andlife,herhusbandreceivedaphonecallwiththeunfortunatenewsthattheirfriendTomhaddiedinacaraccident.148In another case, a 9-year-old boy in Pittsburgh suffering from meningitis woke up the next

morningandsaidhe'dbeeninheavenandsawhisgrandparentsanduncle,aswellashisoldersister,saying“shetoldmeIhavetocomeback,butshe'sgoingtostaytherewithgrandmaandgranddad”.Theboy’sfatherbecameupsetwithhim,rebukingtheladbeforeassuringhimthathissisterwasaliveand healthy at college in Vermont, as he had spoken with her the previous day. Concerned at thefather ’s state, the doctor told him to go home and get some rest, at which time he found that thecollegehadbeentryingtocallhimallnightlongwithnewsthathisdaughterhadbeenkilledinacaraccidentthenightbefore.149Evidence for this strange element of someNDEs can be found throughout history. In 77CE the

RomanhistorianandphilosopherPlinytheElderrecordedasimilarPeakinDarienNDE:anoblemannamedCorfidiushaddied,andpreparationswereunderwayforhisfuneral,whenhesuddenlyawokeandannouncedthathehadseenhisyoungerbrotherwhiledead,andthatthemanhadrequestedthathisolderbrother ’sfuneralarrangementsbeusedforhispassinginstead.Almostsimultaneously,theyoungerbrother ’sservantsarrivedwith thesadnewsof theirmaster ’sunexpected(toeveryonebuthisbrother)death.Movingforwardthroughtime,inhis1680pamphletTheResurrectionProved,Dr.HenryAthertondescribeshowhis14-year-oldsister,whothoseinattendancethoughthaddiedafteraprolongedillnessandseven-daycoma,returnedfromthedeadandtoldofseeinganindividualwhohaddiedsincesheoriginallylostconsciousness,eventhoughthosepresenthadnoknowledgethatthepersonhadindeedpassedaway.150Inthemid-20thcentury,HoraceWheatley,whileinacoma,felthimself“floatinginanatmosphere

ofpeaceandserenity”whenhewasgreetedbythefigureofalocalmanthathewasacquaintedwith.His friend acknowledged his presence, saying “WelcomeWheatley!”, before apologising for notlingering to chat: “I shall have to see you later,” his friend stated, before fading from HoraceWheatley’s vision. Upon recovering from his illness, Wheatley discovered that the local man inquestionhadindeeddiedwhilehewasinhiscoma.151AnotherNDErwhowasinacomafornearlythreeweekscametowhatseemedtobeanironfence–likelyaninstanceofthe‘finalbarrier ’elementoftenfoundinNDEs–andstandingbehindthefencewasafamilyfriend(referredtoasMr.VanderG.intheaccount)whotoldhimhecouldn’tgoanyfurtherandthatheshouldturnback.Uponwakingfromhiscoma,theNDErdescribedhisexperiencetohisparents,whoinformedhimthatMr.VanderG.hadpassedawaywhilehewasinhiscoma.152DutchcardiologistPimvanLommelrecountedadifferenttypeofPeakinDarienNDEinhisrecent

bookConsciousnessBeyondLife.Duringacardiacarrest,apatienthadanNDEinwhichhesawbothhisdeadgrandmotherandamanwhogavehimalovinglook,butwhohewasnotfamiliarwith:

OvertenyearslatermymotherconfidedonherdeathbedthatI’dbeenbornfromanextramaritalaffair;mybiologicalfatherwasaJewishmanwho’dbeendeportedandkilledinWorldWarII.Mymothershowedmeaphotograph.TheunfamiliarmanI’dseenmorethantenyearsearlierduringmyNDEturnedouttobemybiologicalfather.153

Needlesstosay,suchcasesaredifficulttoexplainawayviaanycurrentscientifictheoriesofmind…

NDEsandMediumisticCommunications

Afterdaysofstruggleagainstthediseasethathadstruckhimdown,Dr.HoraceAckleycouldtakenomore.Allofasudden,hefelthimselfgraduallyrisingfromhisbody,withthedistinctfeelingthathehadbeendivided,thoughthepartsretainedatenuousconnectionofsomesort.Astheorganswithin

his physical body ceased functioning, the feeling of being divided came to an abrupt halt, and hefound himselfwhole again.Except he now appeared to be in a position slightly above his lifelessphysical body, looking down on it and those who had been in the roomwith him. Then, withoutwarning…

…thescenesofmywholelifeseemedtomovebeforemelikeapanorama;everyactseemedasthoughitweredrawninlifesizeandwasreallypresent:itwasallthere,downtotheclosingscenes.Sorapidlydiditpass,thatIhadlittletimeforreflection.Iseemedtobeinawhirlpoolofexcitement;andthen,justassuddenlyasthispanoramahadbeenpresented,itwaswithdrawn,andIwasleftwithoutathoughtofthepastorfuturetocontemplatemypresentcondition.154

Dr.Ackleyrealizedthathemusthavedied,andwasgratifiedtolearnthatitseemedaratherpleasantexperience.“Deathisnotsobadathingafterall,”hesaidtohimself,“andIshouldliketoseewhatthat country is that I amgoing to, if I ama spirit.”Hisonly regret, lookingdownon thewhirlofactivityintheroom,wasthathewasunabletoinformhisfriendsthathelivedon,tosettheirmindsandheartsatease.Atthispoint,two‘guardianspirits’appearedbeforeDr.Ackley,greetinghimbyname before leading him from the room into an area where a number of ‘spirits’ whom he wasfamiliarwithhadassembled.By this point in the book, youmaywell be saying to yourself “ho-hum, another stock-standard

near-deathexperience”.Youmightguess thatDr.Ackley thenwokeup inhis resuscitatedbodyandtoldanNDEresearcherabouthisexperience.Butifyoudid,youwouldbewrong.Dr.HoraceAckleytrulydiddiethatday,nevertoreturntothislife.Thereportthatyoureadabovewasanaccountofhisdeath,allegedlygivenbyhimthroughaspiritmedium–oneSamuelPaistofPhiladelphia.Andwhatmakes it truly remarkable is that it was written down by Paist in his book A Narrative of theExperienceofHoraceAbrahamAckley,M.D.,andpublishedin1861–morethanacenturybeforethenear-death experience had come to the attention of researchers and the general public. And yetPaist/AckleytellsofanOBEshortlyafterdeath,a“panoramic”lifereview(again,theexactwordisused,justasinAdmiralBeaufort’sNDEandothers),andbeinggreetedbyspiritswhosubsequentlyguidedhimtoanafterliferealm!The after-death narrative of Dr. Horace Ackley is not an isolated instance.More than a decade

before the publication of Raymond Moody’s Life After Life – the book that started the modernfascination with near-death experiences – another scientist had already investigated and written atlength on the topic. In a pair of relatively obscure books – The Supreme Adventure (1961) andIntimationsofImmortality(1965)–Dr.RobertCrookallcitednumerousexamplesofwhathecalled“pseudo-death,”notingthearchetypalelementsthatMoodywouldlaterbringtothepublic’sattentionasthenear-deathexperience.What’smorehowever,Crookallalsocomparedthesetalesof‘pseudo-death’withaccountsofthedyingprocessastoldby‘communicators’throughmediums–andfoundanumber of these same recurring elements, well before they became public knowledge throughMoody’sLifeAfterLife.Forexample,Crookallshowedthat,accordingtoostensiblydead‘communicators’talkingthrough

mediums, the newly-deceased are usually met by other deceased loved ones: “Usually friends orrelatives take the newly-deadman in charge”. This of coursemay not be considered a surprisingthingforamediumtosay–it’sprobablywhatmostpeoplewouldexpectantlyhopeforuponenteringthe spirit realm. But the common elements continue, and include some of the more idiosyncraticfeatures of the NDE. For instance, Crookall noted that, as with the case of Dr. Ackley above,communicators often declare through mediums that “in the early stages of transition, theyexperienced apanoramic review of their past lives”. In one case the communicator recounted thatshortly after death “the scenes of the past life” are revealed; another said that upon ‘waking’ his“entirelifeunreeleditself”.AdeadcommunicatorbythenameofScotttoldmediumJaneSherwood

thathisthoughts“racedovertherecordofawholelonglifetime”,whileanothercommunicatorsaidthat he saw“clearer and clearer the eventsofmypast life pass, in a longprocession, beforeme.”Crookallevendiscoveredareferenceinancient texts totheexperienceofdyingwhichagreedwiththeaboveaccounts:thegreatGreekphilosopherPythagoras(circa500BCE)taughtthatatthetimeofdeath, the soul “sees,over andover again, its earthlyexistence, the scenes succeedingoneanotherwithstartlingclearness”.Considering howwe have already seen that the life review is sometimes considered a personal

‘judgementday’,withfeelingsofrightandwrongaccompanyingeachscene,itisfascinatingtonotetherecurringmotifthataccompaniesthisaspect,astoldtomediumsby‘dead’communicators.“Isawmylifeunfoldbeforemeinaprocessionofimages.Oneisfacedwiththeeffectsemotionallyofallone’sactions”,saidacommunicatorquotedina1929book.“Eachincidentbringswithitthefeelingsnot only of oneself alone but of all those others who were affected by the events”, according toanothercommunicator.Andagain,thisaccountgivenbyamedium,from1928:“Likeeveryonewhopassesover,hehadbeenthroughthewholeofhispastlife,re-livinghispastactionsineverydetail.All the pain he had given to people he experienced himself, and all the pleasure he had given hereceivedbackagain”.GiventhesimilaritiestosomeoftheNDEaccountsmentionedearlier,wemustremind ourselves here that this is the apparent testimony from deceased communicators, speakingthrough mediums, not accounts of near-death experiencers – and well before the elements of thearchetypalNDEwerewellknown.Andyettheparallelsareextraordinary.Beyondthemeetingwiththefamiliardead,andthepastlifereview,Crookall’sresearchalsofound

thatmediumisticcommunicatorsregularlymakenoteoftheout-of-bodyexperiencecomponent.Forexample,onecommunicatornotedthathe“seemedtoriseupoutofmybody”.Accordingtoanother,“I was not lying in the bed, but floating in the air, a little above it. I saw the body, stretched outstraight”.Furthermore,theyalsodescribethefamiliarelementoftravelingthroughatunnel!“Isawinfront ofme a dark tunnel,” said one communicator, before travelling through it and then stepping“outofthetunnelintoanewworld”.Anothercommunicatornotedthattheyremembered“acuriousopening,asifonehadpassedthroughsubterraneanpassagesandfoundoneselfnearthemouthofacave…Thelightwasmuchstrongeroutside”.Andoncethroughthe‘tunnel’,theenvironmentisonceagainfamiliartoanyonewhohasperusedacatalogueofNDEs:“Iwaswith‘B’[herson,killedintheWar]:hetookmetoaworldsobrilliantthatIcan’tdescribeit”.Thecommonelementsarecompelling.ForanyonefamiliarwiththeNDEliterature,thesereports

throughmediumsarestartlinglysimilartotheaccountsofnear-deathexperiencers–andyetCrookallcollectedthemyearsbeforethearchetypeoftheNDEbecamecommonknowledge.Andnotonlydotheyseemtooffersupportforthevalidityofthenear-deathexperience,theyalsohintthattheremaywellbemoretothemuch-malignedsubjectofmediumship.Do‘spiritmediums’reallyhavecontactwiththedead?Let’sdimthelights,joinhandsandfindout…

THREE

VoicesFromBeyond?

Ofcourseit’shappeninginsideyourhead,Harry,butwhyonearthshouldthatmeanthatitisnotreal?

–ProfessorDumbledore,inHarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallows

Katharine Sutton held the hands of the entranced medium, quite unable to believe what she washearing.Despitebeingintroducedanonymously,underanassumedname–‘Mrs.Smith’–itseemedthat themedium knew her family intimately. In a small voice, reminiscent of a child, themediumcontinued: “I want you to call Dodo… Tell Dodo I am happy”. The flow of words offeredreassurance:“Cryformenomore”.‘Dodo’wasKatharineSutton’ssonGeorge;itwasthepetnamegiventohimbyhissister,whohaddiedrecently.“HernameisKatherine”,themediumannounced.“ShecallsherselfKakie”.Mrs.LeonoraPiperhaddone thismany timesbefore.Takingherplaceat a small table, ‘sitters’

werebroughtinbyscientificinvestigators,usuallyunderassumednamesandwithstrictinstructionsnot togiveawayanypersonaldetails.ThenthisostensiblynormalBostonianhousewifewouldslipintoatrance,andherpersonalitywouldbereplacedbythatofacertain‘JeanPhinuitScliville’,moreusuallyknownsimplyas ‘Phinuit’ (pronouncedFin-wee).Phinuitclaimed tobeadoctorofFrenchextraction who had died a few decades previously, and who was nowMrs. Piper ’s ‘control’ – aseparatepersonalitywhoactedasthemediatorbetweenthesitterspresentandwhicheverspiritsmightchoosetocomethroughduringtheséance.InKatharineSutton’scasethespiritwas,itseemed,thatofherrecentlydeceaseddaughter.ThelowmasculinetonesofPhinuit’sFrenchaccentgavewayagaintothevoiceoftheyoungchild,

addressingherfatherdirectly.“Papa,wanttogotowidehorsey.”Kakiehadoftenrequestedtodothisduringherterminalillness.Shehadalsoaskedregularlytoseeheryoungersister.“Eleanor…IwantEleanor,”camethewordsfromMrs.Piper ’smouth.Then‘Kakie’hadonemorerequest:tosingherfavouritebedtimesongwithherparentsoncemore.

Lightlyrow,lightlyrow,O’erthemerrywaveswego,Smoothlyglide,smoothlyglideWiththeebbingtide.

Phinuithushedtheparents,allowingthesoftvoiceoftheirlostchildtofinishtheversesalone.

LetthewindsandwatersbeMingledwithourmelody,Singandfloat,singandfloat,Inourlittleboat.

More specificnamescameduring the séance.Kakie asked for ‘Dinah’– anoldblack ragdoll sheused to play with – and ‘Bagie’, her pet name for younger sister Eleanor. She asked to see the“mooley-cow”,theidiosyncraticpronunciationsheusedwhilealiveforthefamily’sheifer.Andshenamedcorrectlyherdeceased“UncleAlonzo”and“GrandmaSutton”.Thedaybefore the séance,KatharineSuttonhadbeen troubledbyherdesire to talk to thedead,

askingherselfifitwasrightto‘bringthemback’forherowngratification.Duringthesitting,outofthebluethespiritof‘UncleAlonzo’reassuredher:“Donotthinkitwrongtobringusback–welovetocome”.Kakie’spartingwordsforhermotheralsobroughtcomfort.“Iwillcometoyoueveryday,andI

willputmyhandonyou,whenyougotosleep.Donotcryforme–thatmakesmesad”.155

NotDead,ButWithYouStill…

Leonora Piper ’s sittingwith the Sutton family occurred in 1893. By this time, she had undergonemore thansevenyearsof rigorous investigationat thehandsof theSocietyforPsychicalResearch(S.P.R.),anorganisationmadeupofsomeoftheworld’sleadingthinkers–fromfutureNobelPrizewinners to British Prime Ministers – who had devoted themselves to examining paranormal andpsychic claims.Already she had built a formidable reputation. She regularly achieved astonishingresultsduringherséances,despitetheS.P.R.’sscientiststakingeveryprecautiontokeeptheidentitiesof sitters secret, and to ensure thatMrs. Piper had no otherway of accessing the information thatcame through during her sittings. The S.P.R. had even gone so far as to haveMrs. Piper and herhusbandshadowedbydetectives,buthadfailedtouncoveranydamningrevelations.Notonceinallthose years had shebeendetectedusing, or attempting to use, the regular fraudulent techniques offakemediums.BornLeonoraEvelinaSimondson27 June1859,Mrs.Piper ’s alleged abilities are said to have

firstmanifestedasachild.Wheneightyearsold,shewasplayinginthegardenwhen“suddenlyshefelt a sharp blow on her right ear, accompanied by a prolonged sibilant sound”, according to herdaughterAltaPiper.156Thissoundgraduallyresolveditselfintotheletter‘S’,andwasfollowedbythe words “Aunt Sara, not dead, but with you still”. The hysterical child ran to her mother, whostruggledtomakesenseofwhatyoungLeonorawassaying.ButtheincidentmadequiteanimpactonHannahSimonds;shedulymadenoteofwhathadhappenedinherdiarythatnight.AccordingtoAltaPiper,severaldayslaterthenewscamethroughconfirmingthatyoungLeonora’sAuntSarahaddiedattheveryhourshe‘heard’thismessage.Withinafewweekssheexperiencedmorestrangeness,callingouttohermotherduringthenight

that she could not sleep because of “the bright light in the room and all the faces in it”, andcomplainingthatherbedwouldn’tstoprocking.157ButthereseemstohavebeenlittleelseofnoteintheearlylifeofLeonoraPiperthatwouldpointtowardsherlater‘talent’.In1881LeonoramarriedWilliamPiperofBoston,withwhomshesettledinthesuburbsandbegan

afamily.However,thenewly-wedMrs.Piperwasoftenill,asaresultofanaccidentalblowsufferedinacollisionwithasledinherteenageyears.Theaccidenthaddamagedherknee,givingheraslightlimp,butmoreseriouslyhadalsocausedsomeabdominalbleedingwhichresultedinapersistentdullpaininhermidsection.Afterthebirthofthecouple’sfirstdaughter,Alta,in1884,theacheintensified.Her husband’s parents, whowere keenly interested in Spiritualism, urged their daughter-in-law tovisitapsychichealer.Toplease them,LeonorawentforaconsultationwithDr.J.R.Cocke,ablindprofessional clairvoyant who was attracting positive reviews on account of his ‘psychic’ medicaldiagnosesandcures.

AtoneofhervisitsDr.CockeputhishandsonLeonora’shead;shefeltatoncethatshewaslosingconsciousness.“Hisfaceseemedtobecomesmallerandsmaller,”Leonoralaterrelated.158Shesawafloodoflight,aswellasunrecognisedhumanfaces,andahandwhichflutteredbeforeherownface.Thoughafterwardsshedidnotrememberwhathadhappened,otherspresentsoontoldher:inatranceshehadrisenfromherchair,walkedtoatableinthecentreoftheroomandpickedupapencilandpaper.A fewminutes of rapidwriting ensued, and thenMrs. Piper had handed the note to anotherpersonpresent,ahighly-regardedjudgefromCambridge,MassachusettsbythenameofFrost.Thecommunicatorwassaidtobehisdeadson,andthemessage“themostremarkableheeverreceived”in his thirty years of investigating Spiritualism.159 Whatever the psychic influence of Dr. Cockethough,itwouldseemhishealingwasn’tuptoscratchinLeonora’scase,asherinjurycontinuedtobotherherforthenextdecade.ThereportofJudgeFrost’sexperiencewithMrs.PipermadewavesintheSpiritualistcommunity,

butLeonorawasexpectingasecondchild(anothergirl,Minerva,bornOctober1885);shewasnicelysettled into middle-class life, and the attention her accidental mediumship had generated wasunwanted.Nevertheless,shedidfeel–perhapsattheurgingofherhusband’sparents–thather‘gift’shouldnotbewasted,andsodespiterefusingrequestsfromstrangers,sheassentedtogivingprivatesittingsforthoseclosesttoherfamily.OneofthoseluckyenoughtobebegrantedasittingwasAnneManningRobbins,ayoungstenographerwhohadrecentlymovedtotheBostonarea,andwhowasbecominginterestedinSpiritualism.Inthewinterof1884-5shewasinvitedtoafamilygatheringofaboutadozenpeopleatthePiper ’shouse.DuringthecourseoftheeveningMrs.Piper…

…retiredwithoneortwoofherfriendstoasmallroomadjoiningandopeningintothelargeroominwhichthecompanywasassembled,and,asIunderstood,“wentundercontrol,”whateverthatmightmean.Itwassomethingnewandstrangetome.Ithinkshehadnotthenbeguntogivesittingsoutsideoftheimmediatecircleofherownfamily,butwasintheprocessofdevelopingherpowers.Herhusbandexplainedtomethatshewasalittlebashfulaboutgoingintotranceundertheeyesofotherpeople,andforthatreasonhadretiredtothesmallerroom.160

ItwasnowonderthatMrs.Piperwas“alittlebashful”aboutbeingseengoingintothetrance.Atthistime the onset of the condition was accompanied by groaning, grinding of teeth, and significantconvulsionsofthebodyandface.Infactonesitter,ProfessorBarrettWendell,describedtheonsetofMrs.Piper ’stranceasthemostshockingsighthehadeverwitnessed.161Anothersittersuggestedthetrancemusthavebeengenuine,simplybecausehedidnotthinksomeone“couldgothroughtheteeth-grindingshedidwithoutshuddering”.162LeonoraPiper ’sowndescriptionofwhatsheexperiencedduringthistimeisinteresting.Tostartit

was “as if something were passing over my brain making it numb; a sensation similar to that Iexperiencedwhen Iwas etherized, only the unpleasant odor of ether is absent”.The sitters presentwouldbegintoshrink;theroomchilled.Thenallwouldgoblack.163Onceentranced, the ‘controls’would takeover themedium’sbody.Whether thesecontrolswere

genuineindividualswhohaddiedandreturnedisdebatable;itisperhapsmorelikelythattheywerefictitious creations ofMrs. Piper ’s subconsciousmind. Fantastic deceased personages including J.Sebastian Bach, an Indian girl going by the unlikely name of “Chlorine”, and the recently deadAmericanentrepreneurCornelius‘Commodore’Vanderbiltapparentlyjostledforachancetousethepsychic telephone that was the body of Leonora Piper. Similarly, during AnneManning Robbins’visit,eventhespiritofpoetWilliamLongfellow–whohaddiedjusttwoyearsprevious–claimedtohave takena turn as control.But themostprominentpersonality to take controlofMrs.Piper thatnightwas‘Phinuit’.SpeakinginaloudmasculinevoicewithaFrenchaccent,Phinuitseemedthecompleteoppositeof

the demure American housewife whom ‘he’ had taken over from. Most sitters found him to beopinionated andmischievous, even deceptive.One researcher referred to him as a “grotesque andsomewhat saucy personage”;164 Phinuit was given to vulgar expressions and on occasion eventhreatenedsitterswhochallengedhim.Butthetrancepersonalitywasalsocapableofstunningsitterswithhisapparentknowledgeofthemostintimatesecretsoftheirfriendsandfamily.

AFatefulMeeting

WilliamJames,educatedandemployedatHarvardUniversity,wasratherunimpressedwiththefast-developing‘churchofscience’whichdismissedallreportsofmysticalandsupernaturalexperience.“Although in itsessencescienceonlystandsforamethodandfornofixedbelief,”hewrote,“it isidentified with a certain fixed belief, the belief that the hidden order of nature is mechanicalexclusively, and that non-mechanical categories are irrational ways of conceiving and explainingevensuchthingsashumanlife”.Jameswasuniquelysuitedtocontemplatingtheseideas:asachild,hisfatherhadimmersedhimintheteachingsofthemysticscientistEmmanuelSwedenborg.Thoughacademicallybrilliant,theyoungWilliamJamesinitiallyhadhisheartsetontakinganapprenticeshipasapainterintheartstudioofWilliamMorrisHunt,beforemovingintothestudyofphysiology.HegraduatedfromHarvardwithanM.D.,butthenmovedintothestudyandteachingofphilosophyandpsychology,as themindwaswherehis real interest lay.Hewouldbecomeoneof themosthighly-regardedthinkersofthe19thcentury;histextsPrinciplesofPsychologyandTheVarietiesofReligiousExperienceareclassicsintheirrespectivefields.Investigation of mystical experiences and supernatural occurrences was a constant throughout

James’slife.Heexperimentedwiththeconsciousness-bendingchemicalnitrousoxide(betterknownas ‘laughinggas’) in1882,and fourteenyears latereven tried ingestingpeyote, thecactususedbyshamansintheNewWorld–somesevendecadesbeforethepsychedelicrevolutionofthe1960s.Buthe also took an interest – if a rather skeptical one – in the claims made by Spiritualists ofcommunicationwiththedead.It therefore seems as if it was the hand of fate that brought Leonora Piper andWilliam James

together.Inthesummerof1885,James’smother-in-lawElizaGibbenshadheardaboutthebuddingmediumthroughword-of-mouth(throughafriend,whohadinturnheardaboutMrs.Piperthroughtheirmaid),eventhoughthetalentsofMrs.Piperwerenotpublicknowledgeatthattime.165Despitenothavinganypreviousexperiencewithmediums,curiositygotthebetterofMrs.Gibbens,andsherequested a sitting. Lucky enough to be granted time withMrs. Piper, what transpired during thesittingastonishedher;Mrs.Gibbens later related thatduring theséanceMrs.Piperhadgivenheralongstringofnamesofmembersofherfamily(usuallyChristiannames),alongwithintimatedetailsregardingthepersonsmentionedandtheirrelationships.PerhapsMrs.Piperhad researchedElizaGibbensbefore thesitting, foundouther familydetails

and committed it all tomemory?Her interest piqued,Mrs.Gibbens’s daughterMargaret booked asittingwithLeonora,andbroughtwithheramoresearchingtestofthemedium’sabilities:aprivateletterfromaperson“knowntobuttwopersonsinthiscountry”,andwritteninItalian.TheentrancedMrs.Piperheldthelettertoherforehead,andwentontodescribethewriterinawaywhichidentifiedhim unmistakably.166 (Two years later,Mrs. Piper would suddenly reveal the name of the personduringatrance).WilliamJameswasmuchamusedbytheexcitementofhisin-lawsregardingMrs.Piper–nodoubt,

hethought,awilytricksterwhohadresearchedhisfamilybeforehand.Nevertheless,beingtheopen-mindedscientistthathewas,Jamesfeltthecaseworthyoffurtherinvestigation:

I remember playing the esprit fort on that occasion before my feminine relatives, and seeking to explain, by simpleconsiderations the marvellous character of the facts which they brought back. This did not, however, prevent me from goingmyselfafewdayslater,incompanywithmywife[Alice],togetadirectpersonalimpression.ThenamesofnoneofusuptothismeetinghadbeenannouncedtoMrs.Piper,andMrs.JamesandIwere,ofcourse,carefultomakenoreferencetoourrelativeswhohadpreceded.Themedium,however,whenentranced,repeatedmostofthenamesof“spirits”whomshehadannouncedonthetwoformeroccasionsandaddedothers.

Jameswasespeciallyintriguedbythemannerinwhichthemediumannouncedthenames.Itwasasifthecontrolhadcottonwoolstuffedin‘his’ears,andwasbeingfedinformationbyathirdpartywhomtheycouldn’thearproperly.Hisfather-in-law’sname(Gibbens)wasfirstannouncedasNiblin,thenafterwardasGiblin.ButthenamethatreallycaughtWilliamandAliceJames’sattentionwastheonefirstspeltoutasHerrin.

‘TheFlowerofOurLittleFlock’

InJanuaryof1884, theJamesfamilywas thriving.AliceJameshad justgivenbirth to thecouple’sthird son, Herman, andWilliamwas at home in high spirits with the intention of editing his latefather ’s works for publication. The new addition to the family brought joy toWilliam and AliceJames;apudgyandplacidboywhomWilliamdescribedas“the flowerofour little flock”.167 Butdarkcloudsweregatheringonthehorizon.At the beginning ofMarch 1885, Alice contracted scarlet fever, which began a long period of

isolationforher;whilefightingthediseaseherchildrenwereremovedtotheirgrandmother ’shouse,andWilliam could only talk to her through the bedroom door.After sixweeks,Alice had finallyrecoveredenoughtobeabletoseeherchildrenagain.Butanothermonthlater,at thestartofJune,Hermancamedownwithabadcaseofwhoopingcough.Inmid-June,Alicecontractedthediseaseaswell. But the focus was all on Herman: the James’s darling child, not yet 18 months old, haddeveloped complications of bronchial pneumonia and, by early July his condition had worsened.Sufferinghighfevers,histinybodywaswrackedbyalmostdailyconvulsions.Despitebeingseverelyunwellherself,Alice tookHerman toherbedandnursedhimaround the

clock,sleepinglessthanthreehourseachnight.WilliamJameswouldlaterwriteofbeingawestruckbyAlice’sdeterminationtocareforHermanatthistime,saying“thepassionatedevotionofamother–illherself,perhaps–toasickordyingchildisperhapsthemostsimplybeautifulmoralspectaclethat human life affords.Contemning every danger, triumphing over every difficulty, outlasting allfatigue,woman’sloveishereinvinciblysuperiortoanythingthatmancanshow”.168William’slittle“flower”foughtonwithastrengthwhichsurprisedthedoctorstendinghim;almost

eachdaytheboysufferedasevereconvulsionwhichtheysuspectedwouldbehislast.Butfinally,onJuly9,youngHerman’sreserveswerespent.Gaspingforbreathuntil thebitterend,HermanJamesdiedthatnightonhismother ’sbed.169The impactonany family that suffers thisnightmarish scenario canbarelybe fathomed.Alice’s

griefwasintense,whileWilliamfeltnumb,hisemotions“abstract”.HedescribedHerman’slifeanddeath as “one more taste of the intolerable mysteriousness of this thing called existence”. But hewouldalsolaterappreciatetheblessingofthose18monthsoflife:“themerefactthatmattercouldhavetakenforatimethatpreciousform,oughttomakemattersacredforeverafter”.170Alicewouldneverforgetherlostchild,norhisfateinthisworld.“HadItriedtotellhim,hewouldhaveshrunkbackinterrorandbeggedtostaysafelyinhismother ’swomb,”shewrote.171In her bookGenuine Reality: A Life of William James, Linda Simon describes the melancholy

beautyofHerman’sfuneral:

Thenextday,inahazeofgrief,WilliamandAliceplannedtheirson’sfuneral.Theychoseasmallwickerbasketasacoffinandlineditwithsoftflannel.TheyengagedthevenerableUnitarianministerAndrewPrestonPeabodytoconducttheservice.Atsixo’clockonSaturdaymorning,July11,theytookabuggythefewmilesfromCambridgetoBelmontwhere,inthewoods,theygathered birch branches and pine boughs, ferns, grasses, andwild flowers to cover thewicker coffin. Laying their dead childgentlyinthebasket,theyarrangedspraysofleavesathishead,grassesathisfeet,flowersonhischest.“Ihavealwayslookeddownonthesedressings,”Jameswroteto[his]AuntKate,“butthereisusuallyahumanneedembodiedinanyoldhumancustom,andwebothfeltthismostgracefully.”

Herman’sdeathleftWilliamJamesindesperatehopeoftherealityofanafterlifeexistence.“Itmustbe…thatheisreservedforsomestillbetterchancethanthat,andthatweshallinsomewaycomeintohispresenceagain,”hewouldwrite.172Itishardlysurprisingthenthat–justmonthsaftertheirson’sdeath–theJames’sfoundgreatsolaceinthemessagescomingthroughLeonoraPiper.WhenthenameHerrincamethrough,inMrs.Piper ’susualpiecemealfashion,AliceandWilliam

knewwhowasmeant.Themediumwentontogivefurtherpersonaldetailsandcircumstanceswhichconfirmedtheidentitytothem:AlicelaterrecalledthatMrs.PiperdescribedHerman“withhishandsfullofdaisies”,despitenotknowingthespecialmeaningfulburialtheyhaddesigned.Alicealsotoldof howMrs. Piper related “other sweet nothings (from the point of viewof science)whichmeanteverythingtome”.173WilliamJameswas,naturally,moresuspicious.Butthoughhethoughtitlikelythatafakemedium

couldputtogetherafairamountofinformationabouthisownfamousfamily(inadditiontohisownhighprofile,hisbrotherHenryJamesisregardedasoneofthegreatnovelistsofthemodernera),hewassurprisedtofindsomuchinformationcomingthroughMrs.Piperabouthiswife’sfamily.Thefactsgivenregarding“thepersonsnamedmadeitinmanyinstancesimpossiblenottorecognisetheparticular individuals who were talked about”, James reported. He was careful to note: “We tookparticularpainsonthisoccasiontogivethePhinuitcontrolnohelpoverhisdifficultiesandtoasknoleadingquestions”.Additionally, James could not work out how the mediumwould have ‘worked up’ the intimate

detailsofhisownhousehold:Mrs.Piperdescribedindisturbingdetail thedeaththroesofacatthatWilliamhadrecentlyputdownwithether;shementionedthathehadjustlosthiswaistcoat,andshegave correct information aboutHerman’s now-unused– and seemingly haunted– room. “Shewasstrongontheeventsinournursery,”WilliamJameswouldrecount,“andgavestrikingadviceduringour firstvisit toherabout theway todealwithcertain‘tantrums’ofoursecondchild, ‘littleBilly-boy’,asshecalledhim,reproducinghisnurseryname.Shetoldhowthecribcreakedatnight,howacertainrocking-chaircreakedmysteriously,howmywifeheardfootstepsonthestairs”.174Informationproducedat other séancesorganizedby Jameswas also striking.Hismother-in-law

had,onher return fromEurope, lostherbank-book.At a sittingheld soonafterwardsPhinuitwasasked ifhecouldhelpher tofind it–he toldhercorrectlywhere itwas.175Amanby thenameofMinotSavagesatanonymouslywithMrs.Piper, tellingheronly thathe’dheardofher trancesandwished to observe one. At his first sitting, Mrs. Piper referenced his dead father. “He calls youJudson,” she said, correctly noting Savage’s middle name – the name which only his father andanotherfamilymember(alsodeceased)hadevercalledhim.176Beyondtheevidentialconversationswiththemediumhowever,WilliamJameswasperhapsmost

impressedwithhermanner.Hehad investigatedothermediumsbeforeMrs.Piper;often theywereself-promotinganddevious,theirapparentparanormalabilitiesdisappearinglikeaghostthemselvesundersustainedinvestigation.ButLeonorawasdifferent:shewasshyandunassuming.Unlikeothermediums, shedidn’t advertise herself in theSpiritualist journals – instead, she seemed reluctant togive sittings and forothers toknowabouther talent.Mrs.Piperdidn’t evenclaim tohavepsychicabilities–allsheknewabout itwasfromwhatothershad toldher,asshehadnomemoryofwhat

wentonduringthetrance.Itappearedtobaffleherasmuchasitdidothers.ItmaybealsothatWilliamandAlicefoundacertainkinshipinMrs.Piperthroughherdaughter

Alta, who was almost the same age as Herman at the time of his death – not to mention that themediumwasalsoheavilypregnantat their firstmeeting.But regardlessof thatpossibility,WilliamJameswasfirstandforemostastoundedbytheinformationthatcamethroughLeonoraPiperintheirfirstencounter:

Myimpressionafterthisfirstvisit,was,that[Mrs.Piper]waseitherpossessedofsupernormalpowers,orknewthemembersof my wife’s family by sight and had by some lucky coincidence become acquainted with such a multitude of their domesticcircumstancesastoproducethestartlingimpressionwhichshedid.

James’s skepticism is evident in the statement above; he was always considering other possibleexplanations for the seemingly miraculous information offered by Mrs. Piper. However, furtherinvestigation led him “absolutely to reject the latter explanation, and to believe that she hassupernormalpowers”:

Iampersuadedofthemedium’shonesty,andofthegenuinenessofhertrance;andalthoughatfirstdisposedtothinkthatthe‘hits’ shemadewere either lucky coincidences, or the result of knowledgeonher part ofwho the sitterwas andof his or herfamilyaffairs,Inowbelievehertobeinpossessionofapowerasyetunexplained.177

WilliamJamesknewthathehadfoundamediumworthyofextensiveinvestigation.Athissuggestion,theSocietyforPsychicalResearchmadeLeonoraPiper theirprimaryresearchfocus,payingheramodestannualsalarytobeexclusivelyavailabletothemfortestingandnotholdprivatesittingswithanyoneelsewithout theirpermission.Their investigationofhermediumshipwould lastmore thantwodecades,andwasspearheadedbyoneofthetoughestjudgestheycouldfind.

TheMiraculousMrs.Piper

RichardHodgsonarrivedinBostonin1887,readytodismantlethegrowinglegendofLeonoraPiper.Hehadalreadymadehisnameviaahigh-profiledebunkingofthe‘magicalpowers’oftheleaderofthe controversial Theosophical movement, Helena Blavatsky, as well as highly critical paperspointingout thepoorobservationalability–and somemight saygullibility–of sittersat séances.“Nearlyalltheprofessionalmediums,”hescowledinareport,“areagangofvulgartricksterswhoaremoreorlessinleaguewithoneanother”.OriginallyfromAustralia,Hodgsonarrivedathisfirstmeeting with Mrs. Piper anonymously, sent by the S.P.R. with the initial assumption that she wasfraudulent.Wise to the techniques of deception used by fakemediums, andwith the benefit of hisremotegeographicalorigin,hewascommittedtonotgivingheranyinformationabouthislifefromwhichshecould‘construct’theimpressionofasuccessfulsitting.“Motherliving,fatherdead,littlebrotherdead”,saidtheentrancedMrs.Piper,throughthevoiceof

Phinuit. “Four of you living besides mother”. In response, Hodgson simply noted “True”. Asurprisingdirecthit,butperhapsMrs.Piperhadsomehowgotwindofhisarrival,andgoneinsearchofrecordsabouthisfamily.Butwhatcamenextwasmoredifficulttoexplain.

Phinuitmentioned the name “Fred”. I said that itmight bemy cousin. “He says youwent to school together.He goes onjumping-frogs,andlaughs.Hesaysheusedtogetthebetterofyou.Hehadconvulsivemovementsbeforehisdeath,struggles.Hewentoffinasortofspasm.Youwerenotthere.

Hodgsonwasintrigued.“MycousinFredfarexcelledanyotherpersonthatIhaveseeninthegamesof leap-frog, fly the garter etc.,” he reveals in his notes to this sitting. “He took very long flying

jumps, andwhenever he played, the gamewas lined by crowds of school-mates towatch him.HeinjuredhisspineinagymnasiuminMelbourne,Australia, in1871,andwascarriedtothehospital,wherehelingeredforafortnight,withoccasionalspasmodicconvulsions,inoneofwhichhedied”.Atafollow-upsitting,Mrs.PipercontinueddiscussingFred,notingcorrectly thathehaddiedas

theresultofafallfromatrapeze.FredalsowantedtoremindHodgsonof“Harris”,fromtheschoolthey attended, who they both thought was a “very able man”. Hodgson noted Fred’s statementsthroughMrs.Piperwere“alltrue”.Butperhapsmorepersuasivewasthepersonalinformationaboutagirlheformerlyknew–alost

lovefromAustraliaby thenameofJessieTylerDunn(discreetly referred to inHodgson’s reportsunder the simplepseudonymof ‘Q’),whohaddied inMelbourne some8yearsprevious, in1879.Phinuit described a lady with dark hair, dark eyes and a slim figure, who was “much closer” toHodgson“thananyotherperson”.Hethencorrectlystatedthat“thesecondpartofherfirstnameis–sie”.Hodgsonnotedotherstatementsabout‘Q’,bothcorrectandincorrect,thoughhewasn’talwaysabletosharethedetailsduetotheirextremelypersonalnature:

(a)ThatIhadgivenherabook,Dr.Phinuitthinks,ofpoems,andIhadwrittenhernameinit,inconnectionwithherbirthday.[Correct]

(b) . . . . . . . [Correct.This includesa reference tocircumstancesunderwhichIhadaveryspecialconversationwith ‘Q’. Ithinkitimpossiblethat‘Q’couldhavespokenofthistoanyotherperson.ItoccurredinAustraliain1875.]

(c)Thatshe“left thebody”inEngland,andthatIwasacross thecountry.[This is incorrect. ‘Q’died inAustralia. Iwas inEngland.]

Thisinterminglingofhighlyspecific,correct informationwithoccasionalincorrectstatementswasnodoubt infuriating toHodgson.Henotes thatPhinuit seems tohavebeenparty to thedetailsofa“very special conversation” between just himself and Jessie, half a world away and many yearsbefore. But surely, if it was truly the deceased person talking through themedium, theywouldn’tmakesuchelementarymistakesasnotknowingthecountrythattheydiedin?Atanotherpoint,Phinuitnotedthat‘Q’wasshowinghimherbeautifulteeth,butHodgsonwasquicktopointoutthatthiswasbeyondwrong;“onthecontrary,ayearortwobeforeherdeath,thestateofherteethcompelledthedrawingofa largenumberof them.”But, justasquickly,Hodgsonwas joltedbyadescriptionthatseemedtodefyanyrationalexplanation:

Phinuitthenproceededtogiveageneraldescriptionof‘Q’,rightsofarasitwent,anddescribedtheeyesas“dark”.Shethenbegantorubtherighteyeontheunderside,saying,“There’saspothere.Thiseye(left)isbrown,theothereyehasaspotinitofalightcolour,intheiris.Thisspotisstraggly,ofabluishcast.Itisabirth-mark.Itlooksasifithadbeenthrownon.”

…Iaskedhertodrawit,theresultbeingthefigure,areproductionofwhichisattemptedbelow:

Thiswasdrawnwiththeblock-bookheldawayfromMrs.P.,whereshecouldnotseewhatshewasdrawing,hereyesbeingbehindandclosetotheblock-book.“This(U)isthetoppartoftheiris.This(L)isthebottom.This(P)isthepupil.Thelightpartishere”[makingtheotherlinesinthefigure].

‘Q’hadasplashofwhatIshouldcallgrey(ratherthanblue)intherighteye,occupyingthepositionandhavingverynearlytheshapeassignedbyPhinuit.IshouldhavedrawnitasIrememberit,thus:

Itwasverypeculiar;alittlejaggedintheedges,andsharplyanddistinctlymarkedofffromtherestofthebrowniris.IaskedPhinuithowheobtainedtheinformationabouttheeyes.Hesaidthat‘Q’wasstandingclosetohimandshowinghimherrighteyeso thathecouldsee it clearly,andsaying thatwaswhat Iwanted.Thispeculiarity in theeyewaswhat Ihad inmindwhen IaskedPhinuitforadetaileddescriptionof‘Q’sface.[myemphasis]

Thisisanastounding‘hit’.HodgsonwasseekingproofofJessie’sidentityviaauniquemarkinhereye, and somehow Phinuit/Mrs. Piperwas able to provide it. It is difficult to explain how thiswasachievedwithoutresortingtosomeparanormalexplanation–afacile“luckyguess”justdoesn’tseemtodoitjustice.TotestwhetherMrs.Piperwastrulyinatrance,Hodgsonpinchedhersuddenly(“sometimesrather

severely”),heldalitmatchtoherforearm,andmadehertakeseveraldeepinhalationsofammonia(another researcher poked her with needles without warning). The entranced Mrs. Piper showedabsolutely no reaction to these tests – though, as Hodgson rather coldly noted, she “sufferedsomewhatafterthetrancewasover”.

ThenAlongCameG.P.

Four years into Hodgson’s investigation of Mrs. Piper, the loquacious Dr. Phinuit gained somecompetitionforthemouthpieceofthemedium,whenother‘spirits’beganapparentlytakingcontrolofherhandinordertocommunicateviawriting.Forthenextcoupleofyears,sittingswouldbeamixofbothwrittenandspokencommunication–sometimesatthesametime!HodgsonnotedthatatonesittingPhinuit keptup an especially “rapid andvigorous”hour-longconversationwith two femalesitters,whileanotherspiritsimultaneously‘discussed’othermatterswithaseparatesitterviawriting.The skeptical investigator was so intrigued by this development that he wondered if the left handcouldjoininaswell;“thatitmightbepossibletogetbothhandswritingandPhinuitspeakingallatthesametimeondifferentsubjectswithdifferentpersons”.Andthisinfactdidhappenatasittingin1895!But one of the first, andmost convincing,written communications came in 1892, from a spirit

claiming to be a recently deceased friend of Hodgson’s named George Pellew (referred to inHodgson’s reports simply as ‘G.P.’, and sometimes under the pseudonym of ‘George Pelham’).PellewhaddiedfromanaccidentalfallinFebruary1892,agedjust32.Justoveramonthlater,oneofhis intimate friends had a sitting with Mrs. Piper (as usual, anonymously, this time under thepseudonym“Mr.Hart”),andduringaconversationwithPhinuitregardingthesitter ’sdeceasedUncleGeorge, the recently dead Pellew appears to have begun his post-mortem communication. Phinuitannouncedsuddenly“thereisanotherGeorgewhowantstospeaktoyou”.HewentontogiveG.P.’sfull name correctly, aswell as thenamesof several of his close friends, including the supposedlyanonymous sitter.G.P., through the intermediary of Phinuit, alsomentioned a number of incidentsrelatingtofriendswhichthesitterwasnotawareof,butwhichwereconfirmedafterthesitting.For

example,G.P.hadamessageforoneKatharineHoward:

“Tellher,she’llknow.Iwillsolvetheproblems,Katharine.”Mr.Hartnotes:“Thishadnospecialsignificanceformeatthetime,thoughIwasawarethatKatharine,thedaughterofJimHoward,wasknowntoGeorge,whousedtolivewiththeHowards.On theday following the sitting IgaveMr.Howardadetailedaccountof the sitting.Thesewords, ‘Iwill solve theproblems,Katharine,’impressedhimmorethananythingelse,andatthecloseofmyaccountherelatedthatGeorge,whenhehadlaststayedwiththem,hadtalkedfrequentlywithKatharine(agirloffifteenyearsofageatthetime)uponsuchsubjectsasTime,Space,God,Eternity, and pointed out to her howunsatisfactory the commonly accepted solutionswere.He added that some timehewouldsolvetheproblems,andletherknow,usingalmosttheverywordsofthecommunicationmadeatthesitting.

Beyondtheevidentialstatementsmade,‘JohnHart’wasjustasimpressedbythevraisemblance–whatwe might call the impersonation – of the alleged communicator to his deceased friend, notablythroughtheuseoftheidiosyncraticwordsofgreetingandoccasionalremarksthatthelivingG.P.hademployed.G.P. gradually superceded Phinuit as Mrs. Piper ’s chief control personality, and as he did the

majorityofcommunicationslowlychangedfromspokenwordstowritten.Duringoneof theearlysittingswithG.P.speaking, theyoungKatharineHowardmentionedabovecameinperson.Shewasgreetedbyname,andG.P.askedaboutherviolin,saying itwashorrible tohearherplaying it (thelivingGeorgePellewhadoftenbeenannoyedbyKatharine’sviolinpracticesessionsasachildandwouldletherknowit).Atasubsequentsitting,Katharine’syoungersisterEvelynwaspresent–G.P.apologisedforthegreatdealofteasingthatthelivingGeorgehadindeedtormentedtheyounggirlwith,andthenaskedifsherememberedthelittlebookthathehadgivenherwhichhehadwrittenhernamein.Evelynnotedthatshehadpulledthebookoutjustafewdaysbeforetolookatit.Andwhenthegirls’ fatherJamesHowardaskedforspecificevidence toprovehis identity,G.P.offeredsomeextremely private information that moved Mr. Howard to remark that he had been “perfectlysatisfied”astothecontinuedexistenceofhisfriend.Allinall,Hodgsonnoted,therewereatleast150peoplewhohadsittingswithMrs.Piperafterthe

first appearance of the G.P. personality, and of those 30 were connected with the living GeorgePellew.G.P. recognised all 30, though onewas only a partial recognition – and interestingly, thisindividualwasa ladywhowasonlyagirlwhen the livingGeorgePellew last sawher, somenineyearsprevioustothesitting.Oftheother120+sittersnotconnectedtoPellew,therewasnotonecaseof false recognitionbyG.P.Additionally, though the reports on theG.P. sittings contain amass ofhard-to-explain‘proofs’ofhis identity,Hodgsonwasatpains topointout that“themost importantevidencetendingtoshowthattherealG.P.wasinsomeway‘communicating’cannotbepublished”.WehavetoremembertheerainwhichthePipersittingstookplace:atimewhendiscretioninprivateaffairswas themarkofapropergentlemanor lady.This“most importantevidence” thatHodgsonreferstoconcerned“theconfidentialremembrancesoffriends,dealing…withincidentsofaprivatenaturerelatingtootherpersonsliving”(atthetimeofHodgson’sreport).RichardHodgsoncontinuedtoinvestigateMrs.Piper ’smediumshipuntilhisowndeathin1905–

almosttwodecadesofconstantresearchinwhichtheinitiallyskepticalinvestigatorneveroncefoundseriousreasontobelieveshewasafraud.Hecollectedthousandsofpagesoftestimonyandanalysis,and reams of evidence suggesting that Mrs. Piper had access to information beyond her normalsenses.Hodgson’sofficialconclusionwasparadigm-shattering.Hewas,hesaid,convinced“thatthechief ‘communicators’…havesurvived thechangewecalldeath,and…havedirectlycommunicatedwithus…throughMrsPiper'sentrancedorganism”.Hodgsonwasnotaloneinhissummation.Anotherresearcherwhodevotedanumberofyearsto

studying Mrs. Piper, Professor James Hyslop, concluded that her mediumship provided solidevidence“thatthereisafuturelifeandpersistenceofpersonalidentity”.FredericMyers,oneofthefoundingmembersoftheS.P.R.,saidofhisownsittingsthatthey“leftlittledoubt–nodoubt–thatwe

wereinthepresenceofanauthenticutterancefromasoulbeyondthetomb”.178You read that right. Someof themost learned individuals of the late 19th century investigated a

mediumformorethantwodecades,applyingskepticismateverypoint,andcametotheconclusionthattheyweretalkingtodeadpeople.I’llbetyouweren’ttaughtthatinschool…

TheMediumandtheMessage

Mediumshipisoftendescribedasaphenomenonthatappearedinthemid-19thcenturywiththebirthofthe‘religion’ofSpiritualism,andisevensometimesspecificallydatedto1848,whenthreeyoungsisters–Leah,MargaretandKateFox–causedasensationbyclaimingtobeincontactwithaspiritviarappingorknockingsoundsintheirfamilyhomeinNewYork.Theidentificationwiththisperiodissostrongthatifyoumentiontheword‘medium’tosomeonethesedays,theywilllikelyperceiveadarkened séance room from Victorian times (or more recently, someone like John Edwardinteractingwith his audience on TV). But the phenomenon ofmediumship goes backwell beforeWesterncultureofthelast150years.Indeed,itisasoldashumanhistoryitself–thearchaeologicalrecord and historical literature are full of references to apparent communication with the spiritworld.179Perhapsthemostwell-known‘ancient’referencetomediumshipistheBiblicalcaseofthe‘Witch

ofEndor ’,mentionedintheFirstBookofSamuel.KingSaul,intryingtodeterminethebestcourseof action against the forces of the Philistines, requests that his servants find him “a woman thatdivinethbyaghost,thatImaygotoher,andinquireofher”.ToldthatsuchawomancouldbefoundatEndor,Saulsetsout(indisguise)toseekhercounsel.The‘witch’raisesthespiritoftherecentlydeceasedprophetSamuel,whotellsSaulinnouncertaintermsthattheLordisabitmiffedwithhim,andassuchthatbothIsraelandSaulhimselfwillbedeliveredintothehandsofthePhilistines.Ifthatwasn’tbadnewsenough,Samuel theninformsSaul that“tomorrowshalt thouandthysonsbewithme”– that is,dead.According to theBiblicalnarrative, the followingdaySaul’s armywas indeeddefeatedattheBattleofGilboa,withthreeofhissonsdying,whileSaulcommittedsuicide.InChina,spirit-mediumsareknownaswu,orji-tong,andtheirhistoricalorigincanbetracedback

to at least two thousand years before the time ofChrist.180 In Japan, the itako were blind, usuallyfemale,shamansfromnorthernJapanwhoweresaidtohavetheabilitytocommunicatewiththedead.And the originalword shaman,whichmost of us know today, is taken from theEvenki people ofnorthernSiberia,anddenotesapersonwho,amongothersduties,couldactasavehicleformakingcontactwithdeceasedancestors.TheSpiritualismofthelasttwocenturiesisjustonemoreexampleofthisapparenthumanability,thoughitisperhapsmorefamiliartomostofusduetoitsproximityintime,nottomentiontheculturalsimilarities.The terms ‘medium’ and ‘psychic’ are often used interchangeably, but they actually do have

specific, andquite separate,meanings.Tobe ‘psychic’ simplymeans that a persongains access toinformation via some source beyond our normal senses (e.g. possibly using telepathy, orclairvoyance),whiletheword‘medium’itselfpointsclearlytoitsowndefinition:apersonwhoactsasthemedium,orconduit,forcommunicationfromthespiritworldtoourworld(andviceversa).So,amediumcanalwaysbelabeledpsychic–andthustocallsomeonea‘psychicmedium’isstatingtheobvious–butapsychicmightnotalwaysbeamedium.Mediumsalsocomeindifferentflavours.Physicalmediumshipiswherethecommunicatingspirit

allegedlyinteractswiththephysicalworld:objectsaremoved(sometimeseventeleported),lightsareseen and winds are felt, and sometimes the dead even seem to appear in physical form and walkaround the room.While it may be the most spectacular form of mediumship, it is also the mostcloselyassociatedwithfraud–withséancesoftenheldinthedark(lightapparentlyinterfereswiththe

manifestationofspirits;andalso,convenientlyenough, interfereswithmanifestationsoffraudulenttechniquesofdeception),itisverydifficulttocometoacertainconclusionastowhetherthe‘spirit’that appeared was a genuine paranormal occurrence. While accounts of physical mediumshipcertainlymakeforgoodHallowe’entales–andsomecasesremainamysteryduetotheinexplicablehappeningsduringséances–theyareatopicthatwewillnotcoverindetail.Asopposed tophysicalmediumship,mentalmediumship is concernedwith spirit communication

throughthemindofthemedium,ratherthanphysicalmanifestations.Andmentalmediumshipisoftendividedintotwoparticulartypes:tranceandnon-trance.LeonoraPiperwasanexampleofa trancemedium–shewouldslipintounconsciousness,hernormalpersonalitywouldbe‘putaside’,andanintrudingintelligence,apparentlythatofadeceasedperson,wouldtakeoverthemedium’smind.Thetrance personality would then communicate with sitters by controlling the medium’s body –sometimes holding conversations through the voice of the medium, sometimes via writing (asalreadymentioned,Mrs.Piperdidboth–andattimessimultaneously),andthroughgeneraluseofthebody(waggingfingers,crossingarmsetc.)Oftenin thecaseof trancemediumship,acertainspiritcomestobethemain‘control’ofthemedium–thedesignateddriver,sotospeak–andactsastheintermediary in thespiritworldbetweensittersand thosequeueingup to talk to themon‘theotherside’,retainingdirectcontrolofthemedium’sbodyduringséancesoverthecourseofmanyyears.Inthe Piper case, the firstmain controlwas “Dr. Phinuit”, whowas succeeded by the “G.P.” controlmanyyearslater,amongothers.Non-trancementalmediumship includes the sub-groupmost are familiarwith today – the John

Edward-style medium who remains conscious, but gets feelings, hints and visions from the deadcommunicator.Theymightgettheletterofaname,orbeshownanobjectthatisametaphorforsomeimportantfacetofthesitter ’srelationshipwiththespirit;inmanyways,communicationthroughthistypeofmediumseemstobesymbolic,deliveredthroughimpressionsratherthandirectcontact.Butthisisnottheonlytypeofnon-trancementalmediumship.Anotherclaimedwayofconversingwiththedeadisthroughtheuseof‘motorautomatisms’,whereconsciouscontrolofpartsofthebodyisrelinquished, allowing (supposed) outside intelligences to take control. Most readers would befamiliar with one such method that has become a stock standard of the supernatural and horrorgenres:theOuijaBoard.Aperson(orgroup)putstheirhandonthepointer(‘planchette’),andwithoutconsciouslywillingit tomove,allowsit tospelloutwordsandmessages,oranswerquestions,viathemarkingsontheboard.Anothermethodiswhatisknownasautomaticwriting,wherethemediumrelinquishes conscious control of their writing arm, and through either trance, or usually at leastenteringaslightlydissociativestate,allowsthearmto‘becontrolled’andwritemessages.

TheEnigmaticMrs.Leonard

When the Society for Psychical Research set out to investigate the possibility of there being anafterlife,theyinvestigatedalltypesofmediums.Butoverthefollowingfewdecades,thereal‘stars’whoseemedtoofferevidenceofthesurvivalofhumanpersonalityafterdeathwerementalmediums,andofthose,mostoftentrancemediums.Aswehaveseen,LeonoraPiperwasofthistype.Anothertrancemediumwho impressed the S.P.R. wasMrs. GladysOsborne Leonard. LikeMrs. Piper andmanyothermediums(andshamans,itmightbenoted),Mrs.Leonard’sabilitymanifestedatanearlyage–sheoftensawvisions,but theexpressionofhertalentwasfrowneduponanddiscouragedbyherconservativeparents.181Asanadult though,hermediumshipmanifestedagainwhen,at a ‘fun’table-tippingséancewithfriends,shesuddenlyfellintotrance,andwastoldafterwardsthatthespiritofhermother,andayounggirlofIndiandescentcalled‘Feda’,hadapparentlyspokenthroughher.FedawentontobecomeMrs.Leonard’scontrolduringheroccasionaltrances,andastheFirstWorld

Warapproached,warnedofanimpendingcatastrophethatwouldrequireMrs.Leonardtodevoteallhertimetoactingasamediumtohelppeopleconnectwiththeotherworld.LikeMrs.Piper,Mrs.LeonardallowedherselftobestudiedbytheS.P.R.foralargeportionofher

life,fromthebeginningsofhercareerwiththeFirstWorldWaruntilafterWorldWarIIhadcometoanend.AndaswithMrs.Piper,theS.P.R.appliedaskepticalattitudetotheirinvestigation,tothepointofhavingdetectivesshadowMrs.Leonardtodetermineifshewasresearchingsitters’details.TodayMrs.PiperandMrs.Leonardareconsideredthetwoforemostmediumstohaveundergonescientifictesting.WehavealreadyseensomeofMrs.Piper ’swork,solet’stakeaquicklookatsomeofMrs.Leonard’ssittings.Inonecase,theReverendCharlesDraytonThomaswasaskedbyawell-knowncriticofsurvival

researchtoattempttocontactadeceasedindividual,oneFredericWilliamMacaulay,onbehalfofhisdaughter,Mrs.Lewis.The followingpassagegivesFeda’s communication,withMrs.Lewis’s laterfeedback:

FEDA:ThereisaJohnandHarry,bothwithhim.AndRace…Rice…Riss…itmightbeReecebutsoundslikeRiss,andFrancis.Theseareallnamesofpeoplewhoareconnectedwithhimorlinkedupwithhiminthepast,connectedwithhappytimes.Igetthefeelingofanactiveandbusyhomeinwhichhewasratherhappy.

[MRSLEWIS:This isaverycuriouspassage…Probablythehappiest timeofmyfather’s lifewasinthefourorfiveyearsbeforethewar,whenwe,hisfivechildren,wereallatschool,andthehomewaspackedwithourfriendsduringtheholidays.John,HarryandFranciscouldbethreeofthese…Butthemostinterestingpassageis‘ItmightbeReecebutitsoundslike‘Riss’…MyelderbrotherwasatschoolatShrewsburyandthereconceivedakindofhero-worshipforoneofthe‘Tweaks’(sixthformboys)whose namewasRees.Hewrote home about him several times and always drew attention to the fact that the namewas spelt‘Rees’andnot‘Reece’.IntheholidaysmysisterandIusedtoteasehimbysinging‘NotReecebutRiss’untilmyfatherstoppedus…]

FEDA:Igetafunnywordnow…couldhebeinterestedin…bathsofsomekind?Ah,hesaysIhavegottherightword,baths,Hespellsit,BATHS.Hisdaughterwillunderstand,hesays.Itisnotsomethingquiteordinary,butfeelssomethingspecial.

[MRSLEWIS:Thisis,tome,themostinterestingthingthathasyetemerged.Bathswerealwaysamatterofjokeinourfamily–myfatherbeingveryemphaticthatwatermustnotbewastedbyourhavingtoobigbaths…Itisdifficulttoexplainhowintimateadetailthisseems.]182

ThefinalpointfromMrs.Lewisaboveisworthemphasizing.Whenwediscussthetopicofafterlifeevidence, it’sveryeasy toget into“explain itaway”mode– in theabovecase,wecouldall fit theword‘bath’intoourupbringingandrelationshipwithourfathersomehow.What’sthebigdeal?ButMrs.Lewismakesthepointthatthisreallywasmorethanjustageneralstatement–theword‘bath’,inrelationship toher father, held suchpersonalmeaning forher that she struggled toput intowordsexactly“howintimate”thiscommunicationwas.Butevenifwediscardthisextremelymeaningfulandsuccessfulhit,westillhavetheidiosyncratic

“Not Reece but Riss” comment to explain away. And, beyond that, Feda kept piling on the extraevidence:

FEDA:Godfrey;will you ask the daughter if she remembers someone calledGodfrey.That name is a great linkwith oldtimes.

[MRS LEWIS:My father’smost trusted clerk, onewho specially helped in [his] hydraulic research, was calledWilliamGodfrey.HewaswithmyfatherforyearsandIrememberhimfromalmostmyearliestchildhood.]

FEDA:What is that?Peggy…Peggy…Puggy…He isgivingmea littlename likePuggyorPeggy.Sounds like a specialname,alittlespecialnickname,andIthinkitissomethinghisdaughterwouldknow.

[MRSLEWIS:Myfathersometimescallme‘pug-nose’or‘Puggy’.]

Whenweseeanumberofintimatedetailssuchasintheabovesitting–culminatinginthemediumaccuratelyoffering thefather ’sspecialnameforhisdaughter– it’shard todismiss thefeeling thatperhaps, justperhaps, something interestingmightbegoingon.Andafter the sittingsonbehalfofMrs. Lewis, the skepticwho instigated the contact – classical scholar E.R.Dodds –wasmoved tomuch the same conclusion. In contemplating the summary of the sittings – of 124 pieces ofinformationgiven,95wereclassifiedunder‘right/good/fair ’,andonly29as‘poor/doubtful/wrong’–henotedthat“thehypothesesoffraud,rational influencefromdisclosedfacts, telepathyfromthesitter,andcoincidencecannoteithersinglyorincombinationaccountfortheresultsobtained”.Theexperiment,hesaid,seemedtopresentinvestigatorswithachoicebetweentwoparadigm-shatteringconclusions: either Mrs. Leonard was reading the minds of living people and presenting theinformation so obtained, or shewas passing on the thoughts ofminds “other than that of a livingperson”.Doddsconcluded thathecouldseenoplausiblemeansofdeparting fromthis“staggeringdilemma”.183AswithMrs.Piper,bookscouldbe(andhavebeen)filledwiththefascinatingevidenceprovidedby

Mrs.Leonard,butwe’llhavetosettlehereforjustonemorecase.MaryWhitewasadistraughtwifewhowrotetotheresearchersoftheS.P.R.whenherhusbandGwytherdiedfromstomachcancer,agedjust38.Thecouplehadsharedadeeplove,andMaryhadtakenthelosssohardthatherfriendsfearedforherlife.184Inafitofdesperation,shereachedouttotheinvestigatorsoftheS.P.R.tohelpherfindreassurancethatGwytherlivedoninsomefashion.An investigatorby thenameofNeaWalker responded toMary,offering tositwithmediumson

behalfof thebereavedwidow inaneffort tocontactGwyther.Shemanaged tocollecta substantialamountofevidencefromanumberofmediums,oneofwhomwasMrs.Leonard.Forexample,justasinthecaseofMrs.Lewismentionedabove,themediumwasabletoofferthepetnamesthatMaryand Gwyther had for each other. Mrs. Leonard asked: “What am I getting B for?”, despite notknowing thatMary’s pet name for her husbandwas ‘Bee’.Mrs. Leonard’s control personality, thechild-like‘Feda’,thenreferredtoapiano:“Mrs.Nea,youknowthepiano,youtaponhisteeth,theone with the big white teeth?” When Mary read the transcript of this sitting, she was amazed.“Gwytheroftencalledmypiano‘theanimalwiththebigwhiteteeth’,”shenoted.Nea Walker then organized for Mary White to have a sitting with Mrs. Leonard, but as an

anonymous guest so that the medium was unaware of her identity. In the very first sitting, Mrs.LeonardspelledoutGwyther ’spetnameforhiswife:‘Biddy’.Marynotedthatthisparticularnamewasveryspecial,asitwasonlyGwytherthatusedit.Healsomentioned“thehouseofsweetscents”,whichwasaspecificphrasethathehadinventedtodescribepotpourri.Butagain, aswithMrs.Piper,perhaps the strongest evidencewasunable tobe shareddue to the

privatenatureofthecommunication.“DoyouknowwhathemeansabouttheShrine?”,Mrs.Leonardsaid.“Itisconnectedwiththatchair…Helikestogointhereatnight.ThatisourHolyofHolies–whereImeetyou,sospecially,sospiritually.Ispeakofmylovetoyou.Andthere–andthere,youmakeme feel I amgoing to have you again”.MaryWhitewas unequivocal in her readingof thisparticular communication, though reticent to share thedetails. “Idonotwish to annotate this”, shestated, but was at pains to confirm that it was “full ofmeaning. Gwyther can giveme no greaterevidenceofhisnearnessorofhisintimateassociationwithmyinmostself”.And,aswithMrs.Piper ’s‘impersonations’,beyondtheprovocativeevidencethatcomesdownto

ustodayinwrittenform,therewasevenmoretothesittingsforthosepresentinthewaythemediumtransmittedthepersonality–dareweevensaythe‘soul’–of thedeceasedindividual, inawaythatwasimmediatelyrecognizable.

ExplainingItAway

Beforewegotoofardowntherabbit-holethough,perhapsweshouldstopforasecondandstandinfrontofafirehoseofice-coldwater.Mediumshipisanareathathashad,throughoutitshistory,morethanitsfairshareofcharlatans,con-menand,frankly,ratherunhingedpeople.There’sareasonforthat: people die all the time, and always leave behind other devastated, vulnerable people, who insomecaseswillgiveanythingtofeelconnectedtotheirlostfamilymembersandfriendsonemoretime.Itisthereforenotsurprisingthatconartistshaveattimesprofitedhandsomelybyexploitingthismisfortuneanddesperation.Afterall,whatpricewouldyouputonbeingable to talkoncemoretoyourlostchildorspouse,whomyouthoughtyouhadlostforever?So, could it be that the extraordinary examples of ‘afterlife contact’ that we’ve seen in the

precedingchapterswereproducedbyall-too-worldlymeans?Throughouthistory,varioustechniquesoffakemediumshavecometolight.Perhapsthemostwell-known,atleastinrecentyears,iswhatisknown as ‘cold reading’, or ‘fishing’: the medium starts with vague, educated guesses and thenfocusesononlythepositiveresponsesfromthesitter,becomingmorespecificasthesittercontinuesto‘bite’onthesuccessesandofferusefulfeedback.Bytheendofthesitting,itseemsasifthemediumhas absolutely nailed the identity of the ‘communicator ’, though in reality the sitter has providednearlyalltheinformation.Forinstance,afakemediumsittingwithamiddle-agedBritishpersoninthe last coupleof decadesmight offer something like: “I’mgetting a father or grandfather figure,connectedwithaJname”.Giventheplethoraof‘J’names(John,Jim,Jacketc),andtheweaselwordof“connected” (perhapshiswifeJane,his friendJerry?), themediumis likely toget somesortofpositivefeedbackfromthesitterastotheidentityofthelovedone,whichtheywouldthenfocusonfurther.Theymightthrowinsomethinglike“there’saconnectionwiththearmy,orawar”,knowingfullwellthatbothparentsandgrandparentsofmiddle-agedBritishpeoplelivedthroughtheeraofthetwoWorldWars.Iftheygotahitonthat,thentheycouldbeginfocusingonthataspect.Andsoon.Fakemediumsalsousewhatistermedthe‘ForerEffect’totheiradvantage.Thisisthetendencyfor

people toascribeapersonalconnection tovague,verygeneralstatementsabouthumanpersonalitythatapplytomostpeople(alsoknownas‘Barnumstatements’,inreferencetoaquotebythefamousentertainmentbusinessmanP.T.Barnum:"we'vegotsomethingforeveryone”).TheForerEffectgetsitsnamefrompsychologistBertramR.Forer,whoin1948gavea“uniquepersonalitytest”toeachofhisstudents,whichheaskedthemtorate–onascaleof0(verypoor)to5(excellent)–accordingtohowwellitmatchedtheirownpersonality:

Youhaveagreatneedforotherpeopletolikeandadmireyou.Youhaveatendencytobecriticalofyourself.Youhaveagreatdealofunusedcapacitywhichyouhavenot turnedtoyouradvantage.Whileyouhavesomepersonalityweaknesses,youare generally able to compensate for them. Your sexual adjustment has presented problems for you. Disciplined and self-controlledoutside,youtendtobeworrisomeandinsecureinside.Attimesyouhaveseriousdoubtsastowhetheryouhavemadetherightdecisionordonetherightthing.Youpreferacertainamountofchangeandvarietyandbecomedissatisfiedwhenhemmedin by restrictions and limitations. You pride yourself as an independent thinker and do not accept others' statements withoutsatisfactoryproof.Youhavefounditunwisetobetoofrankinrevealingyourselftoothers.Attimesyouareextroverted,affable,sociable,whileatothertimesyouareintroverted,wary,reserved.Someofyouraspirationstendtobeprettyunrealistic.Securityisoneofyourmajorgoalsinlife.

Theaverageratingfromstudentswas4.26outof5,rightattheupperendofthescale,despiteeverystudentgettingexactlythesamepersonalitytest.It isquiteobvioushowsimilarstatementscouldbeusedbypsychicsandmediumsinordertoforgeaconnectionwiththeirsitters,whowouldcomeoutafterwardswiththefeelingthatthemediumsomehow‘knew’theirinnermostthoughts.ColdreadingandtheForerEffectcanevenbefoundincaseswherethemediumactuallybelieves

their own abilities are genuine – they simply pick up the information they need during the sittingthrough intuitive hunches and unintentional fishing, and sprinkle their reading with Barnum

statements.Bytheend,bothmediumandsitterarepleasantlysurprisedbyhowmanyitemstheygotright!But the same does not apply to ‘hot reading’, which is the generally wilful act of collecting

informationpriortothesittingtakingplace.Forinstance,atthetimeoftheS.P.R.’sinvestigations,itwaswell-knownthatsomefakemediumswouldsearchthroughnewspaperobituaries,townrecords,andgraveyardsforinformationthattheywould‘miraculously’pulloutofthinairatthelatersitting.Suchmediumscouldalsoforma‘gang’ofsorts,sharinginformationbetweenthemselves,rangingfromtheiroriginalresearchthroughtospecific(oftenemotionallycharged)factsandrelationshipsthatcametolight,directlyfromthesitter,duringsubsequentsittings.Inhis1976exposéThePsychicMafia,fakemediumM.LamarKeenetoldofeavesdroppingonsitters’conversationsbeforemeetingthem in person using an “electronic sound collector”; visitors to a ‘psychic centre’ in the UnitedKingdomweretoldtoleavetheirbelongingsinthecloakroom,whichwerethenrifledthroughforpersonal information.185 We can only imagine how important Facebook has become as aninformation-gatheringtoolformodern-dayfakemediums…Beyond those techniques, some fake mediums also employed the techniques of stage magic in

ordertoachieveamazingeffects.Manyofthesewerelimitedtothe‘tricks’ofphysicalmediumship,but some methods were still successfully employed to create the illusion of mental mediumship.Perhaps themost jaw-droppingof these,at least in itseffect, iswhat isknownas‘musclereading’.Muscle reading takesadvantageof the ideomotoreffect,whereveryslight involuntary reactions toquestions,andevenyour innermost thoughts,canbeascertained throughphysicalcontact,oftenbyholding a person’s hand or wrist. For example, some magicians have a stock trick of getting anaudience member to hide something in the performance hall, which they then go about locatingsimply by holding the wrist of the person who hid the item, in order to detect their unconsciousmusclemovements that betray the correct location. Somemagicians have even been successful incity-wide versions of this find-and-seek game. By holding the hand or wrist during a sitting, amediumcouldascertaintheanswerstoquestionsthattheypose,amazingthosepresent.There are even more techniques than I have mentioned here, but this short education on the

techniquesofdeceptionusedbyfakemediumsshouldatleast,Ihope,makeitabsolutelyclearthatweneedtobeespeciallycarefulnottoblindlyacceptclaimsofmediumship.Butconverselyweshouldalsobecarefulnot toextendtheexistenceoffakemediums,andthenumerouswaysthatwecanbefooled,toabroadconclusionthattherearenogenuinemediums.Weshouldalwaysexaminecasesontheirmerits,bylookingattheevidence,andapplyingwhatweknowaboutdeception(includingself-deception),inordertocometosomesortofaconclusion,evenifwejustmarkitas‘provisional’.Ibringthispointupbecauseinrecenttimesthereseemstobeatendencytoquoteskepticalopinionsasthefinalwordonthistopic,eventhoughsometimestheymightcontainasmuchdubiousinformationasafakemedium’sséance.Asanexample,let’slookatthecaseofMrs.Piper.

TheSkepticalGardner

Therehavebeen fewprofessional skepticsof the standingofMartinGardner.Abrilliantacademicwhowasalsowell-versedinmagictechniques,Gardner–whopassedawayaged95inMay2010–published more than seventy books on such diverse topics as mathematics, science, philosophy,literatureandskepticism.DouglasHofstadter,noslouchon the intellectual fronthimself,describedGardneras“oneofthegreatintellectsproducedinthiscountryinthiscentury.”Hewasalsooneofthe pioneers of the modern ‘organised skepticism’ movement, writing a deconstruction ofpseudoscience in the 1950s titled In the Name of Science that would inspire many to becomechampions of critical thinking. In the summation of one authority, Gardner was “the single most

powerfulcriticoftheparanormalinthesecondhalfofthe20thcentury”.GardnerfamouslywroteacriticalpieceonthemediumshipofMrs.Piper,withthetitle“HowMrs.

Piper Bamboozled William James”, which is regularly quoted by skeptics in response to anydiscussionofhermediumship(it isalsocitedinherentryonWikipedia).InGardner ’ssummation,thelegendofMrs.PipergrewoutofthepoorinvestigativeskillsofWilliamJames:“HadJamesbeenbetter informedabout techniquesofdeception,practicedbymagicians andmediums,hewouldnothave been so impressed by Mrs. Piper ’s carefully contrived persona”, said Gardner. “Moreover,Jameshadonlyaweakcomprehensionofhowtoconductcontrolledtestsofmediums”.Hepointedoutthat“Mrs.Piperusuallyheldaclient’shandthroughoutasitting”,implyingthatshe

usedmuscle reading toascertain someofher informationabout sitters.Healso suggested that sheusedhotreadingto‘getup’informationaboutherclientsbeforetheyarrived.Buthismainaccusationwas that she used cold-reading extensively: according toGardner, records ofMrs.Piper ’s séances“showplainly thathercontrolsdidanenormousamountofwhatwascalled ‘fishing’,and today iscalled‘coldreading’.”All this seems like a fairly comprehensive debunking of Mrs. Piper ’s apparent talents. Martin

Gardner,theintellectandmagician,sawrightthroughherdeception,andhaspointedouttotherestofusexactlyhowshedidit.Perhapsacasualreaderwouldthinkso,butthecaseofMrs.Piperhasbeenaspecial interest of mine for a number of years, and with the benefit of reading all the originalresearchIhavetosaythatGardnerisleadingreadersastray.Forinstance,toarriveathisconclusionthat “cunning cold readingmay account for most ofMrs. Piper ’s hits”, Gardner appears to havecompletelyignoredthetestimonyoftheoriginalresearchers.Oneoftheprimaryinvestigatorsofthecase,ProfessorJamesHyslop,saidhe“appliedfishing,guessing,shrewdinference,andsuggestion”asexplanationsforherhits“andfoundthemwanting”.ProfessorWilliamNewboldnotedthatbothheandRichardHodgson“haveseenmuchofprofessionalmediums,andare thoroughlyfamiliarwiththemethodsof ‘fishing’uponwhich theygenerally rely.Hencewealwayshadsuchpossibilities inmind,anditwouldhavebeenimpossibleforanylargeamountofdetailedinformationtohavebeenextracted from us in this way without our knowledge”. Even Frank Podmore – the residentcurmudgeonof theS.P.R., alwayswilling to put forward a skeptical viewonmediums– explicitlynotedthatthehypothesisofcoldreadingwas“clearlyinadequatetoexplainevenasmallfraction”ofMrs.Piper ’ssittings.On the charge ofmuscle reading,Gardner appears to have ignored the testimony of SirOliver

Lodge, who explained that he was “familiar with muscle-reading and other simulated ‘thought-transference’methods”, and avoided any sort of contact that could offer the chance of this takingplace.LodgealsoofferedclarityonGardner ’sstatementthatMrs.Piperusuallyheldpeople’shands:“AlthoughMrs.Piperalwaysheldsomebody’shandwhilepreparingtogointothetrance,shedidnotalwayscontinuetoholditwhenspeakingasPhinuit”.Gardneralsofailedtonotethat,forthemajorityof hermediumship – from 1892 onwards –Mrs. Piper communicated viawriting and didn’t holdpeople’shandsatall.Andintermsofhotreading,wecanonlyaskhowMrs.Pipergotupinformationonsitterswhen

theywereusuallybookedanonymously,manyhadneverbeentoamediumbefore,andtheS.P.R.hadMrs. Piper and her husband shadowed by detectives. As Frank Podmore noted regarding thepossibilitythatMrs.Pipercouldhaveacquiredinformationonsittersbeforetheyarrived:

[Mrs.Piper]…didnotevenknowtheirnames…Thesittingswerefixedsometimesafortnight,sometimesonlytwoorthreedays beforehand; the dateswere sometimes changed… in one or other of these instances the precautions takenmayhavebeeninsufficient…Butitwouldbeverydifficulttosupposethatthatloopholewasalwaysleftopen,thatmalignchancefavoredMrs.Piperfornineyearssopunctuallythatthesittingswhichhavetobewrittendownasfailuresnownumberbarely10percent.

ThatMrs.Pipershouldhaveworkedupthedossiersofallthesitterssometimebeforewaspracticallyimpossible.

AndRichardHodgson,theprimaryinvestigatorinthePipercase,whoarrivedfullofskepticismandwith a comprehensive knowledge of techniques of deception, made clear that all of Gardner ’spossibilitieswereinhisownmindbeforehesetoutonhisinvestigation.Hewas,hesaid…

…compelled to assume, in the first instance, that Mrs. Piper was fraudulent and obtained her information previously byordinarymeans, such as inquiries by confederates, etc…further information given in various ways by the sitter, consciously orunconsciously,byspeech,gesture,andothermuscularaction.

Who should we trust more? The original investigators, who covered all of these areas in theirinvestigation,orMartinGardner,writingacenturylater,whoappearstohavedisregardedalloftheoriginal research and testimony?Regardless of anyone’s final conclusion on the topic, superficialdebunkings such as Gardner ’s are detrimental to our understanding of the phenomenon ofmediumship – the case of Mrs. Piper (and other impressive mediums) demands detailed and fairdiscussionanddebate,purelyontheevidencecollectedandtheramificationsofapositiveconclusion.TogivetheS.P.R.’sskepticalvoice,FrankPodmore,thefinalsayonthePipercaseandtheevidencethatneedstobeproducedtolevelachargeoffraud:

[T]heabundanceofthematerial,thefullnessoftherecords,thewatchfulsupervisionexercisedoverthemediumherselfforsomeyearspast, and theextraordinaryandalmostuniformlyhigh levelof success,make these recordsmuchmorenoteworthythananypreviousaccountsofthekind…Inalltheseyears–nowthirteenormore–duringwhichMrs.Piperhasbeenunderthecloseobservation,firstofProfessorWilliamJames,andafterwardsofDr.Hodgsonandothercompetentpersons–thoughshehasbeen shadowed by detectives, though her personal luggage, as Professor Lodge has told us, has been searched, hercorrespondenceread,hergoings-outandcomings-incloselywatched–duringall theseyearsnot thesmallestcircumstancehascometolightreflectinginanywayuponherhonesty.Certainlynoothermediumhasbeenexposedtosostringentanordeal…Dr.Hodgson himself…[has] succeeded in bringing home the charge of dishonesty to very many professional mediums, that thismedium should have passed through themost searching and prolonged inquirieswithout even a rumour of an exposure, or thediscoveryofanysuspiciouscircumstances,isafactentitledtosomeweight.

Inaword,ifMrs.Piper’stranceutterancesareentirelyfoundedonknowledgeacquiredbynormalmeans,Mrs.Pipermustbeadmittedtohaveinauguratedanewdepartureinfraud.Nothingtoapproachthishaseverbeendonebefore.Ontheassumptionthatallso-calledclairvoyanceisfraudulent,wehaveseentheutmostwhichfraudhasbeenabletoaccomplishinthepast,andatitsbestitfallsimmeasurablyshortofMrs.Piper’sachievements.Now,thatinitselfrequiresexplanation…Ontheassumptionoffraudthetremendousgulfbetweenherandthemisanalmostinsuperableobstacle.

Martin Gardner ’s oft-cited debunking of Mrs. Piper ’s mediumship shows a tendency in manyscientists and skeptics to quickly (and far too eagerly) write off anything that seems outside theboundaries of orthodox science,without giving the evidence due respect. This isn’t exactly a newphenomenon–WilliamJameswrotemorethanacenturyagooftheratherironictendencytoresorttounscientificthinkinginordertotryandprotecttheedificeofsciencefrom‘outsideinvaders’suchasafterliferesearch.Inresponsetoacriticwhohadtakenhimtotaskforhisthoughtsontheevidenceforsurvivalafterdeath,Jameseloquentlybemoanedthedifficultiesinvolvedingettingafairhearingforthishereticalsubject:

…Thescientificmindisbythepressureofprofessionalopinionpainfullydrilledtofairnessandlogicindiscussingorthodoxphenomena. But in such mere matters of superstition as a medium’s trances it feels so confident of impunity and indulgencewhateveritmaysay,provideditbeonlycontemptuousenough,thatitfairlyrevelsintheuntrainedbarbarians’arsenaloflogicalweapons,includingallthevarioussophismsenumeratedinthebooks.

Indismissingthehistoryofresearchintomediumship,modernskepticsoftenseemalltoowillingtoignorethecalibreoftheresearchersinvolved,andthetechniquestheybroughttobearinrulingoutdeception.Forexample,the‘proxysitting’–inwhichanindividualwithlittleknowledgeofthesitter

andtheirrelationshipwiththecommunicatortakestheirplaceintalkingtothemedium–aroseasanew technique to try and remove thepossibilityof cold reading. In the caseofMaryandGwytherWhite,NeaWalker servedas aproxy sitterwithMrs.Leonard, andwithno real knowledgeof theWhiteswasunableinanycapacity–consciouslyorunconsciously–togivefeedbackandcluestothemedium’sprobingstatements.AsauthorMichaelGrossonotes,theobjectinthiscase“wastogetasmuchevidence aspossibleof thepersonality and identityofMr.White throughmediumswhohadneverseenorheardofeitherMr.orMrs.White,workingwithsitterswhohadalsoseenneitherandwhopracticallyknewnothingofthemandtheirlifetogether”.186

Super-Psi:LeapsEveryMysteryinaSingleBound

Theproxysittingtechniquewasalsodevisedtoaddressanotherpossibleexplanationformediumisticcommunications,thoughit’sonethatyoudefinitelywon’theartoooftenfromskeptics:thepossibilitythattheinformationbeinggivenwasgainedviatelepathyfromthemindsoftheliving(orviaother‘paranormal’means, such as clairvoyance, or precognition).This theory, knownas the ‘super-psi’explanation, says that if suchpowersexist–as is suggestedbyanumberof (much-debated) recentscientificreports–thenwehavenoneedtoentertaintheaddedideathatpeoplearecommunicatingfromtheafterlife.Whilethisislogicallytrue,inmanywaysthesuper-psiexplanationfeelslikeabitofacop-out–inthisscenario,themediumbecomes‘all-seeing’,andanyanomalousinformationcanbeexplainedawaybyherallegedsuper-powers.Somuchsothatwestartwonderingwhethersuchascenarioisanymorelikelythantheafterlifeexplanation.Foranexampleofthedisruptiveforceofthesuper-psiexplanation,considerthisfairlyconvincing

casefromtheinvestigationofMrs.Leonard.OneoftheS.P.R.’smembers,oneLionelG.Aitken,hadlosthissoninanaccident,andinformationaboutthedeceasedyoungmanbeganappearingatsittingsbetweenCharlesDraytonThomasandMrs.Leonard.MuchoftheinformationgivenwasregardedashighlyevidentialbyMr.Aitken,buthewasbaffledbyafewitems.Forinstance,atasittinginJanuary1939, ‘Feda’noted that“therewassomebodyelsehewasvery interested in, thatperhapsyoudon’tknow…anamethatstartswiththeletterB,andIthinkthereisanRinit…itmightbeaMr.Brick”.Acoupleofweekslater,Fedaonceagainbroughtup“anamestartingwithBR”,andasked“ifthereisanythingtodowithhimlikealittleship…oralittlemodelofaship”.AccordingtoFedathisyoungmanhadalsopassedover,“ratherearlyinhisearthlife”.Mr.Aitkencouldnotmakeanysenseofthis‘Br ’individual,connectedwithaship.Itwasn’tuntil

hisother,stilllivingsonreadthedetailsofthesittingthatthemysterywassolved–itwasinformationthathehad‘requested’thathisdeadbrothersendhimtoprovethathelivedon:

HeandhisdeceasedbrotherhadbeenfriendsatanRAFStationwithayoungofficercalledBRIDGEN–whomwehadnotheardof–andwhohadbeenkilledaboutayearaftermyson.

Thisyoungman,beforejoiningtheRAF,hadworkedforafirmwhichmadescalemodelsofshipsforshippingcompanies,andhehadshownmysonaphotographofoneofthesemodelswhichhehadmadehimselfandwhichhesaidhispeoplestillhadathome.My sonhad felt sure that thismatter of themodel shipwould begivenas a sign if theywere unable to get the namethroughcorrectly.187[myemphasis]

Inacorroboratingletter,thesonhimselfnotedthathewastheonlymemberofthefamilystillalivethat knew of Bridgen, and that prior to the sittings he had specifically asked his dead brother tocommunicatetheidentityofthiscommonfriendthroughthemedium,inordertoproveitwasreallyhim‘talkingfromtheotherside’.Tothelivingson,“thereplywasunmistakable”.188Sohowdoweexplain thiscase?First, thiswasaproxysitting,withThomasstandinginforMr.

Aitken.Beyondthat, informationcamethroughthatwasn’tevenknownbytheelderMr.Aitken,butwasonlyknowntothetwosons,onelivingandonedead.What’smore,thelivingsonhaddirectlyrequestedhisdeceasedbrothersendtheinformationthatappearstohavecomethroughthemedium.Theafterlifeexplanationseemstofitperfectly.Skepticaltheoriesseemunabletoaccountforthecase.But thesuper-psiexplanationsays there isnoneedfor theafterlifehypothesis: instead, themediumsimplyfishedthisrequest,andtherequiredanswer,outofthelivingson’shead.Wecannotdisprovethisnotion,soit largelycomesdowntoaquestionofwhichseemsmoreplausibletous.Forthosewhoare,forwhateverreason,againstthenotionofanafterlife,thesuper-psiexplanationwouldseemto be a ‘less complicated’ solution – removing the whole question of a location of post-deathexistence,andconcentratingsimplyonas-yetunexplainedpowersofthemind.Butifwelookcloseratcasesliketheabove,westarttowonderwhetheritreallyissimpler.Whywouldthemedium‘fish’therequestfromthemindoftheyoungMr.Aitken?Didhisdesirelinkhismindsomehowtohers?Howdominds ‘read’ each other?And, extending that, ifminds can do these amazing things, thenperhapsmindismadeofathingbeyondthephysical,andisnotrestrictedtolifeinaphysicalbody?That is, once we begin exploring the idea of super-psi, we often end up standing in the sameneighbourhoodthatwedowiththeafterlifehypothesis.Onceagain,weare leftwitha judgementcallonevidence that seems to suggestanafterlife,but

whichcouldalsobe‘explained’byotherconvolutedprocesses.Whydowestruggletotakethatleaptotheanswerthatseemsthesimplestexplanation?

TheCross-Correspondences

To try and beat the super-psi explanation, a further technique was developed: the cross-correspondence.Meanttoascertainwhetherthecommunicationthroughmediumswastrulyfrom‘thedead’, thismaybeperhaps themost ironic inventionever,because itwas, apparently,devisedbyadeadpersonandcommunicatedthroughamedium!At the turnof the20th century theS.P.R.had suffered twomortalwounds,with thedeathsof co-

foundersHenrySidgwickandFredericMyers,in1900and1901respectively.Untilthatpointthetwomenhadbeendrivingforcesof thesocietyfor twodecades,pouringall theirefforts into trying toanswerthequestionofwhethertherewasanafterlife.ButwhenanothermemberoftheS.P.R.beganreceivingmessagesviaautomaticwritingthatweresignedoffwiththename“Myers”,itseemedthatthey intended to continue their efforts from beyond the grave. And they did so via the cross-correspondences.Thebasicpremiseofwhatbecameknownasthecross-correspondenceswasoutlinedverysimply

byoneofthecommunicators:“Recordthebitsandwhenfittedtheywillmakethewhole”.Theplan,itseems,wasforacommunicatoron‘theotherside’tobeginwithacoherentidea,whichwouldthenbedividedintopieces–likeajigsawpuzzle–anddistributedtoanumberofmediumsscatteredaroundtheworld.Thepiecesontheirownwouldnotmakesensetoeachmedium,orthosesittingwiththem,butoncetheyhadbeenrecognisedaspiecesofthepuzzleandreassembled,theoverallpicturewouldbecome apparent. Also, as further proof this revealed ‘picture’ would be seen to relate to thepersonalityofthedeceasedcommunicatorinsomeway.Tomakeananalogy,wemightcompareittoa gamewhere we telephone (or email) various friends around the world, giving them a piece ofinformationrelatedtoourselves,andthengetthemalltoreassemblethepiecestorevealacoherent,idiosyncraticideathatidentifiesusasthecommunicator.Themaincommunicatorsinthecrosscorrespondencesclaimedtobetheafterlifeincarnationsof

Myers, Sidgwick, and another important S.P.R. member, Edmund Gurney, who had died in 1888.However, the cross-correspondencemethod was used for a long period (some 31 years, between

1901and1932),andassuchtherewerenumerousothersinvolvedatvarioustimes.Interestingly,themediumswhowere given the puzzle pieceswere nearly all ‘amateurs’ – S.P.R.memberswho haddeveloped the skill of automatic writing out of their own personal interest (one major exceptionbeing the leading lightof theS.P.R.'s research effort,Mrs.Piper), and sohadno financial stake insuccess.Anumberof theseamateurmediumswerereferredtounderpseudonymsinreportsonthecase in order to protect their reputations. They includedMrs. Margaret Verrall and her daughterHelen,‘Mrs.Willett’(Mrs.WinifredCoombe-Tennant,aprominentBritishsuffragette,politician,andphilanthropistwhowouldbecomethefirstBritishwomanelectedtotheLeagueofNations),and‘Mrs.Holland’(Mrs.Fleming,thesisterofRudyardKipling).Given the academic experienceof the allegedcommunicators, the cross-correspondencepuzzles

ofteninvolvedliterarythemesrelatedtotheirinterests(manyfromtheClassics).Assuch,theyoftenseemed obscure until the key was given. However, along with the complex reconstruction of theoverallpicture,therewereoftenlittlehintsthatpieceswererelated,andsometimestheseontheirownwere suggestive that an individual intelligence was transmitting throughmultiplemediums. As anexample,let’slookatoneofthemorewell-knowncross-correspondences,knownasthe“Hope,StarandBrowning”case.InasittingwithMrs.PiperinJanuary1907,oneoftheS.P.R.’sinvestigators,Mr.J.G.Piddington,

suggested to the ‘Myers’ personalitywhowas communicating through themedium that he shouldmake things a little easier for researchers by indicating when a cross-correspondence was beingattempted,byperhapsdrawinga symbolbeside the text.Piddington suggested ‘Myers’use a circlewithatriangleinsideit.Aweeklater,Mrs.Verrallprovidedamessagefrom‘Myers’(viaherautomaticwriting)suggesting

toPiddingtonthat“ananagramwouldbebetter”–anagramsbeingapersonal interestof thelivingMyers.“Tellhimthat–rats,star,tarsandsoon”.Fivedayslater,writingthroughthesamemedium,‘Myers’playedwithsomeanagrams,writing‘Aster ’and‘Teras’(Greekwordsforstarandwonder,respectively),beforeseeminglyfreeassociatingonthosethemesviaastringofquotationsfromthepoetryofRobertBrowning.Followingthisoutpouringofideas,‘Myers’signedoffwithdrawingsofa triangle insideacircle, a clear reference toPiddington’soriginal request throughMrs.Piper theweekprevious.Then, at the start of February, Mrs. Verrall’s daughter Helen also received a message from

‘Myers’:“Amonogram,thecrescentmoon,rememberthat,andthestar.”AndthroughMrs.Piper,the‘Myers’ personality seemed to offer another proof that he was transmitting through multiplemediums, by asking if Mrs. Verrall had received his message, with specific reference to theinformationhehadprovided:“IreferredalsotoBrowningagain.IreferredtoHope[“EvelynHope”,thetitleofaBrowningpoemontheratherrelevantthemeofdeath]andBrowning…Ialsosaidstar…lookoutforHope,StarandBrowning.”AndinanothermessagethroughHelenVerrallshortlyafter,hedrewastar,playedwiththesameanagrams,andreferencedBrowningagain(viahispoemaboutthe Pied Piper ofHamelin). Pointing to the drawn star, ‘Myers’ noted “Thatwas the sign shewillunderstandwhen she sees it…Noarts avail…and a star above it all rats everywhere inHamelintown.”[myemphasis]Finally, in March, ‘Myers’ explained the thinking behind the various scripts. Communicating

through Mrs. Piper, he noted that he had drawn the circle and triangle through Mrs. Verrall asrequestedbyPiddington, but that in doing so the ideaof anagrams came to him, and these in turn“suggested a poem tomymind”– that is, theworkofRobertBrowning.And, to top it all off, hesubsequentlynotedthathehadalsodrawnacrescentmoon…whichbringstomindthescriptreceivedbyHelenVerrallwhichexplicitlysaid“thecrescentmoon,rememberthat”.This case alone appears to offer substantial evidence that a single intelligence was speaking

throughmultiplemediums.Butonehastounderstandthevariousliteraryallusions,andkeeptrackofwhichmediumswereprovidinginformationconfirmingprevioussittingswithothermediums,togetasenseofitsstrength.Andyet,believeitornot,thisisoneofthesimplercases–manyofthecrosscorrespondences extended over a number of years and contained extremely obscure literaryreferences. This raises a problemwith the cross-correspondences as proof –while in theory theyseemlikeagreatmethodofnegatingskepticalexplanations,inpracticetheircomplexityandpersonalnaturemakethemverydifficulttoexplaintothecasualobserver.Intotal,over50paperswerewrittenanalysingthecrosscorrespondences,manyofthosebook-length,withcomplexanalysesofhowtheliterary puzzle pieces fit together. It’s therefore almost impossible for a lay-person to grasp thesubtletiesofanyonecaseindetail.Thebestwecandois,asIhavehere,graboneofthe‘simpler ’examplestoshowhowinformationappearstohavebeensharedbetweenmediums.Butwhilewemoanaboutthedifficultiesre-assemblingthepiecesonourside,perhapsweshould

alsoconsidertheobstaclesfacedbythoseattemptingthecommunication.‘Myers’himself,speakingthroughMrs.Willett in1910,notedthathisuseof“differentscribes”–fromtheclassicallytrainedMrs. Verrall, through to an American housewife likeMrs. Piper – meant that he needed to show“different aspects of thought, underlying which unity is to be found”.189 This idea, that thecommunicatorisusingthemediumlikeaninstrument–andisthereforesomewhatrestrictedbythecapabilitiesofeachone–mayperhapsofferonereasonwhywegetthemixofbothhighlyspecificandcompletelywrong information throughmediums, andalsowhy somemediumsarebetter thanothers. It’sverydifficult toplay“Flightof theBumblebee”onadouble-bass,but ifyoucan findapianoyoumight stand a better chance (though even aftermuchpractice, you’re likely to still flubmorethanafewnotes).Once we consider the idea that communicators might also be facing their own difficulties –

somethinglikelivinginalocationwithonlyafewphonelinesavailable,allofvaryingquality(andin this case, attempting a seriously long-distance call) – then some of these errors also perhapsbecomemoreunderstandable.Forinstance,whenPhinuitwasincorrectlytellingHodgsonthathislostloveJessiehadperfectteeth,couldthe‘Jessie’communicatorhavesimplybeentryingtoindicatethather teethwereaparticularly recognisable feature,but in translation itbecameher showingoffherteeth?Purespeculation,ofcourse,buttheseissuesarecertainlysomethingweneedtokeepinmindwhenweevaluatecommunicationthroughmediums.Asthedeceased‘Myers’oncegrumpilynoted,conveying his thoughts through amediumwas like “dictating feebly to a reluctant and somewhatobtuse secretary [while] standing behind a sheet of frosted glass which blurs sight and deadenssounds”.190Butsimilarly,weshouldalsonote that–even ifweaccept thatmediumisticcommunicationsare

truly originating from the consciousness of the dead – we need to be careful in trusting anyinformation that comes through a medium. Just because you go to a medium and get a highlyevidentialpieceofinformationaboutAuntSally,doesn’tmeanyoushouldthenfollowthenextpieceofadvicegiventhroughthemediumtoquityourjobandtrytomakealivingviaprofessionalwater-skiing.Evenifyouarenotdealingwithafraud,averygoodmediummightstill imposetheirownsubconsciousthoughtsonthesitting,ormistranslateamessagefromthedearlydeparted.Becauselet’sfaceit–wereallydon’tknowwhatwe’redealingwithhere.Tomanyofus,evenif

the evidence seems convincing,we still simply imagine our loved ones in their everyday clothes,standing beside themedium andwhispering in their ear, à laWhoopiGoldberg’sOdaMae in themovieGhost.But if there is an afterlife existence, couldwe really understand exactlywhat that isfromourownlimitedperspective?We’lldiscusssomeofthesepossibilitiesinalaterchapter,butfornow the simple message is that we need to be careful in our assumptions and expectations ofcommunications through mediums. Richard Hodgson made the analogy that it seemed that

communicatorswerewithinan imperfect transmittingmachine filledwithagas“whichproducesapartiallossofconsciousness”,theeffectsofwhichaccumulatedthelongerthecommunicatorstayedwithin the ‘machine’ (the medium). The veteran investigator offered words of advice for futureresearchers, stating that “unless thepresenceof suchconditions is constantly recognised”by thoseinvestigating,then“furtherresearchinthisfieldwillbefutile”.Butwhat of this “further research”.A century ago, the eminent investigators of the S.P.R. came

largely to the conclusion that they had collected enough evidence to prove that consciousnesssurvivedthephysicaldeathofthebody.Theirconclusionsseemtohaveslippedintoobscurity,withveryfewpeopletodayknowinganythingabouttheSociety’scomprehensiveresearchintothetopic.Are thereany investigators todaywhoarecontinuing to research thequestionofwhethermediumsofferalineofcommunicationwiththedead?

ModernInvestigation

Inthepastdecade,publicinterest inmediumshiphassurged,withfictionaltelevisionseriessuchasMedium and Ghost Whisperer rating highly, while a number of professional (self-proclaimed)mediums – including John Edward, Allison DuBois, and James Van Praagh – have become nearhouseholdnames,appearingonpopulartelevisionshowsandpublishingbestsellingbooks.On the flipside, the scientific view ofmediumship has plummeted since the time of the S.P.R.’s

investigationsofthelikesofMrs.PiperandMrs.Leonard,anerawhensomeofthemostrespectedscientistsandmembersofsocietybelievedtheyhadfoundevidenceforlifeafterdeath.Today,mostscientistsandskepticsviewmediumsasfrauds,andtheexcitedpublicasgulliblefoolsorvictims.Topursue research in the field and attempt to publish scientific papers on mediumship experimentsseemsoftentobetakingtheshortroutetoprofessionalsuicideforscientists.Butsomemodernresearchersarestillwillingtorisktheirreputationandinvestigatethequestion

ofwhethermediumshaveaccess to informationfrombeyondthegrave,and indoingso theyhavebeen bringingmodern scientific procedures to the field. PsychologistDr.RichardWiseman (well-knownforhismediaappearancesasaskeptic,whichperhapsgiveshimmorefreedominpursuingresearch on this topic) co-authored a paper in 2005withDr. CiaránO’Keeffe of LiverpoolHopeUniversity, titled“Testingallegedmediumship:Methodsand results”, inwhich the two researchersattemptedtodevelopastandardmethodoftestingmediumswhichwouldeliminatethepotentialforthevarious “psychological strategems”whichnon-genuinemediumsmightuse (e.g. cold reading).Theyfocusedonthreepotentialproblemsthatmightariseduringtestsofmediums,whichdictatedthestructureoftheirexperimentalset-up:

(a)theneedtocontrolforpotentialsensoryleakage,(b)theneedtoaccuratelyassessthegeneralityofthemediums’statements,and(c)theneedfor‘blind’judging.

The need to control sensory leakage coversmuch ground, frompotential ‘hot-reading’ prior to asitting(i.e.byresearchingthesitterinadvance,orlisteningintoconversationsimmediatelybeforethesittingbegins),throughto‘cold-reading’duringthesitting(fromremarksandgesturesmadebythesitter, throughto theirappearanceandmodeofdress).Toachieve this, themediumneeds tobeisolated from any normal means of gaining information about the sitter – including informationlearnedthroughthirdparties,suchasthoserunningtheexperiment.Thesecondproblemnoted,regardingthegeneralityofstatementsmadebythemedium,ismeantto

addresstheForer/Barnumeffectthatwehavementionedpreviously.Ifwesimplyaskthesitterhow

themediumperformed,theymayfeelthattheinformationgivenwasimpressive,andcountthesittingasasuccess,despitethefactthatgeneralstatementswereusedtogivethatfalseimpression,aswithForer ’spersonalitytest.Soresearchersnowaimtogetsitterstomarknotonlytheirownsitting,butalsothoseof theothersitters,withoutbeingawarewhichis theirs.If themedium’sstatementsweretrulyaccurate,thenthecorrectsittingsshouldhaveahigherscorethanthe‘decoy’sittings.Andlastly,thetheneedfor‘blind’judgingaddressesthesubjectivityinvolvedinratingthesittings.

If the sitter knows which reading is theirs, and which are the decoys, then they may unwittinglyattributemoreweighttosomeofthestatementsmadeintheirsittings,seekingasuccessfulhit(subtlebiaseswouldbeamplifiedwhen there isaneed tobelieveamemberof thefamily‘liveson’).Andalternatively,ifthesitterisanavowedskepticoratheist,whodesiredtoseetheexperimentfail,thentheymightranktheirsittinglowertosabotageanychanceofsuccess.Toremovethesepossibilities,experimenters get sitters to rate the accuracy of themedium’s statements ‘blind’ – that is, withoutinformingthemwhethertheyarefromthe‘target’or‘decoy’sittings.O’KeeffeandWisemanassembledagroupoffivemediumsandagroupoffivesitters,witheach

researcher dealing solely with their respective group to eliminate the chance of leakage ofinformationbetweensittersandmediums.Eachsitter–allmales,betweentheageof25and30–wasplaced in an acoustically isolated room,with themedium taken to another. Themediumwas thenasked toattemptcontactwithanyspiritsassociatedwith thesitter,and to reporton the informationgivenforthenext60minutes.Thesittingwasrecordedonvideotape,andafterallhadbeencompletedthemediums’commentswere transcribedandbrokendown intoa seriesof statements.Sitters thenblindlyratedeachstatementwithascorebetween1(notapplicable)and7(veryapplicable),andanoverall score for each sittingwas created by summing up the ratings given to the entire series ofstatements.However,contrarytoalltheconvincingevidenceformediumshipwehaveseensofarinthisbook,

theexperimentwasabust.Theanalysisshowednosignificantfindings,withthehighestratingonlymatchingupwiththecorrectsittingononeoccasion.Sowhatwentwrong?Werethemediumsusedofapoorquality?O’KeeffeandWisemanmadesurethattheypickedfromapoolofsomereputation(asfar asmediums go at least): they recruited them from a list of certifiedmediums provided by theSpiritualists’NationalUnion(SNU)intheUnitedKingdom.Perhapsthemediumswerehavinganoffday, orweren’t used to the conditionsof isolation?Orperhaps, as the two researchers noted, it ispossible that genuinemediumistic ability simply does not exist, and that “the apparent accuracy ofmediums’ readingsareentirelydue to the typeofpsychologicalstratagems” that theexperimentersattemptedtoeliminateviasensoryisolation,scoringwithdecoysittings,andblindjudging.However, there is one other element to the study thatmay be important.Aswe’ve already seen,

mediumsnearlyalwaysgetatleastafewthingswronginsittings.Sometimes,thesittingisacompletewrite-off,except foronehighlyspecificpieceof information thatstandsout fromthebackground,almostcausingwhiplash in the sitter.Researchers label these smallbutconvincingpersonaldetailsgiventhroughmediumsas“dazzleshots”.Touseanexamplefrompopularculture,it’swhenDemiMoore in Ghost is stopped in her tracks by the mention of one familiar word from WhoopiGoldberg’sOdaMae:“Hesays‘Ditto’”.Itmightbeonlyonepieceofinformationoutoftenthatiscorrectorspecificenoughtogettheattentionofthesitter,butitissocorrectthatitstandsoutaboveeverything else. When the self-admitted “skeptical by nature” science author Mary Roach wasresearchingherbookSpook,itwasAllisonDuBois’off-the-cuff,post-sittingstatement“I’mshowingametal hourglass…does your brother have one?” that impressed her, after a less-than-impressiveone-on-onewiththefamousmedium.Roach’sbrothercollectshourglasses.These “dazzle shots” seem to be the key to further research with mediums, and the study by

O’Keeffe andWiseman, though for themost part highly laudable, blunted this important aspect of

mediumshipbyscoringasittingbyaddingtheratingsforeachindividualstatement.Inthisway,anyquality‘signals’(thatis,thedazzleshots)areboundtogetlostinthequantityofnoise(thevagueandincorrectstatementsalsomadeduringasitting).AsMaryRoachmentionedinherbook:thoughtheone,veryspecificandobscurecallbyDuBoiswasmightyimpressive,itwasequallyhardforRoachtodismissalltheincorrectstatementsthatthemediummadeduringtheactualsitting.IfshescoredhersittingasperO’KeeffeandWiseman’sexperimentalset-up,itwouldnodoubthavegonedownasalow-scoringfailure.Butifshewereaskedtopickthecorrectsittingbasedonanoverallfeeling,fromanumberofdecoys,shemightwellpick thatsittingoutof therestbasedon thatone,head-turningdazzleshot.

AndSoFaintlyYouCameTapping,Tapping

InJuly2002, lifewasgoingalongrathernicelyforTrevorHamiltonandhiswifeAnne.Theyhadboth retired andmoved to a lovely, quiet English village.And now, their plane had just landed atBristolafteraweekholidayinginParisinthesummertime.Butastheplanetaxiedtoitsarrivalgate,amessagecameovertheintercom:“IfaMr.andMrs.Hamiltonareonboard,wouldtheypleaseremainseateduntil theotherpassengershave left”.Aware that suchamessageneverprecedesgoodnews,TrevorandAnneanxiouslywaitedasother travellersfussedover theirbagsandslowlymadetheirdeparture,oblivioustothecouple’sgrowingdread.Astheydisembarked,apolicewomanmetthematthebottomofthesteps,andaskediftheirsonRalphdroveacarwithacertainnumberplate,beforegoingontoaskthemtoidentifysomepersonalitems:

Yes,thatwashiswatchgiventohimbythegirlwhohadnearlybrokenhisheart.Yes,yes,yes(hurriedlytogetitoverwith)to all the other effects.Everythingwas just plain unreal, as ifwewere being forced to take part in a film and speak lines thatreferredtothetragediesofotherpeople.Iwantedtostopthekindpolicewomanandsay,OK,Irealiseyouarejustdoingyourjob,butyou’vegotthewrongparents.

Thenshetoldusthedetails.191

TheHamilton’ssonRalphhaddied thepreviousdayat12.45p.m. inacaraccident,aftercollidingwithabus.Strangelyenough,atthisverytimethepreviousdayinParis,TrevorandAnnehadbeenlazingaboutintheJardinduLuxembourgwhenAnnehadexperiencedasuddenfeelingofdesolation.But, however odd, that was a fleeting sensation, whereas now the desolation was permanent. “Wespent the next three days in bed,” says Trevor, “cold and stunnedwith grief and clinging to eachother.”

…We identifiedRalph’sbodyat a localhospital.Wecouldonly lookathim throughawindow. Insanely, I felt that ifwerefused to lookwecould somehow turn the clockbackandnotbe forced to takepart in aplaywehadn’twritten andwouldneverhavewantedtowrite.Wewouldnotbegrievingparents.Ralphwouldnotbedead.Butwehadtolook.

Itwashimandwasn’thimandtherewasabruiseonhisface.192

Howdoesaparentcopewithsuchaloss?Howdoesonemotivatethemselvestogetoutofbedinthemorningoncetheirchildhasdied?Ican’timaginebeingabletocopewiththepain,andIhopeIneverfindout.ForTrevorthough,hiscopingmechanismwastoaddress thequestionofwhetherRalph’sconsciousness ‘livedon’ in somewaybeyond the thresholdofphysicaldeath.Throughouthis life,Trevor andhis family had experiencedminor ‘paranormal’ events (he had personally experiencedpoltergeist-like activity, while his brother had twice encountered an apparition of their deceasedfatheronthelandingoftheirhouse).AndintheweeksafterRalph’sdeath,bothTrevorandAnnehad

noticed appliances doing strange things (the TV turned itself on, the stereo changed volumespontaneously, and the lightoutsideRalph’s roomseemed tohaveamindof itsown), andbothofthem had felt his ‘presence’ about the house. SoTrevorwasn’t opposed to the idea that therewassomethingbeyonddeath,buthewasalsowaryofbeing‘abeliever ’withoutanyevidence,simplyasaconsequenceofhisgrief.Sohedecidedthathewouldgoinsearchofevidencehimself…thoughhewasn’tsureatallwheretostart:

[H]owwas I to findhim?Wherewas I to look?Whocould I turn to foradvice?Howcould Ibesure thatgriefand losshadn’tweakenedmyjudgement?Andwhatdidfindinghimactuallymean?

…Iwasworried that Imight be led astray by amixture of over-imagination andwishful thinking if I startedmy quest –howeverthatmightshapeup–withoutguidanceandstructure.So,inwhatmightseemratheracold-bloodedway,Idevelopedastrategywhichwouldgivemestructureandguidanceandpreventmefromdeludingmyself.IwouldjointheSocietyforPsychicalResearch(theoldestandmostprestigiousorganisationworkinginthisfieldintheUK),IwouldreadallIcouldonthehistoryofthesubjectand,informedbythisreading,Iwouldvisitanumberofmediumstoseeiftherewasanythinginitatall.193

TheresultsofTrevorHamilton’s‘experiment’arelaidoutinhisfascinatingandmovingbookTellMyMotherI’mNotDead:ACaseStudyinMediumshipResearch.Invisitingtenmediums,henoteddownallstatementsmadeandthenmarkedthemas‘True’,‘False’,‘Other ’and‘Predictive’.Intotal,hefoundthatthreeofthesittingswerebetween85and90%accurate,fourwerebetween68and79%,whiletheotherthreescoredfrom38%to61%.Henotedthatthenumberoffalsestatementsacrossallmediumswasverylow,andtwoofthemmadenoerrorsatall!Trevoralsorealized,however,thatthoughanumberofstatementswerefactualandtrue,theywere

alsoverygeneralinscope,andperhapswouldhaveappliedtomostsitters:theForerEffectinaction.Andhewascautious ingiving toomuchcredence toanswers thathe feltmayhavebeengeneratedthroughfishing,orothertechniquesmentionedearlier.Butthen,therewerealsoanumberofratherspecificstatementsthathefounddifficulttoexplainaway:

The colour of Ralph’s bedroomwallpaper (an unusual lilac which we remarked on when wemoved in); the nameMrs.Bennettwho,withmygrandmother, babysathimandDaniel and spoilt them rottenwith sweet treats; the carpark replacing thegardens at the back of their houses; the fact that I had six siblings; the 24 chapters in my [book] draft (which I have nevercounted);theangellampwhichwehadtakenfromourfirsthouseandwhichfascinatedRalphasachild;myloveofChopinandmymusic teacher Elizabeth (Richards not Roberts – I considered this a reasonable enough approximation to score as true) ofwhomIhadbeenparticularlyfondbecauseoftheearnestconversationsweusedtohaveatthekeyboard;andtheimportanceofthedates22ndNovemberandthe6thJuly.194

And in the sittingwith ‘Medium 3’,which both Trevor andAnnewere ‘partially disappointed’ byoverall, there was one, stand-out statement. The medium was given a mental picture of Trevor“agitatedat a table, tappingon itwithapenny, in the registry”–a seemingly randomandobscurestatement thatwas in fact spookily correct. “I had to sort out the legalmatters to dowithRalph’sdeath,” Trevor notes. “I remember going to the registrar to prove probate and get the deathcertificate, and sittingoutsideheroffice staring at the little table in front ofme, tapping aimlesslywithacoupleofpenniesonthetabletop,confrontedbytheuttermeaninglessnessofitall”.IaskTrevorhowhe interprets this sitting,given thatapart from thisoneoutstandinghit,hehad

overallconsidereditdisappointing.Forhim,thatone‘signalburst’seemsenoughtooverwhelmthe‘noise’oftherestofthesitting,giventhemannerinwhichitconformedsocloselywithhismemoryof that day. “I remember the actual event, winding up his personal affairs according to the law,vividly”, he tellsme. The precision of the hit has led Trevor to consider it as “a useful piece ofevidence possibly indicatingRalph’s continued awareness ofwhat is happening to his family”.Hedoes however retain the healthy questioning attitude that is a hallmark of his research,wondering

aloud to me whether the penny-tapping incident could possibly be “the kind of well-rehearsedminiaturescene”thatafakemediummighthaveasastandardline,hopingforaluckyhit.Heisquickto qualify, however, that he does not believe this particular medium was a fake. In fact, Trevorbelieves that, despite the largely incorrect sitting, this particular medium may well be genuinelytalented, but needs further development: “He seemed always to be on the brink of making goodcontactbutmisinterpretingtheimageshewasreceiving”.It strikes me that the penny incident is yet another prime example of how a ‘dazzle shot’ can

triumphoverasitting’sworthofincorrectorvagueinformation,soIaskTrevorhisthoughtsonhowsciencecanbestapproachthetopic.“Thequestionofhowtoscoreandjudgethesittingsofmediumsisacomplexandunder-researchedarea”,headmits.“IkeptmysystemassimpleaspossiblebecauseIwas writing for a general but thoughtful audience and not for specialists”. But he notes that thisapproach,aswiththeonetakenbyWisemanandO’Keeffeintheirstudy,wascertainlynotideal.“Thedangeroftheindividualhitapproachisthatitdoesnotdiscriminatebetweenlevelsandqualitiesofhit”,hewarns.Trevoralsotakesissuewithresearchersformattingoreditingthemedium’sstatementstocreatea listofdiscrete,measurable items inorder toeasily tally thehitsandmisses inasitting,noting that “someof themost suggestiveand interesting statements canbe in the languageand theturnofphraseandthetotalcumulativeeffect”.Tofilterthiselementout,Trevorsays,“isnotfair”.Trevorhascontinuedtostudyandwriteaboutmediumship, thoughhehasperformednofurther

researchattemptingtomakecontactwithRalph.Nevertheless,hepurposefullymaintainsaverylowprofile online, avoiding social media and email communication where possible, in case he everdesires to restart his experiments with mediums. “I may do so in the future provided I can bereasonablyconfidentinthearrangements”,hesays,informingmethathewaswarythatfakemediumsmightlookupinformationabouthimontheweb(onemajorcomplicationthatheisawareofthoughis the public nature of the information in his book). Trevor does mention to me though one“remarkable event” that didn’tmake it into his book, as it occurred during the proofing stage. Amedium inAustralia,whomTrevor knows and respects for their integrity and intelligence, used acopyofRalph’sphotoinanexercisewithtwelvetraineemediums.Afterconcealingthephotoinanenvelope,themediumaskedthetraineestowritetheirimpressionsonasheetofpaper.Theresults,Trevortellsme,“wereremarkable”:

Theyallpickeduphighlyrelevantmaterialabouthislife/personality/appearance;thathehaddiedinanaccident;andthathewasayoungmale(onlyonedidn’tspecificallystatethisbutyoucouldarguethatitwasimplied).69statementsweremadeandtheywereallaccurate,somejustbyonetrainee,butmanyofthempickedupbyasubstantialnumberoftheothertrainees.

Trevorcontinuestowelcomeallvoicesinthedebateoverthevalidityofmediumship,fromscientificevidenceforsurvival tofaircriticismfromskeptics.“If there isanythingultimately in thesurvivalhypothesis”,hetellsme,“itwillbeallthestrongerforreallyunderstanding,appreciatinganddealingwith the criticisms of scientists of a strongly materialistic ideology and skilled magicians”. Likethem,hesayshehaszerotoleranceforfraudulentmediums–“theyshouldbeexposedandputoutofbusiness”–andacknowledgesthattherearesomevalidreasonswhymediumshipingeneralisoftenheld in such low esteem, telling me that “there is a great need for quality control and greaterprofessionalisminmediumship,andalesseningoftheshowbusinesselement”.Butintheend,hesays,argumentsoverthesurvivalhypothesismayjustbe“anendlessdebate”.For

acriticalthinkerlikehimself,headmits,thereisaperpetualfearof“falsehopesandbeingdeceived,whichwillnevergoaway”.Converselythough,Trevorexplainsthatevenifhehadfoundnoevidenceforsurvival,hestillwouldhave“doubtedthenullhypothesis(thatthereisnosurvival)giventhewiderangeoftestimonyfromcrediblesourcestothecontrary”.

BlackLicoriceandaChickenKiller

Recently, two other researchers have taken on the yoke of investigating mediumship within ascientific framework. Dr. Emily Kelly of the University of Virginia and former hospice chaplainDianne Arcangel undertook a study of the information given by mediums to recently-bereavedpersons, the results of which were published in early 2011 in the Journal of Nervous andMentalDisorders. As opposed to the results from the research done by Richard Wiseman and CiaranO’Keeffehowever,someofKellyandArcangel’sfindingsdoappeartooffersupportforthevalidityofmediumship.Inoneexperiment,KellyandArcangelemployedninemediumstoofferreadingsfor40individual

sitters–twoofthemediumsdoingsixeach,whiletheothersevenmediumsdidfourreadingseach(eachsitterhad justone readingdone).Similarly toWisemanandO’Keeffe’sprotocol, thesittingswere done without the actual sitter present (the researchers acted as a ‘proxy’ to keep a blindprotocol),andaudio recordingsof themediums’statementswere later transcribed.Andaddressingthe need for blind judging, each sitter was then sent six readings – the correct reading, and five‘decoy’readingsdrawnfromthosegivenforothersinthegroup–butwerethenaskedtorateeachoverallreadingonhowapplicabletheythoughtitwastothem,andcommentonwhytheychosethehighestratedreading.Thirty-eightofthefortyparticipantsreturnedtheirratings–and,amazingly,14of the 38 readingswere correctly chosen (while at first sight ‘less than half correct’may seem arather poor success rate, given therewere six readings to choose from, this is actually a numbersignificantly above what would be expected by chance). Additionally, seven other readings wererankedsecond,andaltogether30ofthe38readingswererankedinthetophalfoftheratings.What’smore, onemedium in particular stoodout above the others: all six of this person’s readingswerecorrectlyrankedfirstbyeachsitter!Ofthepeoplewhocorrectlychosetheirownreading,it’sinterestingtonotethatmanydidn’tjust

‘lean’towardthatreading–theymadecommentssuchas“Idon’tseehowitcouldbeanythingotherthan(Xreading)”;“onereadingstoodoutfromtherest”;and“Ifeelcertainthisisthecorrectchoiceandwouldbetmylifeonit”.Whatconvincedthem?Thedazzleshots.Forinstance,thepersonwhomadethe“Iwouldbetmylifeonit”statementinchoosingthecorrect

reading…

…citedthemedium’sstatementthat“there’ssomethingfunnyaboutblacklicorice…Likethere’sabigjokeaboutit,like,ooh,youlike that?”Accordingto thesitter,hisdeceasedsonandhiswifehadjokedabout licoricefrequently.Also, themediumhadsaid“Ialsohavesharppainintherearbackoftheleftsideofmyheadintheback,intheoccipital.Soperhapstherewasaninjurybackthere,orhehitsomethingorsomethinghithim.”Thedeceasedpersonhaddiedofsuchaninjuryincurredinacarcrash.195

Anotherof the sitters alsonotedhowspecificdetailshadconvinced themas towhich readingwastheirs.Themedium,lookingataphotoofthesubject,said“IfeellikethehairIseehereinthephotoisgone,soIhavetogowithcancerorsomethingthatwouldtakethehairaway…herhair–atsomepointshe’skindofteasingit,shetriedmanycolors.Ithinksheexperimentedwithcoloralotbeforeherpassing.”Thedeceasedgirl’smotherconfirmedthatshehaddiedofcancer,andhaddyedherhair“hotpink”beforehercancersurgery(thegirl’shairwasnormal-lookinginthephoto,sotherewasno clue for the medium there). She later shaved her head when her hair began falling out. Themediumalsodescribeda feelingofbeing“up inNorthampton,Massachusetts…Northamptondoeshavethatkindofcollegetownbeatnikkindoffeeltoit.”Thiswasanothersourceofconfirmationforthesitter,asalthoughthegirllivedinTexas,Northamptonwasapparentlywhereshewantedtogotocollege.Againandagainintheexperimentweseethatitiscertain,specificandseeminglypersonaldetails

givenbythemediumthatstandouttositters:

Inanotherexample,amongmanyotherdetailsthesittercommentedespeciallyonthestatement“hesaidIdon’tknowwhytheykeepthatclockiftheyarenotgoingtomakeitwork.Sosomebodyconnecteddirectlytohimhasaclockthateitherisnotwoundup,ortheyletitrundown,orit’sstandingtherejustquiet.Andhesaidwhat’sthepointinhavingaclockthatisn’trunning?So,somebodyshouldknowaboutthatanditshouldgivethemquitelaughter.”Thesitterdidlaugh(andcry)overthis,becauseagrandfatherclockthatherhusbandhadkeptwoundhadnotbeenwoundsincehisdeath.Themediumhadalsocommentedthat“hecanbeonasoapbox,hammeringit”;hischildrenwhenyounghadfrequentlycomplainedabout“Dadbeingonhissoapbox.”

…thesitter…noted themedium’scomment that“I thinkshecollectedsomesmall things…either littlechinaorglass things.Likelittleknicknacks.ButIkeepseeinganelephantwiththetrunkup,sothismightbeaspecialobjectorsomethingthatpeoplewould understand.” The sitter subsequently sent E.W.K. [researcher Emily Williams Kelly] a photograph of a small ceramicelephantwithitstrunkup,partofhisdeceasedwife’slargercollectionandanitemsittingonatableintheirfronthall.

…themediumreferredto“aladythatisverymuch,wasinfluentialinhis[thedeceasedperson’s]formativeyears.So,whetherthat is mother or whether that is grandmother… She can strangle a chicken.” The sitter commented that her grandmother (thedeceasedperson’smother)“killedchickens.ItfreakedmeoutthefirsttimeIsawherdothis.Icriedsohardthatmyparentshadtotakemehome.Sothechickenstranglingisabigdeal…InfactIoftenreferredtomysweetgrandmotherasthechickenkiller”.196

Theweak link in theseexperiments,nodoubt,was that inKellyandArcangel’s study themediumsweregivenphotographsoftherecentlydeceasedindividualstheyweremeanttobecontacting,whichbreachesthe‘nosensoryleakage’rulesetbyO’KeeffeandWiseman.However, itmustbesaidthatKellyandArcangelwereawareofthisweakness,andtriedtocontrolforitasmuchaspossible.Forexample,themostobviousthingsthatcanberead,orleaked,fromaphotograph–ageandgender–were eliminated as factors by sending sitter ’s decoy readingswhichwere from the same age andgendergroup.Theresearchersalsopointedoutthatmanyofthosewhochosethecorrectreadingdidsoonspecificdetails that reallycouldnotbe“read” fromaphotograph– forexample,howmanypeoplecouldtellthatsomeone’sGrannywasa‘chickenkiller ’fromaphotoofherdeceasedson,orthatafamilyhadanin-jokeaboutblacklicorice?ButwhydidKellyandArcangelallowthis‘weakness’intheirexperiment?Theansweristhatthey

felt the minimal amount of information given in more stringent experiments (only the name andbirthday)mightbe“insufficienttofocusthemediumonthedeceasedperson”–thatis,inanattemptto make experiments fool-proof, perhaps mediums were being short-changed in terms of theconditionsunderwhichtheywerebeingexpectedtooperatesuccessfully.

AScientistAmongtheMediums

Dr.JulieBeischel,whohasbeeninvestigatingmediumsformorethanadecadenow,agreesthattherehave tobe someconcessionswhen testing them.An important facetof any study,Beischel says, ishaving “an environment that mimics how the phenomenon exists in nature”. In the case ofmediumship,shesays,thereisaneedtoprovidethemediumwithsomesortof‘jumping-off’point:“a nugget of information that she can use to focus or connect”. In their ‘natural habitat’, saysBeischel,mediumsmightbegiventhenameofadeceasedpersonandaphotograph,orat theveryleasthaveasitterpresentwhohasastrongconnectiontothedeceased.Andso,inherpeer-reviewedresearchstudies,Beischelprovidesthemediumwith“anecessarytrigger”intheabsenceoftheusualsitter.“Creating an experimental environment too far removed from the natural mediumship process

wouldbelikeplacinganacorninyourpalm,waitingafewminutes,andthencallingitafraudwhenitdidn’tturnintoanoaktree,”Beischelcounsels.“Liketheacorn,mediumsneedtheequivalentofsoil,water,andsunlighttoeffectivelydowhattheydo”.197Assuch,shetellsme,herexperimentaldesignsarenotalwaysthosedesiredorrecommendedbyskeptics,asherprimaryaimistoprovidetheright

settingforthephenomenontooccur:“Wedon’tdothisresearchtopleaseskeptics;wedoittogainnew knowledge”. Nevertheless, Beischel remains on guard against producing flawed results, andkeepseffectivecontrols inplaceasmuchaspossible.For instance,sheensures that thefirstnamesgiventothemediumsas‘triggers’donotprovideenoughinformationforthemediumstobeabletointentionallyorsubconsciously‘read’informationfromthem.JulieBeischeliswell-placedtodiscussissuestodowithresearchintomediumship,givenhermany

yearsoffull-timestudyof thephenomenon.It’sacareerchoicethatwouldhavesurprisedBeischelherselfiftoldaboutitinearly2003though.AftergraduatingfromNorthArizonaUniversitywithaBachelorofSciencedegreeinEnvironmentalSciences(withanemphasisinMicrobiology),shewentontocompleteaPh.D.inPharmacologyandToxicologyattheUniversityofArizonainTucson.Hertimeatuniversityhadnotbeenasmoothroad:atage19,shewokeuponemorningwithonly

peripheralvisioninoneeye,unabletoseeanythinginthecenterofherfieldofvision;abatteryoftests resulted inadiagnosisofmultiplesclerosis.Buteven thatpaled into insignificancebeside theotherpersonalissueshehadbeenforcedtodealwithduringthistime:hermother ’ssuicide.“Myrelationshipwithmymotherhadbeenstrained.Thus,herdeathwassadlyarelief”,Beischel

confessesinhersemi-autobiographicalbookAmongMediums:AScientist'sQuestforAnswers.Withher mother diagnosed as suffering from the disorder alexithymia, which is characterised by theinability to identify anddescribe emotions,Beischel’s upbringinghadbeen so turbulent that in thewakeofhermother ’ssuicide,shefeltthat“Ihadtogetpastherlifemorethangetoverherdeath”.Hermother ’spassingwouldprovideanewbeginningthough:intheyearssubsequenttothetragedy,BeischelbecameinterestedintheapparentmediumisticabilitiesdisplayedbyJohnEdward(hisshowCrossing Over was at its peak at that time). She was surprised to learn that Edward had beenscientifically tested by a psychologist at her own university, Dr. Gary Schwartz, as part of apioneering study examining the efficacy of mediumship. Through a mutual acquaintance, shereceivedarecommendationfromSchwartzforanothermediumthatheconsideredofsimilarabilitytoEdward.Beischeldecidedtohaveasittingwithher.She was more than aware, however, that her emotions might well overwhelm any rational

judgementofthesitting.Assuch,Beischelwasdeterminedtoapproachitasascientist–somuchsothatshekickedherselfforgivingawayinformationaboutherselfwhentellingthemediumoverthephone that shewould “driveup toPhoenix”, aswell aswhen shediscussedher choiceof clothinguponmeetinginperson.Beischelwassurprisedwhenthesittingbeganwithanumberofpiecesofveryspecificinformation

–thoughinanegativeway,asnonewerecorrect.Butthemediumseemedtowarmtothetask,goingon to offer some interesting hints at communication from Beischel’s grandmother, before hittingstridewithphrasesdescribinghermother including thesuggestion that she“feels removed”,hada“chemicalimbalance”,“can’texpressemotions”and“ingestedpills”.Themediumthensaidthattherewas a Dalmation with her mother. “Does that makes sense?” she asked, only to be rebuked byBeischel’sperhapsover-the-topskepticalattitude.“Well,sortof”,Beischelresponded.“Ourdogwashalf-Dalmationandhalf-blackLab”.Themediumfollowedupbypilingonhitafterhit.“Inthecourseofthosetwohours,Iwasmoreor

lessconvincedthatmymotherwasstillaroundandthatsheandmygrandmotherhadspokentomethat day”, Beischel remembers. “I systematically scored the reading and found that the percentaccuracywas93%fortheitemsrelatedtomymom”.Andshemightnothaveevenpickeduponallthepertinentinformation:whenBeischellateraskedherauntstoprovideaseparateperspectiveonthe‘presence’ofhermotherbyjudgingthereadingthemselves,theyscoreditemsasaccuratethathadn’tmadeanysensetoBeischel.Intrigued by these ‘impossible’ results, Beischel met with Dr. Gary Schwartz to discuss her

experienceandfindoutmoreabouthisresearch.Itresultedinajoboffer:apost-doctoralfellowshipin Schwartz’s laboratory, studyingmediums professionally. Beischelwould go on to serve as co-directorof the researchprogram,experimentingwith themediums there for some four andahalfyears.Andwhenthefundingforthatroleexpiredshehadbecomesofascinatedbythetopicthatsheco-foundedherownorganization inorder tocontinuestudying the topic:TheWindbridge InstituteforAppliedResearchinHumanPotential.If there truly is anything to mediumship, Beischel figured that at Windbridge she needed to

optimizeherchancesofuncoveringconcreteevidencebytestingonlythebestmediumsthatcouldbefound. “If we wanted to study the phenomenon of high jumping, we would find some good highjumpers”, shenotes. “Wewouldn’t invite somepeopleoff the street into the laband tell them, ‘gojumpoverthatbar ’.Whenthosepeoplecouldn’tdoit,wewouldn’thavelearnedanythingatallabouthighjumping.Inmediumshipresearch,wewouldselectparticipantswithatrack(andfield)recordofreportingaccurateinformationaboutthedeceased”.198As such, Beischel and her research team have employed an extensive screening, training, and

certification procedure that consists of eight steps, during which prospective mediums are firstlyinterviewed,andthentestedtoseeiftheycanachieveacertainlevelofaccuracywiththeirreadings.Approximately 25%of applicants have been cut during this stage, thoughBeischel is unwilling tosuggestthatthosemediumshavenoability.“Itonlymeansthatthereadingstheyperformedonthosedays…did not achieve the level of accuracywe require”, she clarifies. Those that pass the testingstage are then put through a training schedule in which they learn about regulations governingresearchwithhumansubjects,thehistoryofmodernresearchintomediumship,andgrief.Oncetheyhavecompletedallthenecessarysteps–which,Beischeltellsme,takeseachmediumseveralmonthstocomplete–themediumistheninductedasa‘WindbridgeCertifiedResearchMedium’(WCRM).Atthistime,Beischelhasaround20WCRMsavailableforresearch,anumberthatisperhapslimitedbythe fact that the entire cost for the screening, testing and training process can reach $10,000 permedium.Itshouldbenoted,however,thattheexpensesincurredareinnowaycontributedtobyfeescharged

bythemediums,astheyalldonatetheirtimefreely.“NomoneychangeshandsaspartoftheWCRM-Windbridge Institute relationship”, Beischel affirms. “We do not pay them for participating inresearch and they do not pay us to screen and certify them”. Instead – contrary to the much-propagatedperceptionofmediumsasmoney-hungryfraudsters–eachWindbridge-certifiedmediumdonates at least four hours permonth of their own time, submitting themselves to the spotlight ofscientifictesting,aswellasagreeingtoacodeofethics“whichincludesconfidentialityregardingthecontent of readings andnot performing readingsoutsideof those specifically requested”.Beischelmakes clear that thesemediums arewilling, for the purposes of science, “to attempt experimentalprotocols that go well beyond their comfort zones” – for instance, in an upcomingpsychophysiologicalstudy,partoftheexperimentwillinvolvethedrawingofbloodfortesting.“TheWCRMs are scientifically-minded”, she notes. “They have a genuine and personal interest in ourresearchquestionsandarewillingtovolunteertheirtimetoassistinansweringthem”.Thiscloseworking relationshipbetweenmediumsand researchers,however,doesnotmean that

thetestingprocessisrelaxed.Beischelisclearthat,inordertoproperlyinvestigatethephenomenon,itisimperativethatproperexperimentalcontrolsareinstitutedwherepossible:

Weneedtoeliminateallthenormalexplanationsforhowtheinformationthemediumreportscouldbeaccurate.Toruleoutfraud,wehavetomakesurethemediumcan’tlookupinformationaboutthesitterorthedeceasedpersononlineorinanyotherway.Wealsoneed toaccountforcoldreading…Toprevent that fromhappening, themediumwillbewhat’scalledmaskedorblindedtothesitter.Themediumwon’tbeabletosee,hear,smell,etc.,thesitterduringthereading:but,asstatedabove,thesittershould be involved somehow in order to optimize the environment, so we’ll just make sure his intention is that his discarnate

communicateswiththemedium.NowifIastheexperimenterknowthingsaboutthesitterorthediscarnateduringareading,Icouldalsocuethemedium…Soinourdesign,let’salsoblindmetotheinformationaboutthesitterandthediscarnate…Thatjustleavesthesitter.Whenapersonreflectsontheaccuracyofamediumshipreadingthatheknowswasintendedforhimhispersonalityandpsychology affect howhe rates the statements.Apersonwho ismore laid-back and forgivingmay scoremore of the items asaccuratewhereas someonemore cynical and strictmay only score a few as right. That phenomenon is called rater bias…Tomaintainblinding, the sitterwon’tbeable to tellwhich reading iswhich…So, toaccount for fraud, cold reading, experimentercueing,generalstatements,andraterbias,we…designanexperimentinwhichthesettingissimilartoanormalmediumshipreadingbutwherethemedium,thesitter,andtheexperimenterareallblinded.

Beischelandherteamscoresittingsbybothofthemethodswe’vementioned,item-by-itemandalsoon thewhole sitting. “I think thedifference is onebetween statistical evidence and evidence that ismeaningfultoasitter”,shetellsme.“Ap-valuewon'tconvinceasitterofcommunicationandadazzleshotdoesn'tprovideobjectiveevidencethatcanbestatisticallyanalyzed.[So]inadditiontoitem-by-itemandwholereadingscores,wealsohaveraterschoosewhichblindedreadingstheybelievewereintended for them so if one reading contains true dazzle shots but not a lot of other correctinformation,thatmaybereflectedintheraters'choices”.Soaftergoingtoallthistrouble,whathasBeischellearnedaboutmediums?“WhenIappliedthe

scientific method to the phenomenon of mediumship using optimal environments, maximumcontrols,andskilledparticipants”,shestates,“Iwasabletodefinitivelyconcludethatcertainmediumsare able to report accurate and specific information about discarnates without using any normalmeans toacquire that information”.Thedata fromherexperiments, shebelieves,effectively refuteboththeideathatmediumsusenormal,sensorymeanstofindoutinformationaboutthedeceased,aswellasthemorecontroversialsuper-psitheory.“Thisleavesonlycommunicationwiththedeceasedasaplausibleexplanationforthesourceoftheirinformation,”Beischelclaims–thoughshemakesclearthatsheisopentorevisingherassertionasmoredatabecomesavailable.Her conclusion is, you can imagine, as controversial as it isworldview-shaking.But it is based

directly on the data from her research: in a 2012 research brief on Windbridge’s ongoingexperiments with mediums,199 21 blind readings had been evaluated, with 16 of those 21 beingcorrectly chosen by the sitters (76%), as well as scoring significantly on an item-by-item basis.Beischel is currentlywritingapaper reporting thepositive resultsofherproof-basedmediumshipresearch,and ishoping thatother labsbegin theprocessof replicatingher results inorder tohelpsolidifythecaseformediumisticcommunication.Infact,theevidenceseemssostrongtoBeischelandherteamattheWindbridgeInstitutethatthey

have now moved beyond just seeking proof that mediumship works, and are looking into otheraspects of the phenomenon. Their research is split into three strands, code-named ‘Information’,‘Operation’and‘Application’:respectively,“proof-focusedresearch”(findingevidenceforsurvivalof consciousness through mediums, the experiments we’ve just discussed), “process-focusedresearch”(howmediumshipworks:thephysiological,psychologicalandphenomenologicalaspects)and“socialapplicationresearch”(theimpactmediumshiphasonpeople).The latter area in particular is a current focus forWindbridge. Regardless of howmediumship

works,Beischelnotes,ifitmakespeoplefeelbetterthenit’sworthinvestigatingfurther.ShecitesthetestimonyofasitternamedBillwhohadsufferedthedevastating lossof twosons.“Thisworkhasproventomethatwesurvivethedeathofourbodies”,hetoldBeischel,“andhasmademylifenotonlybearablebutworthwhileagain”.Anothersittertestifiedthat“themediumhelpedmemanagethegriefthathasbeenwithmeformorethan20years”.Andinasurveythatasked83peopletoratetheirlevelsofgriefbeforeandaftersittingwithamedium,theaveragescoremovedfromslightlyabove“Ifeltasomewhathighlevelofgrief”toslightlybelow“Ifeltasomewhatlow,manageablelevelofgrief”.But JulieBeischel recognizes anecdotes arenot enough. “Althoughwehavecollecteddata from

sitterswhoreportedrecallingdramaticreductionsintheirgriefafterpastreadingswithmediums,thisisfarfromconclusive”,shepointsouttome.“Wehavebegunasystematicinvestigationofwhethermediumshipreadingsarehelpfulingriefrecovery”.TheBereavementandMediumship(BAM)Studyis a trial at the Windbridge Institute that will examine the potential clinical benefits of personalmediumship readings. “Only with controlled research such as the BAM Study can we effectivelydetermineifreceivingmediumshipreadingsishelpful,harmful,orneitherforthebereaved”,notesBeischel.Sheandher teamhavecreatedawebsitefor those lookingtoassistwith thestudy,200andbelieve that if the resultsarepositive,wemayonedayseecredentialedmediumsworking togetherwithlicensedmentalhealthprofessionalstohelpthebereavedmanagetheirgrief.Givenhisfamiliaritywithbothmediumshipandthegrievingprocess,IaskTrevorHamiltonfor

his thoughtson thepossibility that itmightonedaybeusedasaclinical tool to treatbereavement:“Therelationshipbetweenagoodsittingwithamediumandtheeasingofgriefisacomplexone,”hecautions,“andthereisnowayonecanpredicttheresult.[Our]firstsittingwhichwassopowerfulandfluent (no fishing, no hesitation)made quite an impact on us. But the grief still has to beworkedthroughregardlessoftheapparentevidenceindicativeofsomeformofsurvival”.HedoeshavegreatrespectforJulieBeischelandherwork,andwhatshehasachievedonamodicumoffunding.But,hesays,“therelationshipofmediumshiptocounsellingisformallyaminefield,evenifinformallysomevery useful and helpful relationships can be built up. How many counsellors and medical andpsychiatricstaffareprepared,forexample,toacknowledgealevel5Windbridgeaccreditedmediumandgivethelevel5equalstatuswiththeirownprofessionalqualification?”Nevertheless, the research being done at theWindbridge Institute seems a worthwhile effort in

trying to better understand this neglected and often ridiculed field. And it continues to turn upinteresting information. For example, around 90%of themediumswithWindbridge are female, aratio that Beischel thinks accurately reflects the proportion of females to males in the ranks ofpracticingmediums inAmerica.Furthermore,when researchersqueried thecurrentWCRMsaboutanyhealthissuestheyhad,itbecameclearthatchronicmedicalproblemswereaseriousconcernforthose with mediumistic talents. They had seven times the incidence of autoimmune disorderscomparedtothegeneralUSpopulation;casesofdiabeteswerenearlytwicethenationalprevalence;andtheincidenceofmigrainesinfemaleWCRMswasalmosttwoandahalftimesthatoftheaveragewomanintheUnitedStates.Also, as mentioned earlier, the Windbridge Institute’s research has touched on the ‘super-psi’

problem.Someoftheirmediumsreportedthatthereweretwoentirelydifferent‘feels’toperformingmediumship readings versus performing psychic readings for the living. In response,Windbridgeresearcherssetupastudyinwhichmediumswereprovidedwiththefirstnameofatargetpersonatthestartofareading,someofwhomwerelivingwhiletheothersweredeceased,thoughthemediumandtheexperimenterwereblindedtothisknowledge.Themediumthenwentontoanswerquestionsabout the target personality, and also completed a standardized questionnaire about his/herexperiencesduringthereading.Whenthesewereanalyzed,JulieBeischelinformsme,“astatisticallysignificantdifferencewasfoundforblindedreadingsforlivingtargetsversusblindedreadingsfordeceasedtargets”.Thisgivescredencetosomemediums’opinionthattheyarenotusingtelepathyorother ‘psi’ talents to acquire information about the deceased target. In short, Beischel says, “theyknowwhatpsifeelslikeandmediumshipfeelsdifferentevenunderblindedconditions”.Beyondthosediscoverieshowever,theoverallramificationsofpositiveresultsfromresearchinto

mediumshipbygroupssuchastheWindbridgeInstitute–aswellasotherareassuggestingsurvivalofconsciousness–wouldbeprofound.Ourentireapproachtodeathwouldbeforeverchanged:howwetreat thedying(medicallyandsocially),ourgriefat losing lovedones,andourowndesireforphysicalimmortality(andanxietyaboutourinevitabledatewithdeath).

But instead, this area of research has largely been ignored (and mediums themselves oftenridiculedorattacked)even though theredefinitelyseems tobesomething worth exploring furtherwith smart, scientific research. “Mediumistic experiences are commonandnormal”, JulieBeischelnotesinherbookAmongMediums.Andyet“peoplewhobelieveinphenomenalikemediumshiparelabeledignorant,gullible,ordelusional,andtheunfortunateindividualswhoexperiencemediumisticcommunicationarecalledfrauds,con-artists,schizophrenics,evil,orworse”.Giventheantipathyofskeptics andorthodox scientists toward the topicofmediumship, there is a sad irony toBeischel’sfinal plea, asking for a more rational response to the possibility that consciousness survives thephysicaldeathofourbody:“Whatifwecalmeddown,putasideourassumptionsabouthowtheworldworks,andactuallyappliedthescientificmethodtothephenomenonofmediumship?”Or asEmilyKelly andDianneArcangel so eloquently put it in the conclusion to their research

paper:

Wehopethatthisstudymightsuggesttoreadersthatmediumsareneithertheinfallibleoraclesthatmanypeopleinthegeneralpublicseemtobelievetheyare,northefraudsorimpostersthatmanyscientistsassumetheyinvariablyare.Thehistoryofresearchonmediumshipshowsthatthephenomenonshouldbetakenseriously,andwehopethattheresultsofourstudymightencourageotherscientiststodoso.201

Wecanonlyhopethatthesetypesofstudyarethestartofanewchapterinexploringthepossibilityofpost-mortemcommunicationthroughmediums.

FOUR

BroadeningOurHorizons

“UptotheTwentiethCentury,realitywaseverythinghumanscouldtouch,smell,see,andhear.Sincetheinitialpublicationofthechartoftheelectromagneticspectrum,humanshavelearnedthatwhat

theycantouch,smell,see,andhearislessthanone-millionthofreality.”

-BuckminsterFuller

OnSeptember13th,1848,astockyrailroadconstructionforemanbythenameofPhineasGagewasusingatampingirontopackexplosivepowderinpreparationforablast,whenthepowdersuddenlydetonated.Theforceoftheexplosionthrustthe43-inch-longtampingironviolentlyupwards,whereitencounteredthefleshandboneof25-year-oldGage’shead.Withits1inchdiametertaperingtoapointoverthelast12inchesofitslength,the13poundshaftspearedintoGage’sleftcheek,piercedthetopofhismouth,andcontinuedonthroughtheleftsideofhisbrainbeforeexitinginitsentiretythroughthetopofhisheadandcontinuingonitswayskyward.Gage was knocked to the ground and was blinded in his left eye, but apart from that he

miraculouslysurvived thismassive trauma tohisbrain– in fact, it isbelieved thathedidnotevenloseconsciousness.Andas if thatdidn’tearnhimenough toughnesspoints, it is said thatwhen thephysicianarrivedtotreathisinjuries,Gagegreetedhim,lucidlyandcalmly,withthewords“Doctor,hereisbusinessenoughforyou”.Whilehissurvivalalonemighthavebeenenoughtoguaranteehimlastingfame,thereasonGage’s

name is remembered today is that theaccidentdidhaveothereffects, themostnoticeableofwhichwas a change in his personality.Despite previously being one of his employer ’smost trusted andcapableforemen,hisfriendsandfamilysaidhewasnow“nolongerGage”,andthedoctortreatinghimnoted thatPhineaswouldnowutter grossprofanities, couldnot follow throughonplans,wasimpatient, obstinate, and showed “little deference” for others. After the railroad-constructioncompanyrefusedtotakehimback,GagetookanumberofotherjobsbeforedyinginMay1860afteraseriesofseizures.Hewasjust36yearsold.202TheinfluentialstoryofPhineasGagecontributedtothedevelopmentofthehypothesisthattrauma

tocertain areasof thebrain couldcausechanges inpersonality, and that certain areasof thebrainthereforeappeartoperformindividualroles(knownas‘functionalspecialization’)–afterall,Gage’smotor skills seemed to survive intact, so the inferencewas that his destroyed left frontal lobewasresponsible for his personality, but not formoving his body around.As such, the case of PhineasGagehasoftenbeenembracedasafineexampleofhowthemindisproducedbythebrain,asGage’s‘mind’wasseverelydisruptedbydamagetotheinstrumentthatapparently‘produced’it.Changethebrain, and youmodify themind.This is not a new idea: the ancientRoman philosopherLucretiusCarusarguedagainstsurvivalofconsciousnessafterdeathsome2000yearsagobypointingouthowdiseasesandblowsto theheadaffect themind.203 Iammyselfall toofamiliarwith theexampleofthosesufferingfromAlzheimer ’sDisease,withthewinkingoutofabilitiesastheillnessprogressesandgraduallyshutsdowntheindividualfunctionsofthebrain.Thestraightforwardconclusiontakenbyorthodoxsciencefromsuchexamplesisthatthemindisentirelycreatedbythebrain.

SomedoubthasrecentlybeencastastowhatdegreeGage’spersonalityactuallychanged,andforhowlong(somesayhereturned toa functionalpersonality),but regardlessof this there isamoreimportant reason tochallenge the‘production’ theoryofmindwhenbasedoncasessuchas thatofPhineasGageandillnessesincludingAlzheimer ’sDisease:it’sbadlogic.Suchchangescouldalsobeaccountedforjustaseasilybyconsideringa‘transmission’modelofmind.Amodernanalogywouldbe to consider the brain as a television. The signal is produced elsewhere, and a television on acertainchannelwillpickupthatsignalanddisplayitonthescreen.Throwatampingironthroughthetelevision though, and its functioning will no doubt be compromised in some manner – but theoriginalsignalcontinuestoexist.And,toextendtheanalogytopost-death,ifyoupulloutthepowercordofthetelevision,nevertopoweritupagain,thesignalagainstillremains.The influential psychologist William James, who we met earlier when discussing the medium

LeonoraPiper,offeredadifferentanalogyasfarbackas1898.“Everyoneknows,”Jamesadmitted,“that arrests of brain development occasion imbecility, that blows on the head abolishmemory orconsciousness,andthatbrain-stimulantsandpoisonschangethequalityofourideas.”Butusingtheanalogyofapipeorgan,Jamespointedout that itskeys“haveonlyatransmissivefunction”–theydon’tproducetheair,justmodifyitintoacertainform:

Theyopensuccessivelythevariouspipesandletthewindintheair-chestescapeinvariousways.Thevoicesofthevariouspipesareconstitutedbythecolumnsofairtremblingastheyemerge.Buttheairisnotengenderedintheorgan.Theorganproper,asdistinguished from its air-chest, isonlyanapparatus for lettingportionsof it looseupon theworld in thesepeculiarly limitedshapes.

James’sthesiswasthatwhenweinvestigatetheideathatthoughtissimplyafunctionofthebrain,weshould not only consider productive function; “we are entitled also to consider permissive ortransmissive function”. Embracing this alternative ideawould certainly provide an explanation forsomeof the strangephenomenanear the timeofdeath thatwehavecovered throughout thisbook.Terminal lucidity,forexample,couldbeaccountedforbyamindthatdisengagessufficientlyfromthediseasedorinjuredpartsofthebraintoexhibitnormalfunctionforaperiodoftime.204Similarly, a transmission theory of mind could possibly account for the strange outcome of

operations such as hemispherectomy, in which one half of the brain is entirely removed. Theincredibleresultofthisdrasticsurgeryisoftenonlyspecificimpairmentofmotorskillsandvision,while the personality andmemory of the patient apparently remains intact and unaffected.205 Thesameapplies to theanomalousbrainscansofhydrocephalicpatientsundertakenbyProfessorJohnLorber in the 1970s and 1980s.He found that, despitemissing 95%ormore of their brain tissue,around30individualshadaglobalIQabove100.Onewasevenauniversitystudentwithanabove-averageIQof126,whohadcompletedadegreeinmaths,despitehaving“virtuallynobrain”.Thesefindings prompted Lorber to provoke fellow physicians with the question, “Is your brain reallynecessary?’’206Thequestionmayhavebeenasked(orisatleastoftentaken)facetiously.ButcouldLorber,insome

sense,becorrect?

BeyondtheUmwelt

Transmission theories of mind are certainly a different way of looking at the mystery ofconsciousness,butsurelyifconsciousnessisfloatingaboutlikeelectromagneticwaves,waitingforabraintopickupthesignallikeacerebralaerial,such‘waves’wouldhavebeendetectedandmeasuredbynow?Hubris inscience isalwaysadangerous thing,and isperhapsbestaddressedbyafamousShakespereanquote.“Therearemorethingsinheavenandearth,Horatio,thanaredreamtofinyour

philosophy”, theBardwrotesomanycenturiesago,andthesentimentstillresonatesinthemodernage – especiallywhen it comes to the question of consciousness, given how some scientists havesuggesteditmaybeafundamentalaspectoftheuniverse.Forexample,ithasbeenpointedoutbyanumberofthinkersthatupuntilrecentcenturies,‘reality’

wasrestrictedtothingsthathumanscouldexperienceviathefivesenses,butinrecentyearsscientificknowledge of what exists beyond our senses has expanded tremendously. Neuroscientist DavidEaglemanisclearonthematter,notingthathumansreally“don’thaveastronggraspofwhatreality‘outthere’evenis,becausewedetectsuchanunbearablysmallsliceofit”.EaglemanusestheGermanwordumwelt–meaning"environment"or"surroundings"–todescribethattinysliceofrealitythatweareawareof,andthatweoftenmistakenlyassumeistheentiretyofexistence:

Eachorganismpresumablyassumesitsumwelttobetheentiretyofobjectivereality.Untilachildlearnsthathoneybeesenjoyultravioletsignalsandrattlesnakesseeinfrared,itisnotobviousthatplentyofinformationisridingonchannelstowhichwehavenonaturalaccess.Infact,thepartoftheelectromagneticspectrumvisibletousislessthanaten-trillionthofit.Oursensoriumisenoughtogetbyinourecosystem,butnobetter.207

Theexpansionofourumwelt inthepastcoupleofcenturieshasbeendramatic,basedonnumerousjumpsforwardinourknowledgeofthecosmos,fromtheatomictogalacticscales.Dowehavethehubris to think thatwehavenowdiscoveredall there is to find?Orcouldanewlevelofscientificknowledge,onewhichincorporatesconsciousnessasafundamentalpartofthecosmos,bearoundthecorner?Aswesawintheintroduction,thereareanumberofworld-classscientistswhobelievethatmay be the case. Professor Paul Davies thinks it unlikely that mind was just “a lucky fluke ofbiologicalevolution”,giventhewayitislinkedtotheinnerworkingsofthecosmos,suggesting“thatthereissomethingtrulyfundamentalandliterallycosmicintheemergenceofsentience”.Anothertheoreticalphysicist,ProfessorAndreiLinde,haswonderedwhetherwecouldinvestigate

the possibility “that consciousness may exist by itself, even in the absence of matter, just likegravitationalwaves,excitationsofspace,mayexistintheabsenceofprotonsandelectrons?”208Hepointsout thatwe shouldperhapskeep theprevioushistoryof scientificdiscoveries inmindwhenconsidering consciousness. “Prior to the invention of the general theory of relativity,” he notes,“space, time, and matter seemed to be three fundamentally different entities…[Einstein’s] generaltheoryofrelativitybroughtwithitadecisivechangeinthispointofview.Spacetimeandmatterwerefound to be interdependent, and there was no longer any question which one of the two is morefundamental”.209Ifweconsider thecurrentorthodoxassumptionsaboutconsciousness in thesameway, itmaybe

thatwewillonedayfindthattheywereflawed.“Thestandardassumptionisthatconsciousness,justlikespacetimebefore the inventionofgeneral relativity,playsa secondary, subservient role,beingjust a functionofmatteranda tool for thedescriptionof the trulyexistingmaterialworld,”Lindenotes.“[But]coulditbethatconsciousnessisanequallyimportantpartoftheconsistentpictureofourworld?”210But throughwhatsortofmechanismwould thestuffofmind interactwith theworldofmatter?Itisatthispointthatwecannothelpbutexplorethemysteriesofthequantumworld.

QuantumWeirdness

As noted in the introduction of this book, at the level of quantum physics consciousness suddenlyappears to be of fundamental importance in the ‘creation’ of reality: it is not until the process ofobservationthattheparticlesuponwhichthephysicalworldisconstructedsolidify(‘collapse’)fromaprobabilisticcloudofpossibilities(‘quantumsuperposition’)intoconcreteexistence–anattribute

whichappearsto“denytheexistenceofaphysicallyrealworldindependentofourobservationofit”,accordingtosomephysicists.211Now,Ifeelcompelledheretoaddacautionarynote:manymodernwriters, especially in theNewAge genre, have seized – despite havingminimal knowledge of thefield – on the strange elements of quantum theory and its links to consciousness to produce allmannerofnonsensical‘quantumwoo’,asskepticshavederisivelynamedit.Indeed,inthewordsofone scientist, “presenting this material to nonscientists is the intellectual equivalent of allowingchildrentoplaywithloadedguns”.212Thereisnodoubtgoodreasontocriticizemuchofthissortofnonsense,andI’mextremelywaryofcommittingthesamesinmyself.Butweshouldalsobecarefulnottothrowthebabyoutwiththeproverbialbathwater,becausethereareanumberofexpertsonthetopicwhoseemoreofamysteryherethanmanyorthodox-leaningscientistsandskepticswouldhaveus believe. Indeed, physicists Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner describe the requirement ofconsciousnessinquantummechanicsasphysics’“embarrassingskeletoninthecloset”.213Accordingto acclaimed physicist Anton Zeilinger the notion of a reality independent of us is "obviouslywrong”.214Moreplainly,oneofthefoundersofquantumtheory,WernerHeisenberg,cautionedthat“somephysicistswouldprefer tocomeback to the ideaofanobjective realworldwhose smallestpartsexistobjectivelyinthesamesenseasstonesortreesexistindependentlyofwhetherweobservethem. This however is impossible”.215 And another of the original pioneers of the quantum,MaxPlanck,statedclearlytheconclusionthatthenewphysicshadledhimto:

Iregardconsciousnessasfundamental.Iregardmatterasderivativefromconsciousness.Wecannotgetbehindconsciousness.Everythingthatwetalkabout,everythingthatweregardasexisting,postulatesconsciousness.216

Furthermore, ifwe lookaround, itquicklybecomesevident that thereareanumberofoutstandingscientistsandthinkerswhohaveputforwardinterestingideasabouthowthequantumworldoffersawayformindtomanifest in thephysicalbrain. Itwould, therefore,befoolishforusnot toat leastdiscuss them as possibilities (a quick note: doing so will require some technical/scientificterminology;ifthat’snotyourcupoftea,pleasedon’tfretorputdownthebook,asitisonlyabriefexploration).OneofthosescientistsisthedistinguishedphysicistProfessorHenryStapp.Hetoohasnotedthat

thedeterminismofNewtonianphysicsstillexertsadominantinfluenceovermanyfieldsofscience–includingconsciousnessstudiesandphilosophicalquestionsregardingfreewill–despitethatmodelofphysicshavingbeensupersededacenturyago.“Mostquantumphysicists”,Stappnotes,“havebeenreluctanteventotrytoconstructanontologycompatiblewiththevalidityofthemassivelyvalidatedpragmaticquantumrulesinvolvingourcausallyefficaciousconsciousthoughts.”Assuch,influentialintellectualsoftenpretendtospeakforscience,Stappsays,onthebasisofthe“grotesquelyinadequateoldscientifictheory”ofNewtonianphysics.217

[T]hescientificideasthatprevailedfromthetimeofIsaacNewtontothebeginningofthetwentiethcenturyproclaimedyourphysical actions to be completely determined by processes that are describable in physical terms alone. Any notion that yourconsciouschoicesmakeadifferenceinhowyoubehavewasbrandedanillusion:youwereassertedtobecausallyequivalenttoamindlessautomaton.

The conflating of Nature herself with the impoverished mechanical conception of it invented by scientists during theseventeenthcenturyhasderailedthephilosophiesofscienceandofmindformorethanthreecenturies,byeffectivelyeliminatingthecausallinkbetweenthepsychologicalandphysicalaspectsofnaturethatcontemporaryphysicsrestores.

Butthenow-falsifiedclassicalconceptionoftheworldstillexertsablindingeffect.Forexample,DanielDennettsaysthathisown thinking rests on the idea that “a brain was always going to do what it was caused to do by current, local, mechanicalcircumstances”.Butbymaking that judgmenthe tiedhis thinking to thephysicalhalfofCartesiandualism,or its child, classicalphysics,andthuswasforcedinhisbookConsciousnessExplained toleaveconsciousnessout,ashehimselfadmits,andtriesto

justify,attheendofthebook.218

Asaconsequenceofthisincorrectbeliefpervadingacademia,Stapplaments,modernsocietyisbuiltupona“fundamentallyfalse”,deterministicconceptionofrealityinwhichconsciousnessisseenasanincidentalbyproductofbrainprocesses,andhumansarethusseenasthefleshandbloodequivalentofmechanical automata. This out-dated model of reality lies “like the plague on Western culture,robbing its citizens of any rational basis for self-esteem or self-respect, or esteem or respect forothers”,whileon theotherhand themodernscienceofquantumphysics“bringsourhumanmindssquarely into the dynamicalworkings of nature…the responsibility that accompanies the power todecide things on the basis of one’s own thoughts, ideas, and judgments is laid upon us [leading]naturally and correctly to a concomitant elevation in the dignity of our persons and themeaningfulnessofourlives”.219Butofparticularinteresttoourdiscussionofthebrainasapossiblereceptorofconsciousnessis

Stapp’stheoryof‘quantumconsciousness’,inwhichmind,asafundamentalelementofthecosmos,interactswiththematterofthephysicalworldatthequantumlevelwithinourbrains–specifically,atthelevelofcalciumions,whichhavebeenfoundtotriggerthereleaseofneurotransmittersbetweensynapsesinthebrain–viaconsciousintent.220Bymakingtheconsciousdecisiontodosomething,wecollapse thesmearofpossibilitiesof thecalciumions intoaparticularmanifestation,andbyotherquantumeffectscanthenmaintainthatbrainstateuntilourconsciousintenthasbeenachieved.Thus,ratherthanhumansbeingsubjecttotherandom‘bouncingofbilliardballs’inaclockworkuniverse,ourconsciousintentbecomesthedrivingforcebehindchangesinourreality.Additionally,despitepersonallybeingaskepticof theideaofanafterlife,Stappbelievesthere is

enoughaccumulatedevidencefor‘something’goingon(reportsofNDEs,death-bedvisionsandsoon) for the topic to be worthy of open scientific debate. He draws a parallel with the change ofparadigmbroughtonbyCopernicus’sheliocentrictheory,notingthat–despitehispersonalviews–hedoesn’twishtobeseenasoneofthe“doubterswhorefusedtolookthroughGalileo’stelescope”.Soasa thoughtexperiment,hedecided to see if–assuming thecollectedevidence for survivalofconsciousnessdoespointatsomethingbeyondthecurrentparadigm–theideaofanafterlifecouldbereconciledwithcontemporaryscience.Takingintoconsiderationthelawsofquantumphysicsandthephilosophyofmind,Stappcame to the stunningconclusion that “aspectsofapersonalitymightbeable to survivebodilydeath andpersist for awhile as an enduringmental entity…capableon rareoccasionsofreconnectingwiththephysicalworld”.221Contrarytotheopinionofmaterialist-leaningscientistsandatheistpundits,hefoundthatsurvivalofconsciousnessafter thedeathof thephysicalbodywaswithin theboundsof scienceaswecurrentlyunderstand it. “Idonot seeanycompellingtheoretical reasonwhy this idea couldnotbe reconciledwith thepreceptsofquantummechanics,”Stappstates.222 In a paper titled “CompatibilityofContemporaryPhysicalTheorywithPersonalitySurvival”,hesumsupthetake-awaymessageinthesewords:

[S]trongdoubtsaboutpersonalitysurvivalbasedsolelyonthebeliefthatpostmortemsurvivalisincompatiblewiththelawsofphysicsareunfounded.Rationalscience-basedopiniononthisquestionmustbebasedonthecontentandqualityoftheempiricaldata,notonapresumedincompatibilityofsuchphenomenawithourcontemporaryunderstandingoftheworkingsofnature.223

AccordingtoStapp,hisinterpretationofquantummechanicswouldboth“allowourconsciouseffortsto influence our own bodily actions, and also allow certain purported phenomena such as‘possession’, ‘mediumship’, and ‘reincarnation’ to be reconciled with the basic precepts ofcontemporaryphysics”.224AnotherscientistwhohasvoicedasimilaropinionisanaesthesiologistDr.StuartHameroff,who

along with renowned scientist Sir Roger Penrose has proposed another theory of ‘quantumconsciousness’ (though it should be noted that the Penrose/Hameroff theory of quantumconsciousnessisatoddsonvariouspointswithStapp’stheory).PenroseandHameroffhypothesizethat consciousness arises at the quantum level within structures inside brain neurons known asmicrotubules.With his clean-shaven head, goatee and easy-goingmannerisms,Hameroffmight at first glance

seemmorelikelytobeabikeroraconstructionworker.However,oncehebeginstalking,jumpingeffortlessly between complex concepts ranging from neurobiology to quantum physics – oftenleavingalaymanlikemyselfinhiswake–youbegintobelievethathemayhavecomeupwithawayto integrate multiple scientific threads into a solid theory of consciousness (a conversation withHameroffincludeslineslike“megahertzcoherence,quantumconductance,andtopologicalqubitsinmicrotubulesatroomtemperature…veryexcitingwork!”).Hameroff, likeStapp, agrees that itmakes sense to look forquantum theoriesof consciousness.

“Quantummechanicshasacrisisinthatthemeasurementproblemisunresolved,”hetellsme.“Whydon’tweseesuperpositionsinourperceivedworld?Noneoftheusualexplanationsmakeanysense”.He notes thatHenry Stapp favours the explanation that consciousness causes collapse of thewavefunction, butHameroff feels that by doing so the acclaimed physicist “puts consciousness outsidescience”,whereashisandPenrose’stheory“putsconsciousnessinscience,preciselyattheinstantof(self-) collapse”.Nevertheless,Hameroff’s ideas still certainly challenge themainstream scientificviewofhowconsciousnessemerges:

Theprevalentparadigmis thatbrainneurons(nervecells)andsynapses(connectionsbetweennervecells)act likebitsandswitchesincomputers,thatconsciousnessisessentiallycomputation,essentiallynodifferent(exceptindegreeofcomplexity)fromwhatishappeninginyourlaptop.

Microtubulesarethestructuralcomponentsinsideneurons,partofthecellcytoskeleton.Butinadditiontobeingbonygirders,they seem to also process information – the nervous system within each cell. The Penrose-Hameroff quantum consciousnesshypothesis proposes that quantum computations in microtubules inside the brain's neurons convert pre/subconscious possibilities(manifestasdream-likequantuminformation)toparticularinformation(choices,perceptions)byatypeofquantumstatereduction,orcollapseof thewavefunction.Thereduction itself–an instantaneouseventconnected to thefundamental levelof reality,assuggestedbyPenrose–isaconsciousmoment.Asequenceofsuchmomentsgivesourstreamofconsciousness.

The Penrose-Hameroff theory of quantum consciousness began its life under heavy attack fromskeptics,mostoftenbasedonthepresumptionthatdelicatequantumeffectscouldnotoccurinwarm,wetbiologicaltissue.Butintheinterveningdecadeorso,therehavebeenanumberofdiscoveriesinthe field of ‘quantum biology’ that appear to have diminished the gravity of that criticism. Forexample, recent studies have identified quantum effects being used by plants during the light-harvesting stage of photosynthesis. And Hameroff is excited by developments related to thesediscoverieswhichseemtooffersignificantsupport forhisown theory, suchas recentlyconductedexperimentswhichfoundquantumeffectsinmicrotubulesthatarealmostidenticaltothemechanismfor quantum coherence in photosynthesis proteins. Additionally, a group of researchers in Japanfound quantum resonances in microtubules,225 while another group has shown that generalanaesthetics selectively erase consciousness by acting on microtubules.226 Meanwhile, saysHameroff, “conventional approaches [to consciousness] continue to flounder”. He and Penrosecontinue tomodify thedetailsof their theoryasnewdiscoveriesaremade, thoughthecentralcorehasnotonlyremainedintact,butnowseemsmorelikelythanever.“Thefuture'ssobrightwegottawearshades”,hejokestome.When I first spoke to Hameroff about this topic almost a decade ago, I asked him the rather

controversialquestionofwhetherhis'quantumconsciousness'hypothesismightprovideamodelfor

explaininganomalousphenomenasuchasthenear-deathexperience.Hisansweratthattimesurprisedme, given his qualifications and standing in the medical and scientific community. “I would saypossiblyyes,”Hameroffrepliedwithoutblinking.Expandingonhisinitialshortanswer,heexplainedfurther in more technical terms: “Under normal circumstances consciousness occurs in thefundamental level of spacetime geometry confined in the brain. But when themetabolism drivingquantum coherence (in microtubules) is lost, the quantum information leaks out to the spacetimegeometry in the universe at large. Being holographic and entangled it doesn’t dissipate. Henceconsciousness(ordream-likesubconsciousness)canpersist”.Perhapsmoresurprisingtomethoughis that in the intervening ten or so years since he first told me this, Hameroff’s opinion has notchanged:hestillthinksthemindmaywellbeableto‘breakfree’ofthephysicalbrain.Now,ifyou’relikeme,betweentheneurobiologyandthequantumphysicsthatareinvolved,alot

of theseconceptsareabithard tograsp.Butmypoint inpresenting thesecuttingedge ideasaboutconsciousness,and thepossibility that itmightsurvive thephysicaldeathofourbody, is simply tomakeclearthat–beyondtheorthodoxviewofthemind-brainrelationship–therearewell-respectedscientistsouttherewhohavealternativehypotheses,andseethemaspossiblesolutionstotheimpassethathasbeenreachedinour(lackof)understandingofthe‘hardproblem’ofconsciousness.WhenIask Stuart Hameroff why many ‘orthodox’ scientists not only dismiss any possibility ofconsciousnessbeinganimportantelementofthecosmos,butwilloftenactivelymakefunoftheideaandthose investigating it,he isblunt inhisassessment.“Theyare trying toprotect their turfas thehighpriestsofknowledge,”hesays.“TherehavenotbeenanydevelopmentsminimizingtheroleofconsciousnessthatI'mawareof.Justtheopposite”.

WhenYouAssume,YouMakeAn…

Justasweshouldbewaryofassumingthatourumweltencompassestheentiretyof‘reality’,sotooshouldwebecarefulnottojustembraceafewmodelsofconsciousnessthatseemlikelybasedonourcurrentscientificknowledge,simply inanattempt tosatiateourappetitefor theories.Similarly,weshouldbecarefuloffallingintothetrapofthinkingaboutanafterlifeexistencebasedonthereligiousorculturalmodelswehavebeenbroughtupwith.Mostpeoplewhowereexposed to somesortofreligionintheirupbringingareimprintedwiththefairlysimplisticideathatsurvivingdeathmeansatransparent, ethereal version of you floats ‘up’ to a heaven of fluffy clouds, and lives there foreternityinhappiness.Whoknows,perhapselementsofthisarecorrect–someoftheexperiencesthatwe’vementionedinthisbookactuallydocorrelateinsomerespectswiththeseideas.Butperhapsalsotheseexperiencesarefilteredthroughanoverlayofourownexpectationsandculturalbeliefs,andthe‘true’experiencecouldbefundamentallydifferent.It’sfuntoconsidersomeofthesepossibilities.Forexample,thestandardbeliefisthatitis‘us’thatmovesontotheafterliferealm.Butperhapsthe

trueself is themindorconsciousness thatoriginates fromthatother realm,andwhoweare in thematerial realm is a transient,modifiedversion, constrictedby the requirements of existence in thephysical world. This is amore specific aspect of the transmission theory of consciousness, oftenreferredtoas‘filter ’or‘permission’ theory.Whereas‘transmission’suggests“faithfulconveyancefromoneplacetoanother”,thesealternativetermsrepresentthepossible“selection,narrowing,andloss”thatmightoccurwhenmindisfilteredthroughthephysicalbrain.227As thecelebratedwriterAldousHuxleyremarkedinhisclassicTheDoorsofPerception…

…eachoneofusispotentiallyMindatLarge.Butinsofarasweareanimals,ourbusinessisatallcoststosurvive.Tomakebiologicalsurvivalpossible,MindatLargehastobefunneledthroughthereducingvalveofthebrainandnervoussystem.Whatcomesoutattheotherendisameaslytrickleofthekindofconsciousnesswhichwillhelpustostayaliveonthesurfaceofthisparticularplanet.

Anotherpossibilitycouldbe,asthephilosopherC.D.Broadsuggested,thatmindandmattercombinetoformathirdsubstancewithitsownintrinsicproperties,liketheformationofsaltfromtheatomssodium and chlorine. The compound can at some point be dissolved into its constituent elementsagain, but while engaged with each other the elements act as one unit with its own uniqueproperties.228 Alternatively, author Alan Gauld has put forward the analogy of consciousness aspossiblybeingsimilartoaparasite,attachedtoahost(thephysicalbrain/body),whichsufferswhenthehostgetsillandeventuallydisengageswhenitcannolongersupportit.Wethinkofouridentityintermsofourphysicalbody,butisitjustsomethingthatwe–asonlyaconsciousness–simplyuseas a vehicle? These are interesting ideas, at the very least as thought experiments to help usunderstandtherearemorepossibilitiesthanwesometimesrealize.Thewayourviewofanexternalrealm‘beyondreality’canchangeisillustratedwellbythescience

fictionblockbusterTheMatrix,withNeo taking the redpill and ‘wakingup’ into the ‘real’world,despitehavingthoughtuntilthatpointthatthecomputer-generatedMatrixwastherealworld.Beforetheageofcomputerstheideathatwemightbeinsidesomesortofvirtualreality,withthe‘realus’residing in another realm, was barely known. Certainly, versions of this idea existed before thecomputer age, notably in discussions of the strange world of dreams. For example, the ancientChinesephilosopherZhuangzionceremarkedonthedifficultyofdistinguishingwhere‘reality’lieswiththefollowingwords:“Onceuponatime,IdreamtIwasabutterfly,flutteringhitherandthither,toallintentsandpurposesabutterfly.Iwasconsciousonlyofmyhappinessasabutterfly,unawarethatIwasChou.SoonIawaked,andthereIwas,veritablymyselfagain.NowIdonotknowwhetherIwasthenamandreamingIwasabutterfly,orwhetherIamnowabutterfly,dreamingIamaman”.The influential 17th century philosopher René Descartes also wondered how we could actually

knowwhatrealityis,giventhatoursensescanbesounreliable,andyetitisonlythroughthesesenses(andthensubsequentinterpretationbythebrain)thatwecomprehendtheworld‘outthere’.Descartesdeducedthatallwecanbesureofabout‘reality’isjustonething–thatifwethink,thenwemustinsomewayexist,attheveryleastasjustamind.Hesummarizedthisviewwithhiswell-knownmaxim‘cogitoergosum’(‘Ithink,thereforeIam’).Beyondthat,forallweknow,wecouldjustbea‘brainina vat’ – a piece of meat hooked up to sensors that trick our mind into thinking it is undergoingexperiences in a virtual world. The fact that all of our sensorial experience of ‘reality’ mustnecessarilybefilteredsubjectivelythroughthebrain–andthusisn’t‘reality’atall(forexample,weapprehend theworldverydifferently toan infrared-sensing rattlesnake)–wasenunciated inHinducultureviathetermmaya(illusion):theideathatwecanneveridentifyorcomprehendtheactualtruthorrealityoftheworld,only(atbest)afragmentofit.Butinthe21stcentury, the‘simulationargument’– thesuggestionthatallofwhatwethinkofas

‘reality’ is actually a simulation, and that until nowwe have been unaware of the fact – has gonemainstream.NotonlythroughthepopularityofTheMatrix,butthroughfirst-handexperience:manycomputer gamers now spend several hours a day immersed in the virtual worlds of first-personshooters.Giventhespeedoftechnologicaldevelopment,itnolongerseemsimpossiblethatonedayacomputermightbeabletobehookedupdirectlytoourbrain,andbeableto‘trick’usintothinkingweare in anotherworld. In factNickBostrom,ProfessorofPhilosophyatOxfordUniversity,hassaid that he feels there is about “a 20 percent chance we’re living in a computer simulation”.229Meanwhile, physicist FrankTipler believes that, through extrapolation of the laws of physics, it isinevitablethatthesentientbeingsofthefardistantfuturewillbevirtuallyomnipotent,giventhelikelyscaleofinformationprocessingatthattime.This‘OmegaPoint’,asTiplertermsit,willbeatimeinwhichsuchbeingswillbeableto‘see’thefuture,aswellasallofhistoryupuntilthatpoint,whichwill allow them to ‘resurrect’,within a virtual universe, every being that has lived.230 Certainly a

differenttypeof‘heaven’thanwenormallycontemplate…The small selectionof ideas outlined above range all theway from ‘plausible’ to ‘what thehell

were they smoking?’. My point in mentioning them, however, is to show that our everydayassumptionsabout theworld–asper thecurrentorthodoxscientificand religiousviews–maybeonly part of the picture, or perhaps even largely wrong. At any point in history until now, ourassumptions about both ourselves, and the cosmos, have often been incorrect. For example, forthousands of years up until the 16th century, most people believed our Sun, the planets and theheavenlysphererotatedaroundtheEarth–andthoughitnowseemssilly, itwasactuallycommon-sensebasedontheirobservationsandtheknowledgetheyhadavailabletothematthattime;fromthehuman frame of reference, we do indeed appear to remain still, while the heavenly bodies rotatearoundusacrossthesky.Weshouldthereforebecarefulinassumingthatanyofourcurrentviewsarecorrect–fromabeliefinaGodthatwillresurrectusoncedead,throughtothinkingthatwe’resimplymeatpuppetsoflittletonosignificancetothecosmos.What cannot be denied, however, is the power of science in leading us to better ideas. Science

shouldnotbediscarded justbecausewedon’t likewhat it is tellingus. In the last fewcenturieswehavediscoveredanenormousamountthroughtheuseofrationalthinkingandthescientificmethod(althoughastheeminentAmericanphysicistJohnArchibaldWheeleronceremarked,“Asourislandof knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance”). Butwe should also be careful of thedangerousassumptionthatwhatweknownowisthelimitofknowledge,oratleastthatwehavemostthingscorrectandonlyneedtofinessethedetailsfromhere.Suchassumptionshaveresultedinsomegenuinescientistsbecomingoutcastssimplyduetothe‘fringe’topicsthattheyresearch,eventhoughtheybelieve in the efficacyof science and that it is the correct tool for the job.Dr. SamParnia isunequivocalinhisopinionontherolesciencecanplayinexploringthequestionofwhathappenstoconsciousnessatthetimeofdeath.“Iseenoreasonwhyapriestshouldtellusaboutdeath,”hestates,“whenwehaveallthistechnologyavailable”.231However, we should also be careful not to get so carried awaywith our desire for undeniable

evidence thatwe diminish people’s personal opinion orworldview.We allmake our best guess athowtheworldworksfromtheevidencewehaveathand–truly,noneofusknowtheultimatetruth.Andifthereisa‘nextworld’,itmaywellbethatourscienceappliestoitasmuchasitmightapplytothe‘trueworld’beyondavirtualreality.Allwecandoisusesciencetoitslimitsinordertopresentourselveswiththebestmodelsofrealitythatwecanconstruct–althoughperhapsweshouldbealittlemoreopentointegratingthatsciencewiththetestimonyofthosethatclaimtohavecaughtaglimpsefroma‘PeakinDarien’.But you shouldn’t needme to tell you this. Some two and a half thousand years ago, the great

Greek philosopher Plato illustrated the issue perfectly with his Allegory of the Cave, a fictionaldialoguebetweenhismentorSocratesandhisbrotherGlaucon.Theformerasksthelattertoconsiderthescenarioofagroupofprisonersheldwithinacavesincechildhood,chainedsothattheycannotmoveeventheirheads;theyfaceawayfromthecave’sentranceandcanseeonlyawallbeforethem.Behindthematadistanceafireblazes,andbetweenthemandthefireisaraisedwalkwayoverwhichpassesaparadeofvarious figures.As such, theprisoners can seeonly theirownshadowsand theshadowsofthosethatpassoverthewalkwaybehindthem;anysoundstheyhearechooffthewall,andthusappeartocomefromtheshadowofthefiguremakingthesound.“Tothem”,saysSocrates,“thetruthwouldbeliterallynothingbuttheshadowsoftheimages”.ThenSocratesaskGlaucontoconsiderthescenariowhereoneoftheprisonerswasreleased:“At

first,whenanyofthemisliberatedandcompelledsuddenlytostandupandturnhisneckroundandwalkandlooktowardsthelight,hewillsuffersharppains;theglarewilldistresshim,andhewillbeunable tosee the realitiesofwhich inhis formerstatehehadseen theshadows;and thenconceive

someonesayingtohim,thatwhathesawbeforewasanillusion,butthatnow,whenheisapproachingnearertobeingandhiseyeisturnedtowardsmorerealexistence,hehasaclearervision”.Thoughthe objects he now sees are the ‘real objects’, and not a shadow illusion, Socrates notes that theprisonermightwellinsteadthinkthatwhatheseesbeforehimisanhallucination,giventhattheyarebeyondanythinghehaspreviouslywitnessed.Led up and out of the cave into the open world beyond, Socrates then notes that though the

emancipatedprisonerwouldbeinitiallyblindedbythelight,hewouldeventuallygrowaccustomedtothe‘upperworld’,andatsomepointwouldwitnesshisowntruebodyandrealizeheismorethanashadow.Hewouldlikelyalso,saysSocrates,nowunderstandthatthe‘wisdom’ofthecaveprisonerswasclearlyflawedandpitiable,andhavegreatdisdainforanyamongthemwhoseemedtobethebestatobservingandmakingpredictionsabouttheshadows,giventheirillusoryquality.Andifaprisonerweretoreturntothecave,Socratesnotes,hisvisionwouldnolongerbesuitedto

thelandofshadows–somuchsothattheprisonersstilltheremightmockhim:“Menwouldsayofhim thatuphewentanddownhecamewithouthiseyes;and that itwasbetternoteven to thinkofascending;andifanyonetriedtolooseanotherandleadhimuptothelight,letthemonlycatchtheoffender,andtheywouldputhimtodeath”.

Anyonewho has common sensewill remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from twocauses, either fromcomingoutof the lightor fromgoing into the light,which is trueof themind's eye,quiteasmuchasof thebodilyeye;andhewhoremembersthiswhenheseesanyonewhosevisionisperplexedandweak,willnotbetooreadytolaugh;hewill first askwhether that soulofmanhascomeoutof thebrighter light, and isunable to seebecauseunaccustomed to thedark,orhavingturnedfromdarknesstothedayisdazzledbyexcessoflight.

ComparePlato’sallegorywiththenear-deathexperience–NDErsaretakenoutof‘thecave’,shownthingsthatmakenosensetotheirusualperceptions(considerthereportsof360°visionforexample),andupontheirreturnareunabletocommunicatewhatthey’veseentoothersintheshadowlanguageofthecaveworld(theineffablenatureoftheexperience).Alltheycansayistheyknowwhattheysawwas ‘real’…more real than the shadows at least. In the cave, however, they are regarded as“bewildered”, and laughed at. I’m sure many near-death experiencers would relate well to thisallegory.In short, the message we should take from Plato’s allegorical tale is simple: while we should

employscienceandcriticalthinkingtogetascloseaswecantounderstandingwhat‘reality’is,weshould also always keep in mind that we may still, even in the 21st century, have the barestcomprehension of the truth. For as J.B.S. Haldane once remarked, “my own suspicion is that theUniverseisnotonlyqueererthanwesuppose,butqueererthanwecansuppose”.

FIVE

MementoMori

I’lltellyouasecret.Somethingtheydon’tteachyouinyourtemple.Thegodsenvyus.Theyenvyusbecausewe’remortal,becauseanymomentmightbeourlast.Everythingismorebeautifulbecause

we’redoomed.Youwillneverbelovelierthanyouarenow.Wewillneverbehereagain.

–Achilles,inthemovieTroy

OnDecember29th,2012,duringthewritingofthisbook,Ihadmyownbrushwithdeath.Outinthegardenwithmyson,Iwasstungontheearbyawaspthattookexceptiontomegettingtooclosetoitsnest.Nostrangertotheoccasionalwaspsting,Iwentinsideourhousetograbsomeicetoputontheminor wound, but thought little more about it. Around five minutes later, however, I noticed adarkeningaroundtheedgesofmyvision,followedbytheoddtasteofmetalinmymouth,asifIwaschewingonahandfulofrustednails.Undertheassumptionthatitwasconnectedtothewaspsting,Iwalked to the computer and typed “wasp sting metallic taste” into Google, and was faced with abarrageof results thatnearlyallmentioned“allergy”and“anaphylaxis”. I immediatelywent to tellmywife,makingsureIlookedcompletelycalmwhenItoldher“honey,IthinkI’mhavingreactiontoa wasp sting”…before immediately collapsing into unconsciousness, going into seizures andvomitingupprettymuchtheentirecontentsofmydigestivesystem.Mywifecalledforanambulance(wegottwoforourtrouble),whicharrivedsomefifteenminutes

later.Findingmypulsetobeunder40beatsperminuteandmybloodpressuresittingataround45/25,thesituationatthatstage–astheattendingparamedicstoldmelater–was“prettydire”.Butthroughthe administration of various procedures, including injections of epinephrine and atropine, theyrevivedme toa (barely)conscious state, toapointwhere Iwas stableenough tobe transferred tohospital.Thoughmypulsestayedlowformostofthenight,withintwelvehoursIwasforthemostpartbacktonormaleverydayhealth…arathersurrealadventure.SowhatamazingexperiencedidIundergoduringmyexcursiontotheboundaryoflifeanddeath?

Theanswer,unfortunately,isabsolutelynothing.IrememberthinkingtomyselfasIwasslippingintounconsciousness“wehaven’tevencalledanambulanceyet…I’mnotgoingtosurvivethis”;theverynext thing I remember (groggily) is a paramedic cuttingmy shirt open and askingme questions,some 15 to 20minutes later. Asmuch as I would have loved to have come backwith the perfectanecdotetoroundoutthebookIwaswriting,Ididn’t.Noout-of-bodyexperience,notunnel,nogatesofheaven,nodeceasedlovedones.Justaquarterofanhourof‘losttime’.Thisisparforthecourseformethough–despitemyinterestinthesetopics,myownlifehasbeen

aboutasun-paranormalasanyone’scouldbe.ButI’mnotfoolishenoughtoconcludefrommyownexperiences(ormoreaccurately,lackofthem)thatthesethingsdon’thappentoothers.ForbeyondalltheaccountsthatI’vecomeacrossinmyresearch,thereisalsonoshortageofanecdotesthatI’veheard directly from family members, people whose honesty I don’t doubt. My father, as theprogressionofAlzheimer ’sDiseasebegantoseriouslyaffecthisneuralprocesses,reportedtousthathehadexperiencedvisionsoftwoclosefriendswhohaddied,whowereinvitinghimtocomewiththem.One ofmy aunts, fighting for her life due to a problemwith her heart, lay in bed grasping

desperatelyatwhatshesaidwasaropebeingthrowntoherbyherbrother,whohaddiedaboutayearpreviously, and who she said was at that moment standing at the foot of her bed. My paternalgrandmother, a straight-laced woman fromNorthern Ireland, almost died in hospital at one pointfromanabscessonherpancreas,thesituationbeingsodesperatethatthedoctorsleptonabedbesideherfortwonights.Themorningafter,shesaidthatablackcoachpulledbysixblackhorseshadcometoahaltbesideher,with the request that shehopaboard–a request that she refused.Mymaternalgrandmother,afterlosingalotofbloodduringchildbirth,toldhowamaninawhitesuit,withwhitehairandbeard,hadappearedaskingher togowithhim–shealso refused.Decades later,after thedeathofherhusband, she reportedseeingand interactingwithanapparitionofhimat their familyhomesome18monthsafterhehadpassedaway;he toldhernot toworrybecauseeverythingwasokay,thatshecouldn’tgowithhimyetasshehadapurposetofulfilandwouldn’tdieforquitesometimeyet(shelivedforanother35years).Andamediumwasoncetellingmyyoungersisteraboutanumberofthingsstilltohappeninherfuture,whenshesuddenlychangedtrackmidwaythroughthereadingtosaythat,astheyspoke,awomaninmysister ’slife“withdarkorblackhair”wascrying.Theonlypersonmatchingthatdescriptiontomysisterwasourmother,thoughshetoldthemediumthat she doubted verymuch that would be the case (ourmother, being a stockwoman in northernAustralia,isnotthecryingtype,sothisseemedunlikely).ButwhenmysisterlaughedtoMumaboutitlater,making funof the fact that themediumhadsuggested this, shewassurprised to find thatourmotheractuallyhadbeencryingandveryupsetat thatexact time,asshehadjustbeentold thatherbrother-in-lawwasterminallyill.Combinedwithanumberofotherstresses,shehadcollapsedintotearsattheexacttime(2.30pm)thatthemediumhadtoldmysisterthatshecouldseethishappening.Asyoucansee,eveninmyownfamilytherehavebeennumerousexperiencessimilartotheones

we’vecoveredinthisbook.Furthermore,whenIannouncedthatIwaswritingthisbook,readersofmywebsiteemailedme fromaround theglobe, sharing theirownpersonalaccounts.And this is apointworthmaking: despite being considered a fringe topic to science, everyday people from allovertheworldhavethesetypesofexperiencesregularly.IneachchapterofthisbookI’vementionedjustafewinterestingcases,butifyoudelveintotheliteraturethenumberisoverwhelming,anditisdifficult to transmit the convincing effect that taking in all of this information through years ofreading has on an individual. And those researchers who have taken the time to consider all thisevidence,generallycometothesameview.“NoneofthesestoriesaboutNDEsarecontrolledstudies,they'realljustanecdotes,”Dr.BruceGreysonhasnoted,“butIwouldsaythatifyoucombineallthephenomenafromNDEs,withallthedatafrommediumshipcases…andputallthesethingstogether,themostparsimoniousexplanationisthatsomeaspectofthehumanbodysurvivesdeath”.Likewise,JulieBeischeltoldmethat“ifyouconsiderthenumerousmodesofstudyingtheafterlife–neardeathexperiences,childrenwhorememberpastlives,mediumship,etc.–andthebodyofdatacollected,itisdifficulttoclaimthatnothingisgoingon”.Dr.SamParnia,whoisusuallyextremelycarefulnottocommit to any particular conclusion, says that “all we can say now is that the data suggests thatconsciousness isnotannihilated [at the timeofdeath]”.232 In theAustralianstudyofpalliativecarenurses,allofthoseinterviewedspokeofbecomingconvincedbythesecasesof“somethingelsethathappens”beyonddeath;thatthereis“moreouttherethananyofusreallyunderstand”.233Asnotedearlier, EdmundGurney felt it was impossible to transmit in print form the convincing nature oftalkingdirectlytothosewhohadexperienced‘coincidental’visionsofthedying.JaniceHolden,aftersurveyingcasesofveridicalperceptionduringNDEs,gaveheropinionthat“thecumulativeweightofthesenarratives”shouldbeenoughto“convincemostskepticsthatthesereportsaresomethingmorethanthanmerehallucinationsonthepatient’spart”.WilliamJames,inalettertoanoldfriendofhisfather discussing his mediumship research, conveyed the profound and disorienting change inperspectivethatcantakeplaceonceweengagewiththeactualevidence:

Ihavehithertofeltas if thewondermongersandmagneticphysiciansandseventhsonsofseventhdaughtersand thosewhogravitatedtowardsthembymentalaffinitywereasortofintellectualvermin.Inowbegintobelievethatthattypeofmindtakesholdofarangeoftruthstowhichtheotherkindisstoneblind.TheconsequenceisthatIamallatsea,withmyoldcompasslost,andnonewone,andthestarsinvisiblethroughthefog.234

It certainly does seem that plenty of people who have engaged with the topic enough to gain anappreciation of the evidence, both for and against, lean toward the ‘survival of consciousness’conclusion.Yourmileage,ofcourse,mayvary.Weallcometothetopicwithourowndata,withourownbiases,andourowndesires.Andthat isabsolutelyfine.I thinkas longaswetruly lookat theevidence,andtrytobeashonestwithourselvesaspossible,thenwhateverconclusionwecometohastoberespected.Thoughhopefully,asIsaidatthebeginningofthisbook,anyconclusionswillalwaysbetentativeandamenabletobeingrevised.Asforthosewhohaveactuallyundergonewhatseemstobeagenuineparanormalexperience,it’s

difficulttoswaythemawayfromtheconvictionthatthereissomesortofafterlife–forexample,inasurvey of all the cases they have on hand, theDivision of Perceptual Studies at theUniversity ofVirginia found that 82%ofNDErs said that their experience had convinced themof survival afterdeath.235 Given the nature of their experience, to tell them otherwise seems akin to telling JodieFoster ’scharacterEllieArrowayinthemovieContactthatwhatshewitnessedwasanhallucination,based on the contradiction between the duration ofwhat she claimed to have experienced, and thesplit-secondoftimethatelapsedtoexternalobservers.But perhaps, by studying certain elements of these experiences in a scientific manner, we can

somehowgetafeelforwherethetruthmaylie–tocontinuewiththeContactanalogy,sucheffortsmight include studying the lengthof thevideo recordedwithinEllie’s capsule. In research into theafterlifehypothesis,wehavestudiessuchastheAWAREprogram’sattempttoverifytheaccountsofout-of-bodyexperiences,andscientificinvestigationintothevalidityoftheinformationprovidedbymediums tositters.But lookingat theentire fieldof study,wecannot ignore thatwehavemultipleareasconcerningdeathwherethereseemstobeevidencepointingtothesamething.Peopledyingseedeceased loved ones appearing at their death-bed, while carers and family often report strangephenomenaincludinglights,sounds,andvisionsofthedead;peoplereturningfromthethresholdofdeathreportanafterliferealm;andcommunicationthroughmediumsalsoofferssuggestionsofthesamepost-deathdestination.Withintheseindividualfieldswefindfurtherevidencethatthemind(orsoul,ifyoulike)isaseparateentitytoourphysicalbody:Peak-in-Dariencases,accountsofveridicalOBEs,multiplewitnessesofstrangephenomenaat thedeath-bed,crisisapparitionscoincidingwiththe time of death, andmediums reporting similar elements to the dying process as those reportedduringNDEs.Takingalltheseintotal,itseemsitwouldbeanamazingcoincidencethatallofthesestrangeelementsjusthappentopointtothesamething.SkepticsoftenputforwardOccam’sRazor–commonly paraphrased as ‘the simplest explanation is often the correct one’ – as a good tool forgettingatthetruthofthematter.Whentakingintotalalltheevidencefromthesevariousfields,it’sworthcontemplatingthattheafterlifesolutionmaybethemostsimplesttoexplainitall.However at this point there is no unimpeachable evidence to tell us either way whether

consciousness survives death – and theremaynever be. Perhapswedo live in aTotalPerspectiveVortex,andphysicaldeathtrulyistheendofus–thoughagain,wehavenoauthoritativeevidenceforthat conclusion either.When it comes to trying to find evidence for aworld beyond our own – aworldwhich, if itevenexists,maynotplaybythesamescientificrulesas thephysicalworld–wemaybetakingpartinanunwinnablegame.Perhaps,then,weneedtoletgoofthisattimesdebilitatingneedforcertainty,andjusthavetomakeourbestcallbasedontheevidenceathand.Regardlessofourviewthough,Ithinkit’simportantthatwerecognisetheprofoundeffectsofthe

strange experiences we’ve discussed in this book, and that they are a legitimate, and quite oftenhelpful,partofthedyingprocess.AsoneNDErwrote,“Itisoutsidemydomaintodiscusssomethingthat can only be proven by death. However, for me personally this experience was decisive inconvincingme that consciousness endures beyond the grave.Death turned out to be not death, butanotherformoflife”.236PeterFenwickfoundthatthosewhohadadeath-bedexperiencewhiledying“underwentachangeofmoodfromagitationanddistresstopeacefulacceptance”.237AwomanwhowaspartofaPeak-in-Darienexperiencenoted:

Irarelytellthisstory,butitfeelsasifIwentfromamedicalnightmaretotheuniversesteppingin,allowingMomandDadtopassawaypeacefullywitheachother.Iadmitthatit’sbeyondmyunderstanding,butIbelievethatIhadaspecialglimpseintoaworldrarelyseen.238

Giventheprofoundnatureoftheseexperiences,thereshouldbefarlesstabooandridiculeassociatedwith research and debate about them, and more importantly, with the personal nature of theexperience.Andyet,insomanyNDEaccountswehearthattheexperiencerdidn’tinitiallysharetheirstorywithanyone,forfearofbeinglabeledascrazy.Inonesurvey,anincredible57%ofNDErssaidthattheyhadbeenafraidorreluctanttotalkabouttheirexperience,whilemorethanoneineveryfourdidn’t tellasinglesoulabout ituntilmore thanayearhadpassed!239Similarly,PeterFenwickhasnotedthatmanycarerswhorecountedwitnessingend-of-lifeexperiencesinthedyingsaidthatitwasthe first time they had “admitted” it to anyone, as they had previously feared ridicule or evendismissalfromtheirjob.240Foraprofounddeath-bedvisionorNDEtonotbesharedamongfamilymembersforfearofbeingconsidered‘woo-woo’shouldnotbeanoption,andforadyingpersontobetreatedwithlessrespectforreportingwhatmaybethemostfulfillingandimportanteventintheirlifeisalmostcriminal.PalliativecareexpertDeborahO’Connorhasnotedthatwhenpalliativecarenursesarecomfortablewiththeideathat‘paranormalphenomena’areoccurring,it“assistedthemtorespond to patient reports and to communicate them positively to family and friends of the dyingperson, normalising the experiencewithin the palliative care setting”.Regardless of our views onwhattheseexperiencesmightmean,itisfarpasttimetobringthemintotheopenandregardthemasnormal,andcommon,humanexperiences.

DeathistheRoadtoAwe

Whetheryoubelieveinalifeafterdeathornot,weallshouldacknowledgedeath,andwhatitbringstolife.AspalliativecarephysicianMichaelBarbatowroteinhisbookReflectionsofaSettingSun,“itmayseemhard tobelievebut thepeople Icare forand their familiesaremoreattuned to life thanmostothers.Everymomentofadyingperson’slifeispricelessandtheyendeavourtousethistimefruitfullyandfully.Becausetheyaredying,theyseelifeanddeathasneverbefore…inthewordsofHenryThoreau,‘darknessrevealstheheavenlylights’”.The common thread that should unite all of us, regardless of our belief, is that this life is very

likelytheonlytimethatyou–atleast,as‘you’–willexperiencethisEarthandthesingularjoysitbrings.WeshouldthereforecherisheverydayaliveonEarthasagift.AnnDruyanwroteofthedeathofherhusband,thegreatsciencecommunicatorCarlSagan,inthefollowingwords:

Idon’teverexpecttobereunitedwithCarl.But,thegreatthingisthatwhenweweretogether,fornearlytwentyyears,welivedwith avivid appreciationofhowbrief andprecious life is.Wenever trivialized themeaningofdeathbypretending itwasanythingotherthanafinalparting.Everysinglemomentthatwewerealiveandweweretogetherwasmiraculous…Weknewwewerebeneficiariesofchance.Thatpurechancecouldbesogenerousandsokind…Thatwecouldfindeachother,inthevastnessofspaceandtheimmensityoftime…Idon’tthinkI’lleverseeCarlagain.ButIsawhim.Wesaweachother.Wefoundeachother

inthecosmos,andthatwaswonderful.241

Scientists tell us we are all “made of star dust”, while Christian funeral liturgies exhort us torememberthat“youaredust,andtodustyoushallreturn”.Bothstatementsareworthcontemplating:ourbodiesareamiraculousassemblyofmoleculesbornfromdyingsuns,infusedwiththemysteryoflifeandconsciousnessfortheblinkofaneyeinthecosmicscaleofthings,beforedissipatingbackinto the universe once more. Regardless of our model of reality we should all recognize, andembrace,howtrulymagicalourconsciousexistenceis.Steve Jobs said that remembering hewould one day diewas “themost important tool I've ever

encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all externalexpectations,allpride,allfearofembarrassmentorfailure–thesethingsjustfallawayinthefaceofdeath,leavingonlywhatistrulyimportant.RememberingthatyouaregoingtodieisthebestwayIknowtoavoidthetrapof thinkingyouhavesomethingtolose.Youarealreadynaked.Thereisnoreasonnottofollowyourheart”.242‘Deathmakes life possible’,was themessage that Jobswanted to convey. “Noonewants to die.

Evenpeoplewhowanttogotoheavendon'twanttodietogetthere.Andyetdeathisthedestinationweallshare.Noonehaseverescapedit.Andthatisasitshouldbe,becausedeathisverylikelythesinglebestinventionoflife.Itislife'schangeagent.Itclearsouttheoldtomakewayforthenew”.Ifwegivecredencetotheaccountsofnear-deathexperiencers,themessagetheybringbackabout

the importanceof life isclear.Almostwithoutexception, theyreturnwith thesameconclusion: the‘judgement’ they submitted to during the life review stage of their NDEwas a personal one, andhingedon twomainquestions: “What didyoudowithyour life, andhowdidyour actions impactuponothers?”The‘beingoflight’didn’tdothejudging,insteaditofferedunconditionallovewhilefacilitatingthereviewofone’slife.ManyNDErsreturnfromthis‘judgement’anddedicatetheirlivesto learning, as well as embracing their creative talents. They are also often transformed in theirbehaviourandattitudetowardsothers;remembertheancientNDEtaleofAridaeusofSoli,whowaschangedsomuchthathewasgivenanewnamebyhiscommunity,‘Thespesius’,meaning‘divine’or‘wonderful’,duetohiscareandcharitytowardothers.Therearecertainlyworsewaystoliveyourlifethanthroughthe‘teachings’oftheNDE.Asonewagoncequipped,onthedayyourlifeflashesbeforeyou,youshouldmakesureit’sworthwatching…WhenIputthequestionofhowweshouldeachapproachourowndeathstoMichaelBarbato–a

manwhohasworkedonadailybasiswiththosedoingso–hepreachesasimilarmessage.“Thebestwaytopreparefordeathistoleadafullandself-actualisinglife”,hetellsme.“Theartofdyingwellis learnt through the art of livingwell”.As one of his patients told him: “It’s notwhat I did that IregretbutthethingsIdidn’tdo”.243Alsoimportant,Barbatosays,are“seeingandacceptingdeathasthe natural end to life; bringing death back into the living room (not avoiding the subjectwhen itarises)andpreparingforone’sowndeath(takingownershipofit)”.Inthemodernworld,hesays,medicine struggles to adequately care for the dying. Though doctors have enormous skill andunquestionablededicationtotheirprofession,thesimplefactisthattheirgoalistokeeppeoplealive.“If death is seen as the enemy, it will always bemet with resistance”, Barbato remarks sagely inReflections of a Setting Sun. “Ifwe accept it as the natural end to life thenwe aremore likely torespectitsomnipresenceandbebetterpreparedwhenthebelltolls”.Buttodayweoftensequesterthedying in hospitals or palliative care facilities, and as such few people have actually sat throughsomeoneelse’sdeath.Thosewhodo,suchasMichaelBarbato,notethattheexperiencebringsdeath‘tolife’andallowsthemtogettoknowit.“Wefeelitsmight–thelength,breadthanddepthoftheemotionsthataccompanyit–andweareoverwhelmedbyitspresence…Deathisnottheconclusiontoaseriesofmedicaleventsbutaprofoundhumanexperience”.244

Palliative care pioneerElizabethKubler-Rosswisely noted that a fear of death does not preventdeath; instead, it prevents living.Whilewe should take the time toconsiderourownmortality,weshouldnotdwellonitorfearthemoment.Instead,wemustseizeholdofeachdayandembraceeverymomentthatwearegivenonthismortalplane,whileknowingandgraciouslyacceptingthatthenextmomentcouldbeourlast.MichaelBarbato sums it up beautifully: “Life is a precious gift thatmust one day be returned”.

Regardless of what we believe about the survival of consciousness after death, we should allrememberthat.

Letus,atleast,notclamourforimmortality,notpledgeourheartstoit.Iftheendissleep,well,whenwearetired,sleepisthefinalbliss.

Andyetperhapswhatdiesisonlythedeartrivialfamiliarselfofeach.Perhapsinourannihilationsomevitalandeternalthingdoesbreakwing,flyfree.Wecannotknow.

Butthisweknow:whetherweareannihilatedorattaininsomestrangewayeternallife,tohavelovedisgood.

–OlafStapledon

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thisbookwouldn’thavebeenpossiblewithoutthecontributionsandfriendshipofalargenumberofwonderful people. They did more than simply support this work, they were instrumental in itscreation.First off, Imust givemy sincere thanks to all the fantastic peoplewhocontributed to thecrowd-funding campaign that ‘kick-started’ the entire project, regardless of thepledge– this bookwouldnotexistwithoutyourhelp.Thefollowing‘Gold’and‘Platinum’sponsorsareowedaspecialmentionandthankyou:

Platinumsponsor:A.Goodrum.

Gold sponsors: Natalie Kerslake, L. van Veen, Michael Tymn, Bryan Colgur, Jeff Gardiner, Matt Cumberland, GarethPashley,N.J.Muse,SimonGreen,MichaelPrescott,G.Calof,KevinWright,SteveThornton,SimonNugent,JamieFolse,BobbyJones, Paul D. Condon, Luis Balaguer, Keith Ellis, Gene Semel, RyanWeeks, Lars Henrik Laustsen, Frode, Pete Lyon, TimBinnall,GaryBillingsley,RickPetesandMichaelMoulton.

Thanks also to those researchers and experiencers who graciously gave their time to answer myquestions, including Bruce Greyson, Julie Beischel, Michael Barbato, Trevor Hamilton, DeborahMorris, Emily Kelly, Stuart Hameroff, A-J Charron and Kevin Wright. Michael Prescott offeredfeedbackonanearlydraft of thebook, aswell as somemuch-neededpositivityduring the editingprocess!Over the years I have also received much support from a number of friends, including David

Pickworth,RickGned,KatLowry,JamesKennedy,MiguelRomero,RichardAndrews,GrantCalof,CatVincent,DavidMetcalfe,BlairMacKenzieBlake,LukeandGrahamHancock,MattStaggs,SteveVolk, Alan Boyle, David Pescovitz, Tim Binnall, Paul Kimball, John Higgs, John Reppion,MarkStaufer, Alex Tsakiris, Robert McLuhan, Dean Radin, Rupert Sheldrake, Michael Prescott, PaulDevereux, Jacques Vallee, Charles Laughlin, Loren Coleman, Andrew Gough, Mark Pilkington,David Luke, Jack Hunter, all the folks at The Anomalist, Mysterious Universe and Who Forted,MichaelScott,MitchHorowitz,andBillBlock.MarkJamesFosterandChristopherButlerdeserveaspecialmention for their fantasticwork on the cover of this book, aswell as their friendship andsupport.Andofcourse,thankstoallthosereadersandsupportersofTheDailyGrailthroughouttheyearsforyourcontributions,fromfinancialtomoralsupport.Lastbutcertainlynotleast,overwhelmingthanksandlovetomyfamily,whohavehadtoendurea

very long writing and editing process which has no doubt tested their patience to the limit. ThesacrificestheymadeallowedmetocreatesomethingthatIamextremelyproudof,andforthatIowethem a great debt. Allmy love to Tonita, Isis, Phoenix andMaya, as well asMum,Dad, Leanne,Natalieandtherestofmyextendedfamily.If Ihaveomittedanybody’snamefromtheabove list, thefault liesentirelywithme. Ifyouhave

helpedmeatsomepointonmyjourney,myunreservedthanksgoestoyouforthecontributionyouhavemade,andyouhavemysincereapologiesfornotincludingyouabove.

GregTayloristheownerandeditorofthealternativescienceandhistorynewsportalTheDailyGrail(www.dailygrail.com),andisalsotheeditoroftheForteananthologyseriesDarklore.Helives

inBrisbane,Australia.

Notes1.http://goo.gl/1hseKy2.RobertMaio,quotedindocumentaryseriesMattersofLifeandDeath3.Ritchie,GeorgeG.,andElizabethSherrill.Returnfromtomorrow.Revell,1978.4.Ibid.5.Haisch,Bernard.TheGodtheory:universes,zero-pointfields,andwhat’sbehinditall.WeiserBooks,2006.6.Devoto,Bernard,ed.MarkTwain:LettersfromtheEarth.Harper&Row,1962.7.QuotedinDeutsch,David.Thefabricofreality.PenguinUK,2011.8.Crick,Francis.Astonishinghypothesis:Thescientificsearchforthesoul.Scribner,1995.9.CitedinGardner,JamesN.Theintelligentuniverse:AI,ET,andtheemergingmindofthecosmos.CareerPress,2006.10.Davies,PaulCW.“Life,Mind,andCultureasFundamentalProperties.”Cosmos&Culture:CulturalEvolutioninaCosmicContext4802(2010):383.11.Ibid.12.Nagel, Thomas.Mind and cosmos: why the materialist neo-Darwinian conception of nature is almost certainly false. OxfordUniversityPress,2012.13.Rosenblum,Bruce,andFredKuttner.Quantumenigma:Physicsencountersconsciousness.OxfordUniversityPress,2011.14.Stapp,HenryP.Mindfuluniverse:Quantummechanicsandtheparticipatingobserver.Springer,2011.15.VanLommel,Pim.Consciousnessbeyondlife:Thescienceofthenear-deathexperience.HarperCollins,2010.16.Greyson,Bruce.“Seeingdeadpeoplenotknowntohavedied:“PeakinDarien”experiences.”AnthropologyandHumanism35,no.2(2010):159-171.17.Ibid.18.http://goo.gl/VxWK3219.Fenwick,Peter,HilaryLovelace,andSueBrayne.“Comfortforthedying:fiveyearretrospectiveandoneyearprospectivestudiesofendoflifeexperiences.”Archivesofgerontologyandgeriatrics51,no.2(2010):173-179.20.Ibid.21. MacConville, Una, and Regina McQuillan “Capturing the Invisible: exploring deathbed experiences in Irish Palliative Care”,unpublishedconferencepaper.22.Kelly,EdwardF.,andEmilyWilliamsKelly.Irreduciblemind:Towardapsychologyforthe21stcentury.Rowman&Littlefield,2007.23. “Palliative Care Nurses’ Experiences of Paranormal Phenomena and Their Influence on Nursing Practice”, Deborah O’Connor,unpublishedconferencepaper.24.Cited inKelly, Edward F., andEmilyWilliamsKelly. Irreduciblemind: Toward a psychology for the 21st century. Rowman&Littlefield,2007.25.Barbato,Michael.ReflectionsofaSettingSun:HealingExperiencesAroundDeath.MichaelBarbato,2009.26.Giovetti,P.“Visionsofthedead,death-bedvisionsandnear-deathexperiencesinItaly.”HumanNature1,no.1(1999):38-41.27.Barbato,Michael.ReflectionsofaSettingSun:HealingExperiencesAroundDeath.MichaelBarbato,2009.28.Clarke,EdwardHammond.Visions:astudyoffalsesight(pseudopia).Houghton,Osgood,1880.29.Cobbe,FrancesPower.ThePeakinDarien:WithSomeOtherInquiriesTouchingConcernsoftheSoulandtheBody.WilliamsandNorgate,1882.30.Ibid.31.Ibid.32.Ibid.33.Miller,FrancisTrevelyan.ThomasA.Edison:BenefactorofMankind.1931.34.Barrett,SirWilliam.Death-bedvisions.London,England:Methuen,1926.35.Cobbe,FrancesPower.ThePeakinDarien:WithSomeOtherInquiriesTouchingConcernsoftheSoulandtheBody.WilliamsandNorgate,1882.36.Barrett,W.F.OntheThresholdoftheUnseen:Spiritualism&EvidenceforSurvivalAfterDeath.1917.37.Kalmus,NatalieM.,1949”DoorwaytoAnotherWorld”.Coronet25(6):29–31,citedinGreyson,Bruce.“Seeingdeadpeoplenotknowntohavedied:“PeakinDarien”experiences.”AnthropologyandHumanism35,no.2(2010):159-171.38.Barbato,Michael.ReflectionsofaSettingSun:HealingExperiencesAroundDeath.MichaelBarbato,2009.39.Ibid.40.Barbato,Michael,CathyBlunden,KerryReid,HarveyIrwin,andPaulRodriguez.“Parapsychologicalphenomenanearthetimeofdeath.”Journalofpalliativecare15,no.2(1999):30.41.Barbato,Michael.ReflectionsofaSettingSun:HealingExperiencesAroundDeath.MichaelBarbato,2009.42.Ibid.43.Ibid.44.Ibid.45.Roy,ArchieE.TheEagerDead:AStudyinHaunting.BookGuildLimited,2008.46.Fenwick,Peter.“Dying:ASpiritualExperienceasShownbyNearDeathExperiencesandDeathbedVisions”.http://goo.gl/YcmzuQ.47.Fenwick,Peter.“NonLocalEffectsinTheProcessofDying:CanQuantumMechanicsHelp?.”NeuroQuantology8,no.2(2010).48. O’Connor, Deborah. “Palliative Care Nurses’ Experiences of Paranormal Phenomena and Their Influence on Nursing Practice”,unpublishedconferencepaper.

49.Atthetimeofpublication,DeborahO’Connor(seepreviousnote).50.‘TheDeathWhisperers”,TheWeekendAustralian,http://goo.gl/JXNjrs51.Fenwick,Peter.“NonLocalEffectsinTheProcessofDying:CanQuantumMechanicsHelp?.”NeuroQuantology8,no.2(2010).52.CitedinMoody,Raymond.GlimpsesofEternity:AnInvestigationIntoSharedDeathExperiences.RandomHouse,2011.53.Fenwick,Peter.“NonLocalEffectsinTheProcessofDying:CanQuantumMechanicsHelp?.”NeuroQuantology8,no.2(2010).54. Cited in Howarth, Glennys, and Allan Kellehear. “Shared near-death and related illness experiences: Steps on an unscheduledjourney.”JournalofNear-DeathStudies20,no.2(2001):71-85.55.Burgess,OO(1908).“Hallucinationsexperiencedinconnectionwithdyingpersons”.JournaloftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,13,308–311.Dale,LA(1952).56.Ibid.57.Santos,FranklinSantana,andPeterFenwick.“Death,EndofLifeExperiences,andTheirTheoreticalandClinicalImplicationsfortheMind–BrainRelationship.”InExploringFrontiersoftheMind-BrainRelationship,pp.165-189.SpringerNewYork,2012.58.Fenwick,P.B.C.,andElizabethFenwick.Theartofdying.BloomsburyAcademic,2008.59.Rogo,D.Scott.Apsychicstudyofthemusicofthespheres.AnomalistBooks,2005.60.Rogo,D.Scott.Acasebookofotherworldlymusic.AnomalistBooks,2005,andRogo,D.Scott.Apsychicstudyofthemusicofthespheres.AnomalistBooks,200561.Rogo,D.Scott.Apsychicstudyofthemusicofthespheres.AnomalistBooks,2005.62.CitedinRogo,D.Scott.Acasebookofotherworldlymusic.AnomalistBooks,2005.63.Barrett,SirWilliam.Death-bedvisions.London,England:Methuen,1926.64.Ibid.65.Fenwick,P.B.C.,andElizabethFenwick.Theartofdying.BloomsburyAcademic,2008.66.Fenwick,Peter,HilaryLovelace,andSueBrayne.“Comfortforthedying:fiveyearretrospectiveandoneyearprospectivestudiesofendoflifeexperiences.”Archivesofgerontologyandgeriatrics51,no.2(2010):173-179.67.Splittgerber(1881)citedinNahm,Michael.“Terminallucidityinpeoplewithmentalillnessandothermentaldisability:Anoverviewandimplicationsforpossibleexplanatorymodels.”JournalofNear-DeathStudies28,no.2(2009):8768.Fenwick,P.B.C.,andElizabethFenwick.Theartofdying.BloomsburyAcademic,2008.69.Barbato,Michael.ReflectionsofaSettingSun:HealingExperiencesAroundDeath.MichaelBarbato,2009.70.Gauld,Alan.Thefoundersofpsychicalresearch.Routledge&K.Paul,1968.71.Ibid.72.Gurney,Edmund,FredericWHMyers,andFrankPodmore.Phantasmsoftheliving(2vols.).London:Trubner(1886).73.http://archive.org/details/phantasmsoflivin02gurniala74.Fenwick,Peter,HilaryLovelace,andSueBrayne.“Comfortforthedying:fiveyearretrospectiveandoneyearprospectivestudiesofendoflifeexperiences.”Archivesofgerontologyandgeriatrics51,no.2(2010):173-179.75.Gauld,Alan.Thefoundersofpsychicalresearch.Routledge&K.Paul,1968.76.CitedinGauld,Alan.Thefoundersofpsychicalresearch.Routledge&K.Paul,1968.77.Fenwick,P.B.C., andElizabethFenwick.The truth in the light:An investigation of over 300 near-death experiences. BerkleyBooks,1997.78.Fenwick,P.B.C.,andElizabethFenwick.Theartofdying.BloomsburyAcademic,2008.79.Kelly,EdwardF.,andEmilyWilliamsKelly.Irreduciblemind:Towardapsychologyforthe21stcentury.Rowman&Littlefield,2007.80.Fenwick,P.B.C.,andElizabethFenwick.Theartofdying.BloomsburyAcademic,2008.81.Though, aswithmanyotherpeopleof this time,Happichcertainlyhad some ideas thatmany todaywould findabhorrent, suchasforcedsterilisation.82. Nahm, Michael. “Terminal lucidity in people with mental illness and other mental disability: An overview and implications forpossibleexplanatorymodels.”JournalofNear-DeathStudies28,no.2(2009):87.83.CitedinNahm,Michael.“Terminallucidityinpeoplewithmentalillnessandothermentaldisability:Anoverviewandimplicationsforpossibleexplanatorymodels.”JournalofNear-DeathStudies28,no.2(2009):87.84. Nahm, Michael. “Terminal lucidity in people with mental illness and other mental disability: An overview and implications forpossibleexplanatorymodels.”JournalofNear-DeathStudies28,no.2(2009):87.85.Ibid.86.Ibid.87.Rogo,D.Scott.Nad.UniversityBooks,1972.88. Nahm, Michael. “Terminal lucidity in people with mental illness and other mental disability: An overview and implications forpossibleexplanatorymodels.”JournalofNear-DeathStudies28,no.2(2009):87.89.Fenwick,Peter,HilaryLovelace,andSueBrayne.“Comfortforthedying:fiveyearretrospectiveandoneyearprospectivestudiesofendoflifeexperiences.”Archivesofgerontologyandgeriatrics51,no.2(2010):173-179.90. MacConville, Una, and Regina McQuillan “Capturing the Invisible: exploring deathbed experiences in Irish Palliative Care”,unpublishedconferencepaper.91. O’Connor, Deborah. “Palliative Care Nurses’ Experiences of Paranormal Phenomena and Their Influence on Nursing Practice”,unpublishedconferencepaper.92.Kelly,EdwardF.,andEmilyWilliamsKelly.Irreduciblemind:Towardapsychologyforthe21stcentury.Rowman&Littlefield,2007.93.Cited inKelly, Edward F., andEmilyWilliamsKelly. Irreduciblemind: Toward a psychology for the 21st century. Rowman&Littlefield,2007.

94.http://www.dailygrail.com/Spirit-World/2012/1/is-Bens-Story95.http://youtu.be/GEhAtP2Fnb896.http://youtu.be/GEhAtP2Fnb897.VanLommel,Pirn,RuudvanWees,VincentMeyers,and IngridElfferich.“Near-deathexperience insurvivorsofcardiacarrest:aprospectivestudyintheNetherlands.”TheLancet358,no.9298(2001):2039-2045.98.VanLommel,P.(2013)“Non-localConsciousness”.JournalofConsciousnessStudies,Volume20,No.1-2,pp.7–48.99.Carter,Chris.Scienceandthenear-deathexperience:Howconsciousnesssurvivesdeath.InnerTraditions/Bear&Co,2010.100.Gabbard,G.O.,&Twemlow,S.W.(1984).WiththeEyesoftheMind:AnEmpiricalAnalysisofOut-of-BodyStates.NewYork:Praeger.101.Morse,Melvin, andPaulPerry.Parting visions:Uses andmeanings of pre-death, psychic, and spiritual experiences. VillardBooks,1994.102.VanLommel,Pirn,RuudvanWees,VincentMeyers,andIngridElfferich.“Near-deathexperienceinsurvivorsofcardiacarrest:aprospectivestudyintheNetherlands.”TheLancet358,no.9298(2001):2039-2045.103.VanLommel,P.(2013)“Non-localConsciousness”.JournalofConsciousnessStudies,Volume20,No.1-2,pp.7–48.104.Long,Jeffrey,andPaulPerry.Evidenceoftheafterlife:Thescienceofnear-deathexperiences.HarperCollins,2010.105.VanLommel,Pim.Consciousnessbeyondlife:Thescienceofthenear-deathexperience.HarperCollins,2010.106.Greyson,Bruce,“ScienceandPostmortemSurvival”,lectureattheSocietyforScientificExploration,http://goo.gl/j0Sgjq107.Ibid.108.Greyson,Bruce,EmilyWilliamsKelly,andEdwardF.Kelly.“Explanatorymodelsfornear-deathexperiences.”(2009).109.Ibid.110.Parnia,Sam,andPeterFenwick.“Neardeathexperiencesincardiacarrest:visionsofadyingbrainorvisionsofanewscienceofconsciousness.”Resuscitation52,no.1(2002):5-11.111.Greyson,Bruce,EmilyWilliamsKelly,andEdwardF.Kelly.“Explanatorymodelsfornear-deathexperiences.”(2009).112.BruceGreysontoldmethat“Morseatel(1985)andKlemenc-Ketisetal(2010)foundnoassociationbetweenbloodoxygenandNDEs;Sabom(1982)foundINCREASEDarterialoxygenassociatedwithNDEsratherthandecreased;andParniaetal(2001)foundthatoxygenlevelsinresuscitatedpatientswhoreportedNDEswereTWICEthoseofresuscitatedpatientswhodidnotreportNDEs.NOSTUDYhasevenfounddecreasedoxygenlevelstoanydegreeassociatedwithNDEs,asBraithwaitepresupposes.”113.Greyson,Bruce,“ScienceandPostmortemSurvival”,lectureattheSocietyforScientificExploration,http://goo.gl/j0Sgjq114.Cook,EmilyWilliams,BruceGreyson, and IanStevenson. “Doanynear-death experiencesprovide evidence for the survivalofhumanpersonalityafterdeath?Relevantfeaturesandillustrativecasereports.”JournalofScientificExploration12,no.3(1998):377-406.115.Ibid.116.Ibid.117.Ibid.118. Smit, RudolfH. “Corroboration of the dentures anecdote involving veridical perception in a near-death experience.” Journal ofNear-DeathStudies27,no.1(2008):47-61.119.VanLommel,Pirn,RuudvanWees,VincentMeyers,andIngridElfferich.“Near-deathexperienceinsurvivorsofcardiacarrest:aprospectivestudyintheNetherlands.”TheLancet358,no.9298(2001):2039-2045.120. Smit, RudolfH. “Corroboration of the dentures anecdote involving veridical perception in a near-death experience.” Journal ofNear-DeathStudies27,no.1(2008):47-61.121.Sartori,P.,P.Badham,andP.Fenwick.“Aprospectivelystudiednear-deathexperiencewithcorroboratedoutofbodyperceptionandunexplainedhealing.”JournalofNear-DeathStudies25,no.2(2006):69-84.122.Ibid.123.Ibid.124.Ibid.125.Beauregard,Mario,ÉvelyneLandrySt-Pierre,GabrielleRayburn,andPhilippeDemers.“Consciousmentalactivityduringadeephypothermiccardiocirculatoryarrest?.”Resuscitation83,no.1(2012):e19.126. Holden, JaniceMiner. “Veridical perception in near-death experiences,” in The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences. Prager,2009.127.Ibid.128.Kelly,EdwardF.,andEmilyWilliamsKelly.Irreduciblemind:Towardapsychologyforthe21stcentury.Rowman&Littlefield,2007.129.BBCdocumentary“TheDayIDied”,citedinCarter,Chris.Scienceandthenear-deathexperience:Howconsciousnesssurvivesdeath.InnerTraditions/Bear&Co,2010130.http://youtu.be/JL1oDuvQR08131.Tyrell,GeorgeNM.Apparitions.1953132.Ring,Kenneth,andR.N.MadelaineLawrence.“Furtherevidenceforveridicalperceptionduringnear-deathexperiences.”JournalofNear-DeathStudies11,no.4(1993):223-229.133.Kelly,EdwardF.,andEmilyWilliamsKelly.Irreduciblemind:Towardapsychologyforthe21stcentury.Rowman&Littlefield,2007.134. Cited in Cook, EmilyWilliams, Bruce Greyson, and Ian Stevenson. “Do any near-death experiences provide evidence for thesurvivalofhumanpersonalityafterdeath?Relevantfeaturesandillustrativecasereports.”JournalofScientificExploration12,no.3(1998):377-406.135. Holden, JaniceMiner. “Veridical perception in near-death experiences,” in The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences. Prager,

2009.136.Kelly,EdwardF.,andEmilyWilliamsKelly.Irreduciblemind:Towardapsychologyforthe21stcentury.Rowman&Littlefield,2007.137.Parnia,Sam,andJoshYoung.Erasingdeath:Thesciencethatisrewritingtheboundariesbetweenlifeanddeath.HarperCollins,2013.138.http://www.horizonresearch.org/main_page.php?cat_id=38139.Tart,CharlesT.“Sixstudiesofout-of-bodyexperiences.”JournalofNear-DeathStudies17,no.2(1998):73-99.140.Parnia,Sam,andJoshYoung.Erasingdeath:Thesciencethatisrewritingtheboundariesbetweenlifeanddeath.HarperCollins,2013.141.Ibid.142.Ibid.143.Ibid.144.Ibid.145.Ibid.146.Ibid.147.Ibid.148.Greyson,Bruce.“Seeingdeadpeoplenotknowntohavedied:“PeakinDarien”experiences.”AnthropologyandHumanism35,no.2(2010):159-171.149.Greyson,Bruce,“ScienceandPostmortemSurvival”,lectureattheSocietyforScientificExploration,http://goo.gl/j0Sgjq150.Greyson,Bruce.“Seeingdeadpeoplenotknowntohavedied:“PeakinDarien”experiences.”AnthropologyandHumanism35,no.2(2010):159-171.151.Crookall,Robert.Thestudyandpracticeofastralprojection.NewYork:UniversityBooks,1966.152.VanLommel,Pim.Consciousnessbeyondlife:Thescienceofthenear-deathexperience.HarperCollins,2010.153.Ibid.154.CitedinDeMorgan,SophiaElizabethFrend,andAugustusDeMorgan.Frommattertospirit:Theresultoftenyears’experienceinspiritmanifestations.Intendedasaguidetoenquirers.London,Longman,Green,Longman,Roberts,&Green,1863.155.Hodgson,Richard.“Afurtherrecordofobservationsofcertainphenomenaoftrance.”InProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,vol.13,pp.284-582.1898.156.Piper,AltaL.ThelifeandworkofMrs.Piper.K.Paul,Trench,Trubner&Company,Limited,1929.157.Ibid.158.Blum,Deborah.Ghosthunters:WilliamJamesandthesearchforscientificproofoflifeafterdeath.Penguin,2007.159.Spence,Lewis.Encyclopediaofoccultism&parapsychology.KessingerPublishing,LLC,2003.160.Robbins,AnneManning.Bothsidesoftheveil:apersonalexperience.Sherman,French&Company,1909.161. Hodgson, Richard. “A record of observations of certain phenomena of trance.” In Proceedings of the Society for PsychicalResearch,8,1-167.1892162.Ibid.163.Blum,Deborah.Ghosthunters:WilliamJamesandthesearchforscientificproofoflifeafterdeath.Penguin,2007.164.CitedinSimon,Linda.Genuinereality:AlifeofWilliamJames.UniversityofChicagoPress,1999.165.Robbins,AnneManning.Bothsidesoftheveil:apersonalexperience.Sherman,French&Company,1909.166.Lodge,Oliver.Thesurvivalofman.Methuen,1909.167.Simon,Linda.Genuinereality:AlifeofWilliamJames.UniversityofChicagoPress,1999.168.Ibid.169.Ibid.170.Richardson,RobertD.WilliamJames:InthemaelstromofAmericanmodernism.MarinerBooks,2007.171.Simon,Linda.Genuinereality:AlifeofWilliamJames.UniversityofChicagoPress,1999.172.Ibid.173.Ibid.174.Ibid.175.Sage,Michel.Mrs.Piper&theSocietyforpsychicalresearch.Scott-Thawco.,1904.176.Blum,Deborah.Ghosthunters:WilliamJamesandthesearchforscientificproofoflifeafterdeath.Penguin,2007.177. James,W. (1886). “Report of the Committee onMediumistic Phenomena”.Proceedings of the American Society for PsychicalResearch,1,102-106.178.Hamilton,Trevor.Immortallongings:FWHMyersandtheVictoriansearchforlifeafterdeath.ImprintAcademic,2009179.Melton,J.G.“Spiritualism.”EncyclopediaofAmericanReligions,Volume2.Wilmington,NC:McGrathPublishingCompany.1978180.Chan.M.(2009).“WarriorgodsincarnateofChinesepopularreligion”.Unpublishedmanuscript.,citedinGraham,F.“Vesselsforthegods:tang-kispirit-mediumsinChinesepopularreligion”(forthcoming)181.Gauld,Alan.Mediumshipandsurvival:Acenturyofinvestigations.AcademyChicagoPublishersm,1984.182.Ibid.183.CitedinGrosso,Michael.Experiencingthenextworldnow.SimonandSchuster.2004.184.CasenotesGrosso,Michael.Experiencingthenextworldnow.SimonandSchuster.2004.185.Hamilton,Trevor.TellMyMotherI’mNotDead:ACaseStudyinMediumshipResearch.ImprintAcademic,2012.186.Grosso,Michael.Experiencingthenextworldnow.SimonandSchuster.2004.187.Gauld,Alan.Mediumshipandsurvival:Acenturyofinvestigations.AcademyChicagoPublishersm,1984.188.Ibid.

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