Surviving death

Leslie Kean is a journalist who has made her personal investigation of this question as well as reading widely in the literature; she was closely involved in the recent Netflix series on death. The four sections explore children who remember previous lives, near death journeys out of the body, communications from nonlocal minds and what she calls 'the impossible made real' -- including materialisations. Interspersed with her own work are substantial expert chapters by well-known authorities including Jim Tucker, Peter Fenwick, Pim van Lommel, Alan Gauld and Erlendur Haraldsson. As readers will be aware, most of these areas are ignored by mainstream science and academia as 'impossible' given the ultimately unexamined premise that consciousness is generated in the brain. The author takes an open-minded and rigorous approach, finding that the strength of some of her own evidence is overwhelming in the detail and precision of the information conveyed. It is this detail that sceptics tend to avoid, preferring to deal in dismissive generalities.

Importantly, the various lines of evidence pursued interweave in terms of understanding, each demanding an approach beyond currently prevalent scientific materialism, as also argued by many other researchers and the Galileo Commission Report. The author carefully discusses competing hypotheses in terms of their explanatory power, in particular the survival hypothesis and living agent psi (LAP), which itself goes well beyond reductionist approaches while maintaining that the source of information is not discarnate. This is where cases revealing previously unknown information are arguably critical in tipping the balance, even though, from a legal point of view, there are always elements of probability demanding that one reach a conclusion 'beyond reasonable doubt.' Science is also now making interesting contributions, for instance the finding that 'the EEG pattern of correlations for NDE memory differed from the pattern for memories of imagined events.' (p. 99) Similarly, there are different brain states in the medium corresponding respectively to psychic readings and survival messages correlating with the medium's own intent.

The author leaves no stone unturned in the range and detail of her investigation, as well as the scrupulous consideration of competing explanations. All this correspondingly exposes the reader to a huge amount of data and analysis that are sufficient to enable conclusions to be drawn that will lead to an expansion of scientific and philosophical understandings if taken on board. She describes this as 'a multi-layered, interconnecting journey' providing the basis for a rational case built on the evidence. Personally, I do not take the view that the LAP is beyond a shadow of doubt, but it does strike me as a violation of Occam's razor, which is normally used to justify reductionism. Personal experience plays a crucial role beyond reading and experimentation, and it is this that can ultimately convey a sense of conviction, as those who have experienced a 'Flip' can testify since this is also informed by a sense of inner knowing. This is hugely valuable addition to the field, which can be highly recommended to seasoned researchers as well as general readers looking for a reliable guide.