(2021-09-01, 12:40 PM)Laird Wrote: Good call. I've just read it. I think your own comments are for the most part very good (and there's no reason a labourer can't be as intelligent and insightful as a researcher). I'll add a few comments of my own in response to some direct quotes from the paper, given that David has just resurrected this thread:
Under the broad heading "Discussion", the authors write:
Like you, Smaw, I don't see the logic in this sort of suggestion. Feigning death doesn't entail "rich perceptions", and it is unclear why a mere "greater sophistication of the human brain and the acquisition of language" would cause "rich[er] perceptions" in this scenario. There is probably even an argument against such a thing: in a dangerous situation in which as a last resort a being feigns death, that being needs to be as in the moment as possible, rather than "off with the fairies", so to speak, so as to best be ready to flee when the opportunity arises.
Under the sub-heading (of "Discussion"), "Thanatosis and the benefit of survival", the authors write:
As I suggested above, it is not clear how this is helped by being aware only of an apparently spiritual world, rather than of the immediate reality. How does one become aware of a chance to escape an imminent physical danger when one is instead focussed on a life review, or on a tunnel of light, or on the appearance of dead relatives, etc etc?
Under the sub-sub-heading, "The link between thanatosis and NDEs", the authors write:
Summing up my thoughts above: I don't see how NDEs confer any survival benefit even in predatory situations. I don't see how transferring one's awareness to a non-physical realm (even if only imaginary) helps one monitor and survive a physical threat.
Of course, this is all academic anyway, given that, as we all well know, this hypothesis utterly fails to account for such features of NDEs as veridical perceptions - as nbtruthman pointed out right at the very start of the thread.
And, since these are not universal for everyone who dies and is revived, it isn't something universal and is likely a similar crashing of brain networks when the oxygen and blood supply are cut off.
I've died and been brought back a few times (not on purpose). And nothing, no memory, no tunnel, etc. So if it were something we ALL get or experience, the data must be faulty or what?