Does immortality exist? What happens after we die? Is it the “end?” Or, does our consciousness survive our physical death?
These are the questions that human beings have been asking for eons.
Tales of people pronounced clinically dead who say they not only witnessed an after life but, knew what was going on around them in the emergency room during the time they were “dead,” are plentiful.
Encounters with love ones who “appear” to the ones they left behind and relay messages such as, “Don’t worry. I’m okay,” abound.
Stories of mediums relaying private information to the grieving family, only family members would know – are routine occurrences.
How is all of this possible?
Is it real or mass delusion? I’d love to know….
There are a handful of scientists examining the possibility that consciousness survives death but, not many.
The subject is “taboo” in orthodox scientific circles. In some institutions the notion of studying it is akin to career suicide. I have my suspicions that many scientists would love to know the answers to these questions but, hide their interest from colleagues for fear of losing professional credibility, career advancement and even research funding.
The sad thing about the attitude from the scientific community is that it is completely counter-intuitive to what we believe scientific study and exploration is about. Shouldn’t science have an open mind about exploring new frontiers? Why not allow your colleagues to study this topic without “burning them at the stake?”
The Emperor Has No Clothes
Out of fear of reprisal, the emperor’s subjects agreed that he was wearing clothes – when of course, he wasn’t. The fear instilled in modern day scientists about crossing this line and looking into the study of what happens after death has a majority of scientists agreeing with the “emperor” too.
When Galileo said the astronomers of his day were wrong and that the Earth revolved around the Sun, rather than the other way round, he was pronounced a heretic of the church and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. With the attitude that much of modern day academia has about the study of what happens after death, it doesn’t look as if the scientific community is any more progressive than the Church was 400 years ago.
That is why I was pleased to learn that philosophy professor John Martin Fischer, of the University of California Riverside, received a $5 million dollar grant from the Templeton Foundation to study topics related to immortality such as, near-death experiences and what result the belief in an life-after-death has on our behavior.
The grant is funding a project titled, “The Immortality Project.” The three year project will focus on scientific studies regarding the questions surrounding the afterlife and immortality.
The Immortality Project will endeavor to answer these questions:
— Whether and in what form a person could survive bodily death.
— Whether the information in our brains could be uploaded into a computer to allow one to exist there in perpetuity.
— How a person’s beliefs about immortality influence their behavior, attitudes, and character.“One of the main goals I have is just to try and understand more about what we value and what we care about in our own finite lives,” Fischer said. “By studying pictures and conceptualizations of immortality — in religion and in literature and science fiction — we can come to figure out something about the meaning of our own finite lives.”
(Excerpt from the Southern California Public Radio News – read the full article here.)
Read more articles about this historic grant here:
$5 Million Grant Awarded by Private Foundation to Study Immortality
We Talk to The Philosopher Being Given $5 Million to Study Immortality
$5 million to research afterlife: Challenging the academic stigma
This is really an exciting time to be alive. Of course, there is the possibility that studies will prove the afterlife is just a beautiful story too. Either way, I’m sure what we learn is going to be fascinating. I’m keeping an open mind.
What are you beliefs about studying immortality? Do you believe it is of benefit to the living to know whether an afterlife exists? How would knowing, one way or the other, impact your life?
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I love it! It’s about time. I cannot agre with you more that not studying any subject is counterintuitive to what science is all about–learning about how everything works in the universe.
The Higgs particle which was recently discovered is also called the god particle. That’s because it proves we are all connected–we come form a single source–our vibration or how we move through the field of energy is what determines the result–whether you are a gold fish or an Einstein. So it makes no sense that science would not explore what happens to that entity after death.
Hi Rosemarie,
I know – it’s great, isn’t it?
That’s right I forgot about the “Higgs particle.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson
There’s so much to be learned from modern physics!
After watching the movie, What the Bleep Do We Know?, I’ve been intrigued with quantum physics as it is beginning to explain spirituality. The two are becoming one and this is another example of it. Quantum physics also explains how our beliefs create our realities. The more I study in all these areas, the more real I think the concept of the Matrix is.
Everything is energy with limitless possibilities. Science, by its very definition, is limited in its ability to measure, test, quantify and explain the limitless.
I prefer to trust what is without trying to prove it.
I’m glad the scientific community is taking baby steps out of the Dark Ages, as you’ve said.
Hi Paige,
I loved the film, “What The Bleep.” What quantum physics and now string theory is uncovering is fascinating, indeed. The film, “The Matrix,” really helped people understand the concept of how we create our reality.
So true – “everything is energy with limitless possibilities.”
I am wondering if String Theory will help to explain how an “afterlife” can exist. String theory points to evidence that there are up to 11 dimensions. Perhaps when we shed our bodies our consciousness exists in one of these dimensions? I’m looking forward to see what scientists discover.
Thanks so much for visiting and commenting. It’s always great to see you.
I think it is great that a study is being done. Then, people will know that there is some “scientific” basis and that it is not “hocus pocus”. Still, like what Wendy said, I am not sure that a study can fully satisfy all skeptics to change their thoughts on this. It will be interesting to see what the study will reveal and find out the reactions to it.
Evelyn,
True. A skeptic, like a believer, is stuck in their own belief patterns. Each of us creates our own reality and sees the evidence of our beliefs in our environment. I only hope the scientists chosen to take part in the study are not all so deeply skeptical that they influence the outcome of the studies.
It is nice to see a study being done but at the same time it defeats the the purpose. In many cases, you can’t scientifically explain certain concepts. They just are and the belief in them is what people need to have, not to dissect everything to prove it exists. This is where humans get in their own way. You really need to just tune into your own knowing and the answer is clear.
HI Wendy,
I totally understand what you’re saying. I believe you have to tune into your own knowing as well but, having science prove something like this will be life altering. I think it is provable too. All the advances in the studies of consciousness, String Theory and the Theory of Everything point to the fact that our reality is made up of many more dimensions than we perceive. Perhaps science will show how our consciousness exists in these other non-physical dimensions after or body dies?
Hi Angela,
I think science studying it is just another step in global consciousness. As you say, at one time it would have been ignored and stomped down immediatly. That it hasn’t been is amazing and wonderful. And the benefit of having science confirm something which, as many are stating here, is something that cannot be confirmed, is just another step. It may just help those who don’t believe it, take that final step, which jumps up global consciousness again.
Non belief to belief, through science has been a standard for hundreds of years. And each time it happens, the world takes another step, and another, and another. It’s a beautiful progression, even if it would be nice if people could just believe because they believe! But we are programmed to question. If we weren’t we never would have made it out of the caves!!!
Just gotta love this stuff.
Thanks Angela.
Hi Nay,
Great to meet you.
I totally agree with your comment too. The fact that this topic is being taken seriously may open more minds to the possibility that consciousness is not dependent upon the physical body for survival. In fact, there are already many scientific studies that show that our brain is not the source of our consciousness but, merely the instrument through which is is received. That alone is question enough to wonder “where” our consciousness truly emanates from.
Opening more minds to see the possibility that consciousness can (if it does) survive death will facilitate a new leap in consciousness on the planet. Perhaps this is what the Mayan’s were talking about – not the end Man but, the next phase in our collective awareness of what life is?
Thanks so much for your insightful comment.
This is exciting Angela. I, for one am convinced there are more things under heaven and earth Horatio than these poor eyes have dreamed of…to sort of quote Shakespeare. And I know, from my own experiences at the Institute of Psychic Studies in London that the mediums there gave me information after my husband passed away, that absolutely no-one knew about, except him and me.
As I like to say woohoo to the Templeton Foundation, who like to push the envelope.
Elle
xoxo
Hi Elle,
It is very exciting. I am looking forward to the discoveries that will be made.
There are scientists that have been doing experiments in “consciousness.” Perhaps this grant will lend more validity to their studies as well.
I find this very interesting. Your example of the Emperor’s clothes is just perfect – because that is the reality we live in. It is only the minority that is brave enough to go after the knowledge they seek. In India, lots of people regularly follow an astrologer – and some of them are good.
Not sure if I told you this before, but we have something fascinating here. There are centers where – by taking a thumb impression – they go through stacks of palm leaves to find the one pertaining to the person. The set of palm leaves relevant to the thumb impression is identified and read out. Angela, just for the heck of it I gave my thumb impression – and they had my entire history. They began by reading out how it was ordained that I visit them that particular day – and go on to describe my parents, their names, our unique situation, my education, whom I’ll get married to, the children I will have, my Mother’s health, property I am likely to own and so on. For those interested, they even tell them when they’re likely to die.
Shockingly, there’s no way they can guess certain things and in my case, they were accurate about many details. It was amazing. 🙂
All this is very intriguing for me.
Thanks and hugs! Angela
Hi Vidya,
I’m glad you enjoyed the example of “the emperor with now clothes.”
Many people scoff at the idea of science delving into these issues.
I say, “Why not?” I think it’s perfectly valid to study whether all the claims of life after death can be proven, or not.
India is much more open to these subjects. I think there are other ways of getting knowledge about the world around us that we do not yet understand.
Isn’t this exciting? These last few years have been amazing.
Just five years ago, I would have never been out of the psychic closet. Now, I feel like the world is getting more and more progressive and open to psychic/mediumship ability.
I do think it’s a huge benefit to humanity!
Hi AJ,
Yes, it’s very exciting!
I think the fact that a huge foundation like Templeton is devoting so much money to delve into these issues is significant.