Opinion has long been divided over
Near-Death Experiences, or NDEs,
some presenting them as evidence for
the existence of the soul and life after
death, others arguing that they are
merely the chemical and physiological
products of a dying brain.
Susan Blackmore has interviewed
many people who claim to have had
NDEs, and after researching hundreds
of case histories she offers an
absorbing and detailed review of this
fascinating and controversial
phenomenon. While presenting clear
physical explanations for the changes
that take place within the brain,
Blackmore argues that true spiritual
transformation comes not from
searching after a spirit or soul that
survives death, but from
reinterpreting the concept of "self"
itself.
Dying to Live succeeds in
bridging the gap between the scientific
and the spiritual points of view and
shows how an understanding of NDEs
can help us live our lives in the face of
death and lead the way to genuine self-
knowledge.
SUSAN BLACKMORE is Senior Lecturer
in Psychology at the University of the
West of England. She is a fellow of the
Committee for the Scientific
Investigation of Claims of the
Paranormal and one of the world's
leading experts on near-death
experiences. She is the author of
The Adventures of a
Parapsychologist (Prometheus
Books), an autobiography describing
her search for evidence of the
paranormal.
By Susan Blackmore