Kenneth Arnette responds
J. Kenneth Arnette
Journal of Near-Death Studies 1994 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-1994-13-2-p139-141. (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that verified reports of visual perception during near-death experiences, such as those documented by Sabom (1982), should be treated not as proof of mind/body dualism but as an anomaly that cannot be explained within the materialistic paradigm. |
Abstract
In his letter to the Journal, V. Krishnan disagrees with my interpretation of near-death experience (NDEs) in the context of the mind/body problem (Arnette, 1992).Krishnan writes that I consider Michael Sabom's (1982) evidence of accurate visual perception during NDEs to be proof of dualism.Further, Krishnan writes that I have ignored the problems of mind-brain interaction and infinite regression of mind function.I would like to address these three points.Sabom (1982) presented several examples of NDEs in which the NDEr had visual perceptions of events in the operating room (OR), perceptions that were verified via examination of the medical records.In my earlier article (Arnette, 1992), I pointed out that this was a crucial step in NDE research, since these accurate visual perceptions cannot be explained by materialistic theories.I do not consider these data to be proof, per se, of mind/body dualism; rather, I consider them to constitute an anomaly (Kuhn, 1970) which cannot be explained within the materialistic paradigm.