New Sam Parnia book!

I got my copy on Kindle. Pretty interesting so far.

My skeptic brother (who doesn't believe in NDEs or religion) said that he would rather be caught reading porn than a book about NDEs, and that if he was caught reading an NDE book he'd immediately throw it and grab the nearest porn magazine.

The title of the book?

Lucid Dying
The New Science Revolutionizing How We Understand Life and Death

My skeptic brother (who doesn't believe in NDEs or religion) ...

NDEs may be entangled in various beliefs - including those of sceptics. But in and of themselves they are just something which happens.

Since this mentions skeptics it should probably go in the SvP forum.

Audiobook sample

Lucid Dying: The New Science Revolutionizing… by Sam Parnia

The Goodreads summary linked by Typoz reads pretty clearly to be declaring that the gist of Parnia's new book is that the latest research (mostly conducted by Parnia) into the physiological and neurological phenomenon of the death process is showing that NDEs are real and a glimpse of an afterlife, and that a person is really a spirit inhabiting a body and brain that can in extraordinary circumstances separate from the brain and body to make verifiable observations. The summary blurb never states this explicitly, but the meaning is clear. That may be also the case for the details in the book, deliberately made slightly ambiguous by Parnia for various reasons having to do with possible adverse effects on career and research funding. The most important thing in my opinion is that Parnia's clout as a leading medical rescusitation expert and researcher (he is really an expert medical scientist) lends a lot of support to the still controversial and scientistically taboo claim that NDEs are an indication of the afterlife. 

Most people—including scientists and doctors—maintain strong beliefs about death and its experience. Those beliefs are rooted in traditional, and often cultural, notions of death. But what if all that we have come to believe about death is fundamentally wrong? What if the paradigm we have been operating within no longer exists? What if death is not the end we thought?

Lucid Dying is the first book to share that science. Presenting data derived from multiple groundbreaking studies, Dr. Parnia shows that the entity we refer to as consciousness—our Self—does not seem to become annihilated when we die. In fact, during death, our consciousness vastly expands and leads to a vivid experience that follows a very specific narrative arc.

These studies support that there really is a universal experience of death that is meaningful, transcendent, positive, and transformative—not hallucinatory, delusional, or illusory as previously imagined. In his latest book, Dr. Parnia weaves empirical research with gripping stories to show us the truth of how death is not the end we all thought and how anyone can harness the newfound wisdom to lead deeper, more intentional lives. 

[Laird]

Since this mentions skeptics it should probably go in the SvP forum.

Let's call that an incidental reference and leave the thread where it is. Then, if anybody wants to say anything substantially skeptical about this book, they can start a new thread in SvP. Fair?

I have bought Sam Parnia's book "Lucid Dying", and it is looking extremely interesting - thanks Lotus Flower!

I'm in the middle of Chapter 3, in which he puts the Near Death Experience into a much wider perspective. It turns out that experiences of this kind have been recorded down through history (well I was aware of this, but it is fantastic to hear a top neurologist speak of this). It would seem that NDE's have been discovered and rediscovered a number of times!

It is also interesting to learn that neurons are not in fact highly sensitive to a lack of oxygen and nutrients and can last for many hours in a dormant condition. However, after such a pause, they can be poisoned by the return of oxygen. It is necessary to introduce a drug which dampens down this process in order to revive the physical brain after a period of many hours.

I thought at first that SP was missing the significance of NDE's, however, by Chapter 3 it is clear that this is not true. It looks as though this is going to be a fascinating read.

It also sounds as though conventional CPR could be extended to work even after someone has been 'dead' for a period of hours. This might lead to even more detailed NDE experiences. However, perhaps the point of no return (that SP mentions) would somehow prevent this taking place.

I think Lotus Flower should try to push her brother into reading at least some of this book. I was once extremely materialistic and the mental gymnastics involved in changing over are fun in themselves. He should remind him in particular, that this is not about religious belief.

David

I have bought Sam Parnia's book "Lucid Dying", and it is looking extremely interesting - thanks Lotus Flower!

I'm in the middle of Chapter 3, in which he puts the Near Death Experience into a much wider perspective. It turns out that experiences of this kind have been recorded down through history (well I was aware of this, but it is fantastic to hear a top neurologist speak of this). It would seem that NDE's have been discovered and rediscovered a number of times!

It is also interesting to learn that neurons are not in fact highly sensitive to a lack of oxygen and nutrients and can last for many hours in a dormant condition. However, after such a pause, they can be poisoned by the return of oxygen. It is necessary to introduce a drug which dampens down this process in order to revive the physical brain after a period of many hours.

I thought at first that SP was missing the significance of NDE's, however, by Chapter 3 it is clear that this is not true. It looks as though this is going to be a fascinating read.

It also sounds as though conventional CPR could be extended to work even after someone has been 'dead' for a period of hours. This might lead to even more detailed NDE experiences. However, perhaps the point of no return (that SP mentions) would somehow prevent this taking place.

I think Lotus Flower should try to push her brother into reading at least some of this book. I was once extremely materialistic and the mental gymnastics involved in changing over are fun in themselves. He should remind him in particular, that this is not about religious belief.

David

Haha I wish he'd read the book! He just keeps saying he doesn't want to read anything by "Sam Hernia" lol. This book has been fascinating so far, and I can see how Parnia is trying to tie the brain activity thing into it still. It was also really cool reading the various experiences from other doctors he had talked to about this subject.

Haha I wish he'd read the book! He just keeps saying he doesn't want to read anything by "Sam Hernia" lol. This book has been fascinating so far, and I can see how Parnia is trying to tie the brain activity thing into it still. It was also really cool reading the various experiences from other doctors he had talked to about this subject.

BTW, I am never sure as to whether to refer to you as She or He!

I suppose you could point out David Chalmers' hard problem of consciousness and ask him for his take on that!

I sort of feel the book is covering two topics and they are a bit confused as a result.

1)      He reports evidence that brain cells can survive without oxygen or fuel in a dormant state for much longer than the 4-5 mins typically quoted. However, it is difficult to revive them after that time because resuscitation is likely to kill them!

2)      He reports lots of evidence for NDE's and emphasises the difference between consciousness 'here' and the enhanced consciousness employed 'out there'.

It is not clear  to me how these two concepts are linked, except perhaps more people can be revived to describe their NDE's.

David