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so dr. long in 2010 you published

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evidence of the afterlife the science of

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near-death experiences New York Times

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bestseller a game-changer really for

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science because the evidence you

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presented was very straightforward and

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very compelling your conclusion by every

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way we can look at it consciousness

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seems to survive death for these eight

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for these people these people who

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experience a near-death experience but I

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still get emails all the time from

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people who don't know that for example

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you investigated people who were blind

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from birth and the first and only time

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they ever regained sight was during a

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near-death experience or that you

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published a medical survey with

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thousands of participants or that when

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you asked them to verify their

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near-death experience 96 percent of them

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went and verified it and were able to

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verify that so can we start there can we

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recap a little bit about that evidence

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that you uncovered and published in that

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first book that was I've been collecting

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data now for over 17 years all the way

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back in 1998 the near-death experience

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Research Foundation website came up

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immediately from the day it came up we

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had a very detailed survey asking the

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near-death experiencers it great many

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questions so that we could learn not

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only from a large number of near-death

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experiencers but learn in depth by

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drilling down if you will to learn with

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many many questions exactly what

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happened during their near-death

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experience well that was a long time ago

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we now have over 4,000 near-death

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experiences actually posted on the nder

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f dot org website this is by far the

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largest near-death experience study that

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has ever been conducted that's exciting

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and that's important because that allows

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us to have more confidence than ever in

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these groundbreaking conclusions that

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we'll be talking about today great and

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let me add to that with a question about

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NDE research in this study that you're

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talking about

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so let's let people know first of all

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that you are a full-time radiation

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oncologist a cancer doctor you work for

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a hospital there in Houma Louisiana

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outside of New Orleans but you're also a

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scientist and a medical researcher

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someone who beyond your full-time job

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had an interest in this and was able to

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approach it in a scientific way like

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true medical research do you want to

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talk a little bit about that yeah

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absolutely

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my medical practice which I practice

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full time is radiation oncology which is

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the use of radiation to treat cancer I

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have a very busy full-time practice here

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in Houma Louisiana which is about an

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hour outside of New Orleans but in

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addition to being exceptionally busy in

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my professional practice if you will my

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second full-time job is doing that

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near-death experience research and I've

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been taking that research very very

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seriously just like I would professional

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medical research that I do my

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professional curriculum vitae is seven

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pages long

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I've done a lot of research over the

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years I take it very very seriously and

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I understand the things that you need to

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think about the meticulousness and the

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importance of doing it right so I

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brought all that skillset into my

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experience on new research that I did on

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near-death experience and that led to

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what the conclusions I got from the the

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evidence it was based on the best

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scientific and medical investigative

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techniques that we could possibly find

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for doing this type of research and the

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research that came out of that I thought

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was just stunning for example I

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mentioned briefly a minute ago that you

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found people that were blind from birth

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and yet the first and only time they

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ever experienced sight was during their

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near-death experience you found from a

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physician this was really important to

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you but you found that people were

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having near-death experiences during

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anesthesia during heavy anesthesia that

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was unexplainable can you recap some of

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the most surprising to you as a

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physician results that came out of that

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initial research that you did and

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published in the book evidence of the

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after lighter

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I think everybody's got their favorite

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near-death experience accounts but

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perhaps among my most favorite of all

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time was Vicki Vicki was born totally

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blind and in those born totally blind

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vision is unknown and unknowable and you

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can't explain vision to somebody born

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blind in terms of the remaining four

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senses I tried it it's impossible Vicki

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was a professional singer and she was

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being driven home one day after a

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performance and there was a very serious

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auto accident so serious indeed that she

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nearly died the first time Vicki saw

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herself was when she had her near-death

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experience her consciousness separated

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from her body and from a vantage point

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above her body she saw herself laying on

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the gurney below she didn't know that

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was her she was horrified actually was

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her first emotional sense because vision

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was so unknown to her for entire life

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but was after she calmed down a little

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bit and correlated the feel of her long

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hair and interestingly she could feel a

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ring that a father had given her all her

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life and now for the first time in her

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life she was seeing it and only when she

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correlated with her newfound sense of

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vision did she understand that that was

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her down there Vicki went on to have an

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amazingly detailed highly visual

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near-death experience in fact she

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described vision in the way many

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near-death experiencers do and that's

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what's called 360-degree vision that

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means she can simultaneously see in

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front of her back of her right left and

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up and down

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technically it's spherical vision and

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she was able to simultaneously process

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that we've had many many other

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near-death experience accounts that

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describe that exact same thing

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interestingly talking to Vicki later she

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assumed everybody on the planet had

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spherical vision like she experienced

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because remember she'd never known

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vision in any other way and to this day

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I think she has a hard time grasping how

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the rest of us have sort of a pie shaped

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visual field and don't really see things

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the way she did that one time that one

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amazing time during the near-death

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experience that she had so great and

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let's pack that back into the broader

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results that you have because that's one

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account and one of the things you'll

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hear from people who are

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not very open to the near-death

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experience science the kind of stuff

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that you do is they want to pick apart

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cases and say gee that's an anecdote and

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and that's just one case what I think

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you've done and maybe you want to

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explain because you did say you do this

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meticulous research you know for a

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medical survey you're asking a hundred

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and fifty questions you're correlating

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there's questions that are duplicate to

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see if they answer it the same way

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there's other little tricks that you do

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you're reviewing it as a as a medical

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professional to see if it's real so you

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have in these surveys kind of two

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aspects of it one data that you can

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correlate like a good medical scientist

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would and then you have these narrative

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descriptions which are super powerful

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and important but tell us how you use

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both of those tools to kind of come to

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your conclusions again being very

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meticulous and cautious in my research

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one of the first things you have to do

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is make sure that the experience is

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valid we ask many questions in our 150

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question survey in a redundant fashion

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that means basically the same question

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worded slightly differently at a

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different part of the survey that way we

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can match up the responses and make sure

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that they line up that they're sharing

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the same responses to the same basic

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question second very important thing

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when I review near-death experiences I'm

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a physician I've done this now thousands

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of times for me it's relatively easy to

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see if the life-threatening event that

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they described in the medical treatment

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they got the subsequent medical recovery

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from that close brush with death does

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that really add up medically and it's

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very easy for me to make that

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determination again because as a

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physician that's my bread and butter so

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those are sort of the reality checks

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that we do on each and every near-death

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experience to make sure that when we

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posted on the website would be use it in

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our research we can be crystal clear

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from very careful inspection that yes

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this is a near-death experience it

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really happened so doctor long let me

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probe a little bit further about the

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types of near-death experience research

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that's out there because for the

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years I've had a lot of near-death

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experience researchers and for example

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you know just the other day I

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interviewed this guy nice enough guy

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University of California he's doing his

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post doctoral fellowship he's part of a

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team they received four million dollars

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and Foundation to study near-death

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experiences so I speak to him about his

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research turns out he didn't really do

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any original research he didn't go into

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a hospital into a cardiac arrest ward

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and talk to patients there he didn't as

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you did develop a hundred and fifty

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medical survey and give it to hundreds

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of near-death experience researchers yet

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he published his results we talked about

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his book he concluded that near-death

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experiences aren't real in the way that

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we're talking about

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they don't suggest that consciousness

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seems to survive bodily death so I guess

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the question is for the average person

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who's trying to sort through this idea

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of near-death experience science

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research how do they sort through it how

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do they know what research really holds

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up out there the key thing is to know a

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few of the consistently seen elements of

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near-death experience that are the

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strongest evidence for their reality for

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example when you're under general

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anesthesia it should be impossible to

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have a lucid organized remembrance at

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that time in fact under anesthesia

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you're typically so far under with

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general anesthesia they often have to

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breathe for you I mean you're literally

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brain shut down to the level of the

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brainstem and at that point in time some

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people have a cardiac arrest their heart

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stops and of course that's very well

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documented

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they monitor people very carefully that

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are having general anesthesia so I have

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dozens and dozens of near-death

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experiences that occurred under general

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anesthesia and at this time it should be

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if you will doubly impossible to have a

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conscious remembrance and yet they do

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have near-death experiences at this time

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and their typical near-death experiences

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they have the same elements and appear

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00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:01,540
to have them in the same order as

279
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near-death experiences occurring under

280
00:11:07,140 --> 00:11:05,890
all other circumstances and in fact a

281
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critical survey quest

282
00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:09,220
and I asked was what their level of

283
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consciousness and alertness during the

284
00:11:15,150 --> 00:11:13,360
experience was well even under general

285
00:11:17,970 --> 00:11:15,160
anesthetics under those powerful

286
00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:17,980
chemicals to produce sedation if they

287
00:11:21,510 --> 00:11:19,450
had a near-death experience under

288
00:11:23,100 --> 00:11:21,520
general anesthesia their level of

289
00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:23,110
consciousness and alertness was

290
00:11:27,270 --> 00:11:25,330
identical to near-death experience is

291
00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:27,280
occurring under all other circumstances

292
00:11:31,890 --> 00:11:29,770
there's absolutely no way the skeptics

293
00:11:34,350 --> 00:11:31,900
can explain that way it's impossible

294
00:11:36,570 --> 00:11:34,360
that in and of itself is some of the

295
00:11:38,130 --> 00:11:36,580
strongest single line of evidence that

296
00:11:40,470 --> 00:11:38,140
your death experiences have to be

297
00:11:41,940 --> 00:11:40,480
independent of brain functioning there's

298
00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:41,950
simply no way you can be under general

299
00:11:46,190 --> 00:11:44,290
anesthesia and have a highly lucid

300
00:11:49,020 --> 00:11:46,200
organized experience like that and

301
00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:49,030
especially one that's consistently seen

302
00:11:53,550 --> 00:11:51,010
throughout near-death experience

303
00:11:55,650 --> 00:11:53,560
research so that's probably the

304
00:11:57,780 --> 00:11:55,660
strongest line of evidence we have that

305
00:11:59,900 --> 00:11:57,790
the physical brain as we know it simply

306
00:12:02,160 --> 00:11:59,910
cannot produce the near-death experience

307
00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:02,170
okay and I'm going to push that a little

308
00:12:06,090 --> 00:12:03,970
bit further because here's where I was

309
00:12:07,890 --> 00:12:06,100
trying to lead you really because I this

310
00:12:10,620 --> 00:12:07,900
has come up over and over again with me

311
00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:10,630
Jeff I'm not making this up you know it

312
00:12:14,730 --> 00:12:12,370
because you see it out there I mean

313
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:14,740
here's a book with all these academic

314
00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:17,530
credentials and you dig into it and they

315
00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:20,530
never spoke with the near-death

316
00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:22,570
experience someone who actually had a

317
00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:23,650
near-death experience

318
00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:26,170
III I've had this happen over and over

319
00:12:29,820 --> 00:12:28,210
again I can think of three or four in

320
00:12:31,830 --> 00:12:29,830
the last year write to interview them

321
00:12:33,780 --> 00:12:31,840
and I just wanted I just want to scream

322
00:12:36,150 --> 00:12:33,790
and go how is this near-death experience

323
00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:36,160
research there's no people who had a

324
00:12:41,940 --> 00:12:39,850
near-death experience that you know that

325
00:12:43,830 --> 00:12:41,950
is an amazingly good point it is

326
00:12:46,650 --> 00:12:43,840
astounding to me too that we have people

327
00:12:49,530 --> 00:12:46,660
that publish write books write scholarly

328
00:12:51,300 --> 00:12:49,540
papers about near-death experience that

329
00:12:54,030 --> 00:12:51,310
have literally never talked to someone

330
00:12:56,820 --> 00:12:54,040
who had a near-death experience that is

331
00:12:59,670 --> 00:12:56,830
some of the most bizarre research I can

332
00:13:02,130 --> 00:12:59,680
possibly imagine it makes no sense to me

333
00:13:04,770 --> 00:13:02,140
and I'm sure everybody that sees this

334
00:13:06,660 --> 00:13:04,780
video is going to think gosh how is that

335
00:13:08,100 --> 00:13:06,670
even possible how can somebody claim

336
00:13:10,350 --> 00:13:08,110
that they're doing near-death experience

337
00:13:11,450 --> 00:13:10,360
research and never ever even talk to

338
00:13:14,370 --> 00:13:11,460
someone who had a near-death experience

339
00:13:15,780 --> 00:13:14,380
well the answer is you can't if you're

340
00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:15,790
going to investigate near-death

341
00:13:19,530 --> 00:13:17,530
experiences you have to talk to the

342
00:13:20,780 --> 00:13:19,540
near-death experiencers and you have to

343
00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:20,790
understand what happened

344
00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:22,290
during the near-death experience you

345
00:13:26,420 --> 00:13:24,330
have to look at the evidence as I've

346
00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:26,430
published for their lines of evidence

347
00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:28,770
that all converge on the validity that's

348
00:13:32,750 --> 00:13:30,450
what really matters in assessing the

349
00:13:34,910 --> 00:13:32,760
reality of near-death experience not the

350
00:13:36,230 --> 00:13:34,920
hypotheses that these other researchers

351
00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:36,240
generate about how near-death

352
00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:38,370
experiences might occur that's

353
00:13:41,150 --> 00:13:39,210
ridiculous

354
00:13:42,470 --> 00:13:41,160
what really matters is here's what

355
00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:42,480
happens during a near-death experience

356
00:13:48,170 --> 00:13:45,570
here's the evidence for the reality can

357
00:13:49,940 --> 00:13:48,180
you refute that evidence or not and with

358
00:13:51,410 --> 00:13:49,950
regard to the skeptics trying to refute

359
00:13:53,570 --> 00:13:51,420
the evidence for the reality of

360
00:13:55,730 --> 00:13:53,580
near-death experiences they haven't come

361
00:13:58,040 --> 00:13:55,740
close they simply cannot explain away

362
00:14:00,170 --> 00:13:58,050
all of the lines of evidence that for

363
00:14:01,460 --> 00:14:00,180
near-death experience that me and so

364
00:14:04,430 --> 00:14:01,470
many other near-death experience

365
00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:04,440
researchers so consistently see okay so

366
00:14:10,430 --> 00:14:07,170
dr. long now you've written this second

367
00:14:12,410 --> 00:14:10,440
book God and the afterlife and even

368
00:14:15,620 --> 00:14:12,420
though we've covered a lot of your

369
00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:15,630
background here already about your long

370
00:14:19,340 --> 00:14:17,850
time experience with studying near-death

371
00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:19,350
experience research that you're a

372
00:14:24,650 --> 00:14:21,210
physician that you're very careful about

373
00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:24,660
it I got to tell you with that title a

374
00:14:30,470 --> 00:14:27,690
lot of people are going to assume this

375
00:14:33,350 --> 00:14:30,480
is a religious book did you have a

376
00:14:37,550 --> 00:14:33,360
religious agenda in this book with this

377
00:14:40,910 --> 00:14:37,560
book absolutely not my only thought was

378
00:14:42,590 --> 00:14:40,920
I was developing the research behind God

379
00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:42,600
in the afterlife book and the research

380
00:14:46,670 --> 00:14:44,610
there was I just wanted to know the

381
00:14:48,500 --> 00:14:46,680
truth I set out with that commitment

382
00:14:50,150 --> 00:14:48,510
that whatever I was going to find I was

383
00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:50,160
going to publish wherever that path

384
00:14:55,130 --> 00:14:53,130
would go to my somewhat astonishment as

385
00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:55,140
I kept digging into experiences

386
00:14:59,780 --> 00:14:57,210
near-death experiences that were aware

387
00:15:01,490 --> 00:14:59,790
of or encountered god I was amazed once

388
00:15:02,420 --> 00:15:01,500
again at the consistency of what was

389
00:15:05,990 --> 00:15:02,430
being described

390
00:15:07,850 --> 00:15:06,000
I have 277 near-death experiences that

391
00:15:10,310 --> 00:15:07,860
either were aware of or encountered god

392
00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:10,320
it's not a small study so I just really

393
00:15:15,050 --> 00:15:12,090
wanted to publish what I found

394
00:15:17,150 --> 00:15:15,060
there's no religious agenda at at all

395
00:15:18,590 --> 00:15:17,160
with this and in fact if you talk to

396
00:15:20,750 --> 00:15:18,600
people that encounter God and their

397
00:15:23,090 --> 00:15:20,760
near-death experiences it really seems

398
00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:23,100
to be while it's God it doesn't seem to

399
00:15:26,540 --> 00:15:24,810
be related to their prior religious

400
00:15:28,610 --> 00:15:26,550
beliefs at whatever religious belief

401
00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:28,620
they had doesn't seem to affect the

402
00:15:32,870 --> 00:15:30,510
probability of them encountering God or

403
00:15:33,570 --> 00:15:32,880
what will happen when they do encounter

404
00:15:35,610 --> 00:15:33,580
God and there

405
00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:35,620
death experience so as God seems to be

406
00:15:42,630 --> 00:15:38,170
in near death experiences very

407
00:15:44,370 --> 00:15:42,640
independent from religion so one more

408
00:15:47,310 --> 00:15:44,380
point on your background there have you

409
00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:47,320
ever had a NDE has anyone close to you

410
00:15:54,270 --> 00:15:51,250
had an NDE you know why the interest in

411
00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:54,280
this topic sure I've never personally

412
00:15:58,530 --> 00:15:56,410
had a near-death experience and never

413
00:15:59,940 --> 00:15:58,540
thank goodness as anyone close to me had

414
00:16:02,460 --> 00:15:59,950
a near-death experience

415
00:16:04,260 --> 00:16:02,470
I guess my interest began over a quarter

416
00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:04,270
century ago when I was going through the

417
00:16:07,740 --> 00:16:05,290
journal of the American Medical

418
00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:07,750
Association one of the most prestigious

419
00:16:12,270 --> 00:16:09,850
medical journals in the world looking

420
00:16:15,090 --> 00:16:12,280
for a cancer related article quite by

421
00:16:17,940 --> 00:16:15,100
accident I found a article that had in

422
00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:17,950
his title near-death experience I never

423
00:16:21,810 --> 00:16:19,570
heard of that before all my medical

424
00:16:23,340 --> 00:16:21,820
training up to that point had not really

425
00:16:25,500 --> 00:16:23,350
exposed me to the term near-death

426
00:16:27,990 --> 00:16:25,510
experience so I stopped what I was doing

427
00:16:30,090 --> 00:16:28,000
read the article and was immediately

428
00:16:32,670 --> 00:16:30,100
astonished here was the descriptions of

429
00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:32,680
near-death experiences occurring what I

430
00:16:36,180 --> 00:16:34,570
knew medically should be impossible when

431
00:16:38,730 --> 00:16:36,190
they were unconscious here they were

432
00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:38,740
occurring all around the world elements

433
00:16:43,380 --> 00:16:41,290
inconsistent order very consistently

434
00:16:45,690 --> 00:16:43,390
observed among multiple researchers I

435
00:16:47,460 --> 00:16:45,700
realized immediately on reading just

436
00:16:49,710 --> 00:16:47,470
that one article that if near-death

437
00:16:51,690 --> 00:16:49,720
experiences are for real this changes my

438
00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:51,700
view of the universe I mean there's

439
00:16:55,770 --> 00:16:53,530
something going on that I simply didn't

440
00:16:57,780 --> 00:16:55,780
know and I was astounded to think we

441
00:16:59,970 --> 00:16:57,790
might even have evidence so as many

442
00:17:01,860 --> 00:16:59,980
years later after that I set up the

443
00:17:04,710 --> 00:17:01,870
near-death experience Research

444
00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:04,720
Foundation website my goal in doing that

445
00:17:08,970 --> 00:17:06,730
was to learn for myself the original

446
00:17:11,370 --> 00:17:08,980
source of evidence that being people who

447
00:17:13,439 --> 00:17:11,380
actually had near-death experiences to

448
00:17:15,540 --> 00:17:13,449
learn the truth that's what I wanted to

449
00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:15,550
know with the best evidence that I could

450
00:17:21,329 --> 00:17:19,330
find that being near death experiences

451
00:17:23,699 --> 00:17:21,339
and had the courage to share them with

452
00:17:25,860 --> 00:17:23,709
me and turn have me share them with the

453
00:17:28,020 --> 00:17:25,870
world on the website wasn't too long

454
00:17:31,380 --> 00:17:28,030
after I started receiving near-death

455
00:17:34,170 --> 00:17:31,390
experiences all the way back in 1998 I

456
00:17:36,330 --> 00:17:34,180
realized wow no question about it the

457
00:17:37,020 --> 00:17:36,340
consistency is really there this is

458
00:17:39,090 --> 00:17:37,030
amazing

459
00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:39,100
medically I can't explain this

460
00:17:44,970 --> 00:17:41,650
near-death experiences are as best I can

461
00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:44,980
tell in one word real

462
00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:47,410
Jeff I got to ask this question because

463
00:17:51,300 --> 00:17:49,330
I have spoke with a lot of NDE

464
00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:51,310
researchers and most of the ones I've

465
00:17:56,970 --> 00:17:54,490
spoke to tell a very similar story and

466
00:18:00,860 --> 00:17:56,980
they also embedded in that story is kind

467
00:18:03,210 --> 00:18:00,870
of a surprise that other people

468
00:18:05,370 --> 00:18:03,220
professionals who encounter this data

469
00:18:08,910 --> 00:18:05,380
aren't moved in the same way that you

470
00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:08,920
are because come on this is a game

471
00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:12,130
changer for medicine for science for

472
00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:13,930
everything and I think it's a little bit

473
00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:17,530
hard for people to grasp your story in

474
00:18:21,990 --> 00:18:20,050
the sense that well why doesn't every

475
00:18:24,420 --> 00:18:22,000
medical professional that run across

476
00:18:27,060 --> 00:18:24,430
this throw up their hands and say okay I

477
00:18:29,250 --> 00:18:27,070
have to kind of start all over in

478
00:18:30,470 --> 00:18:29,260
looking at this question if you give it

479
00:18:33,540 --> 00:18:30,480
if you give it any thought to that

480
00:18:34,950 --> 00:18:33,550
that's a real good point I think each

481
00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:34,960
and every person on this earth that

482
00:18:39,180 --> 00:18:37,210
sometime or another wonders gosh what

483
00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:39,190
happens when we die medical

484
00:18:43,950 --> 00:18:41,650
professionals like everybody else are

485
00:18:46,740 --> 00:18:43,960
going to say gosh will is death in our

486
00:18:48,090 --> 00:18:46,750
earthly life is at the end and I'm

487
00:18:49,380 --> 00:18:48,100
amazed that more people aren't

488
00:18:51,990 --> 00:18:49,390
interested in that that more people

489
00:18:54,270 --> 00:18:52,000
don't want to look for the evidence it

490
00:18:57,030 --> 00:18:54,280
gives us some idea that answers that

491
00:18:59,250 --> 00:18:57,040
core foundation question that I think is

492
00:19:01,560 --> 00:18:59,260
on the back of our minds for many of us

493
00:19:03,270 --> 00:19:01,570
throughout our entire life it is amazing

494
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:03,280
to me that there aren't more people

495
00:19:06,630 --> 00:19:04,930
interested in near-death experience

496
00:19:08,670 --> 00:19:06,640
interested in those lines of evidence

497
00:19:10,020 --> 00:19:08,680
that suggests there really is an

498
00:19:12,450 --> 00:19:10,030
afterlife that suggests that

499
00:19:15,750 --> 00:19:12,460
consciousness survives physical bodily

500
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:15,760
death I am amazed there isn't a flood of

501
00:19:19,770 --> 00:19:18,250
interest from other people in the

502
00:19:21,690 --> 00:19:19,780
medical community the scientific

503
00:19:25,170 --> 00:19:21,700
community and and even more so in the

504
00:19:26,790 --> 00:19:25,180
public at large sharing my fascination

505
00:19:28,590 --> 00:19:26,800
with near-death experiences and

506
00:19:31,140 --> 00:19:28,600
especially some of those profound

507
00:19:33,870 --> 00:19:31,150
messages that we so consistently see in

508
00:19:35,730 --> 00:19:33,880
near-death experiences okay so dr. long

509
00:19:39,390 --> 00:19:35,740
we talked about your first book evidence

510
00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:39,400
the afterlife and that was really a what

511
00:19:43,740 --> 00:19:41,650
book if you will you know what are these

512
00:19:46,170 --> 00:19:43,750
things these strange things that people

513
00:19:47,670 --> 00:19:46,180
report with a brush with death and

514
00:19:48,900 --> 00:19:47,680
they're in the hospital and maybe they

515
00:19:52,830 --> 00:19:48,910
have a cardiac arrest and it's

516
00:19:55,650 --> 00:19:52,840
unexplainable your second book is really

517
00:19:58,350 --> 00:19:55,660
it's builds on that but it takes this

518
00:20:01,290 --> 00:19:58,360
huge step to asking

519
00:20:05,670 --> 00:20:01,300
why the meaning question behind your

520
00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:05,680
death experiences what was it like for

521
00:20:10,380 --> 00:20:08,650
you to take that step were you worried

522
00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:10,390
about taking that step I think as you

523
00:20:14,130 --> 00:20:12,610
just mentioned everyone has that in the

524
00:20:18,180 --> 00:20:14,140
back of their mind they want to know

525
00:20:21,540 --> 00:20:18,190
okay why why why what was it like for

526
00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:21,550
you to even contemplate really tackling

527
00:20:26,730 --> 00:20:24,610
that big question I guess I've been

528
00:20:29,220 --> 00:20:26,740
fascinated with the big questions in

529
00:20:31,770 --> 00:20:29,230
human existence you know is there an

530
00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:31,780
afterlife is there a God what is the

531
00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:33,310
meaning and purpose of our earthly life

532
00:20:37,830 --> 00:20:35,530
so I guess I've thought about that for

533
00:20:39,810 --> 00:20:37,840
years and years and as I kept reading

534
00:20:41,790 --> 00:20:39,820
near-death experiences by the hundreds

535
00:20:43,980 --> 00:20:41,800
and finally the thousands I was

536
00:20:46,260 --> 00:20:43,990
astounded to see answers consistently

537
00:20:48,030 --> 00:20:46,270
being developed across hundreds and

538
00:20:50,580 --> 00:20:48,040
hundreds of near-death experiences all

539
00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:50,590
remarkably consistent so I guess I was

540
00:20:54,210 --> 00:20:51,970
somewhat excited about doing this

541
00:20:55,860 --> 00:20:54,220
research I felt like I was in a

542
00:20:57,510 --> 00:20:55,870
pioneering effort and sort of on a

543
00:20:59,370 --> 00:20:57,520
forefront of potentially some great

544
00:21:01,410 --> 00:20:59,380
knowledge but that was coupled with a

545
00:21:02,970 --> 00:21:01,420
little bit of fear I mean Here I am a

546
00:21:04,980 --> 00:21:02,980
doctor I'm quite prominent in my

547
00:21:08,130 --> 00:21:04,990
community and Homan Here I am talking

548
00:21:10,230 --> 00:21:08,140
about research related to God related to

549
00:21:12,540 --> 00:21:10,240
things it's ordinarily the domain of

550
00:21:15,090 --> 00:21:12,550
religion so I was a little bit concerned

551
00:21:17,940 --> 00:21:15,100
would that be a concern to people would

552
00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:17,950
that be you know a problem with would

553
00:21:22,260 --> 00:21:19,690
people wonder what a doctor's doing

554
00:21:24,810 --> 00:21:22,270
would this be a turf battle as I study

555
00:21:27,540 --> 00:21:24,820
doctor and some of the the big questions

556
00:21:29,820 --> 00:21:27,550
of our earthly existence I'm happy to

557
00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:29,830
say that my concerns were a little bit

558
00:21:34,860 --> 00:21:32,290
overblown people have embraced this book

559
00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:34,870
they love it the feedback has been

560
00:21:39,330 --> 00:21:37,450
unbelievably positive I've spoken at two

561
00:21:41,190 --> 00:21:39,340
different churches a very liberal one in

562
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:41,200
a very conservative one and they've

563
00:21:45,900 --> 00:21:43,330
invited me back from both churches so

564
00:21:48,330 --> 00:21:45,910
people are fascinated by this kind of

565
00:21:51,540 --> 00:21:48,340
material are fascinated by the evidence

566
00:21:53,670 --> 00:21:51,550
that God exists what they've been taught

567
00:21:55,830 --> 00:21:53,680
to take on faith what they've hoped

568
00:21:58,290 --> 00:21:55,840
would be true now all of a sudden we're

569
00:22:01,320 --> 00:21:58,300
saying hey we consistently observed God

570
00:22:03,780 --> 00:22:01,330
in near-death experiences over 200

571
00:22:05,340 --> 00:22:03,790
near-death experiences all remarkably

572
00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:05,350
similar about what people are

573
00:22:09,420 --> 00:22:07,690
encountering about what people share

574
00:22:11,290 --> 00:22:09,430
about that later and the news is

575
00:22:14,770 --> 00:22:11,300
amazingly good there

576
00:22:17,380 --> 00:22:14,780
back ok let's get to the news in the

577
00:22:19,990 --> 00:22:17,390
book God in the afterlife you asked

578
00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:20,000
during your experience did you encounter

579
00:22:28,060 --> 00:22:23,530
any specific information or awareness

580
00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:28,070
that God or a Supreme Being either does

581
00:22:35,620 --> 00:22:32,290
or does not exist and then you said you

582
00:22:38,350 --> 00:22:35,630
broke it down and said what did they

583
00:22:40,150 --> 00:22:38,360
believe before their experience and what

584
00:22:43,060 --> 00:22:40,160
do they believe currently as they're

585
00:22:45,370 --> 00:22:43,070
answering the survey and the choices you

586
00:22:48,940 --> 00:22:45,380
gave them where God definitely exists

587
00:22:52,450 --> 00:22:48,950
God probably exists I was uncertain if

588
00:22:55,660 --> 00:22:52,460
God exists God probably doesn't exist or

589
00:22:58,180 --> 00:22:55,670
God definitely doesn't exist what did

590
00:23:01,000 --> 00:22:58,190
you find out I was astounded when I

591
00:23:03,370 --> 00:23:01,010
crunched the numbers on that I was

592
00:23:06,100 --> 00:23:03,380
amazed at especially among people that

593
00:23:08,770 --> 00:23:06,110
encountered God the unbelievable shift

594
00:23:11,830 --> 00:23:08,780
from how they would have responded to

595
00:23:12,850 --> 00:23:11,840
their thoughts about reality of God at

596
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:12,860
the time they had their near-death

597
00:23:17,170 --> 00:23:15,650
experience to later at the time they

598
00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:17,180
were sharing their near-death experience

599
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:19,730
an average of 20 years later virtually

600
00:23:23,710 --> 00:23:21,170
everybody that had a near-death

601
00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:23,720
experience and encountered God shifted

602
00:23:29,470 --> 00:23:26,570
to believing that God absolutely is real

603
00:23:31,360 --> 00:23:29,480
and it responded to that survey question

604
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:31,370
as such and that's not a surprise now is

605
00:23:38,290 --> 00:23:33,650
it they were convinced that what they

606
00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:38,300
saw was really God God as it is with

607
00:23:43,030 --> 00:23:40,970
whatever evidence they needed with what

608
00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:43,040
however they wanted to had years to

609
00:23:46,930 --> 00:23:45,050
think about it they had plenty of time

610
00:23:50,410 --> 00:23:46,940
to consider is this really God or it's

611
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:50,420
really not God and yet by the hundreds

612
00:23:54,310 --> 00:23:52,010
overwhelming majority of near-death

613
00:23:57,070 --> 00:23:54,320
experiencers that encounter God come

614
00:24:00,460 --> 00:23:57,080
away believing hey based on my personal

615
00:24:02,380 --> 00:24:00,470
experience I now know beyond a doubt not

616
00:24:04,050 --> 00:24:02,390
on faith not because somebody told me to

617
00:24:07,210 --> 00:24:04,060
believe this but my own personal

618
00:24:08,980 --> 00:24:07,220
experience that God is real and let's

619
00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:08,990
talk about this Jeff dita

620
00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:11,930
the question was open-ended in a way

621
00:24:17,350 --> 00:24:14,690
that you asked did you experience or

622
00:24:19,570 --> 00:24:17,360
have any awareness of God or a Supreme

623
00:24:21,730 --> 00:24:19,580
Being and then you were asking the

624
00:24:23,530 --> 00:24:21,740
question kind of in the affirmative you

625
00:24:24,470 --> 00:24:23,540
know did you get that information but

626
00:24:26,390 --> 00:24:24,480
you also

627
00:24:29,390 --> 00:24:26,400
look through the narrative responses and

628
00:24:31,580 --> 00:24:29,400
you said did you get any response that

629
00:24:34,070 --> 00:24:31,590
God doesn't exist did you get any

630
00:24:36,890 --> 00:24:34,080
specific information telling you no

631
00:24:39,620 --> 00:24:36,900
there is no such thing as God what was

632
00:24:41,780 --> 00:24:39,630
the answer to that question I considered

633
00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:41,790
it scientifically valid to word the

634
00:24:45,890 --> 00:24:43,410
survey question about whether they

635
00:24:48,350 --> 00:24:45,900
encountered God and a Supreme Being to

636
00:24:50,210 --> 00:24:48,360
ask it in few will a binary fashion in

637
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:50,220
other words did you get information that

638
00:24:54,950 --> 00:24:53,010
God our Supreme Being does exist or did

639
00:24:57,710 --> 00:24:54,960
you get information that God our Supreme

640
00:24:59,600 --> 00:24:57,720
Being does not exist either one of those

641
00:25:01,789 --> 00:24:59,610
circumstances should have resulted in an

642
00:25:04,190 --> 00:25:01,799
affirmative yes to that question that's

643
00:25:07,130 --> 00:25:04,200
why the narrative response that followed

644
00:25:08,780 --> 00:25:07,140
that that question was so critical you

645
00:25:10,730 --> 00:25:08,790
could read that and find out what

646
00:25:12,380 --> 00:25:10,740
exactly they were thinking out of

647
00:25:14,419 --> 00:25:12,390
hundreds and hundreds of people that

648
00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:14,429
responded to that survey question I

649
00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:17,130
can't think of a single one that said

650
00:25:21,470 --> 00:25:19,410
gee during my near-death experience I

651
00:25:24,799 --> 00:25:21,480
encountered information that God our

652
00:25:26,419 --> 00:25:24,809
Supreme Being does not exist essentially

653
00:25:28,940 --> 00:25:26,429
every single person that checked that

654
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:28,950
survey question yes was communicating

655
00:25:32,930 --> 00:25:31,530
yes I countered right during my

656
00:25:34,909 --> 00:25:32,940
near-death experience again that's

657
00:25:36,289 --> 00:25:34,919
important not what they believed before

658
00:25:38,270 --> 00:25:36,299
thought below their near-death

659
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:38,280
experience or what they thought or

660
00:25:41,539 --> 00:25:39,330
learned after their near-death

661
00:25:43,490 --> 00:25:41,549
experience this is information learned

662
00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:43,500
during their near-death experience and

663
00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:46,530
that information over and over again

664
00:25:51,470 --> 00:25:49,290
hundreds of people sharing yes I found

665
00:25:53,659 --> 00:25:51,480
evidence that God exists in my own

666
00:25:56,180 --> 00:25:53,669
near-death experience personal note here

667
00:25:58,730 --> 00:25:56,190
because I think a lot of people are like

668
00:26:01,549 --> 00:25:58,740
me in the way that this love thing is

669
00:26:03,710 --> 00:26:01,559
hard I mean I don't know why it's hard

670
00:26:06,710 --> 00:26:03,720
but especially for guys and the way

671
00:26:09,289 --> 00:26:06,720
we're raised and conditioned so I think

672
00:26:13,190 --> 00:26:09,299
what to emphasize I want to emphasize

673
00:26:17,210 --> 00:26:13,200
your data because some of us need the

674
00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:17,220
data to actually open us up to the

675
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:20,370
reality of this and take it in more

676
00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:22,650
seriously you have any thoughts on that

677
00:26:28,190 --> 00:26:26,250
yeah as a researcher I'm data driven I

678
00:26:29,930 --> 00:26:28,200
really like to see the evidence behind

679
00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:29,940
it and that has to have data that

680
00:26:35,299 --> 00:26:32,130
underlies it before I really accept it

681
00:26:37,340 --> 00:26:35,309
as being evidence for any particular

682
00:26:37,970 --> 00:26:37,350
point I'm trying to make in my near

683
00:26:40,610 --> 00:26:37,980
death

684
00:26:42,950 --> 00:26:40,620
it's research and so that's why this

685
00:26:45,260 --> 00:26:42,960
evidence about love is so interesting I

686
00:26:47,270 --> 00:26:45,270
mean here we have over 58% of people

687
00:26:49,460 --> 00:26:47,280
that had a near-death experience saying

688
00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:49,470
they encountered specific information or

689
00:26:55,310 --> 00:26:51,570
awareness about love in their near-death

690
00:26:57,710 --> 00:26:55,320
experience very exciting finding very

691
00:27:00,169 --> 00:26:57,720
much tells us that that's a very

692
00:27:02,539 --> 00:27:00,179
critical important common very common

693
00:27:04,340 --> 00:27:02,549
part of a near-death experience that

694
00:27:06,409 --> 00:27:04,350
shockingly people just haven't asked

695
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:06,419
that much for and yet for the near-death

696
00:27:09,890 --> 00:27:08,490
experiencers themselves very often

697
00:27:11,900 --> 00:27:09,900
they'll share it's among the most

698
00:27:14,990 --> 00:27:11,910
important awareness they have during

699
00:27:17,150 --> 00:27:15,000
their near-death experience Jeff let's

700
00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:17,160
talk about religion because we've

701
00:27:23,060 --> 00:27:19,650
sprinkled some little pieces of that in

702
00:27:26,799 --> 00:27:23,070
here this is not a religious book as a

703
00:27:29,390 --> 00:27:26,809
matter of fact for some religious people

704
00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:29,400
some of the information that you found

705
00:27:36,650 --> 00:27:33,450
will be they'll find very shocking and

706
00:27:39,110 --> 00:27:36,660
in some cases probably unsettling tell

707
00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:39,120
us how you approached the religious

708
00:27:43,789 --> 00:27:41,850
question how you probed it and what you

709
00:27:46,390 --> 00:27:43,799
discovered yeah when I was writing that

710
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:46,400
book I was very clear that this was

711
00:27:51,409 --> 00:27:49,410
information that that addressed many

712
00:27:53,900 --> 00:27:51,419
peoples diverse religious beliefs

713
00:27:55,460 --> 00:27:53,910
so how was I able to do the research and

714
00:27:57,890 --> 00:27:55,470
then write a book on that one word

715
00:27:59,720 --> 00:27:57,900
courage I was so committed to knowing

716
00:28:02,060 --> 00:27:59,730
the truth about near-death experiences

717
00:28:04,580 --> 00:28:02,070
and so committed to sharing that reality

718
00:28:06,860 --> 00:28:04,590
with the world that I was committed that

719
00:28:09,289 --> 00:28:06,870
whatever I found in my research I was

720
00:28:12,500 --> 00:28:09,299
going to share with the world and that's

721
00:28:14,450 --> 00:28:12,510
exactly what I did and remarkably that

722
00:28:16,220 --> 00:28:14,460
his book has been very well received I

723
00:28:17,150 --> 00:28:16,230
mean that when we talk about God in this

724
00:28:19,460 --> 00:28:17,160
book

725
00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:19,470
the great majority people including huge

726
00:28:23,090 --> 00:28:21,450
talks with huge numbers of people at two

727
00:28:25,940 --> 00:28:23,100
different churches one liberal one

728
00:28:27,950 --> 00:28:25,950
conservative were fascinated they loved

729
00:28:30,950 --> 00:28:27,960
it I mean we had questions going on for

730
00:28:32,870 --> 00:28:30,960
about an hour at both churches God and

731
00:28:34,669 --> 00:28:32,880
near-death experiences the concepts of

732
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:34,679
love some of the spiritual information

733
00:28:40,250 --> 00:28:37,410
in near-death experiences seems to

734
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:40,260
really touch a chord with everybody

735
00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:42,090
whatever their prior religious belief

736
00:28:46,070 --> 00:28:44,610
would be I think now more than ever

737
00:28:47,990 --> 00:28:46,080
people are open to that they're

738
00:28:49,789 --> 00:28:48,000
interested in that and I think they're

739
00:28:51,529 --> 00:28:49,799
especially interested when the news is

740
00:28:54,349 --> 00:28:51,539
so profoundly good

741
00:28:56,930 --> 00:28:54,359
I discovered in my research well let's

742
00:28:59,719 --> 00:28:56,940
be clear because one of the conclusions

743
00:29:03,320 --> 00:28:59,729
from the book over and over again is

744
00:29:07,399 --> 00:29:03,330
that these experiences may be spiritual

745
00:29:10,399 --> 00:29:07,409
but they don't seem to be religious and

746
00:29:13,099 --> 00:29:10,409
you probe that question by looking at

747
00:29:16,759 --> 00:29:13,109
people's religious beliefs both before

748
00:29:18,859 --> 00:29:16,769
and after the experience and looking at

749
00:29:21,859 --> 00:29:18,869
whether their specific religious beliefs

750
00:29:25,989 --> 00:29:21,869
changed or whether their general sense

751
00:29:29,719 --> 00:29:25,999
of spirituality and connection with God

752
00:29:31,729 --> 00:29:29,729
changed tell us what you found out yeah

753
00:29:33,469 --> 00:29:31,739
people that have a near-death experience

754
00:29:35,810 --> 00:29:33,479
and especially those that encounter God

755
00:29:38,389 --> 00:29:35,820
may change their religion or they may

756
00:29:39,619 --> 00:29:38,399
not it's about a 50/50 what's really

757
00:29:41,659 --> 00:29:39,629
interesting and I think the take-home

758
00:29:44,450 --> 00:29:41,669
message is even for those people whose

759
00:29:45,950 --> 00:29:44,460
first-hand personal experience in their

760
00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:45,960
near-death experience was an encounter

761
00:29:50,659 --> 00:29:48,450
with God about half of them find

762
00:29:53,629 --> 00:29:50,669
complete comfort and security in the

763
00:29:55,810 --> 00:29:53,639
religion that they had the religion if

764
00:29:58,099 --> 00:29:55,820
you will the issues that I'm finding God

765
00:30:00,799 --> 00:29:58,109
the afterlife and some of the other

766
00:30:03,729 --> 00:30:00,809
findings in my book remarkably seem to

767
00:30:06,109 --> 00:30:03,739
fit in very well to a huge diverse

768
00:30:08,029 --> 00:30:06,119
religious beliefs in fact we asked

769
00:30:09,229 --> 00:30:08,039
specifically what's your religious

770
00:30:10,940 --> 00:30:09,239
belief at the time you had your

771
00:30:13,609 --> 00:30:10,950
near-death experience at the time you

772
00:30:15,469 --> 00:30:13,619
shared it about 20 years later liberal

773
00:30:18,139 --> 00:30:15,479
moderate or conservative fundamentalist

774
00:30:20,570 --> 00:30:18,149
and we have huge numbers of near-death

775
00:30:23,269 --> 00:30:20,580
experiencers in all three categories so

776
00:30:25,299 --> 00:30:23,279
it doesn't seem to be what specific

777
00:30:27,349 --> 00:30:25,309
religion you are it just seems to be

778
00:30:29,330 --> 00:30:27,359
near-death experiencers have this

779
00:30:31,580 --> 00:30:29,340
awareness and they seem to be able to

780
00:30:33,409 --> 00:30:31,590
find a place of worship that's

781
00:30:34,969 --> 00:30:33,419
comfortable with their beliefs that are

782
00:30:38,599 --> 00:30:34,979
often heavily influenced by their

783
00:30:40,489 --> 00:30:38,609
near-death experience all across the

784
00:30:42,619 --> 00:30:40,499
audio throughout seemingly throughout

785
00:30:44,089 --> 00:30:42,629
the entire world and across a whole

786
00:30:46,009 --> 00:30:44,099
breadth of different religious

787
00:30:49,279 --> 00:30:46,019
backgrounds including even non-western

788
00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:49,289
religious beliefs one of the stats that

789
00:30:54,739 --> 00:30:51,570
really jumped out to me from the

790
00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:54,749
religions section is the number of

791
00:31:00,950 --> 00:30:56,690
people who have a near-death experience

792
00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:00,960
and their sense of the importance of

793
00:31:05,430 --> 00:31:03,130
spirituality in their life

794
00:31:07,620 --> 00:31:05,440
the number of people for which that goes

795
00:31:10,250 --> 00:31:07,630
down right so I had a near-death

796
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:10,260
experience and you asked the question is

797
00:31:17,279 --> 00:31:14,410
this spiritual stuff important to you in

798
00:31:20,310 --> 00:31:17,289
your life and some people said it went

799
00:31:22,260 --> 00:31:20,320
down but it was a very very very small

800
00:31:25,380 --> 00:31:22,270
number of people who said that and

801
00:31:28,070 --> 00:31:25,390
almost everyone said no that's one thing

802
00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:28,080
I'm sure of the importance of this is

803
00:31:32,850 --> 00:31:31,330
definitely increased after my dear death

804
00:31:36,149 --> 00:31:32,860
experience do you want to speak to that

805
00:31:38,190 --> 00:31:36,159
yeah we asked a survey question directly

806
00:31:40,919 --> 00:31:38,200
that asks about the importance of their

807
00:31:43,620 --> 00:31:40,929
religious or spiritual beliefs and how

808
00:31:46,350 --> 00:31:43,630
they live it in their lives and they was

809
00:31:48,060 --> 00:31:46,360
two questions for that one what was your

810
00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:48,070
importance to you of your religious

811
00:31:51,690 --> 00:31:49,450
spiritual belief when you had your

812
00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:51,700
near-death experience and what about

813
00:31:55,830 --> 00:31:54,610
your religious spiritual belief and how

814
00:31:57,570 --> 00:31:55,840
important is that to your life now

815
00:31:59,240 --> 00:31:57,580
twenty years later right when they're

816
00:32:01,740 --> 00:31:59,250
sharing their near-death experience a

817
00:32:04,020 --> 00:32:01,750
mammoth increase in the percentage of

818
00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:04,030
people after their near-death experience

819
00:32:08,610 --> 00:32:05,890
believing that their religious spiritual

820
00:32:10,799 --> 00:32:08,620
life is much more important to them than

821
00:32:12,450 --> 00:32:10,809
it ever was before they're thinking

822
00:32:14,820 --> 00:32:12,460
about it more it's more important it

823
00:32:17,580 --> 00:32:14,830
seems to be a factor in their life it

824
00:32:20,549 --> 00:32:17,590
seems to help affect them make decisions

825
00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:20,559
in their life much much more than it was

826
00:32:25,049 --> 00:32:22,570
earlier in their life before they had

827
00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:25,059
their near-death experience and I think

828
00:32:29,909 --> 00:32:27,250
there's a tandem question that goes with

829
00:32:31,890 --> 00:32:29,919
this from your survey that in a way is

830
00:32:35,090 --> 00:32:31,900
so stunning that it's almost easy to

831
00:32:38,010 --> 00:32:35,100
gloss over and you asked people who

832
00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:38,020
experienced God or some kind of Supreme

833
00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:40,330
Being or just that sense that this is

834
00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:43,570
the big the big thing out there you

835
00:32:49,529 --> 00:32:46,530
asked him about the reality of that

836
00:32:52,350 --> 00:32:49,539
experience and the stat that you got

837
00:32:55,049 --> 00:32:52,360
back I thought was stunning ninety six

838
00:32:56,820 --> 00:32:55,059
point two percent of people said that

839
00:32:59,549 --> 00:32:56,830
was definitely real twenty was later

840
00:33:01,500 --> 00:32:59,559
that was definitely real yeah that

841
00:33:04,409 --> 00:33:01,510
that's absolutely true those are the

842
00:33:06,180 --> 00:33:04,419
group of people that encounter God and I

843
00:33:07,950 --> 00:33:06,190
think you and I and perhaps a lot of

844
00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:07,960
others would say well how sure are they

845
00:33:11,669 --> 00:33:09,130
are they sure their near-death

846
00:33:13,230 --> 00:33:11,679
experience was real with their

847
00:33:15,570 --> 00:33:13,240
near-death experience including an

848
00:33:18,269 --> 00:33:15,580
awareness or encounter with God how sure

849
00:33:20,820 --> 00:33:18,279
about that anyway amazingly and I asked

850
00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:20,830
that question directly what do you

851
00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:22,690
consider the reality of your experience

852
00:33:27,509 --> 00:33:25,450
at the current time ninety six point two

853
00:33:29,909 --> 00:33:27,519
percent of those who encountered God out

854
00:33:32,100 --> 00:33:29,919
of four different possibilities pick the

855
00:33:33,779 --> 00:33:32,110
highest level of certainty that saying

856
00:33:35,340 --> 00:33:33,789
they believed that their experienced

857
00:33:38,009 --> 00:33:35,350
their near-death experience was

858
00:33:39,899 --> 00:33:38,019
definitely real and compare that I mean

859
00:33:41,249 --> 00:33:39,909
if you and I'm sure this date is out

860
00:33:44,070 --> 00:33:41,259
there I don't have it on my fingertips

861
00:33:45,299 --> 00:33:44,080
but if you ask someone about a dream

862
00:33:47,249 --> 00:33:45,309
that they had even was a very

863
00:33:48,690 --> 00:33:47,259
significant treatment you said you know

864
00:33:50,310 --> 00:33:48,700
did you really have that dream or you

865
00:33:52,109 --> 00:33:50,320
just asked them about an experience they

866
00:33:53,759 --> 00:33:52,119
had in life I think any of us if you

867
00:33:56,849 --> 00:33:53,769
just ask me about some experience I had

868
00:33:59,759 --> 00:33:56,859
20 years ago there's many of them I

869
00:34:02,190 --> 00:33:59,769
would say I'm not kind of totally sure I

870
00:34:05,220 --> 00:34:02,200
mean let's put this in perspective in

871
00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:05,230
terms of the the how big of a percentage

872
00:34:09,059 --> 00:34:07,210
this is yeah I mean that's just an

873
00:34:11,789 --> 00:34:09,069
amazing percentage for somebody who has

874
00:34:13,859 --> 00:34:11,799
such an unearthly experience and

875
00:34:15,809 --> 00:34:13,869
encounters God as part of a profoundly

876
00:34:18,510 --> 00:34:15,819
unearthly experience unlike anything

877
00:34:19,980 --> 00:34:18,520
they've had in their life for 96.2

878
00:34:22,530 --> 00:34:19,990
people to come back and say it's

879
00:34:24,629 --> 00:34:22,540
definitely real is a profound message

880
00:34:27,599 --> 00:34:24,639
that really shows how confident they are

881
00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:27,609
that what they encountered was real and

882
00:34:31,460 --> 00:34:29,649
that's not surprising because you see

883
00:34:33,599 --> 00:34:31,470
huge changes in these people's lives

884
00:34:36,690 --> 00:34:33,609
people don't change their lives

885
00:34:38,579 --> 00:34:36,700
radically unless they have a very strong

886
00:34:40,589 --> 00:34:38,589
reason to change and for these

887
00:34:42,930 --> 00:34:40,599
near-death experiencers by the hundreds

888
00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:42,940
and actually in my research database by

889
00:34:46,799 --> 00:34:44,649
the thousands they've had their

890
00:34:48,780 --> 00:34:46,809
near-death experience virtually all of

891
00:34:51,329 --> 00:34:48,790
them know that it absolutely was real

892
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:51,339
and of course not surprisingly they go

893
00:34:55,020 --> 00:34:54,010
on to make huge changes into response to

894
00:34:57,930 --> 00:34:55,030
what they learned during their

895
00:35:01,020 --> 00:34:57,940
near-death experience dr. long how has

896
00:35:03,150 --> 00:35:01,030
this research changed you you just

897
00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:03,160
talked about change you work at this

898
00:35:09,510 --> 00:35:06,490
tremendously hard your wife Jodi long

899
00:35:11,670 --> 00:35:09,520
who is an attorney highly qualified an

900
00:35:14,370 --> 00:35:11,680
author has written her own book she

901
00:35:17,069 --> 00:35:14,380
works along with you on this incredibly

902
00:35:20,700 --> 00:35:17,079
hard feel of the biggest website of its

903
00:35:23,130 --> 00:35:20,710
type in the world how has this research

904
00:35:25,349 --> 00:35:23,140
changed you personally it changed me

905
00:35:27,990 --> 00:35:25,359
substantially what I learned about God

906
00:35:28,510 --> 00:35:28,000
was in many ways significantly different

907
00:35:31,660 --> 00:35:28,520
from what

908
00:35:34,270 --> 00:35:31,670
I'd been taught to believe in God I grew

909
00:35:36,670 --> 00:35:34,280
up in a classic if you will Protestant

910
00:35:38,710 --> 00:35:36,680
Church and so what my research showed me

911
00:35:41,350 --> 00:35:38,720
was to by amazement different from what

912
00:35:43,450 --> 00:35:41,360
I would have believed I was going to

913
00:35:46,780 --> 00:35:43,460
find but again the evidence was so

914
00:35:49,420 --> 00:35:46,790
strong and we had such a big survey over

915
00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:49,430
time and in these the narratives when

916
00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:51,530
you when you read about what how people

917
00:35:56,170 --> 00:35:53,810
describe encountering God and some of

918
00:35:57,910 --> 00:35:56,180
these unearthly encounters they have a

919
00:36:00,010 --> 00:35:57,920
near-death experience it has been so

920
00:36:02,110 --> 00:36:00,020
profoundly touching to me that I've

921
00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:02,120
really changed I've embraced what the

922
00:36:07,540 --> 00:36:04,850
near-death experiencers have to say it's

923
00:36:08,980 --> 00:36:07,550
a much more positive view of God than

924
00:36:11,350 --> 00:36:08,990
I've ever had in my life and it has

925
00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:11,360
certainly changed me professionally I'm

926
00:36:15,730 --> 00:36:13,730
a more compassionate loving physician

927
00:36:17,380 --> 00:36:15,740
than I've ever been before in my life

928
00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:17,390
and that's made a huge difference in my

929
00:36:21,820 --> 00:36:20,090
practice in fact the leading survey of

930
00:36:24,250 --> 00:36:21,830
patient satisfaction is called Press

931
00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:24,260
Ganey for five straight quarters of a

932
00:36:29,110 --> 00:36:26,810
year my radiation therapy department has

933
00:36:31,450 --> 00:36:29,120
scored at the 99th percentile which is

934
00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:31,460
amazing and I'm almost certain of course

935
00:36:35,500 --> 00:36:33,050
a lot of that says a lot about these

936
00:36:38,050 --> 00:36:35,510
amazing people I work with but certainly

937
00:36:40,090 --> 00:36:38,060
you know I'm also having a part of that

938
00:36:41,740 --> 00:36:40,100
too and it's helped me to reach out to

939
00:36:43,810 --> 00:36:41,750
the staff I work with to the other

940
00:36:45,460 --> 00:36:43,820
doctors and certainly the patients that

941
00:36:48,190 --> 00:36:45,470
we serve in their battle with cancer

942
00:36:49,930 --> 00:36:48,200
with more courage more compassion and

943
00:36:52,060 --> 00:36:49,940
more love than it's ever been possible

944
00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:52,070
before and people appreciate that I

945
00:36:55,630 --> 00:36:53,810
think it's really helped people live

946
00:36:58,420 --> 00:36:55,640
their life and they or their battle with

947
00:37:00,880 --> 00:36:58,430
cancer better and it's it's really been

948
00:37:03,670 --> 00:37:00,890
interesting to see how I feel stronger

949
00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:03,680
more confident more loving about what I

950
00:37:07,810 --> 00:37:05,210
am as a doctor than I've ever been

951
00:37:09,610 --> 00:37:07,820
before because Jeff actually that's what

952
00:37:11,140 --> 00:37:09,620
I wanted to do in this next sections

953
00:37:15,420 --> 00:37:11,150
kind of talk about a couple of things

954
00:37:18,820 --> 00:37:15,430
that are maybe slightly outside the book

955
00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:18,830
specifically but I the first place I'd

956
00:37:22,270 --> 00:37:20,330
go is directly with this question that

957
00:37:24,450 --> 00:37:22,280
we've been talking about about the the

958
00:37:27,610 --> 00:37:24,460
hyper criticism that near-death

959
00:37:30,220 --> 00:37:27,620
experience science seems to draw in

960
00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:30,230
we've used the term skeptics you use the

961
00:37:34,810 --> 00:37:32,450
term skeptics I really like to avoid

962
00:37:37,660 --> 00:37:34,820
using that term because I think it gives

963
00:37:40,330 --> 00:37:37,670
people the wrong impression the

964
00:37:41,980 --> 00:37:40,340
objections that I see to near-death

965
00:37:44,710 --> 00:37:41,990
experience science are

966
00:37:46,990 --> 00:37:44,720
coming from mainstream science a lot of

967
00:37:48,070 --> 00:37:47,000
times they're coming from neuroscience a

968
00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:48,080
lot of times they're coming from

969
00:37:53,859 --> 00:37:50,690
philosophy but these are people that are

970
00:37:55,839 --> 00:37:53,869
not fringy skeptics a lot of them are

971
00:37:58,329 --> 00:37:55,849
very mainstream people like the guy I

972
00:37:59,859 --> 00:37:58,339
mentioned before at University of

973
00:38:02,200 --> 00:37:59,869
California the guys with the Templeton

974
00:38:06,700 --> 00:38:02,210
grant they're not fringy they look they

975
00:38:10,150 --> 00:38:06,710
fit right in so here's the question I

976
00:38:13,420 --> 00:38:10,160
guess cynical people if they're clever

977
00:38:15,150 --> 00:38:13,430
can turn any issue into a mud fight we

978
00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:15,160
see that every time we turn on the news

979
00:38:20,050 --> 00:38:18,410
science is no different in it muddies

980
00:38:25,450 --> 00:38:20,060
the water it makes it hard for people to

981
00:38:29,500 --> 00:38:25,460
understand why is science attacking this

982
00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:29,510
what is at stake for science with

983
00:38:34,599 --> 00:38:31,490
near-death experience research that

984
00:38:37,030 --> 00:38:34,609
they're so afraid of yeah I think the

985
00:38:39,460 --> 00:38:37,040
concept of near-death experiences that

986
00:38:42,670 --> 00:38:39,470
were much more than our physical brain

987
00:38:45,460 --> 00:38:42,680
that there really is a immaterial part

988
00:38:48,310 --> 00:38:45,470
of us that survives bodily death is so

989
00:38:50,890 --> 00:38:48,320
radically different from what mainstream

990
00:38:53,349 --> 00:38:50,900
science believes and it's taught for

991
00:38:55,810 --> 00:38:53,359
literally for centuries that I think

992
00:38:58,930 --> 00:38:55,820
near-death experience evidence is such a

993
00:39:01,510 --> 00:38:58,940
huge paradigm shift that it's unfamiliar

994
00:39:04,930 --> 00:39:01,520
certainly to a lot of scientists it is

995
00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:04,940
certainly disconcerting to them when it

996
00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:06,650
flies in the face of everything that

997
00:39:10,300 --> 00:39:08,210
they've ever believed or even taught in

998
00:39:12,790 --> 00:39:10,310
the classroom for years or decades and

999
00:39:14,620 --> 00:39:12,800
so I think that there's a lot of

1000
00:39:16,599 --> 00:39:14,630
scientists that in the mainstream that

1001
00:39:19,420 --> 00:39:16,609
will just simply instinctively assume

1002
00:39:21,430 --> 00:39:19,430
that it cannot be true and look only

1003
00:39:23,770 --> 00:39:21,440
seek out the evidence that will help

1004
00:39:26,950 --> 00:39:23,780
justify their beliefs I think when you

1005
00:39:29,140 --> 00:39:26,960
see the mainstream scientists push back

1006
00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:29,150
on near-death experience and and it

1007
00:39:32,980 --> 00:39:30,890
startling ly ignore some of the

1008
00:39:34,420 --> 00:39:32,990
profoundly strong evidence that

1009
00:39:36,460 --> 00:39:34,430
near-death experiences for real

1010
00:39:39,310 --> 00:39:36,470
certainly reminds me as a researcher you

1011
00:39:41,170 --> 00:39:39,320
know unlike those types of scientists we

1012
00:39:42,940 --> 00:39:41,180
have to be if anything more open-minded

1013
00:39:45,730 --> 00:39:42,950
than ever we have to carefully study

1014
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:45,740
their arguments study the concerns about

1015
00:39:49,540 --> 00:39:47,690
the reality of near-death experience and

1016
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:49,550
only after we've carefully considered

1017
00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:51,410
the alternative explanations if they've

1018
00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:53,170
been found to be wanting if they

1019
00:39:57,310 --> 00:39:55,610
alternative if you will skeptical

1020
00:39:59,830 --> 00:39:57,320
splen Asians don't explain near-death

1021
00:40:01,990 --> 00:39:59,840
experience then and only then do I go

1022
00:40:03,850 --> 00:40:02,000
confidently before the world and say

1023
00:40:06,100 --> 00:40:03,860
near-death experiences are real and I've

1024
00:40:07,900 --> 00:40:06,110
walked that journey I've looked over

1025
00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:07,910
every single argument against near-death

1026
00:40:11,710 --> 00:40:09,530
experience that I can find and by the

1027
00:40:13,300 --> 00:40:11,720
way there's over 20 of them over the

1028
00:40:15,940 --> 00:40:13,310
years and the seeming slavery year to

1029
00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:15,950
some new skeptical alternative

1030
00:40:19,660 --> 00:40:17,570
explanation of near-death experience

1031
00:40:21,370 --> 00:40:19,670
comes along and the reason that there's

1032
00:40:23,590 --> 00:40:21,380
that many of these alternative

1033
00:40:26,050 --> 00:40:23,600
explanations is very simple and that is

1034
00:40:27,910 --> 00:40:26,060
there's no one or several alternative

1035
00:40:30,550 --> 00:40:27,920
explanations of near-death experience

1036
00:40:33,970 --> 00:40:30,560
that makes sense even to mainstream

1037
00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:33,980
scientists yet we cannot overemphasize

1038
00:40:40,930 --> 00:40:38,090
the extent to which this conflicts with

1039
00:40:42,990 --> 00:40:40,940
the existing paradigm I mean we hear

1040
00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:43,000
about the hard problem of consciousness

1041
00:40:48,430 --> 00:40:45,770
this totally throws that out the window

1042
00:40:49,990 --> 00:40:48,440
hey take the easy problem of

1043
00:40:51,910 --> 00:40:50,000
consciousness what they say is the easy

1044
00:40:53,770 --> 00:40:51,920
problem of consciousness which is oh we

1045
00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:53,780
understand how vision works we

1046
00:40:59,290 --> 00:40:56,690
understand how hearing works really here

1047
00:41:01,900 --> 00:40:59,300
are people that don't have a brain don't

1048
00:41:04,780 --> 00:41:01,910
have a visual cortex don't have any

1049
00:41:07,150 --> 00:41:04,790
hearing eardrums and they're hearing

1050
00:41:10,270 --> 00:41:07,160
they're seeing I mean this is that we

1051
00:41:12,490 --> 00:41:10,280
cannot overemphasize what a huge

1052
00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:12,500
paradigm shift this is and yet sometimes

1053
00:41:16,690 --> 00:41:15,050
we do I think even near-death experience

1054
00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:16,700
researchers want to take their foot off

1055
00:41:20,710 --> 00:41:18,650
the gas pedal a little bit and kind of

1056
00:41:23,380 --> 00:41:20,720
pretend like oh this doesn't completely

1057
00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:23,390
overturn science but it does doesn't it

1058
00:41:28,270 --> 00:41:26,210
I think it really does I think when you

1059
00:41:30,940 --> 00:41:28,280
have the evidence that is so powerful

1060
00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:30,950
and by the way I've had a lot of people

1061
00:41:34,420 --> 00:41:32,690
share their near-death experiences that

1062
00:41:36,310 --> 00:41:34,430
were skeptical scientists at the time

1063
00:41:38,470 --> 00:41:36,320
they had their near-death experience and

1064
00:41:41,020 --> 00:41:38,480
I don't here to tell you a near-death

1065
00:41:43,240 --> 00:41:41,030
experience cures near-death experience

1066
00:41:44,830 --> 00:41:43,250
disbelief whether you're doctor

1067
00:41:46,870 --> 00:41:44,840
scientist whatever your prior belief

1068
00:41:49,540 --> 00:41:46,880
about near-death experience once you've

1069
00:41:52,690 --> 00:41:49,550
had one almost uniformly you know it's

1070
00:41:55,420 --> 00:41:52,700
real but you know it certainly is true

1071
00:41:57,070 --> 00:41:55,430
in mainstream science the you know to

1072
00:41:58,840 --> 00:41:57,080
have evidence like this is very

1073
00:42:01,320 --> 00:41:58,850
difficult I think the what I've seen

1074
00:42:03,580 --> 00:42:01,330
from mainstream scientists that are

1075
00:42:07,060 --> 00:42:03,590
attacking near-death experiences on our

1076
00:42:08,500 --> 00:42:07,070
in general they raise hypotheses brain

1077
00:42:10,630 --> 00:42:08,510
electrical activity brain

1078
00:42:13,240 --> 00:42:10,640
chemistry fragments of memory there's

1079
00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:13,250
all these hypotheses about why

1080
00:42:17,830 --> 00:42:15,050
near-death experiences could occur but

1081
00:42:19,390 --> 00:42:17,840
almost never will you find a person

1082
00:42:21,370 --> 00:42:19,400
who's attacking near-death experience

1083
00:42:22,810 --> 00:42:21,380
who does it at the level of the kind of

1084
00:42:24,940 --> 00:42:22,820
evidence we're talking about here

1085
00:42:27,370 --> 00:42:24,950
near-death experiences and those born

1086
00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:27,380
totally blind near-death experiences in

1087
00:42:31,810 --> 00:42:29,330
general anesthesia the strikingly

1088
00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:31,820
accurate out-of-body observations that

1089
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:33,890
occur in near-death experiences even far

1090
00:42:38,530 --> 00:42:36,170
from the physical body and far outside

1091
00:42:40,410 --> 00:42:38,540
of any physical sensory awareness this

1092
00:42:42,490 --> 00:42:40,420
is a kind of evidence that makes

1093
00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:42,500
mainstream scientists attacking

1094
00:42:46,630 --> 00:42:44,570
near-death experience very uncomfortable

1095
00:42:49,780 --> 00:42:46,640
and in general you're not going to hear

1096
00:42:52,210 --> 00:42:49,790
them address it you know in Jeff it even

1097
00:42:55,630 --> 00:42:52,220
makes people uncomfortable who have

1098
00:42:58,870 --> 00:42:55,640
crossed over to the other side because

1099
00:43:01,510 --> 00:42:58,880
you're also suggesting a hierarchy of

1100
00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:01,520
consciousness so if I'm a philosopher

1101
00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:04,370
and I'm cutting edge consciousness guy

1102
00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:06,770
and I'm willing to say okay everything

1103
00:43:11,940 --> 00:43:09,410
is consciousness everything is quantum

1104
00:43:15,550 --> 00:43:11,950
mind everything I could possibly

1105
00:43:19,420 --> 00:43:15,560
experience emerges out of the same stuff

1106
00:43:23,410 --> 00:43:19,430
it's all consciousness hey you know what

1107
00:43:27,670 --> 00:43:23,420
you come along and your findings seem to

1108
00:43:30,370 --> 00:43:27,680
conflict with that to this idealism idea

1109
00:43:33,370 --> 00:43:30,380
because you're saying that you're

1110
00:43:36,220 --> 00:43:33,380
finding an order and a hierarchy to

1111
00:43:38,830 --> 00:43:36,230
consciousness here our dead relatives

1112
00:43:40,660 --> 00:43:38,840
who you know have been followed not only

1113
00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:40,670
did you know when you rely but they've

1114
00:43:43,870 --> 00:43:42,050
been following you and they can tell you

1115
00:43:46,420 --> 00:43:43,880
what's going on in your life here are

1116
00:43:48,580 --> 00:43:46,430
spirits and angels who say I am at this

1117
00:43:50,410 --> 00:43:48,590
level but there's other levels above me

1118
00:43:52,240 --> 00:43:50,420
and people even have a personal

1119
00:43:55,350 --> 00:43:52,250
experience with hey and then I met some

1120
00:43:58,300 --> 00:43:55,360
being and they were at a higher level

1121
00:44:01,510 --> 00:43:58,310
yeah what does this what does this say

1122
00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:01,520
about the hierarchy of consciousness in

1123
00:44:05,650 --> 00:44:03,410
what does that do to folks who just want

1124
00:44:08,740 --> 00:44:05,660
to have this kind of consciousness blob

1125
00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:08,750
out there yeah it's kind of interesting

1126
00:44:12,850 --> 00:44:11,090
a lot of near-death experience seems to

1127
00:44:15,370 --> 00:44:12,860
point to if you will a collective

1128
00:44:17,830 --> 00:44:15,380
consciousness at for example when you

1129
00:44:19,660 --> 00:44:17,840
have a life review sometimes you not

1130
00:44:22,540 --> 00:44:19,670
only are aware of your own prior life

1131
00:44:24,550 --> 00:44:22,550
but you may be aware of what the other

1132
00:44:27,070 --> 00:44:24,560
you interacted with felt like whether

1133
00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:27,080
for good or for ill and that certainly

1134
00:44:30,910 --> 00:44:29,210
is one of the many lines of that all

1135
00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:30,920
converge on the fact that there seems to

1136
00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:33,050
be if you will in this universe a kind

1137
00:44:37,630 --> 00:44:35,690
of a collective unified consciousness

1138
00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:37,640
and you're right there seems to be that

1139
00:44:41,380 --> 00:44:39,530
hierarchy in other words when you

1140
00:44:43,180 --> 00:44:41,390
encounter someone in the unearthly

1141
00:44:45,730 --> 00:44:43,190
realms of a near-death experience they

1142
00:44:48,550 --> 00:44:45,740
may talk about you know somebody who's

1143
00:44:50,710 --> 00:44:48,560
sort of a seemingly higher used in the

1144
00:44:53,110 --> 00:44:50,720
broadest term spiritual being or

1145
00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:53,120
certainly someone that they will go talk

1146
00:44:57,070 --> 00:44:55,010
to or get some insights or some wisdom

1147
00:44:58,960 --> 00:44:57,080
about dealing with a situation during

1148
00:45:01,090 --> 00:44:58,970
the near-death experience and of course

1149
00:45:03,580 --> 00:45:01,100
that ultimate supreme consciousness

1150
00:45:07,450 --> 00:45:03,590
being God no question there's that

1151
00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:07,460
hierarchy that kind of is very difficult

1152
00:45:11,590 --> 00:45:09,890
for mainstream science to handle and you

1153
00:45:14,140 --> 00:45:11,600
can understand that a sort of a hair I

1154
00:45:17,350 --> 00:45:14,150
mean gosh eh okay it's even it's even

1155
00:45:18,940 --> 00:45:17,360
difficult for frontier science to handle

1156
00:45:21,730 --> 00:45:18,950
I guess that's my point I mean you go

1157
00:45:23,590 --> 00:45:21,740
into the parapsychology community or you

1158
00:45:26,530 --> 00:45:23,600
go into people who are looking at

1159
00:45:28,230 --> 00:45:26,540
consciousness in general they can even

1160
00:45:30,250 --> 00:45:28,240
get to the point of dealing with

1161
00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:30,260
consciousness consciousness being

1162
00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:31,850
fundamental consciousness being

1163
00:45:35,470 --> 00:45:33,650
everything but when you start

1164
00:45:37,900 --> 00:45:35,480
introducing the idea that there might be

1165
00:45:38,380 --> 00:45:37,910
some order some structure some hierarchy

1166
00:45:42,070 --> 00:45:38,390
to it

1167
00:45:44,980 --> 00:45:42,080
they vapor up man it's like no don't

1168
00:45:47,110 --> 00:45:44,990
bring that into it yeah it's yet again

1169
00:45:48,940 --> 00:45:47,120
you know I'm not when I wouldn't we

1170
00:45:51,010 --> 00:45:48,950
talked about this and and and our

1171
00:45:53,050 --> 00:45:51,020
hierarchy of consciousness this shoot

1172
00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:53,060
this isn't something that that is

1173
00:45:56,710 --> 00:45:54,890
speculation this isn't something we're

1174
00:45:59,110 --> 00:45:56,720
doing that's wishful thinking this is

1175
00:46:00,820 --> 00:45:59,120
based on evidence that being very

1176
00:46:02,740 --> 00:46:00,830
consistently observed many many

1177
00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:02,750
observations you're back to that

1178
00:46:07,330 --> 00:46:05,450
fundamental scientific principle if it's

1179
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:07,340
real it's going to be consistently

1180
00:46:10,450 --> 00:46:08,930
observed and that's exactly what we're

1181
00:46:12,850 --> 00:46:10,460
seeing here sort of that hierarchy of

1182
00:46:16,630 --> 00:46:12,860
consciousness consistently observed in a

1183
00:46:20,260 --> 00:46:16,640
vast number of near-death experiences so

1184
00:46:23,980 --> 00:46:20,270
Jeff on skeptic oh I've tried to explore

1185
00:46:26,740 --> 00:46:23,990
a lot of these alternative ideas about

1186
00:46:28,750 --> 00:46:26,750
consciousness with the best data that we

1187
00:46:31,690 --> 00:46:28,760
have some near-death experience being

1188
00:46:33,340 --> 00:46:31,700
one of those kind of Altair alternative

1189
00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:33,350
experiences that make us think

1190
00:46:35,650 --> 00:46:35,090
differently about consciousness but

1191
00:46:38,980 --> 00:46:35,660
there will

1192
00:46:41,620 --> 00:46:38,990
a very smart forward-thinking people who

1193
00:46:44,020 --> 00:46:41,630
are starting to try and connect the dots

1194
00:46:45,970 --> 00:46:44,030
with regard to these extended

1195
00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:45,980
consciousness experiences so they're

1196
00:46:49,870 --> 00:46:47,450
willing to say ok yes it looks like

1197
00:46:51,820 --> 00:46:49,880
near-death experiences are real but it

1198
00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:51,830
also looks like these other forms of

1199
00:46:57,250 --> 00:46:53,890
after-death communication are real

1200
00:46:59,050 --> 00:46:57,260
mediums past lives hey maybe that seems

1201
00:47:01,300 --> 00:46:59,060
to be real the best way we can push to

1202
00:47:03,490 --> 00:47:01,310
it but the best way we can push forward

1203
00:47:05,500 --> 00:47:03,500
that research they also want to look at

1204
00:47:07,930 --> 00:47:05,510
psychedelic experiences and shamanic

1205
00:47:09,970 --> 00:47:07,940
experience and say hey there seems to be

1206
00:47:12,460 --> 00:47:09,980
a reality to that the best way we can

1207
00:47:15,700 --> 00:47:12,470
poke into it and maybe even we should

1208
00:47:17,530 --> 00:47:15,710
take seriously alien contact experiences

1209
00:47:20,770 --> 00:47:17,540
because when we start looking at let

1210
00:47:23,710 --> 00:47:20,780
them as best we can and some very smart

1211
00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:23,720
people like Harvard psychologist and

1212
00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:26,330
psychiatrist John Mack have looked at it

1213
00:47:30,730 --> 00:47:28,610
and said you know what they seem to be

1214
00:47:32,380 --> 00:47:30,740
real I know what delusional people are

1215
00:47:35,860 --> 00:47:32,390
these people don't seem to be delusional

1216
00:47:38,230 --> 00:47:35,870
they're also reaching this extended

1217
00:47:41,020 --> 00:47:38,240
consciousness realm but here's the

1218
00:47:44,260 --> 00:47:41,030
question and here's the issue I returned

1219
00:47:47,350 --> 00:47:44,270
then to your findings and I find

1220
00:47:49,570 --> 00:47:47,360
something different when I look at the

1221
00:47:52,240 --> 00:47:49,580
near-death experiences I see some

1222
00:47:56,410 --> 00:47:52,250
similarities but I also see some

1223
00:47:59,320 --> 00:47:56,420
differences the question is what do you

1224
00:48:02,490 --> 00:47:59,330
think near-death experience science can

1225
00:48:05,080 --> 00:48:02,500
offer us as a way of looking at in

1226
00:48:09,760 --> 00:48:05,090
understanding these extended

1227
00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:09,770
consciousness realities yeah I think to

1228
00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:12,410
most direct response to your question

1229
00:48:16,750 --> 00:48:14,330
would be what one near-death experience

1230
00:48:19,390 --> 00:48:16,760
our shared she was in these unearthly

1231
00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:19,400
call a heavenly afterlife during your

1232
00:48:24,730 --> 00:48:21,890
near-death experience overwhelming

1233
00:48:26,770 --> 00:48:24,740
feelings of love and peace and here in

1234
00:48:28,690 --> 00:48:26,780
this near-death experience was God and

1235
00:48:31,240 --> 00:48:28,700
for the first time this near-death

1236
00:48:33,850 --> 00:48:31,250
experiencer in a near-death experience

1237
00:48:35,860 --> 00:48:33,860
asked God directly why me why was I

1238
00:48:37,720 --> 00:48:35,870
allowed to have this happen to me that

1239
00:48:39,130 --> 00:48:37,730
being this incredibly beautiful

1240
00:48:41,440 --> 00:48:39,140
near-death experience

1241
00:48:43,540 --> 00:48:41,450
I think God's answer was very meaningful

1242
00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:43,550
directly relevant to this question God

1243
00:48:49,360 --> 00:48:45,650
answered that near-death experiencer

1244
00:48:51,700 --> 00:48:49,370
love falls on everyone equally

1245
00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:51,710
this is what you needed to live your

1246
00:48:56,470 --> 00:48:54,650
earthly life so I think as you start

1247
00:48:58,690 --> 00:48:56,480
thinking about consciousness you need to

1248
00:49:00,250 --> 00:48:58,700
be aware that there's sort of a supreme

1249
00:49:02,890 --> 00:49:00,260
consciousness there's an order and a

1250
00:49:05,230 --> 00:49:02,900
purpose in the universe I think it's

1251
00:49:06,820 --> 00:49:05,240
certainly here on earth is probably once

1252
00:49:08,590 --> 00:49:06,830
some of the lower level of these the

1253
00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:08,600
consciousness and alertness we encounter

1254
00:49:12,850 --> 00:49:11,330
a near-death experience is off the scale

1255
00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:12,860
terms of what we're aware of under

1256
00:49:16,570 --> 00:49:14,210
earthly lives you could have a life

1257
00:49:18,730 --> 00:49:16,580
review in a near-death experience and

1258
00:49:20,140 --> 00:49:18,740
encounter decades of your prior life and

1259
00:49:22,720 --> 00:49:20,150
what would literally be less than a

1260
00:49:24,850 --> 00:49:22,730
minute seeming of time in a near-death

1261
00:49:26,500 --> 00:49:24,860
experience so I think as you study

1262
00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:26,510
near-death experiences you have that

1263
00:49:31,270 --> 00:49:29,050
rather exciting and rather startling

1264
00:49:34,030 --> 00:49:31,280
awareness that there's that frontier out

1265
00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:34,040
there consciousness sort of a unified

1266
00:49:38,470 --> 00:49:36,050
consciousness and order and purpose in

1267
00:49:40,090 --> 00:49:38,480
the universe and a purpose of you know

1268
00:49:42,580 --> 00:49:40,100
that's that's led to us being here in

1269
00:49:44,650 --> 00:49:42,590
our earthly life that that is I think

1270
00:49:46,840 --> 00:49:44,660
it's been amazing to me as I've done the

1271
00:49:49,120 --> 00:49:46,850
research and found that and certainly

1272
00:49:50,710 --> 00:49:49,130
amazing to people that have have read my

1273
00:49:53,020 --> 00:49:50,720
book and have studied this in their own

1274
00:49:54,790 --> 00:49:53,030
way and hopefully we're right at the

1275
00:49:56,290 --> 00:49:54,800
frontier where more and more people are

1276
00:49:58,150 --> 00:49:56,300
going to learn about this with further

1277
00:49:59,650 --> 00:49:58,160
research so I think that kind of

1278
00:50:01,600 --> 00:49:59,660
knowledge could change the world

1279
00:50:03,490 --> 00:50:01,610
let me approach it from a slightly

1280
00:50:05,440 --> 00:50:03,500
different direction you know a couple

1281
00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:05,450
years ago I interviewed dr. Rick

1282
00:50:11,470 --> 00:50:07,970
Strassman from the University of New

1283
00:50:12,880 --> 00:50:11,480
Mexico the only researcher in the United

1284
00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:12,890
States in the last I don't know how many

1285
00:50:17,850 --> 00:50:15,530
years has been granted the right to use

1286
00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:17,860
the very powerful hallucinogen

1287
00:50:25,030 --> 00:50:21,170
hallucinogenic drug DMT on patients and

1288
00:50:27,720 --> 00:50:25,040
to study the results what he experienced

1289
00:50:31,540 --> 00:50:27,730
with his patients to his great surprise

1290
00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:31,550
was people reaching these extended

1291
00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:34,570
consciousness realms that in many ways

1292
00:50:43,060 --> 00:50:38,770
sound similar to the kind of realms that

1293
00:50:45,160 --> 00:50:43,070
indie ears are experiencing the beings

1294
00:50:47,860 --> 00:50:45,170
sound different some of the message

1295
00:50:51,790 --> 00:50:47,870
sounds different connection and love but

1296
00:50:54,490 --> 00:50:51,800
they're also differences do you think

1297
00:50:58,090 --> 00:50:54,500
near-death experience gives us a

1298
00:51:01,750 --> 00:50:58,100
different view vantage point with which

1299
00:51:03,220 --> 00:51:01,760
to understand these extended

1300
00:51:06,010 --> 00:51:03,230
consciousness realms

1301
00:51:07,690 --> 00:51:06,020
you know with regard to pharmacologic

1302
00:51:10,000 --> 00:51:07,700
induction of experiences that are

1303
00:51:11,470 --> 00:51:10,010
analogous to near-death experiences one

1304
00:51:13,960 --> 00:51:11,480
of the first things I'd point out is

1305
00:51:15,640 --> 00:51:13,970
there must be hundreds of thousands of

1306
00:51:18,280 --> 00:51:15,650
different chemicals and drugs that have

1307
00:51:20,080 --> 00:51:18,290
been synthesized over the decades and to

1308
00:51:22,390 --> 00:51:20,090
find one or two that seemed to have

1309
00:51:24,010 --> 00:51:22,400
effects on the brain that produce

1310
00:51:25,750 --> 00:51:24,020
experiences like the near-death

1311
00:51:27,960 --> 00:51:25,760
experience is not hugely surprising

1312
00:51:30,370 --> 00:51:27,970
given the vast number of what we call

1313
00:51:32,710 --> 00:51:30,380
psychotropic or brain acting drugs that

1314
00:51:36,070 --> 00:51:32,720
are out there I've talked to someone

1315
00:51:38,980 --> 00:51:36,080
who's been researched investigated that

1316
00:51:40,270 --> 00:51:38,990
for literally decades and and and has

1317
00:51:42,370 --> 00:51:40,280
actually had a lot of personal

1318
00:51:44,230 --> 00:51:42,380
experience with the psychotropic drugs

1319
00:51:46,240 --> 00:51:44,240
and their personal opinion was there's

1320
00:51:48,940 --> 00:51:46,250
nothing like a near-death experience now

1321
00:51:50,260 --> 00:51:48,950
some of the modern research DMT for dr.

1322
00:51:53,290 --> 00:51:50,270
Strassmann and actually there's also

1323
00:51:55,150 --> 00:51:53,300
some work with psilocybin going on where

1324
00:51:57,400 --> 00:51:55,160
they find some very similar kind of

1325
00:51:59,590 --> 00:51:57,410
things it's interesting I think there's

1326
00:52:01,840 --> 00:51:59,600
some overlap but only an overlap up to a

1327
00:52:03,570 --> 00:52:01,850
point there may be intensely positive

1328
00:52:06,750 --> 00:52:03,580
feelings you know not a huge surprise

1329
00:52:09,250 --> 00:52:06,760
elicit and an investigational

1330
00:52:11,680 --> 00:52:09,260
psychotropic drug isn't it also true

1331
00:52:14,950 --> 00:52:11,690
that some of the most recent research

1332
00:52:18,700 --> 00:52:14,960
that probes that further finds that the

1333
00:52:21,250 --> 00:52:18,710
brain is actually less active during

1334
00:52:24,730 --> 00:52:21,260
some of these psychedelic experiences

1335
00:52:25,990 --> 00:52:24,740
which would suggest that in a way that

1336
00:52:28,120 --> 00:52:26,000
there's some similarity with the

1337
00:52:30,010 --> 00:52:28,130
near-death experience in that it's not

1338
00:52:32,230 --> 00:52:30,020
just a brain thing

1339
00:52:35,200 --> 00:52:32,240
there is some kind of extended

1340
00:52:37,180 --> 00:52:35,210
consciousness realm and the overlap that

1341
00:52:40,710 --> 00:52:37,190
I guess is the part that I'm pushing

1342
00:52:43,810 --> 00:52:40,720
towards I don't want you to speculate on

1343
00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:43,820
what that overlap is or the extent to

1344
00:52:49,570 --> 00:52:47,450
which it is or a reality or not but I

1345
00:52:51,670 --> 00:52:49,580
guess what I'm really wanting to probe

1346
00:52:55,870 --> 00:52:51,680
with you because you're in such a unique

1347
00:52:59,470 --> 00:52:55,880
position is does the NDA research give

1348
00:53:01,890 --> 00:52:59,480
us a platform if you will from which we

1349
00:53:04,359 --> 00:53:01,900
might understand not only the NDE

1350
00:53:07,690 --> 00:53:04,369
experience but some of these other

1351
00:53:09,880 --> 00:53:07,700
extended experiences too and what are

1352
00:53:12,070 --> 00:53:09,890
the limits or problems associated with

1353
00:53:14,170 --> 00:53:12,080
that yeah I think that's a good point I

1354
00:53:16,570 --> 00:53:14,180
encourage any kind of research that

1355
00:53:18,490 --> 00:53:16,580
starts to look at the fundamental quest

1356
00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:18,500
it's about consciousness we ought to be

1357
00:53:23,200 --> 00:53:20,810
having a lot more research into DMT

1358
00:53:25,510 --> 00:53:23,210
psilocybin and other psychotropic drugs

1359
00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:25,520
and we do now because it is exciting

1360
00:53:29,800 --> 00:53:28,010
there is some question about the overlap

1361
00:53:31,510 --> 00:53:29,810
and near-death experience and you know

1362
00:53:33,220 --> 00:53:31,520
and maybe maybe not

1363
00:53:35,290 --> 00:53:33,230
we're only going to answer that if we do

1364
00:53:36,880 --> 00:53:35,300
more research we need more investigation

1365
00:53:38,710 --> 00:53:36,890
we need to really compare those

1366
00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:38,720
experiences head-to-head why don't we

1367
00:53:44,080 --> 00:53:41,450
have ideally a group of people who have

1368
00:53:46,030 --> 00:53:44,090
had a detailed near-death experience try

1369
00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:46,040
some of these psychoactive drugs and

1370
00:53:50,380 --> 00:53:47,810
compare and contrast the experience so

1371
00:53:52,330 --> 00:53:50,390
even basic research like that so that

1372
00:53:54,130 --> 00:53:52,340
you would be able to have people through

1373
00:53:56,200 --> 00:53:54,140
firsthand experiences compare and

1374
00:53:58,210 --> 00:53:56,210
contrast hasn't been done yet but I

1375
00:53:59,710 --> 00:53:58,220
think the more we do that kind of

1376
00:54:01,570 --> 00:53:59,720
research the more we do that

1377
00:54:03,490 --> 00:54:01,580
courageously and open-mindedly

1378
00:54:05,800 --> 00:54:03,500
I think we're going to continue to push

1379
00:54:07,690 --> 00:54:05,810
that envelope and learn more and more

1380
00:54:11,770 --> 00:54:07,700
about consciousness and to me that's

1381
00:54:14,890 --> 00:54:11,780
exciting one of the things that's really

1382
00:54:17,830 --> 00:54:14,900
exciting about your work dr. long is

1383
00:54:21,520 --> 00:54:17,840
that it is essentially an open source

1384
00:54:24,880 --> 00:54:21,530
science effort in a lot of ways anyone

1385
00:54:28,090 --> 00:54:24,890
can go on the website and review like I

1386
00:54:30,460 --> 00:54:28,100
have just scores and scores of these

1387
00:54:32,140 --> 00:54:30,470
accounts and in addition to the the

1388
00:54:34,270 --> 00:54:32,150
research that you've published in your

1389
00:54:37,840 --> 00:54:34,280
book they can gain benefit about that

1390
00:54:40,510 --> 00:54:37,850
from that what do you think there is

1391
00:54:42,970 --> 00:54:40,520
about that trend about that open source

1392
00:54:45,160 --> 00:54:42,980
science trend that I think people really

1393
00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:45,170
are so attracted to and do you think

1394
00:54:49,450 --> 00:54:47,450
that could be a trend a broader trend

1395
00:54:51,130 --> 00:54:49,460
that we might see in the future you know

1396
00:54:53,680 --> 00:54:51,140
I sure hope so that's one of the real

1397
00:54:56,020 --> 00:54:53,690
strengths of my research is that anybody

1398
00:54:57,700 --> 00:54:56,030
on the world can look up those

1399
00:54:59,830 --> 00:54:57,710
near-death experience accounts that I

1400
00:55:02,140 --> 00:54:59,840
reference in my research and read the

1401
00:55:04,870 --> 00:55:02,150
entirety of the account and find out for

1402
00:55:06,790 --> 00:55:04,880
themselves exactly not only what was

1403
00:55:09,220 --> 00:55:06,800
shared and what I quote in my research

1404
00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:09,230
but also the entire context of the

1405
00:55:13,270 --> 00:55:11,210
experience what occurred before during

1406
00:55:15,370 --> 00:55:13,280
and after that so I think the open

1407
00:55:17,470 --> 00:55:15,380
source research really is important for

1408
00:55:20,260 --> 00:55:17,480
a couple reasons one its transparency

1409
00:55:22,300 --> 00:55:20,270
we're making incredible claims shared

1410
00:55:24,190 --> 00:55:22,310
consciousness God meaning and purpose of

1411
00:55:26,980 --> 00:55:24,200
our earthly life the importance of love

1412
00:55:28,930 --> 00:55:26,990
in a way we never thought about it

1413
00:55:29,950 --> 00:55:28,940
before so I think transparency is

1414
00:55:31,780 --> 00:55:29,960
important

1415
00:55:33,790 --> 00:55:31,790
that people can say hey here's that

1416
00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:33,800
chain of evidence all the way down to

1417
00:55:38,140 --> 00:55:35,690
reading the original count we can follow

1418
00:55:39,940 --> 00:55:38,150
it it's it's transparency of research

1419
00:55:41,980 --> 00:55:39,950
that is heretofore been almost

1420
00:55:43,870 --> 00:55:41,990
impossible to find but I think the

1421
00:55:45,790 --> 00:55:43,880
second thing that that kind of ability

1422
00:55:48,040 --> 00:55:45,800
to look up the original NDE accounts

1423
00:55:49,960 --> 00:55:48,050
that accomplishes is it helps the

1424
00:55:51,970 --> 00:55:49,970
credibility again these are remarkable

1425
00:55:54,370 --> 00:55:51,980
claims there's life after death there's

1426
00:55:56,740 --> 00:55:54,380
a blissful afterlife for all of us so to

1427
00:55:58,660 --> 00:55:56,750
have people go to those original sources

1428
00:56:01,420 --> 00:55:58,670
of evidence that being the near-death

1429
00:56:03,640 --> 00:56:01,430
experiences read it themselves I think

1430
00:56:05,950 --> 00:56:03,650
it's really helping people all around

1431
00:56:08,020 --> 00:56:05,960
the world that that go through that path

1432
00:56:10,120 --> 00:56:08,030
take that journey spend the time to read

1433
00:56:12,190 --> 00:56:10,130
the near-death experiences that are

1434
00:56:13,960 --> 00:56:12,200
really coming to learn supplementing

1435
00:56:16,030 --> 00:56:13,970
what we've learned is near-death

1436
00:56:18,220 --> 00:56:16,040
experience researchers that near-death

1437
00:56:19,780 --> 00:56:18,230
experiences are real you can easily see

1438
00:56:21,579 --> 00:56:19,790
these patterns that we've been talking

1439
00:56:23,530 --> 00:56:21,589
about and I think it's really helping

1440
00:56:25,599 --> 00:56:23,540
people understand not only that

1441
00:56:27,760 --> 00:56:25,609
near-death experiences are real but they

1442
00:56:30,040 --> 00:56:27,770
do have these profound important

1443
00:56:32,109 --> 00:56:30,050
messages that touch not only the lives

1444
00:56:33,579 --> 00:56:32,119
of near-death experiencers but I think

1445
00:56:35,530 --> 00:56:33,589
you take that little piece of heaven

1446
00:56:37,150 --> 00:56:35,540
back with you when you read a lot of

1447
00:56:39,160 --> 00:56:37,160
near-death experience accounts and it

1448
00:56:40,870 --> 00:56:39,170
could certainly change lives even if

1449
00:56:44,170 --> 00:56:40,880
you've never even had a personal

1450
00:56:47,050 --> 00:56:44,180
near-death experience well these are two

1451
00:56:48,970 --> 00:56:47,060
of the most important books that anyone

1452
00:56:51,310 --> 00:56:48,980
could read if they're interested in this

1453
00:56:53,230 --> 00:56:51,320
near-death experience topic maybe

1454
00:56:55,180 --> 00:56:53,240
they're probably on the list of the most

1455
00:56:57,849 --> 00:56:55,190
important books you could read period

1456
00:56:59,770 --> 00:56:57,859
evidence of the afterlife the science of

1457
00:57:02,800 --> 00:56:59,780
near-death experiences was your first

1458
00:57:05,950 --> 00:57:02,810
book the new book God in the afterlife

1459
00:57:08,950 --> 00:57:05,960
both from dr. Jeffrey Lanka flip who

1460
00:57:11,290 --> 00:57:08,960
we've been talking with today dr. long

1461
00:57:13,839 --> 00:57:11,300
what's next what do you I'm sure you're

1462
00:57:15,760 --> 00:57:13,849
going to be doing a full-bore effort on

1463
00:57:16,870 --> 00:57:15,770
getting God in the afterlife out there

1464
00:57:18,310 --> 00:57:16,880
you've already mentioned some of the

1465
00:57:20,710 --> 00:57:18,320
things you're doing what are you doing

1466
00:57:23,380 --> 00:57:20,720
with the book and then what comes next

1467
00:57:26,349 --> 00:57:23,390
after this you know I think a lot of

1468
00:57:28,089 --> 00:57:26,359
that is where my interest is you know

1469
00:57:31,270 --> 00:57:28,099
what the public what the world wants to

1470
00:57:33,940 --> 00:57:31,280
hear about I'm open I mean with 4,000

1471
00:57:36,010 --> 00:57:33,950
near-death experiences in my database we

1472
00:57:38,260 --> 00:57:36,020
could go back and look at research about

1473
00:57:39,520 --> 00:57:38,270
the reality of near-death experience we

1474
00:57:42,460 --> 00:57:39,530
could look go back and look at those

1475
00:57:43,020 --> 00:57:42,470
deeper spiritual messages which I'm kind

1476
00:57:44,130 --> 00:57:43,030
of inclined

1477
00:57:45,630 --> 00:57:44,140
to do at this point in time because

1478
00:57:47,070 --> 00:57:45,640
that's so new and exciting to me and

1479
00:57:49,410 --> 00:57:47,080
people seem to love it whenever they

1480
00:57:51,810 --> 00:57:49,420
hear about it you know or we could even

1481
00:57:53,580 --> 00:57:51,820
study other types of experiences I have

1482
00:57:55,560 --> 00:57:53,590
a whole website devoted to after deaf

1483
00:57:57,270 --> 00:57:55,570
communication out-of-body experiences

1484
00:57:59,520 --> 00:57:57,280
these things we call spiritually

1485
00:58:01,290 --> 00:57:59,530
transformative events so I've got a

1486
00:58:03,180 --> 00:58:01,300
whole host of different options that I

1487
00:58:05,850 --> 00:58:03,190
could pick from it's kind of tough but I

1488
00:58:08,310 --> 00:58:05,860
think wherever my interest aligned with

1489
00:58:09,870 --> 00:58:08,320
the interests of the world once that