The "Brains Cause NDEs" Theory

According to [psychologist Susan] Blackmore, these [NDEs] are nothing but the manifestations of a dying brain deprived of oxygen during its last moments. Period. There’s no soul here preparing for afterlife, no karmic overview, no Mr Big G at the end of that tunnel. But that’s fine; no problems either. In fact, if the experience can transform us into better human beings we should be able to learn to live with that, right?

The whole story.

Many near-death experiencers believe that they went out-of-body to a place literallly out of this world. People like Susan Blackmore think that these people are victims of brain hallucinations.

People who have had NDEs wonder how some of the things that have happened could possibly happen under the brain theory. For example, how could this woman leave her body during surgery, travel home, and discover secret details about life at her house—especially if her brain were making it all up?

Meanwhile, if what Susan Blackmore has made a media career of claiming is true—that our brain is doing all of this—then why aren't we doing much more research on the hidden talengs of the brain? Near-death experiences create amazing behavioral changes. People who were mean and nasty people before their experiences have stunning turn-arounds in response to this amazing show (whether staged by brains or God or the heavenly system.)

The point is that something extraordinary is happening, and yet maybe it's really ordinary—just part of our nature that we don't readily accept yet. Whatever it is, I am intrigued to know more. I just wish more people were.