Sunday, December 14, 2008

Bryan has been busy ...

... August, Arthur, After.

I was wondering when he was going to get back to work.

I have so far read only the third of these, The living dead (hat tip, Dave Lull), which strikes me as far less settled and dogmatic than Gordon McCabe seems to think in this post of his: Near-death experiences.
Gordon quotes Michael Schermer: "The fact that there are receptor sites in the brain for such artificially processed chemicals means that there are naturally produced chemicals in the brain that, under certain conditions..., can induce any or all of the experiences typically associated with a NDE ..." I should think that one condition would be an actual experience. For example, a mortal threat directed at myself is likely to induce a rush of adrenalin on my part. That doesn't in any way make the threat any less real. Real experiences cause chemical reactions to take place in us, and some chemicals can trigger such reactions and make us think we are having such experiences when we are not. But the nature of the chemically induced experience is actually quite different from the real one, as anyone who has done enough acid, mescaline or psilocybin can tell you.
Regarding the quantum angle, this book is worth reading: Quantum Enigma.

Dave also sends along these links, for those interested in further consideration of dualism:

Some brief arguments for dualism, Part I.

Some brief arguments for dualism, Part II.

Some brief arguments for dualism, Part III.

Some brief arguments for dualism, Part IV.

Some brief arguments for dualism, Part V.

Oderberg on hylemorphic dualism.

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