CAn atheists explain out of body experiences? People who have come back to life?

Answer 1

They try to explain this as chemical reactions in the brain.

What they fail to explain is these experiences often take place when the brain registers no activity - when the patient is actually brain dead - equivalent to a computer with the power shut off, and incapable of any computation.
Read a recent article in Time magazine addressing this issue.

See also:

http://www.near-death.com/storm.html

Answer 2

No and this is a relatively new phenomena. So it's hard for them to know what to make of this. Religious people have already told them they have a spirit and some reports show they were dead and could see themselves.

How can some see themselves clearly without their physical eyes or hear things so clearly without their physical ears. And all of their vital sign measurements on the doctor's machines show they are dead Even the doctor's report shows that they are dead.

How can they not begin to question if life is more than just a physical body but spirit as well. It brings back the question how did life begin in the universe?

Answer 3

Out of body experiences: People on acid.
People who have come back to life: Show me one.

Answer 4

There has been in-depth study of the OBE and NDE phenomenon.

They can be duplicated in laboratories reliably and consistently, by simply inducing various traumas on the brain in controlled circumstances.

Further, if there is only one afterlife, why is it that people who have NDE's all experience whatever symbology they believe in?

I'm an atheist. While an atheist, I've had an NDE.

I did not witness a place of horror, terror, torment, or fires. I did not witness a place of pure light, and meet loved ones long departed.

I found myself simply in a cool, dimly lit cavern that extended to the limits of my sight. Next to me, I saw a huge wolf, easily my size, that I immediately recognized as Fenris Wolf from Norse mythology. I put my hand on his shoulder, he wrapped his paw around my arm to return the gesture. At that, I returned.

This experience does not surprise me in the least -- I am heavily wolf oriented in many ways, and the Fenris myth is the most common and well known to me.

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Milt Dew has misinterpreted the statements.

There has never -- I repeat, NEVER, been a case of total brain death that has reversed.

As such, there has never been a TRUE death experience, only a near death experience.

Even if portions of the brain shut down, as long as the brain stem remained functional, the structures of the brain would be sustained by basic metabolism, thus preserving the near-death aspect of the patients experience until such time as metabolism returned to the shut down portions.

Answer 5

People come back to life usually because doctors rescucitate them.

OoB experiences? Where's the evidence that they occur? I would explain them either as an overactive imagination or a, shall we say, mental abberation.

Answer 6

These can be explained by factors relating to the physical properties of living creatures.
There is no involvement of gods and demons

Answer 7

Self defense mechanism of an oxygen deprived brain.

As far as people coming back to life, well that's called CPR.

Answer 8

It's a dream to stand over your own body and watch an ambulance team trying to revive you?

Answer 9

Of course atheists can explain it! They explain it with lies just like satan wants them to!

Answer 10

The first is a brain phenomenon, the second is a biological phenomenon - sometimes people appear dead, but they aren't.