Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences [Hardcover]

Susan Blackmore (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1975, James Moody's ground-breaking book Life after Life collected the anecdotes of people who had come close to death and described the experience as comforting and transforming. Since then, the parapsychological, medical and scientific investigations of these near-death claims have become a small industry. This comprehensive report, by the author of The Adventures of a Parapsychologist and a fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, collates theories about near-death experience, challenges the reality of spiritual claims and surveys historical and cross-cultural attitudes toward death. Blackmore concludes that the neurological "Dying Brain Hypothesis" better explains the evidence than the more paranormal "Afterlife Hypothesis." This work is chiefly of interest to medical professionals; the mysteries of death remain.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-Well documented and well researched, this volume joins the growing number of titles about the near-death experience (NDE). Blakemore's stated purpose is "to explore what psychology, biology and medicine have to say about death and dying." She refers to the ground-breaking work of Raymond Moody, author of Life after Life (Bantam, 1988), and also examines the findings of many others who have studied the NDE. Numerous interviews with people who have almost died add interest to this study. The author's impartial treatment of diverse beliefs on the subject helps readers to see how scientific and spiritual points of view can coexist. There's much to think about here.
Lyn Knapp, Annandale High School, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 291 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (September 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879758708
• ISBN-13: 978-0879758707
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,123,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A scientific explanation of the NDE, July 23, 2011

By 

L. Martin "LeonMartin Athelstan" (London U.K.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences (Hardcover)

I came to this book admittedly a skeptic but with an open mind and determined to discover the truth about the near death experience. I have read a number of books on the subject including: Kenneth Ring's 'Lesson from the Light', Chris Carter's 'Science and the Near Death Experience', 'Recollections of Death' by Michael Sabom, as well as work by Sam Parnia and Dr Fenwick, so I am familiar with the arguments in support of the NDE being a supernatural phenomena or as some may prefer to put it, a spiritual experience and evidence of an afterlife.

I have concluded that Susan Blackmore's 'Dying to Live' completely demolishes the idea that the NDE is a spititual experience or evidence for an afterlife. Each aspect of the NDE is explained by Blackmore, for example:

Feelings of peace and bliss caused by endorphins.

Tunnel and Light caused by anoxia.

Life review caused by temporal lobe seizures, triggered by endorphins.

Experience of 'out of body' due to break down of body image and model of reality.

Accurate perception of immediate environment during the NDE due to prior Knowledge, fantasy and lucky guesses and the remainder operating senses of hearing and touch.

These explanations for the various aspects of the NDE experience are supported by the vast majority of those in the medical field and the scientific community. Blackmore offers a perfectly rational explanation for what to some, may seem like a supernatural event. For those who have not read Blackmore's book I strongly suggest that you do in oreder to explore each of the above in detail. It is fascinating stuff!

However the real insight I gained from this book was Blackmore's arument that there is no such thing as the 'Self' there is only a mental model produced by the brain which creates the illusion of a 'Self' if this is so, and it does seem to be supported by psychologists, biologists and scientists, then there is no 'Self' to go anywhere!

The Dying Brain Hypothesis simply suggests that as the brain begins to die the self image created by the brain breaks down so the brain simply tries to recreate a new sense of 'Self' and a new model of reality from memory and imagination but this new model, the NDE, is also an illusion, just another mental model created by the brain, it is not real just in the sense that the world you see everyday is not real;it is an illusion, a mental model created by the brain that enables us as biological beings to adapt to and survive in our environments.

Mystics have tried to transcend reality or the illusion of reality to gain some insight into some ultimate reality which is somehow real in the sense that the reality we all live in is not. But as Blackmore points out this to is simply a creation of the brain, another mental model.There is no real 'Self' and reality is just an illusion and so is everything else, including the NDE!

I think that it is important to follow the data wherever it leads us and sometimes that is not easy when it conflicts with our own values and beliefs. The belief in an afterlife offers much comfort and hope for many people but I'm afrain the NDE offers no evidence for this.

42 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Theory Without Any Evidence at All, March 26, 2005

By 

Timbo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences (Hardcover)

The fact that this book has been published at all is bewildering. The author has created a theory that purports to explain the NDE phenomenon through debunking; the difficulty is that she does not provide any evidence at all! The entire book consists of her observations and comments, and this simpy does not suffice. She dismisses the evidence that DOES exist without addressing it.

For example: the most challenging and interesting book on the subject is Michael Sabom's "Recollections at Death". He presents numerous well-documented cases that suggest that the NDE is real - and he also provides a thoughtful, articulate and fair-minded discussion of the possible answers.

Blackmore does not actually deal with any of the evidence, with one exception: she refers to the ONE detailed case where he does not provide the original records. He includes it because of its uniqueness - in ALL other cases, he includes the original medical records. She makes a joke about it and disregards it; she never makes the point that his book is filled with evidence based on origical records and personnel. Any reader who is not familiar with Sabom might think that this one case is typical of the entire book!

Reading this book has made me much more aware and sceptical of authors who claim to be experts. If I was not familiar with the work done on this subject, I would not know how misleading and simply inaccurate Blackmore's book is. Why didn't the publishers check for accuracy? Why was a book about a theory published without evidence?

In addition, Blackmore claims to have had a NDE herself. This is not true. She describes a hallucination following the use of drugs - then goes on to describe the related experience and associates it with the NDEs of people on the verge of death! A disgraceful book.

26 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent prototheory of the NDE, November 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences (Hardcover)

Although "believers" in the spiritual interpretation of the NDE will not be convinced by Blackmore's dying-brain theory, this is by far the best book on the subject I've seen. Blackmore is not out to "debunk" the believers, but to show that her theory better explains the data in almost every respect. Her standard for what constitutes a good scientific theory is particularly valid in showing how alternate explanations (even non-spiritual) are not useful, if not outright mistaken.

It's interesting to note that even in his latest book Kenneth Ring still says the "unbelievers'" explanations claim that the NDE is pointless, or not meaningful, or that it belittles experiencers. Anyone who reads Blackmore's intelligent, compassionate book, which is even tinged by eastern philosophy (though from a neurological standpoint), know that Ring is fooling himself.

I call Blackmore's theory a "prototheory" because it is not comprehensive. But she admits outright that the evidence for this or that point would not yet excuse speculation; she doesn't cop out on issues, she simply says that neither she nor the believers can say one way or the other yet without further research. All in all, _Dying to Live_ is more of a foundation for future research and theorizing on the meaning of the NDE, but as such it is invaluable.