Reconciling materialism and dualism (Endings)

by dhw, Saturday, March 10, 2018, 10:34 (2448 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: I agree with Tony regarding NDEs. How do we know that the brain is completely dead? However, one then has to explain how a patient lying in bed can acquire knowledge that he/she could not possibly have had beforehand (e.g. the death of a relative). I’m not taking sides – typical agnostic! – but I am not prepared to dismiss such psychic experiences out of hand.

DAVID: The brain is not dead in resuscitations! The cortex is stunned and inactive from loss of adequate blood supply. If that supply returns the cortex wakes up.

Agreed. I should not have used the word “dead”, and your correction makes the argument a great deal clearer. I should have said: how do we know that the brain is completely stunned and inactive? That was Tony’s point about defining death in relation to Near Death Experiences. Sceptics may argue that the brain is NOT inactive. In my post above I have also offered a counter to the sceptics.