(2021-12-02, 10:55 PM)nbtruthman Wrote: Many paranormal phenomena strongly or conclusively indicate that interactional dualism is the simplest and most direct mind-body hypothesis. What about investigated veridical NDEs, and what about investigated and verified reincarnation cases?
The simplest and most direct interpretation of these phenomena is that the human spirit ultimately is a separate mobile center of consciousness, that is, an entity that while the brain is dysfunctional, or when the body actually dies, can leave the physical body and brain either temporarily or permanently and do things like pass through walls, and/or invisibly hover above an operating theater and make later verified observations of the physicians and surgeons and their conversations and actions and instruments, or can for a time visit a between-lives realm from which the spirit proceeds to inhabit another, different body.
The interactional dualist interpretation proceeds directly from and is directly implied by, actual experience.
But all of those phenomena just add more questions about interaction if there are two distinct substances. How does PK and Telepathy work, given they seem to be used by OBErs and spirits as well?
Keep in mind a soul/body distinction can be the distinction between two levels of the same underlying substance.
I would say the best explanation for paranormal phenomena is a "Simulation", just that a such a simulation has to be grounded by some deeper level and no physical (as in some substance that doesn't include mind) substance can magically produce mind. (Nor is it clear to me how this physical stuff accounts for its own causal relations.)
This means the substance at the Ground Level is either Mind itself or some substance that encompasses both the physical or mental aspects of reality. My guess is our divisions between "physical" and "mental" need to be revised, just as our hard distinction between the Subject & Object.
'Historically, we may regard materialism as a system of dogma set up to combat orthodox dogma...Accordingly we find that, as ancient orthodoxies disintegrate, materialism more and more gives way to scepticism.'
- Bertrand Russell
- Bertrand Russell