NDEs: It still comes back to epistemology (Agnosticism)

by David Turell , Monday, October 26, 2020, 21:43 (1271 days ago) @ dhw

xeno: Here I'm thinking specifically of that first case in Sabom's book that detailed the lady who pointed out a shoe that was on a ledge outside of the hospital. What about this? Isn't this *knowledge?* My kneejerk response is this: if I walked into a courtroom with a blood alcohol on the borderline of alcohol poisoning, exactly how much veracity should the judge and jury give any claims I make?

dhw: Delighted to have you back with us! I hope all is going well in your life. And thank you for this wonderfully well researched article. I agree with most of what you say, except for the above – which is really the only reason why I keep an open mind on NDEs. The shoe on the ledge was confirmed by outsiders. They did not have any disease and were not drunk. And there are many documented cases in which the patient has “returned” with information that he/she could not have known beforehand. There are also many cases in which perfectly healthy people have had similar experiences, in which they acquire inaccessible knowledge that has later been confirmed. BBella once described such a case, though I can’t remember the details, except that it involved prior knowledge of an accident. But the shoe incident will suffice as an illustration. I expect David will be able to give us more concrete examples.

Doubly delighted!!! Fascinating entry, but like dhw I have to give much credence to the third party corroborations by perfectly rational witnesses. What is more questionable is Eben Alexander's self-proof. I've ceased following all the new evidence after reading his book. Not because of his book. Time. I don't find your courtroom an analogy as not fitting what we know.

For info: Kimberly Clark is the lady who found the shoe and everyone who interviewed her thought the whole story was completely credible and she has worked in this field of research ever since..

Hopefully you can continue to come back when you have time.