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

As a cardiologist, Pim van Lommel was struck by the number of his patients who claimed to have near-death experiences as a result of their heart attacks. As a scientist, this was difficult for him to accept: Wouldn't it be scientifically irresponsible of him to ignore the evidence of these stories? Faced with this dilemma, van Lommel decided to design a research study to investigate the phenomenon under the controlled environment of a cluster of hospitals with a medically trained staff. For more than twenty years van Lommel systematically studied such near-death experiences in a wide variety of hospital patients who survived a cardiac arrest. In 2001, he and his fellow researchers published his study on near-death experiences in the renowned medical journal The Lancet . The article caused an international sensation as it was the first scientifically rigorous study of this phenomenon. Now available for the first time in English, van Lommel offers an in-depth presentation of his results and theories in this book that has already sold over 125,000 copies in Europe. Van Lommel provides scientific evidence that the near-death phenomenon is an authentic experience that cannot be attributed to imagination, psychosis, or oxygen deprivation. He further reveals that after such a profound experience, most patients' personalities undergo a permanent change. In van Lommel's opinion, the current views on the relationship between the brain and consciousness held by most physicians, philosophers, and psychologists are too narrow for a proper understanding of the phenomenon. In Consciousness Beyond Life , van Lommel shows that our consciousness does not always coincide with brain functions and that, remarkably and significantly, consciousness can even be experienced separate from the body. “As one of the foremost experts in the field, his work moves us closer to rational comprehension of human kind's deepest mystery—life after death.” —Raymond A. Moody MD, PhD, author of Life After LifeIn Consciousness Beyond Life, the internationally renowned cardiologist Dr. Pim van Lommel offers ground-breaking research into whether or not our consciousness survives the death of our body. If you enjoy books about near-death experiences, such as those by Raymond Moody, Jeffrey Long, and James Van Praagh; watch televisions shows like Ghosthunters, Touched by an Angel, and Ghost Whisperer; or are interested in works that explore the intersection of faith and science, such as Spiritual Brain, Signature in the Cell, and When Science Meets Religion; you'll find much to ponder in Consciousness Beyond Life.“The evidence supports the validity of ‘near-death'experiences and suggests that scientists should rethink theories on one of the ultimate medical mysteries: the nature of human consciousness.” —The Washington Post“This research will be seized on by academics who believe that the mind can continue to work after the brain has stopped. Church leaders will cite it as evidence for the existence of a soul.” —The Sunday Telegraph (London)“Pim van Lommel shows that the symphony of human consciousness does continue... [even] at the portals of death. His evidence is robust, and can no longer be ignored either by the science community, or by society at large.” —Dr. Ervin Laszlo, author of Science and the Akashic Field “The distinctive contribution of this book is that it presents and defends a complete theory of consciousness... clearly a landmark book.” —Dr. Kenneth Ring, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Connecticut "Dr. Pim van Lommel, a renowned cardiologist, was so inspired by the stories his patients told of their Near Death Experiences (NDEs) that he became the first medical practitioner to risk his reputation with a full, systematic trial into the phenomenon. He interviewed 344 heart patients at his hospital who had all clinically died, some for five minutes or longer, before being resuscitated. Of these, 62 -- or 18 per cent -- reported some ongoing experience after the medical monitors had pronounced them to be dead. Half were aware they were 'dead, ' and 15 had out-of-body experiences where they were aware of the actions of the hospital staff around their body. In 2001, Van Lommel published the results of his study in the esteemed British medical journal, The Lancet. Van Lommel's article was a worldwide sensation and serves as the basis for this book. Van Lommel claims these are authentic experiences which cannot be reduced to the imagination, psychosis or an oxygen deficiency; people are permanently changed by an NDE. In After Life, Van Lommel explains how people who are clinically dead can have such a transformative experience. He illustrates his argument with stories of people who have gone through an NDE. In Van Lommel's opinion, the current materialistic view of the relationship between the brain and consciousness held by most physicians, philosophers and psychologists is too restricted for a proper understanding of this phenomenon. Our consciousness does not always coincide with the functioning of our brain"-- Provided by publisher Explains how people who are clinically dead can have a transformative experience, illustrating the stories of people who have gone through a Near Death Experience (NDE). This title states that our consciousness does not always coincide with brain functions, and shows that consciousness can even be experienced separate from the body.