Are near-death experiences (NDEs) just elaborate hallucinations produced by a dying brain? Or the exuberant fantasies of attention-seeking narcissists? As the accounts in this book abundantly Neither! This book contains over 100 reliable, often firsthand accounts of perceptions during NDEs that were later verified as accurate by independent sources. These near-death experiencers were everyday people from all over the world—many of whom were clinically dead, unable to see or hear, and yet able to perceive new vistas of a world beyond the senses and even beyond death. The Self Does Not Die is a trailblazing effort to present the most confirmed cases of consciousness beyond death ever compiled. In these cases, the authors have gone back to the original sources, the people involved in each case, whenever possible, rather than relying on secondhand sources. In so doing, they have assembled a unique collection of empirical data that any scholar worthy of the name must take into account. By carefully studying and describing many convincing and corroborated cases, during cardiac arrest and other cases, the authors conclude that there are good reasons to assume that our consciousness does not always coincide with the functioning of our Enhanced consciousness can sometimes be experienced separately from the body. This book is a must read for anyone wanting to know more about this fascinating subject with its implications about the very nature of human consciousness and its survival of physical death. It has the potential to radically change the currently still widely accepted materialist paradigm in science.
Five stars to the first half of the book (chapters 1 to 3), which is a compilation of near death experiences and verifiable reports of other people about them. The introductory text is really good, too. Three stars for the second third. One star for the rest of the book. The body of evidence for the "other" phenomena becomes thinner and thinner and the rigorous examination weaker and weaker.
I find the fixation about pulse and its relation with consciousness funny. The lack of background expertise is a clear weakness. It shows a bit at the beginning of the book but becomes more evident at the end when they discuss paranormal phenomena and potential fraud.
Despite all of this, I still consider parts of this book a MUST READ, and it is worth paying (for the digital edition that is cheaper).
The book The Self Does Not Die: Verified Paranormal Phenomena from Near-Death Experiences by Titus Rivas, Anny Dirven, and Rudolf Smit is an engaging and compelling read that lives up to its title. It features over 100 investigated cases of near-death experiences (NDEs), where the experiences described by individuals are supported by at least one additional piece of evidence. This evidence might come from a medical professional confirming the accuracy of the NDE experiencer's account of events in the operating room during resuscitation efforts. Alternatively, investigators may verify details, such as the number of electric shocks used to restart the person's heart, by cross-referencing the NDE experiencer's description with medical records.