Upon reading John Searle's Problem With Consciousness I gained a new understanding of how consciousness could be taken out of the metaphysical realm and placed squarely in the light of scientific investigation. I must admit, this intriguing theory made the idea of consciousness much easier for me to grasp as I tend to reside happily in the world of realism, where every question has a definite answer; one that is not necessarily rooted in mysticism and enigma.
The question I have regarding consciousness is in how it relates to out of body/ near death experiences. What is it that happens in the brain that makes people believe that they have been able to step outside of their being or beyond this plane of existence to another one? Is this just one of those tricks the mind plays on us in order to facilitate survival? There have been a number of articles and documentaries lately documenting people's experiences as they flatline and I am curious to know how Searle's view of consciousness can explain such experiences. There is no doubt in my mind that there is some neuro-biological process that can simplify the whole thing for me but it seems that people are less willing to accept the scientific evidence and more likely to opt for the more mysterious, other-worldly explanations.
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