Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience [Paperback]

Please set aside any review(s) that belittle this book and make it out to be mere science fiction quackery. The holding on to long standing scientific theories is not what science defines itself as being. Defending scientific stances and tossing contradictions to these stances aside as being mere anomolies is nothing more than blatant ignorance and/or professional laziness. This book can be a revolutionary break through for all of humanity but, because science and religion have proved themselves to be very defensive of their long-standing positions, it will probably go unnoticed in both circles during our lifetimes. Hopefully many decades from now the theoreticians will look back on this writing and bemoan the fact that previous generations were so close-minded to the obvious truths about consciousness and ultimate reality. We have an ongoing history of many incidences of not seeing the forest because of the trees (i.e. Galileo and Einstein).

The author, as myself, has spent timely parts of the past two decades NOT looking for the a fairy tale ending to our physical lives but, instead, have searched for an ultimate truth to our existence. While this concept may, indeed, go against the prevailing paradigms of the scientific community, it is one that not only draws from countless experiments and theoretical insights that have taken place, but draws heavily on our natural, common sense. If the Occam's Razor principal is correct, and it is yet to be proven false, the simplest reasoning for our existence and the process of consciousness is the inclusive theories that are put forth by this text. I heartily say "Bravo!" to the author for both the work that this text entailed but also for the razor sharp conclusions that he has reached. No, these theories may not ever be proven due to our living in a three dimensional world that relies on our limiting three dimensional measuring tools. But the multi-dimensional world of string theory does exist and the nonlocal consciousness can, and probably is, an intricate part of this phenomenon.

Having had an NDE myself, I, as the other examples in this book, fully realize that the medical and scientific 'proofs' to these occurrences are either false or inadequate. An NDE is a REAL experience, an event that escapes descriptions because of our linguistic limitations and that, most importantly, life, as we have come to know it, is not the materialistic reality of the universe(s). We cannot, and should not, ignore the basics that quantum mechanics has brought to our attention over the past decades. Matter is brought into existence only through conscious observation and nonlocal consciousness (aka wave patterns) that uses the brain as a conduit for physical actions and emotional responses. This is the clearest picture of reality that has been presented to date. Nor should we ignore personal experiences simply because they cannot be fully measured under complete scientific standards. Thought, emotions, relationships and experiences cannot be fully weighed on a laboratory scale nor fully measured by a metric tool, but yet they are as real as the scientist himself.

I, personally, want to thank the author for not only going against his reductionistic peers and risking his reputation in the process, but also in his stance against the dogmatic religionists who also fail to adjust their paradigms when presented with challenging counter-examples to their tenets. As the author states from an interviewed patient; "Dead is not dead.". I would like to add to this simplistic and revealing thought that "Life is not life in the way we presently view it either." Keep your mind and your thoughts open to the possibilities of life and use today's popular opinions as stepping stones to further knowledge and not as anchors to our present and limited thoughts.

It is difficult to understand how mainstream science can continue to ignore or reject the implications of the near-death experience (NDE) in light of the evidence and arguments made by Dr. Pim van Lommel in this most comprehensive book. Dr. van Lommel seemingly touches all bases in exploring the various phenomena related to the NDE.

Having grown up in an academic environment, van Lommel, a world-renowned cardiologist practicing in The Netherlands, writes that he was of the reductionist and materialistic mindset before he began studying the NDE and the nature of consciousness. He has closely examined all the arguments made by the scientific fundamentalists and now has a more positive outlook. "That death is the end used to be my own belief," he writes. "But after many years of critical research into the stories of the NDErs, and after a careful exploration of current knowledge about brain function, consciousness, and some basic principles of quantum physics, my views have undergone a complete transformation. As a doctor and researcher, I found the most significant finding to be the conclusion of one NdEr: `Dead turned out to be not dead.' I now see the continuity of our consciousness after the death of our physical body as a very real possibility."

About the time I started reading this book, reports were appearing at various internet sites stating that there is now evidence that the NDE is nothing more than a brief spell of abnormal brain activity resulting from oxygen deficiency. This theory has been going around for years, but seems to get resurrected every few years as if it is new science. Van Lommel dismisses the theory, pointing out that the NDE is "accompanied by an enhanced and lucid consciousness with memories and because it can also be experienced under circumstances such as an imminent traffic accident or a depression, neither of which involves oxygen deficiency."
Van Lommel also addresses the skeptic's theory about the tunnel effect reported by many NDErs being caused by the disruption of oxygen supply to the eye, which gradually darkens one's range of vision. He points out that such a theory cannot explain the reports by NDErs that say that they meet deceased relatives in the tunnel. He tells why carbon dioxide overload, various chemicals, and other physiological theories do not account for the NDE. "When new ideas do not fit the generally accepted (materialist) paradigm, many scientists perceive them as a threat," van Lommel writes. "It is hardly surprising therefore that when empirical studies reveal new phenomena or facts that are inconsistent with the prevailing scientific paradigm, they are usually denied, suppressed, or even ridiculed."

A chapter of the book is devoted to quantum theory, which includes non-locality, or the idea that the mind operates outside of time and space and that what we in the physical plane interpret as reality is not reality at all. As van Lommel sees it, many aspects of the NDE correspond with or are analogous to some of the basic principles from quantum theory. "The findings of NDE research suggest the possibility that (nonlocal) consciousness is present at all time and will therefore last forever," van Lommel offers. "The content of a near-death experience suggests a continuity of consciousness that can be experienced independently of the body."

Something I have found particularly troubling over the years is the possibility that organs are being harvested before bodies are actually "dead," even though the person might be pronounced "clinically dead." Van Lommel devotes several interesting pages to the debate on this subject, pointing out that when brain death has been diagnosed, 96 percent of the body is still alive. While not in principle opposed to organ transplants, van Lommel suggests that more consideration should be given to the nonphysical aspects of organ donation, including the fear of death.

Over the past 35 years, NDE researchers like Drs. Elisabeth Kubler Ross, Raymond Moody, Kenneth Ring, Michael Sabom, Bruce Greyson, Melvin Morse, Barbara Rommer and others have built a very solid wheel, one that supports the survival hypothesis. Close-minded skeptics keep trying to make the wheel collapse by bending the spokes. Fortunately, we have newer researchers like Drs. van Lommel and Jeffrey Long ("Evidence of the Afterlife") coming along to demonstrate that the spokes are solid and the wheel secure.

I'm a GP and this book was recommended to me by a patient. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, I learnt a lot, and I would suggest it as interesting reading for any doctor.
I am not religious and this book has not changed my view on that, but I have changed my view on the importance of the NDE as a patient experience and the value of ongoing research into the explanation, interpretation and the meaning of NDEs.
There is no question that the NDE is a common and very relevant experience, especially in a medical setting, no matter what the explanation. I had not heard an adequate explanation, and it may be that Pim Van Lommel has come up with one. My problem is that I just can't understand his explanation. The nub of the question really is what is consciousness - a very interesting question. The possible theories seem very plausible, but too academic or complex for me to thoroughly understand enough to be able to say I believe him or not. I understand enough to be able to say I think he's onto something and previous other explanations have not been.
I didn't like the way he kept referring to the tendency for scientists to stick to what they know and have closed minds. Big surprise! Scientists are prejudiced and narrow minded like the rest of us. The book would have felt somehow cleaner if he'd just said 'here's my idea, make of it what you will'.
I didn't like the way he used the argument from personal disbelief - always a big turn off. Just because you can't understand something doesn't mean it can't be possible. For example 'How can a single human cell with a diameter of less than one-thousandth of a centimeter contain so many instructions in its DNA that it would take a thousand six-hundred-page books to record them all?'
I also felt uneasy with the statement 'The more we learn about our body, the more we realize what an immensely intelligent system it is...' which I felt was beginning to border on a plug for intelligent design. The whole DNA chapter seemed a bit rocky to me.
I especially liked the sections relating to medicine and ethics, and there is much to learn here, if only because you will see patients who have had a NDE which will have an impact on their care. I was surprised at his attitude to assisted dying. He goes out of his way to say he does not judge doctors, families or patients who make use of assisted dying in the Netherlands but I got the impression that the subtext is that he disapproves. My interpretation would be that the idea of enduring non-local consciousness means that death is not the end and assisted dying would become a less harrowing experience. He repeats the idea that with adequate expertise and treatment, symptoms can be palliated, but one thing I have learnt over the years is that even with the most intensive expert input, terminal illness and death are still often associated with painful distressing symptoms. I don't know why he seems to attach so much value to the natural point of death. Why should death be any better timed if it is brought about by drawn out multi-organ failure than by an assisted method. I don't know. I'm just surprised that he still maintained that view. Having said all that and having read this book I and I suspect the majority of doctors, would have great emotional and moral difficulty actually having any personal involvement with assisted dying.
As I get older I try to be less dogmatic - things are less black and white these days. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy... How apt
This book makes me wonder about all-sorts, and that can only be a good thing