AJPhillips.

I have three streams of thought going on here, obviously you are confused, ( not an accusation).

1.
Firstly, do you believe the ego is directly tied to conscious awareness. If not then what do you attribute to our attachment and recognition of conscious awareness, if not the ego self.

2.
Right; two: the NDE,
the NDE can be induced by stimulating the part of the brain identified as the area the NDE sensation originates, (from a general interest in this rather public issue over time, I have come to believe this to be true).
But the success of the outcome has been refuted by the NDE'rs willing to be subjected to experiments, describing those outcomes as like a painting of the real thing.

It is not the view of a light which features, but the all encompassing nature of the light. So forget a view from one end of the birth canal, gazing into the obstetricians torch light.

And the other stupid is this, if as some believe, the experience is the end result of all of life's memories rolling back to the birth canal, there are two arguments against that conclusion; one is physics itself, and the relationship of time. Time always moves forward in space. Why at death would physics change the rules by having a concluding life rewind. For what reason?

And two, the ego conscious awareness. The overwhelming experience of the NDE'r is a losing of self, which is the total abandonment of ego self in the experience.

3.
Which leads to point three, and why I'm attempting to avoid bogging down in descriptions of the egos manufacturing of conscious awareness.
I'm attempting to seperate into two, the ego awareness built up on earth, from the greater cosmic awareness described by NDE'rs

See below..

AJPhillips

From above..

And then of course, entering the debate, is multi religions belief systems, attesting to a rough likeness of the same eternity.

I've already mentioned three religions which worship the same God (noun). Islam, Christian and Jew. But there are many more with similar views.(aboriginals hold to the dreaming). How could this belief in eternity be coincidental?
This coincidence should not be dismissed from the debate, even by the Godless.

What is the historical significance of the coincidence?

PS.
Re: your reaction to my quizzing you on belief of Freud's view of personality.

His super ego is the master of Morals over Ego. ( my view of this).

I suppose, diver dan.

<<Firstly, do you believe the ego is directly tied to conscious awareness.>>

After all, a sense of self-esteem and self-importance is not possible without conscious awareness. I wouldn’t say it was the cause of it, though, if that’s what you’re getting at.

<<I'm attempting to seperate into two, the ego awareness built up on earth, from the greater cosmic awareness described by NDE'rs>>

Well, I don’t think separating the two is hard. The former is consistent with normal brain function, while the latter is what people often describe when the brains start to malfunction. Like when they’re dying, for example.

Say, have you ever had LSD before? Let me tell you now, you will never feel more at one with the universe than you will on that stuff. Provided you don’t have a bad trip, that is.

<<And then of course, entering the debate, is multi religions belief systems, attesting to a rough likeness of the same eternity.>>

Perhaps that’s just because we all fear death? That would be the simplest explanation. You know, Occam’s Razor ‘n’ all.

<<I've already mentioned three religions which worship the same God (noun). Islam, Christian and Jew.>>

That’s hardly surprising, given they all come from the same part of the world. Now, had they all come from different parts of the planet such that the passing on of myths over generations couldn’t possibly be an explanation for the spread of information, THAT would be something!

Is it any wonder God never thought to do that?

<<How could this belief in eternity be coincidental?>>

What makes you think it's coincidence? What about a universal fear of death, or similar experiences for similar brains? We are all human, after all.

<<This coincidence should not be dismissed from the debate, even by the Godless.>>

It’s quite easy to dismiss. I’ve just shown you how.

<<What is the historical significance of the coincidence?>>

None, probably. Coincidences are inevitable occurrences that will happen from time to time. Could you imagine a world in which coincidences didn’t happen?

Diver Dan "I've already mentioned three religions which worship the same God (noun). Islam, Christian and Jew. But there are many more with similar views.(aboriginals hold to the dreaming). How could this belief in eternity be coincidental?"

Hardly coincidental seeing that Christianity and Islam both have their source in the Jewish religion.

David

AJPhillips.

<Firstly, do you believe the ego is directly tied to conscious awareness.>>

That is a straight forward question ....I'm not getting at anything...I'm asking a question with the expectation that I will not be treated as the enemy in the answer.

** Say, have you ever had LSD before?**

Now this is an interesting question on your part. As you don't admit to any drug use, neither will I, however, I'm familiar with Timothy Leary from the sixties, so I'm familiar with the huge range of outcomes from the use of LSD.
LSD would have to be one of the most tested and researched recreational drugs in history, for many reasons: Mostly medical.

Since it very nearly replicates one aspect of the NDE, maybe we should include its comparison in this discussion, on the death of consciousness.

The major similarity is the evaporation of the ego self.

I say from the outset, it is a drug applied to the normal function of the brain, so it is an artificial applicant. Whereas death of the brain is a perfectly natural application of the physical death of the body . In the NDE the melting of the ego self is recognised as one aspect of the experience.

I've experienced the same melting of the ego in trauma. But it is still not death, pleasant and death is an oxymoron, but fits for this occasion.

More.

AJPhillips
From above (so to speak :-)).

** fear of death...**

It is not true we all fear death. It is true though, we all recognise our own mortality. It is also true we are hard wired to the reptilian brain for flight or fight. An instinct motley will power usually fails dismally to override. The instinct is to stay alive; such as the instinct to fight off a shark attack for example. There is no fear involved.

Maybe we could say though, what drives people to religion is not a need to praise God, but a fear of "eternal " death. Up a level from physical death of the body.
So could we say then, that religious people are more aware of their mortality, and consider peace in eternal consciousness, worth the earthly sacrifice of surrendering the ego to a higher power. (If that's a fitting description of salvation).

That deals with death, now back to coincidences of religious belief.
I would agree that death and mortality is a major driver of all religions, but I don't believe they all offer salvation from the point of view for example, of the Cargo Cult in the New Hebrides. Too crude!

And maybe not coincidental on the grounds that religions deal with the intangible aspect of the body (the soul), which confuse the ego.

All right, I'm still firmly convinced there is an eternal existence after death. And it's not a fear of death thing, since if death was the end all hope, life would be a simple existence of making hay while the sun shone, take on board rampant capitalism, flog the crap out of my fellow man, take everything he owns, and win on every level, for tomorrow we die, dead, Kaput ...great innings!

Which brings the discussion to another opening. Consequences and eternal consciousness!