More on the Phineas Gage Case

There is a nice writeup about this case showing that the case doesn't deliver any evidence to demonstrate the view that personality has dependence on the brain.

Here a couple of quoted material from it

1850, two years after the accident, a Harvard professor of surgery stated that he was "completely recovered in body and mind", making no mention of any personality change.

In subsequent accounts by other writers Harlow's later testimony was embellished. Gage was now said to have become a drunkard and a boastful exhibitionist, as well as suffering an absolute lack of foresight - all unmentioned by Harlow. In fact most of what has been said about Gage subsequent to his physical recovery, Macmillan says bluntly, is "fable".

As we see then the case that many materialists use to bolster their case up is a mere fabrication. Sure there was some impact on his personality but not to the point where materialists proclaim it is.

You can read the rest of it here

http://monkeywah.typepad.com/paranormalia/2011/09/the-man-with-the-hole-in-his-head.html

Refuting an article done by two naturalist scientists

I came across this site lately by two naturalist scientists who challenge view that consciousness may in fact survive the death of the brain. http://philosophyofbrains.com/2011/07/11/against-afterlife.aspx

Abstract: The paper samples the large body of neuroscientific evidence suggesting that each mental function takes place within specific neural structures. For instance, vision appears to occur in the visual cortex, motor control in the motor cortex, spatial memory in the hippocampus, and cognitive control in the prefrontal cortex. Evidence comes from neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, brain stimulation, neuroimaging, lesion studies, and behavioral genetics. If mental functions take place within neural structures, mental functions cannot survive brain death. Therefore, there is no mental life after brain death.

My response: Surprise surprise the volume is being edited by no other than Keith Augustine. Sure mental functions are strongly correlated with neural structures. If mental functions were within neural structures the hard problem of consciousness would be solved. But it isn't. Its an assumption but the two scientists believe they can make a conclusion on the evidence they have gathered over the past decades. They never mention any of the evidence from the other side such as psi, afterlife experiments etc.

M. Hector Durville's experiments on the Astral Body

I think many here will I find this very interesting experiments showing that the astral body does exist or soul. M. Hector Durville did experiments on finding out if there really is an astral body. The subject of the experiment is constantly rapport with the double. Usually this is cylindrical , but may sometimes appear to be a sort of ribbon. As to the clothes of the phantom, these seem to be composed of a sort of "fluidic gauze". Various sense-impressions are conveyed to the body by the means of the astral cord. the question of temperature is imporatant; as too much light has a detrimental effect upon the astral body. Experiments with the dynamometer showed that the muscular strength (grip) of the subject was always greater after the projection than before. On the contrary, the temperature of the hand, particularly of the right hand, almost invariably fell as the result of the experiment. The action of the phantom upon the double of another subject both being "projected" at the same time; and upon the physical body of another person. Some positive results were apparently secured in both cases. Some successes were also reported in obtaining physical movements of objects and raps, and moving the straw of a sthenometer, at a distance from the entrenched subject by the projected astral body, and various vital radiations emitted by it or by the physical body. He concluded like many scientists have that the projection of the astral body is a certain fact, capable pf being demonstrated by means of direct experiment. Also, since the phantom can exist and function apart from the physical body. It may also exist after death. That is, Immortality is a fact thus proved scientifically.

Interesting documented nde case by Dr. Melvin Morse while in a semi-vegetative state

You can read the case here

http://spiritualscientific.com/DrMorseBlog/2010/08/16/not-a-vegetable-at-all-but-a-white-crow/

AdamWho at it again

First he makes the statement that the mind body problem has been solved well over 100 years ago. Completely false there are many scientists that would disagree with that statement. Then he says FMRI can detect thoughts that that can decoded from brain activity. Yes, the brain is a decoder, filter, receiver of consciousness that doesn't prove that consciousness is produce by the brain. Apparently many other new agers as they are referred to on there have been banned as well. That doesn't surprise me in the least as I mentioned before the forum and the site has an agenda to promote naturalism.

From another user on there he or she says:

While fMRI does not show 'consciousness' it does appear to show a correlation between brain activity and perception, thought, response to stimuli, etc: what we generally refer to as being 'consciousness.

Correct a correlation a strong one but a strong correlation does show causation.

Adamwho then says

The point being that there need not be any such activity if the 'mind' is located elsewhere.

Wrong their is activity in a tv set as well as a radio. The question remains where the source of consciousness at?. Is it the brain? Is it the brain plus the interaction with the environment? EM field? Quantum Mechanics?. What if consciousness is primary and matter and energy are secondary?.

He also mentions that no transmission parts or receiver parts have been found in the brain. The brain is a very complex organ and we know there are neurotransmitters in the brain so its wrong that no transmissive parts have been found. The brain also receives information from the cerebral cortex. The questions remains is the brain the generator of consciousness or the receiver, decoder, filter of consciousness?

Here's something to think about by Dr. Larry Dossey

We can damage a television set so severely that we lose the image on the screen, but this doesn’t prove that the TV actually produced the image. We know that David Letterman does not live behind the TV screen on which he appears; yet the contention that brain equals consciousness is as absurd as if he did.

PARANORMAL: My Life in Pursuit of the Afterlife by Raymond Moody