Steven Novella Once Again on Skeptiko Discussing Why in his opinion Nde/Obe is Neurophysiology and Psychological

I like to respond to some of Novella's Remarks on NDE's

He seems to ignore the fact that at least 92 percent of people who have ndes report seeing deceased love ones, where only a small percentage see living people this set of evidence weighs against a view that ndes are hallucinatory [Psychological, Neurophysiology].

Also he mentions how newer studies on magnetic stimulation on the brain show that nde's, are just a part of the brain [temporal lobe] that creates the out of body experience etc]. I think he is referring to this study here.

Out of body experience recreated

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6960612.stm

This study doesn't explain how people with flat lined EEG's lying on an operating table with no pulse can have this same experience without video cameras or virtual reality goggles while at the same time seeing and hearing things that could only have been percieved from a different location. Even miles away!!!. Neither doesn't it explain the complex lucidity either.

Also doesn't explain how blind people at birth can see perfectly unconsciousness.

http://atwaterndenews.blogspot.com/2007/08/is-i...

Here is the link to the recent Skeptiko podcast where Dr. Steven Novella discussed why in his opinion nde/obe don't point to an afterlife.

http://www.skeptiko.com/near-death-experience-research-debate-with-steven-novella/

Here are the compelling empirical reasons why Nde/Obe get lots of support to the
Survival Hypothesis

1.) Over 90 percent of nde see deceased loved ones but only a small percentage see living people.

2.) A Very large database of ndes show that patients who have obe can see things and hear conversations inside and outside and even well outside the emergency room well having a flat EEG. This as well as interviewing patients immediately after being flat lined shows that these out of body experiences are probably having when the brain goes completely flat-lined. These experiences have also been verified that they actually occurred they are well documented.

3.] EEG expert and Neurologist Dr. John Greenfield points out clearly that human studies as well as animal studies have typically shown very little brain perfusion [blood flow] or glucose utilization when the EEG is flat. Their are deep brain areas involved in generating memories that might still operate at some very reduced level during cardiac arrest, but of course any subcortically generated activity can’t be brought to consciousness without at least one functioning cerebral hemisphere. So even if there were some way that NDEs were generated during the hypoxic state [while the brain is shut off from oxygen], you would not experience them until reperfusion [blood flow] allowed you to dream them or wake up and talk about them”,

4.) All neurophysiological and psychological models fail to explain any of the evidence above. As much as it hurts materialist's like "Dr. Steven Novella" to admit it the evidence is very straightforward and precise to ignore and avoid the evidence above, for nde/obe is only avoiding the facts that are clearly there.

Artifical Life Created in Laboratory? No but a Big Step Forward

It looks like artifical life has been created recently. Dr. Mark Venter with the help
of a software program and a pre-existing bacterial host with it's Dna created a synthetic cell. So does this prove that evolution is a random natural process? or could it be that intelligence aids in the process?. By looking at this recent experiment i have to say that it is intelligence that aided in the process, because the pre-existing bacterial host with it's Dna itself has intelligence that aided in the process of creating the synthetic cell.

Of course that is my interpretation of what happened I'm sure N aturalists would disagree with me. It certainly is groundbreaking and will lead too new cures for diseases, Artificial DNA might also solve the problem of developing vaccines for quickly evolving viruses like the common cold or HIV, creating biofuels that would help clean the environment.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/susanwatts/2010/05/assessing_the_impact_of_venter.html

Dr. Steven Novella Got it Wrong!!!

Dr. Steven Novella says near death experiences and out of body experiences can be explained soley of what is going on in the brain. An excellent rebuttal to Dr. Steven Novella's comments on nde's and obe's can be found here.

http://www.skeptiko.com/critique-of-skeptics-guide-249/

Reasons Why Volunteering is Good

1. It looks great on your resume
2. It shows you have initiative
3. To meet new people
4. To make to new friends
5. To put something back into your community
6. To gain a sense of achievement
7. To make a difference
8. Help a friend
9. Show that you care
10. Support a cause
11. Share your skills
12. Personal growth
13. Personal benefit
14. Learn new things
15. To have fun

Working At The Hector Centre

I had the day today at my work program because there was an in service. So we got paid for the whole day today which is sweet. Speaking of my work program It looks like I have a job placement at the Hector Centre that is where I will be doing data entry, inputing data such as numbers, names etc. The money is apparently coming from a grant. They will have three new computers there soon. This isn't some data entry work from home get rich scam!. It's from a actual place that pays their employees to do data entry which is great. Should be fun!!!