X-Message-Number: 17105
From: 
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 00:21:14 EDT
Subject: Perceptive & Perswayzive

James Swayze:

Nice work on several counts!  Two of which (in my opinion) are:

1) Excellent analysis in your post this week titled "NDE study not 
scientific" which critiqued the "research" and conclusions, from apparently 
psuedo-science at best, as reported in an article by Sarah Tippit titled 
"Scientist Says Mind Continues After Brain Dies." At least Sarah got some 
mileage and we got some smilage (sorry, couldn't resist) --up until that 
concern you raised about potential "research grants."  That's scary. Assuming 
a finite world budget for all R&D (i.e., research and development), "snake 
oil science" can be deadly. Well deserved and delivered D&D (i.e., dissing 
and debunking)!

I second Mike Perry's words on the subject: 

QUOTE
"...By the way, James, I really liked your debunking effort for the tiresome 
claims of consciousness during clinical death." UNQUOTE


2) Your comments on George Harrison's likely thinking also rings true for me 
and also reminded me of some thoughts:

QUOTE
 "...the news feed I saw had him sitting next to what appeared to be his 
swami or guru, was that he's, as we all know, a confirmed deathist 
reincarnation believer waiting for his mystical ascension and I doubt anyone 
will convince him otherwise in time. Pity...what a great loss. Now that I 
think of it what was the justification for his sound bite? One could 
interpret it as a plug for his deathist beliefs. He says he's prepared for 
his fate and at peace or words to that effect. Read between the lines and you 
get, 'I'm going to a better existence...follow my example'. Rubbish!"  UNQUOTE

I believe John B. Krug's comments are insightful:

QUOTE
"Regardless of what he or anyone believes about things "spiritual", wouldn't 
it be great if he considered cryonics to be "just" another treatment?" UNQUOTE

Something that strikes me (and others I'm sure) as odd is that regardless of 
one's "beliefs," or not, regarding the potential or certainty of life after 
death, reincarnation, etc., a cryopreserved body should not be an 
interference with such beliefs at all (with a possible exception being in 
cases where the believer also believes that cryonics may in fact work--some 
other time, if ever, on that line of thought though).  If one's body is 
buried, burned or frozen--what's the difference?  Why not "hedge your 
bet/belief" particularly if one has an abundance of earthly resources. On the 
other hand, I understand that admissions or expressions of doubt are 
particularly poorly received in some belief systems.

This thinking/logic goes hand in hand with a long-held belief of mine (and 
perhaps yours and other's).  Again, I have no delusions of the thought's 
originality with me, but will take credit or blame just the same as I do not 
know precisely where it otherwise belongs: People have no choice at all in 
what they believe. None. People believe what they believe based on their 
intellect and experience (i.e., nature & nurture). To the degree that people 
"choose to believe" that which they otherwise would believe less (or reject 
that which they believe may be true) is a measure of the degree of 
conditioning (e.g., extra/extended nurturing, "brainwashing",  etc.) they 
have been subjected to or have subjected themselves to, or both; and whether 
such conditioning comes willingly or not makes no difference at all.  We may 
freely choose what we would like to believe--but that's all--and when it's 
not, the above is true.  People are thoroughly adverse to uncertainty 
regarding their own (continued) existence and the existence of others, and 
have developed (potentially tragic) defense mechanisms to deal with it.

I also believe in the saying: "Where there is a will, there is a way" 
--sometimes many hundreds of them.

Good to have you back.

Regards,

David C. Johnson, Raleigh, NC

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