Philosophical Explanation of the Implication of Near-Death Experiences on the Immateriality of the Soul

Document Type : Original Research

Author
H. Karkon Beiraq
Department of Islamic Education and Training, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
10.58209/jpt.4.4.369
Abstract
This article aims to explain the implication of "near-death experiences" on the immateriality of the soul. After defining the experiences, explaining their components, and answering the problems, it has been argued that these experiences indicate the soul's immateriality (mind). Ideologies such as physicalism, naturalism, and scientism, which have no scientific and philosophical basis, are the reason for denying these experiences by naturalists and attributing them to illusions and chemical changes in the brain. But what is the scientific justification for having very clear perceptions during unconsciousness or clinical death when a person lacks perceptions?! Therefore, if the presuppositions and mental prejudices are discarded in interpreting the experiences, it seems that accepting the immaterial dimension is not so difficult for humans. Near-death experiences also pose a serious challenge to physicalist theories of "consciousness" that must be taken seriously in the philosophy of mind.

Keywords

  1. - American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5. Seyyed Mohammadi Y, translator. Tehran: Rawan. [Persian]
    - Blackmore S (2017). Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction. Rezaei R, translator. Tehran: Farhang e Moaser. [Persian]
    - Boland R et al (2022). Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry, v2. Rezaei F et al, translators. Tehran: Arjamand. [Persian]
    - Bunnin N & Jiyuan Y (2004). The Blackwell dictionary of western philosophy. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
    - Carter Ch (2014). Science and the Near-Death Experience. Toheidi F, translator. Tehran: Simae Danesh. [Persian]
    - Corazza O (2008). Near-Death Experiences (Exploring the Mind–Body Connection). London & New yourk: Routledge.
    - Dehaene S (2014). Consciousness and the Brain. Sabbaghipour S, translator. Tehran: Arjamand. [Persian]
    - Etemadinia M (2012). Life on the banks (three speeches about near-death experiences). Tehran: Baisarat. [Persian]
    - Feyerabend P (1994). How to defend society against science. Etemad Sh, translator. Organon. 1: 149-160. [Persian]
    - Friedenberg J, Gordon Silverman G (2015). Cognitive science: an introduction to the study of mind cm. Qasimzadah H, translator.Tehran: Arjamand. [Persian]
    - Gasser G (2007). How Successful is Naturalism?, Germany: buch bücher.
    - Greyson B (2009). “Explanatory Models for Near-Death Experiences” in: The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Holden J M et la, editors, New York: Praeger.
    - Habermas G R (2018). “Evidential Near-Death Experiences” in: The Blackwell Companion to Substance Dualism. Loose J. J et la, editors, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. pp229-246.
    - Harvey J. I & Watt, C. A (2009). An Introduction to Parapsychology, Jalali S A, translator. Tehran: Padar. [Persian]
    - Horst S (2007). Beyond Reduction: Philosophy of Mind and Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science. Oxford University Press.
    - Kajbaf M B et la (2013). “Explaining the relationship between soul and body based on systems theory and near-death experiences”. Kalam Islami. 22(85):129-147. [Persian]
    - Kajbaf M B et la (2013). Explaining the relationship between soul and body by relying on the theory of systems and near-death experiences. Kalam Islami. 22(85):129-147. [Persian]
    - Kübler-Ross E (2012). On life after death. Momeni M, translator. Tehran: Elam. [Persian]
    - Long J (2010). Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences. Harper One.
    - Long J (2015), Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences. Kajbaf M B & Ghasemiannejad A, translators. Isfahan: Isfahan University. [Persian]
    - Morse M L (1996). Transformed By the Light: The Powerful Effect of Near-Death Experiences on People's. Jamalian R, translator. Tehran: Ettelaat. [Persian]
    - Nagel T (2004). “What is it like to be a bat” in: Philosophy of Mind (A Guide and Anthology), Heil J, editor, Oxford University Press, pp 528-538.
    - Newberg A (2020). Principles of Neurotheology. Bagheri Kh et la, translators. Tehran: Arjamand. [Persian]
    - Parnia S (2013). Rasing Death. Taghdisi M, translator. Tehran: Pendar Taban. [Persian]
    - Peterson M, et al (2013). Reason and Religious Belief. Naraghi A & Soltani E, translators. Tehran, Tarh e Now. [Persian]
    - Sabom, M (1989). Recollections of death a medical investigation. Fadhaeli S, translator. Tehran: Zarrein. [Persian]
    - Shushan G (2009). Conceptions of the Afterlife in Early Civilizations: Universalism, Constructivism and Near-Death Experience. London & New York: Continuum.
    - Shushan G (2018). “Near-death experiences” in: The Routledge Companion to Death and Dying, Moreman Ch editor. London & New yourk: Routledge.
    - Skrbina D (2017). Panpsychism in the West. Cambridge: MIT Press.
    - Suhrawardi Sh. (1996). The collection of the works of Sheikh al-Ishraq. Carbon H & et la. Proofreading and introduction. Tehran: Institute of Cultural Studies and Research. [Arabic and Persian]
    - Talbot M (1996). Holographic Universe. London: Grafton Books.
    - Talbot M (2015). Holographic Universe. Mehrjooi D, translator. Tehran: Hermes. [Persian]
    - Teresi D & Hooper J (2016). The three - pound universe. Sarwar T, translator. Tehran: Arvan. [Persian]
    - Thagard P (2016). MIND: Introduction to Cognitive Science. Golshaie R, translator. Tehran: Samt. [Persian]
    - White C (2021). An introduction to the cognitive science of religion: connecting evolution, brain, cognition, and culture. New York: Routledge.
    - Wulff, D M (2013). Psychology of Religion: Classic and Contemporary. Dehghani M, translator. Tehran: Rushd. [Persian]
    - Zaleski C (1987). Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-Death Experiences of Medieval and Modern Times. New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  2. American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5). 5th edition. Seyyed Mohammadi Y, translator. Tehran: Rawan. [Persian] [Link]
  3. Blackmore S (2017). Consciousness: A very short introduction. Rezaei R, translator. Tehran: FARHANG E MOASER. [Persian] [Link] [DOI:10.1093/actrade/9780198794738.001.0001]
  4. Boland R, Verduin ML, Ruiz P (2022). Kaplan and Sadock's synopsis of psychiatry (Volume 2). Rezaei F, Manaei M, Golvarz A, Vakili S, translators. Tehran: Arjamand. [Persian] [Link]
  5. Bunnin N, Jiyuan Y (2004). The Blackwell dictionary of western philosophy. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [Link] [DOI:10.1111/b.9781405106795.2004.00001.x]
  6. Carter Ch (2014). Science and the near-death experience. Toheidi F, translator. Tehran: SIMAE DANESH. [Persian] [Link]
  7. Corazza O (2008). Near-death experiences (exploring the mind-body connection). London: Routledge. [Link] [DOI:10.4324/9780203928905]
  8. Dehaene S (2014). Consciousness and the brain. Sabbaghipour S, translator. Tehran: Arjamand. [Persian] [Link]
  9. Etemadinia M (2012). Life on the banks (three speeches about near-death experiences). Tehran: BASIRAT. [Persian] [Link]
  10. Feyerabend P (1994). How to defend society against science. Etemad Sh, translator. ORGANON. 1:149-160. [Persian] [Link]
  11. Gasser G (2007). How successful is naturalism?. Germany: Buch Bücher. [Link] [DOI:10.1515/9783110328950]
  12. Greyson B, Kelly EW, Kelly EF (2009). Explanatory models for near-death experiences. In: The handbook of near-death experiences: Thirty years of investigation. New York: Praeger. [Link] [DOI:10.5040/9798400661389.ch-010]
  13. Habermas GR (2018). Evidential near-death experiences. In: The Blackwell companion to substance dualism. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. p. 226-246. [Link] [DOI:10.1002/9781119468004.ch14]
  14. Harvey JI, Watt CA (2009). An introduction to parapsychology. Jalali SA, translator. Tehran: Padra. [Persian] [Link]
  15. Horst S (2007). Beyond reduction: Philosophy of mind and post-reductionist philosophy of science. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Link] [DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195317114.001.0001]
  16. Kajbaf MB, Qasemian Nejad AN, Farahnakian K (2013). Explaining the relationship between soul and body based on systems theory and near-death experiences. KALAM ISLAMI. 22(85):129-147. [Persian] [Link]
  17. Kübler-Ross E (2012). On life after death. Momeni M, translator. Tehran: ELM. [Persian] [Link]
  18. Long J (2015). Evidence of the afterlife: The science of near-death experiences. Kajbaf MB, Ghasemiannejad A, translators. Isfahan: Isfahan University. [Persian] [Link]
  19. Morse M (1996). Transformed by the light: The powerful effect of near-death experiences on people's. Jamalian R, translator. Tehran: ETTELAAT. [Persian] [Link]
  20. Nagel T (2004). What is it like to be a bat?. In: Philosophy of mind: A guide and anthology. Heil J, editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 528-538. [Link]
  21. Newberg A (2020). Principles of neurotheology. Rostami R, Bagheri Kh, Sharifain MH, Kazemi R, translators. Tehran: Arjamand. [Persian] [Link]
  22. Parnia S (2013). Rasing death. Taghdisi M, translator. Tehran: PENDAR TABAN. [Persian] [Link]
  23. Peterson M, Hasker W, Reichenbach B (2013). Reason and religious belief. Naraghi A, Soltani E, translators. Tehran: TARH-E NO. [Persian] [Link]
  24. Sabom M (1989). Recollections of death a medical investigation. Fadhaeli S, translator. Tehran: ZARRIN. [Persian] [Link]
  25. Shushan G (2009). Conceptions of the afterlife in early civilizations: Universalism, constructivism and near-death experience. London: Continuum. [Link]
  26. Shushan G (2018). Near-death experiences. In: The Routledge companion to death and dying.. London: Routledge. [Link] [DOI:10.4324/9781315723747-31]
  27. Skrbina D (2017). Panpsychism in the West. Cambridge: MIT Press. [Link] [DOI:10.7551/mitpress/11084.001.0001]
  28. Suhrawardi Sh (1996). The collection of the works of SHEIKH AL-ISHRAQ (Volume 1). Tehran: Institute of Cultural Studies and Research. [Persian] [Link]
  29. Talbot M (1996). Holographic universe. London: Grafton Books. [Link]
  30. Talbot M (2015). Holographic Universe. Mehrjooi D, translator. Tehran: Hermes. [Persian] [Link]
  31. Teresi D, Hooper J (2016). The three-pound universe. Sarwar T, translator. Tehran: Arvan. [Persian] [Link]
  32. Thagard P (2016). Mind: Introduction to cognitive science. Golshaie R, translator. Tehran: SAMT. [Persian] [Link]
  33. White C (2021). An introduction to the cognitive science of religion: Connecting evolution, brain, cognition, and culture. New York: Routledge. [Link] [DOI:10.4324/9781351010979]
  34. Wulff D (2013). Psychology of religion: Classic and contemporary. Dehghani M, translator. Tehran: RUSHD. [Persian] [Link]
  35. Zaleski C (1987). Otherworld journeys: Accounts of near-death experiences of medieval and modern times. New York: Oxford University Press. [Link]
Philosophical Thought
Volume 4, Issue 4 - Serial Number 16
Autumn 2024
Pages 369-386