Dr. James Fetzer On Survival of Consciousness and Near-Death Experience (NDE) ScienceThe author of, Philosophy of Cognitive Science, discusses why NDE evidence doesn’t measure up.
By: Skeptiko.com Alex Tsakiris: So let's take a big step back and say that when someone has a flat EEG they are not supposed to have any conscious experience, let alone the kind of conscious experience near-death experiencers are reporting. What you say might be definitionally true and all that, but we just have to deal with the fact that people are having a conscious experience when they shouldn't be having it. And that's highly suggestive that consciousness doesn't operate the way that we thought. It isn't a product of the brain but is somehow separate from the brain and continues after the brain is severely compromised, if you want me to say it isn't dead. Dr. James Fetzer: Well, as soon as you begin talking about an ordinary concept of consciousness you have to acknowledge that consciousness involves responses to stimuli in the environment that we access through our different senses, taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. Therefore, if we're going to talk seriously about a form of consciousness that persists after death, we're going to have to account for how it's possible to have sensory experiences for an entity that is no longer embodied. In other words, if you no longer have your senses, if you no longer have a capacity for taste, touch, sight, smell, or hearing, how can you possibly have any conscious experiences after you're dead? What we do know, Alex, is that when the brain is deprived of oxygen, the kinds of experiences that are typified by the reports of those who have these near-death experiences occur. Alex Tsakiris: That's absolutely not true, Jim. You just haven't delved into the. Dr. James Fetzer: Alex, that's all just fine and dandy and I did not previously express any concerns about it. You have been pressing me on this point and I'm explaining to you that based on classic criteria from the philosophy of science, your proposition of the survival of consciousness after death is a paradigm case of an empirically untestable claim. The Skeptiko interview with Dr. James Fetzer (audio and transcript) is available at: http://www.skeptiko.com/ About Skeptiko: Skeptiko.com is the first scientifically oriented Podcast exploring new research in controversial areas of science such as telepathy, psi, parapsychology, near-death-experience, psychic detectives, medium communication, reincarnation, and after-life encounters. Each episode features open, honest debate on new scientific discoveries. The show includes interviews with top research scientists and their critics. Contact: Alex Tsakiris news@skeptiko.com (858) 523-8535 http://www.skeptiko.com # # # Skeptiko is the first scientifically oriented Podcast exploring new research in controversial areas of science such as telepathy, psi, parapsychology, near-death-experience, reincarnation, and after-life encounters. End
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