Near-Death Experiences: Heavenly Insight or Human Illusion?

The expression "Near-Death Experience" is associated in the popular understanding with access to knowledge about our transition between the states of life and death. But how should such experiences be interpreted? Are they verifiable with scientific methods? If so, how can they be explained? Attempting to relate matters of scientific knowledge to subjective experience and the realm of belief is a difficult balancing act and has led to a variety of approaches to the topic. This work scrutinizes the diverse views and also myths, about near-death experiences and describes them from a scientific standpoint. Situated at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, philosophy and religious studies this book will appeal to a broad audience of both scientists and general readers.

Table of Contents:
Introduction.- Is there historical evidence of near-death experiences or do we merely see what we want to see?.- Problems and Contradictions.- Medical theories.- Opportunities and boundaries of heuristic methods.- Does a diathesis-stress model of near-death experiences work?.- Between the poles of science and religion.- Important theses.- Explanations of scientific terms.

About the Author :
Birk Engmann works and lives in Leipzig, Germany. He is not only a neurologist, psychiatrist and researcher but has also published in the fields of history of architecture and palaeontology. Furthermore, he is known as a painter.

Review :
From the book reviews: “This book is an expanded version of a German work published in 2011. … The book is very well written and illustrated with many pictures to simplify the author’s discussion; it will be accessible to a wide audience. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic and general library collections.” (D. S. Paulson, Choice, Vol. 52 (5), January, 2015) “Birk Engmann has written a clear, engaging, scholarly account of selected research and provides his perspectives on near-death experiences (NDEs). … Engmann approaches the topic as a skeptic who challenges popular conclusions that NDEs represent metaphysical glimpses into an afterlife or proof that consciousness exists separate from a person’s physical body. His approach is sufficiently scholarly to be rigorous and should be clearly understandable by both professionals and an educated, nonprofessional audience.” (Gary Groth-Marnat, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 59 (30), July, 2014)