How do we counter the explanation of NDEs as mind-body split?

Transcript

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I mean, generally… Hare Krishna.
Question. Some skeptics explain NDEs as mind-body split. So how do we scientifically explain NDEs? Answer.
Even the explanation of NDEs as a mind-body split presumes the existence of a mind that is separate from the brain. And that itself is a substantial leap in scientific acceptance, if that is accepted. So now we have to recognize that terminology varies from place to place.
And in western intellectual thought, when the word mind is used, it is used as a cognate, as an equivalent for the soul. So basically they have… often when they say mind over matter. Now we may argue and counter that by saying that mind is itself also matter, it’s a subtle matter.
But we shouldn’t get confused between the way terms are used and the concepts that are being talked about over there. So concepts are in the head. And terms are what are used, are verbal handles for the concepts.
So terms are verbal handles for the concepts. Just like if I have to carry a suitcase, there’s no handle, it becomes difficult to carry. So now the term that is used, mind, in western intellectual discourse, it essentially refers to something non-material.
That’s why the idea of mind over matter is stated, because mind is considered to be different from matter. So even if scientists accept that ND is explained as a mind-brain split, that means they are accepting that the mind is something different from the brain, something different from the body. And rather than focusing on the usage of the word mind, what we should focus on is that they are accepting the extent, existence of something beyond the body, beyond matter.
And that itself is a substantial progress in science. Now going further, how do we know that, so this is the first point, that mind-brain split, explaining NDs in terms of mind-brain split is not a problem. It is a step forward, because the existence of some non-material thing, non-body thing is accepted, even in acceptance of mind-body split.
Now going further, in terms of correlating this usage of mind with our understanding of the trying reality of body-mind-soul, we have to understand that once we go into the subtle realm, we cannot have gross evidences for the subtle realm. So at a gross level, we can’t differentiate from our perspective, we can’t have very gross tangible evidences for differentiating between the mind and the soul. So Dr. Michael Karimo in his book Human Devolution, he ascribes certain evidences to the mind and certain evidences to the soul.
So for example, there are certain evidences such as random number generators, now say for example, people decide, desire that, random number generators are supposed to generate numbers at random, but if a person sits in front of a random generator and says that let number 9 come out, let the number 9 come out, let the number 9 come out, and just does it, and these experiments are repeated literally millions of times, and then there is substantial statistical variant, so if it’s out of 0 to 1 numbers generated, normal percentage will be 10%, likelihood of any particular number being generated, but the percentage increases substantially if there is a conscious subject who is desiring that a particular outcome come about. So the point is that when there is direct interaction of mind with matter and when there is change in the behavior of matter because of conscious intention of a particular person, that evidence can be ascribed to the mind, whereas the soul within our understanding is the locus of consciousness. So for example, near-death experiences and past life memories, these are ascribed to the soul because the soul is the source of consciousness.
So now how exactly, so this is a broad differentiation, now how does this apply to the near-death experience studies? So now suppose going from the empirical evidence, so somebody accepts that, why is a person able to observe something from outside the body? Because the mind is split from the body, this idea was proposed originally by Dr. Michael Sermon and then it has been accepted by some scientists further, especially, so now the idea is that there is something which is separate from the body which is able to come out of the body and observe from out-of-body perspective and thereby conclude that there is this evidence that you have to make some observations and those observations contribute to the evidence for reincarnation or for the existence of a soul beyond the body, not exactly reincarnation, for the existence of a source of consciousness that is separate from the body. Now what that thing is, that is something which science cannot know because it is first of all, that thing which is supposed to come, which has come out of the body and which is observing the body from out-of-body perspective, that is not perceivable by science. So to know that we will need sources of knowledge that go beyond science, go beyond the sources of knowledge that are available to mainstream science right now and for that we will need to turn towards alternative sources of knowledge and the Vedic literature of ancient India offer an exhaustive body of knowledge which gives a coherent explanation of the observed data that is there.
So now I have given an answer on my website, a separate question about what is the evidence for the existence of a subtle body? We know there is evidence for the existence of a soul. What is the evidence for the existence of a subtle body? So I am not going to the technicalities of that answer over here. Suffice it to say that considering NDEs as a result of a mind-body split is not a problem as long as there is an understanding that there is a some non-bodily entity that is coming out of the body and that is observing the body and that is responsible for the observations that the subject reports after the NDE gets over.
Just if that is done, that itself is enough for our purpose that there is something that exists beyond the body, something that is the source of consciousness beyond the body and that is capable of being conscious even when the person is not conscious, even the person at the level of the body and through the body is not conscious. That itself is enough for us to from the scientific perspective know that the source of consciousness is distinct from the body and the source of consciousness can exist beyond, can exist separate from the body. Thank you.