This week I've had a few major health issues.
At around 2.30am at the beginning of this week
I was rushed to the Emergency
Department of my nearest hospital due to a
pulse-rate that was like a train wreck. Anyway,
I won't go into any further details - and the
only reason I'm mentioning it now is - it made me
think about life and death et cetera.

I'd like to quote from a short paragraph that I
came across in an old book entitled, "Does It
Follow?: Material For Practice in Logical Thinking,"
written by Meyrick H. Carre, Lecturer in Philosophy,
University of Bristol...

" I believe in the survival of the mind-personality, or
soul, after death because I can see no means whereby such
a phenomenon can come to an end, nor any reason why
separation from the physical body should end it. The
only "ending" of things of which we have any knowledge
comes about by the dissolution of the parts. The
mind-personality has no parts, as is proved by the power
of the mind to form a common judgement on two different
ideas, a fact which would be impossible if each idea were
contained in a different compartment; therefore the
mind-personality lacks the quality essential to
disintegration, decay, and cessation of existence..."

I'd be interested to read your views on the topic.

Hi Foxy, I was sorry to read about your illness. Heart problems are perhaps considered to be the most frightening of all for most patients. I hope all is well now.

As both a nurse and a patient myself early this year, I have also considered this topic many times.

Being brought up by a strict Catholic mum and education, I was taught to believe in the everlasting soul.

When I became a nurse and witnessed many deaths over the years, I am now much more of a skeptic.

We studied the brain and nervous system, as well as witnessed brain surgery. You can pinpoint the actual areas of the brain responsible for all the functions and emotions of our bodies.

We know this because when part of the brain is wounded or destroyed, it affects that part of the body or emotions of the victim.

When a person dies in front of you, all you see is the body ceasing to work when the brain dies. To me, that is that!

Many people don't like the thought of death , and thus like to believe in an 'afterlife' or heaven of some sort.
I don't, but I always support patient's beliefs, if that is what gives them comfort when they are ill or dying.

At the end of the day though, we will never, ever really know will we?

Best wishes for good health Foxy. Hope you are sitting up in bed on your laptop and not racing around the house doing stuff. :)

Simple answer is I don't know. It would be nice to think that a part of us, maybe in the form of energy is released to parts unknown. The idea of heaven is a nice story but not much basis in fact.

My logical guess is much the same as Suze. We are born, we live, die and replenish the earth in the cycle of life.

Whatever gives us our soul, whether it be inbuilt physiological electrical processes or something other-wordly we are yet to know

Dear Suze,

Thanks so much for your kind words.

The incident scared the living daylights
out of me. And to make matters worse my husband
had to call 000 again for an ambulance a day later
when my blood pressure was through the roof.

It seems that I've got a lung infection. But with
enough medication to kill a horse - I'm getting
better. The only thing is I'm scared of sleeping -
especially at night. During the day - no problems,
but comes night - I have nightmares.

Anyway, enough said. I don't want to sound like I'm
looking for sympathy - because I'm not. It just drove
the point home to me - how fragile life really is.
But Suze, as a nurse - you'd be aware of that far more
than the rest of us. The hospital staff in Emergency,
as well as the ambulance staff - were totally professional,
caring, and quite wonderful.

I believe that there must be something else for us - it
can't just end with our body - can it?

Dear Pelly,

Thanks for your words of concern.
I'm so glad to be back and posting.

As I mentioned to Suze. I have to believe that there's
a reason for our existence - and therefore it can't
just suddenly end. Nobody seriously claims to live
a life entirely devoid of purpose; it's doubtful
whether such a life is possible. The only difficulty,
and it is a very real one, is to decide what that
purpose should be. Therefore how can it just end
with death? What's it all about then?

Dear Foxy,

So sorry that you've had an awful time. Hope you're well on the mend.

You might have noted in the past that I've stated my religious conviction (non-denominational Christian) which I hold for many reasons that don't include near death experiences or anything in the paranormal or extra-what-have-you range of phenomena.

I am a very pragmatic person who doesn't seek or enjoy any meddling with crystals, life forces, tea cups or any of that stuff.

Nevertheless I have had a couple of experiences that have heightened my spiritual awareness; none brought about by any seeking or health crises of any sort.

Suzie sorry lovey but I don't believe the physical trauma type/ disassociative explanations for NDE and the like. Some of the points raised in the following scientific studies include:

1. If there was a physiological explanation then we could expect a higher rate of occurrence under the same conditions eg: heart attack; hypoxia etc.

2. Induced experiences do not include some elements reported in spontaneous NDEs.

3. Some of the NDEs occurred when there was no recorded brain or other activity data indicating.

4. Blind people have reported NDEs including visual perception.

5. People experiencing NDEs have recognized people who were present during the time they were clinically deceased.

Lancet December 15, 2001; 358: 2039-45:

http://www.zarqon.co.uk/Lancet.pdf

The Lancet, Volume 355, Issue 9202, Pages 460 - 463, 5 February 2001:

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673601071008/fulltext.

From an email: "We are not human beings going through a temporary spiritual experience, but spiritual beings going through a temporary human experience".

Dear Foxy

A high pulse and the fight for oxygen that goes with it is a frightening experience.

What can lessen your fear is the knowledge that the diving seal reflex can work for you to slow that heartbeat. When you feel the event coming on splash quantities of cold water over your face and see what a reduction that can make. Doing it regularly might even increase the effect - as happens with divers.

Also, try not to burn the candle at both ends - especially if you consume lots of coffee while you are ceaselessly striving (smile).

I struggle to take time for myself and smell the roses, despite my earnest attempts and resolutions. Time on a boat or in the bush can do it for me and gardening used to help.

Don't agonise over the end or what comes next, just set a course down the spirituality path by taking time out to sit and think, slow things down and indulge in a little introspection. Maybe that analytical side of your being is working overtime, I know the feeling. Just take things in without trying to process everything. I reckon autobiographies are a good feed for a soul in search of spiritual inspiration. Maybe some have suggestions, hopefully not of the ponderous variety.