What Happens When We Die?: A Groundbreaking Study into the Nature of Life and Death
By:
Sam Parnia M.D.
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Average Customer Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Description:
Dr. Sam Parnia faces death every day. Through his work as a critical-care doctor in a hospital emergency room, he became very interested in some of his patients’ accounts of the experiences that they had while clinically dead. He started to collect these stories and read all the latest research on the subject, and then he decided to conduct his own experiments. That work has culminated in this extraordinary book, which picks up where Raymond Moody’s Life After Life left off. Written in a scientific, balanced, and engaging style, this is powerful and compelling reading.
This fascinating and controversial book will change the way you look at death and dying. . . .
Publisher: Hay House
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Excellent Book! - This was an excellent book! The book provides information about near death experiences and studies surrounding their existence. This book also provides details about the varying studies that have already been conducted or are currently being conducted to objectify near death experiences. This book caused me to further consider life after death and to engage in a bit of philosophical thought on the subject matter.
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
good resource book / hospice - As a hospice nurse, i felt that this was a good resource book for those friends or families that are on hospice. It really explains, rather well, what to expect during the dying phase.
Customer Review: 3 out of 5
Lower your expectations to enjoy this book - It is unfortunate that the title of this book sets high expectations for the reader and may leave us disappointed. If you plan to read this book, it is better to read it with a lower expectation and you may have a better reading experience. The reason for this is because the book mainly deals with the author's struggles in his attempt to stretch the boundaries of science. Chapters 3 and 4, "What Is It Like To Die" and "The Scientific Paradox" are two chapters in line with the title.
I do appreciate Dr. Sam Parnia's pursuit of this line of study in the face of prejudiced social opposition among the larger scientific community. We also see from this book that there are quite a few people who reserve judgment pending more concrete evidence, whatever that may be. The enthusiasm in the press goes to show us that this perception of social opposition hides an inner curiosity to know better.
Finally, a comment on scientific evidence, which many consider to be in contrast to anecdotal evidence. It is my opinion that scientific methodologies that are independently verifiable can and should be used where a process is repeatable. There can be anecdotal evidence for the rest. Witness testimony is anecdotal evidence and is accepted in a court of law (with cross examination), but when it comes to science, we have a tendency to be skeptical in the face of anecdotal evidence, whether it is evolution, the big bang, or reincarnation or NDEs.
Customer Review: 2 out of 5
Disappointing - I've read the book and was not impressed. Although there was great promise in the pretense of this book, the author never actually got around to conducting the 'large study' he talks about concerning NDEs and what happens when a person dies. He has some anecdotal stories to tell, but he never reports on any factual findings. All in all it was disappointing, and the authors writing style was amateurish and not very captivating. I would not recommend this to anyone.
Customer Review: 3 out of 5
Where's the study? - I have read most well-regarded NDE books and was very excited about reading Dr. Parnia's book since his claims to focus on a "groundbreaking study" that seeks to understand if medicine can prove NDEs. I read the first chapters with anticipation. I couldn't wait to get to the "results"; however, that never happened. I neared the end of the book in disbelief and feeling let down. The book IS a good review of the theories about NDEs, and Dr. Parnia is certainly a compassionate and inquisitive physician, but the title is misleading. The focus of this book is not on study results but on the process of undertaking the study. First, the reader learns all of the different NDE theories. Then, We learn about the study Dr. Parnia wants to undertake and even the process of that undertaking, including funding issues. There's even a very technical chapter illustrating and explaining how the brain works. All of this is very interesting and educational; however, these things take up most of the book.
We do get to read about some NDEs, but these few NDEs are often used as examples in theories and occurred mostly in patients who were not Dr. Parnia's but patients he discovered through research and interviews. These experiences were not a result of his very small study that is yet to be undertaken on a large scale. The book only includes his first attempt at a study, but this does not lead to revealing results, and it is not the focus of the book.
The book lead me to believe that Dr. Parnia intends to undertake this study on a larger scale now that he has learned what the kinks are in attempting to do so. I hope that he will write a follow-up book that shares his discoveries since this first book is really just an introduction to a groundbreaking study.
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