Many Alzheimer’s patients report having moment of near perfect mental clarity shortly before passing away. Neuroscience is unsure why, or even how, but one theory is that consciousness may not reside INSIDE the brain at all.
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Bill, Steve and Scott, This subject is directly addressed in my book “The Power of the Overview-Answers to Ultimate Questions” which I gave a copy to Bill to review. It contains physical evidence to support Bill’s thesis that our consciousness is not a product of the brain, but is real phenomenon connected through it to our physical experiences. The evidence is people who are conscious, living normally without a brain!. Please someone read it and get back to me as to the validity of this evidence I presented!! Thank You.
The real person is eternal–going to live somewhere forever based on their choice about Jesus. That real person does not disappear because the brain stops doing its job. He/she is conscious always. That is why no matter our age, we don’t “feel” old–forever young. I am 80 and know that to be true from personal experience.
There is a book by neurosurgeon Michael Egnor called The Immortal Mind that goes into great detail on this phenomenon. He describes many different cases and examples, and not just with near death experiences. I can’t describe them all here but it is truly incredible. Essentially, there is quite a bit of “hard” evidence that the mind is more than the just the brain. Check it out.
Very much like Scott, my vocal ensemble once sung at an Alzheimers facilty. Most residents were barely there. When we sung some of the older songs, most perked up and paid attention. Some sang along. At one point, a woman that I guessed was somwhere in her eighties came up and started playing older songs and singing along. We found out later from the staff that she was almost vegetative normally. Also that she was a lounge piano player and singer in the big band era. …which is most of what she played and sung. The staff was freaking out.… Read more »
Touching episode, especially what Steve said.
What Scott said to wrap things up reminded me of a suggestion: if you have an elderly friend or relative that is a Christian, speak the Lord’s Prayer (or “Our Father”) and they will join you–even if they are not “fully there.”