Dr. Sam Parnia, the British surgeon who attained worldwide fame for his work on near-death experiences (NDEs), still stands by his controversial declaration that death does not annihilate the soul.
“The evidence thus far suggests that in the first few minutes after death, consciousness is not annihilated,” he said in 2008 following the revelation of the results of the landmark AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation) study that examined a broad range of mental experiences in relation to death.
The results of AWARE revealed that 40 percent of those that survived a cardiac arrest were aware during the time they were clinically dead and before their hearts were restarted.
But more controversially, Dr. Parnia believes that “contrary to perception, death is not a specific moment but a potentially reversible process that occurs after any severe illness or accident causes the heart, lungs and brain to cease functioning.”
“If attempts are made to reverse this process, it is referred to as ‘cardiac arrest’; however, if these attempts do not succeed it is called ‘death,’” he added.
I -Word Understanding
Annihilate – to kill / destroy / erase
Resuscitation – the act of bringing back someone to life
II – Have Your Say
1. Death is an inevitable part of life. But what happens after is a big mystery. HOw do you feel about death and what do you think happens after one dies?
2. Do you want to live forever? Some studies say, we do. Here are some theories about life after death:
a. Reincarnation
b. Near-Death Experience / Death-bed visions
c. Out-of-body Experience
d. Communicating with a departed loved one
