Militant Atheists Give 1-Star Reviews To Books They Don't Read!October 9, 2008 Dr. Kenneth Ring is one of the original founders of IANDS, the International Association of Near Death Studies. Currently a non-profit organization headquarted in Connecticut. He has written two classics in the field: Life at Death & Lessons from the Light: What We Can Learn from the Near-death Experience. You could call him someone who is quite familiar with the subject matter.
Anyone conducting research on anything has to contend with the possibility of errors, and the outright falsification by those giving any kind of testimony, even given in a court of law! That does not mean that an entire field of research, such as Near-Death studies, can be simply be dismissed just because of some potential inaccuracies, anymore than the legal system would grind to a halt because some folks lie under oath!
Mindsight is a fascinating, and one-of-a-kind book. A must have for the serious student of Near-Death Studies! A book written with heart! It's not a book for someone without an open mind, or who is a determined materialist. Nor is the book providing conclusive evidence like one would find in a mathematics or physics book. And, it's rather obvious that no level of proof would be satisfactory for those who have a chip on their shoulder!
When studying Near-Death phenomenon. I like to think in terms of the legal system and instead of using the famous, "beyond a reasonable doubt" how about a "perponderance of evidence", as the standard of proof? Along with one's own experience(s)and/or the first-hand testimony of others. For one thing is certain: Everyone is not a liar, or delusional, or looking for attention when reporting this magnificent experience of mind-boggling love and light!
See:International Association for Near-Death Studies Professiona
NDE AUTHORS CASH IN ON INSECURE PEOPLEJuly 25, 2004 2 out of 40 found this review helpful
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES ARE FAKE!!!!I WAS CLINICALLY DEAD FOR 6 AND A HALF MINUTES. DURING THAT TIME I SAW NOTHING. AFTER DEATH YOU CEASE TO EXIST. NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE STORIES ARE MADE UP SO AUTHORS CAN MAKE MONEY ON PEOPLES FEAR OF DEATH. DONT SUPPORT THESE CON ARTISTS.
A great steaming heap of garbage.June 16, 2004 4 out of 32 found this review helpful
A stunning collection of pseudoscience and anecdotal evidence without a single redeeming value, except possibly as material for campfire ghost stories. This should appeal to new-age types who can't really buy into the religion thing, but have a need to believe in an afterlife anyway. If you wish to enjoy it, leave your critical thinking skills at the door.
Brilliant: But take it for what it isOctober 31, 2003 9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Whatever one may say about the actual evidece, the book is downright gripping reading. When you start reading it, you will _not_ want to stop. The stories are absolutely fascinating!
What about the actual evidence? Weak or strong? Well, it is problematic... You can't structure an experiment for NDEs all that well. After all, you can't really study this in the lab (unless you're an unethical mad scientist). This, natrually, brings the problem of credibility. And this is valid. But, hand waving is not much good. As a matter of fact, if we can't trust humans at all, we're going to have to scrape _all_ of the social science, because that's almost all its got.
Overall, then, the state of affairs is not so bad. Obviously, the book has problems, but it is rigorous enought to have been cited in more than one medical journal.
an important contribution to an evolving subjectJuly 22, 2001 13 out of 13 found this review helpful
The book is an important contribution to the subject for a number of reasons, one of which is that some of the so-called skeptics have dismissed NDEs as evidence in favour of the survival hypothesis on the grounds that the NDEs of the blind differ from those of the sighted. This book firmly puts that myth to rest.
The book consists mostly of reviews of various cases of OBEs and NDEs in the blind, and one of the strongest concerns a woman blinded during surgery who apparently left her body while she was dying on a gurney with a breathing apparatus over her face. She seems to have seen her boyfriend and former husband standing speachless some distance away down the hallway. Seperate interviews with the two me support her story.
I predict more cases like this being made public in this decade. We could use a book on the cases of NDEs occuring during times when the patient's EEG recording was flat.
