Electrical signatures of consciousness in the dying brain • Hacker News Board

Re: Electrical signatures of consciousness in the dying brain

#21

Post by Gravityloss » Tue, Aug 13, 2013, 3:33 PM UTC

616c wrote: post #7

megfitz wrote: post #3

"“It will form the foundation for future human studies investigating mental experiences occurring in the dying brain, including seeing light during cardiac arrest,” she says." I am a big fan of science and research - and I think we should always be questioning everything. But I'm curious to know what benefits this research has. I genuinely don't know where this kind of research could lead so I'm not naive enough to s…

This reminds of when I read Stiff (an amazing book, by the way) [0], and how scientists in the good old days were weighing bodies before and after death, trying to find a weight of the soul, or any other quantitative values for the soul. I found that funny, but off-putting and disturbing. My take: people are looking for any proof of the afterlife, holding onto a sliver hope proven by any scientific, factual account.…

If you really take the concept of a soul living in some astral dimension seriously, then performing experiments to try to pinpoint its interface with ordinary matter (the body) makes perfect sense.

If you're not interested in getting experimental evidence for your idea, whatever it might be, it could be that you don't even believe there is any. Maybe you actually think the idea isn't even true in the literal sense.

Re: Electrical signatures of consciousness in the dying brain

#22

Post by delluminatus » Tue, Aug 13, 2013, 4:10 PM UTC

girvo wrote: post #8

gfody wrote: post #2

I don't know if they can claim "the first scientific framework for the near-death experience". Dr. Strassman ( http://www.rickstrassman.com ) experimented on humans in the mid 90's could consistently reproduce near-death experiences by administering DMT intravenously.

Having administered DMT intravenously to myself... an NDE isn't a bad way of putting it, to be honest.

Would you recommend the experience? How does it compare to more traditional DMT administration (i.e. smoking)?

Re: Electrical signatures of consciousness in the dying brain

#23

Post by D9u » Tue, Aug 13, 2013, 7:22 PM UTC

andyjohnson0 wrote: post #15

D9u wrote: post #9

How are we to know what happens after death? If electrical energy is what constitutes brain activity, then what happens to that energy when death occurs? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_law_of_thermodynamics What is the transformation that takes place, if any? Is there more to existence than we are capable of understanding?

"what happens to that energy when death occurs?" It's lost as heat. The brain is an electro-chemical system [1][2]. That is, signals propagate via potential differences created by the presence of charged ions. In the prolonged absence of oxygen, the biochemistry of the brain ceases at a cellular level. Electrical potential differences smooth-out to the level of thermal noise. Anything left radiates out as heat until…

Thanks for your comment, as I clearly had erroneous preconceived notions regarding this subject.

Re: Electrical signatures of consciousness in the dying brain

#24

Post by girvo » Fri, Aug 16, 2013, 1:00 PM UTC

delluminatus wrote: post #22

girvo wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having administered DMT intravenously to myself... an NDE isn't a bad way of putting it, to be honest.

Would you recommend the experience? How does it compare to more traditional DMT administration (i.e. smoking)?

Depends on what sort of grip you have on your world. I'd suggest it, but only if you've already crossed the line into Needles anyway: once you have gone there, if you take drugs recreationally at all, you will start doing it with everything.

So, no, not really worth it, unless you're willing to make that choice.