Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences

Rating:
Summary: Excellent prototheory of the NDE
Review: Although "believers" in the spiritual interpretation of the NDE will not be convinced by Blackmore's dying-brain theory, this is by far the best book on the subject I've seen. Blackmore is not out to "debunk" the believers, but to show that her theory better explains the data in almost every respect. Her standard for what constitutes a good scientific theory is particularly valid in showing how alternate explanations (even non-spiritual) are not useful, if not outright mistaken.

It's interesting to note that even in his latest book Kenneth Ring still says the "unbelievers'" explanations claim that the NDE is pointless, or not meaningful, or that it belittles experiencers. Anyone who reads Blackmore's intelligent, compassionate book, which is even tinged by eastern philosophy (though from a neurological standpoint), know that Ring is fooling himself.

I call Blackmore's theory a "prototheory" because it is not comprehensive. But she admits outright that the evidence for this or that point would not yet excuse speculation; she doesn't cop out on issues, she simply says that neither she nor the believers can say one way or the other yet without further research. All in all, _Dying to Live_ is more of a foundation for future research and theorizing on the meaning of the NDE, but as such it is invaluable.

Rating:
Summary: Wishful Thinking......
Review: First of all, Dr. Blackmore is a psychologist. Psychologists have a very limited knowledge of the brain and how it works, compared to physicians like Dr. Moody, or especially neurologists, like Dr. Morse. Secondly, other books on the subject were published by non-biased companies. This was published by the materialistic-biased Prometheus Books, so the buck stops there. Finally, this book is grossly out of date, since more reseach has suggested these experiences are indeed real. It's an intelligent book, but it's still wrong.

Rating:
Summary: Well written and thought out
Review: I read this book some time back and found it a informative and well written. I consider it a great place to start for anyone interested in the workings of the human brain.

Rating:
Summary: A journey into the self and death
Review: I thought this book was already important in itself because it discusses perhaps the most important subject - death and the afterlife, thru a skeptical examination of NDEs. Indeed, Blackmore discusses the various characteristics of NDEs with studies on hand and exemplary scholarship. Just on that alone it would be well worth its price.

But this book is truly groundbreaking where Susan Blackmore discusses her idea of the self as a mental construct, in the last chapters. Basically, she discusses how the NDE experience exists as a consequence of the breakdown of the sense of self, and the brain tries desperately to reconstitute a comprehensible model of reality. From this, she concludes that the very idea of a priviledged sense of self is nothing but a construct of the brain.

There are just too many things to recommend in this book to not sound fawning over it - as trite as this probably sounds, I think "Dying to Live" is nothing short of revolutionary.

Rating:
Summary: I was very disappointed that Ms. Blackmore was not more unbi
Review: I was very disappointed in the book. Her biases were very blatant; even though she tried to say that she was writing a "scientific" look at the NDE's, it was obvious that she considered any evidence toward the people who had NDEs as insignificant. I would have appreciated an unbiased look that took both sides equally seriously, to me that is what science is supposed to do. In her view, the "dying brain" theory explained every situation. (Sounds like the type of things that skeptics say about "true believers", eh?)

One part of the book confused me. She said that all we are are groups of neurons, that there is no "self" inside, and we can't really get out of our bodies. But she stated that she had an "out of body" experience, where she flew a great distance, and did not want to come back, but finally had to. How did she get out of her body, if she does not have a "personallity"? She never even tries to explore this, just states it. That is the main problem I have with the book, that she never really seriously considers any other possibilities or points of view, which does not really constitute science in my book.

Rating:
Summary: Suprisingly good for a book from Promethus Books
Review: In Dying to Live, psychologist Susan Blackmore makes use of numerous psychological and physiological phenomena, and even Zen philosophy, to lend credence to her belief that the near-death experience is merely the byproduct of a dying and terrified brain. If this is true, and Mrs. Blackmore believes it is, than the near-death experience is not a glimpse of a transcendent realm but merely a beautiful and life-changing experience firmly rooted in material reality. Although I was intrigued by her arguments, and found them to be thorough and complex in scope, they did not convince me that NDE's have been solved by science. On the contrary, there are many NDE's which Blackmore's book can't explain (the experiences of small children who encounter deceased relatives they have never met and the celebrated case of Pam Reynolds being just a few examples). Similarly, the research of people like Ring, Sabom, Fenwick, Parnia, Atwater, Moody, Greyson, and Jansen argue strongly for the possibility that the NDE's exist, in a certain sense, independent from the CNS. That being said, however, it is too early for either side of the debate to be certain of what causes the NDE. Mrs. Blackmore herself recognizes this, and I give her credit for remaining open to the possibility of spiritual realities even though she believes that her view will come out on top in the end. All in all, a good, if biased book. Skeptics will enjoy it, and even people who oppose Mrs. Blackmore's thesis should read it, if only to gain an alternate view on this intriguing phenomenon.

Rating:
Summary: Lets see here... handwaving...
Review: ITS all wishful thinking says Susan Blackmore, a woman who has waged her career on this claim.

Where is the evidence? Well, you see there is none. Blackmore wages her evidence on pink unicorns she says she is trying to abolish. In a true hand waving fashion, Blackmore dismisses ALL evidence for OBEs that could produce facts that were verifiable. This is coming from the same woman who is studying 'memetics' a non-falsifiable pseudo-science, and claiming it is scientific.

Sure, if you're the ultimate non-believer, you will find hand waving here. But the truth is, you DON'T NEED Blackmore to do handwaving for you, because in truth, if you ARE a sceptic, you are quite probably a smarter sceptic than her, and can come up with better arguments.

Poor.

Rating:
Summary: Lets see here... handwaving...
Review: ITS all wishful thinking says Susan Blackmore, a woman who has waged her career on this claim.

Where is the evidence? Well, you see there is none. Blackmore wages her evidence on pink unicorns she says she is trying to abolish. In a true hand waving fashion, Blackmore dismisses ALL evidence for OBEs that could produce facts that were verifiable. This is coming from the same woman who is studying 'memetics' a non-falsifiable pseudo-science, and claiming it is scientific.

Sure, if you're the ultimate non-believer, you will find hand waving here. But the truth is, you DON'T NEED Blackmore to do handwaving for you, because in truth, if you ARE a sceptic, you are quite probably a smarter sceptic than her, and can come up with better arguments.

Poor.

Rating:
Summary: The point of this book is not to convert the believers
Review: the other reviews were just what i expected them to be: euphoric on the part of critical readers - and thinkers - condescending on the part of (religious) readers, who feel intimidated by someone explaining ther "proof" of a life after death as mere neurological phenomena. but why is that? susan blakmore clearly leaves everyone their believes. all she asks ist, that you do not falsify nor simplify scientific results to get everyone else to share your (culturally determined)convictions. how scaring that seems to be for the self rightious! how hard to accept some truths...

Rating:
Summary: Dying to Live
Review: This book fails on several levels. Mainly, however, because it is not objective. It starts from a particular premise and then endeavours to prove the validity of that premise despite the facts that the author encounters during her journey of 'honest' investigation.

The book must have been written before the now celebrated and quite astonishing case of Pam Reynolds who in Phoenix Arizona underwent 'shut-down' surgery. In this pioneering operative technique all the blood is drained from the patient's brain and it was during one of these shut-down procedures that Pam experienced a NDE. During the operation, Pam could not only recall in some detail what was said and but also describe the equipment that was being used by Dr Speztler, the surgeon in charge, and his team although she was clinically (and verifiably so) brain-dead at the time.

Dr Blackmore apparently is a Zen Practitioner and so it seems incredibly bizarre that she should imagine that 'all' we are and experience can be simply explained away by the somewhat limited model of reality as understood by science today. Surely one should, at the very least, have the modesty to entertain the remote possibility that the mysteries of life, mind and matter may not yet fully be understood by humanity?