Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagPam Reynolds

cave-entrance-with-sunlit-stone-steps-man-ascending-stairs-t-1065357458-stockpack-adobestock
Cave entrance with sunlit stone steps, man ascending stairs towards bright light at end of tunnel. Symbolizing afterlife, near-death experience, inspiration, or hope beyond darkness.

A Neurosurgeon on Near-Death Experiences: Evidence for the Soul?

Michael Egnor sees striking parallels between NDEs and experiences described by mystics when ordinary thought is silenced, deeper reality breaks through

In clinical death, the brain’s chatter ceases involuntarily, granting a similar opening.

Read More ›
illustration-showing-a-silhouette-of-a-human-head-surrounded-1174469766-stockpack-adobestock
illustration showing a silhouette of a human head surrounded by expressive thought bubbles with various symbols and punctuation marks representing diverse mental processes.

The Mind Beyond the Brain: Insights from a Neurosurgeon

Dr. Michael Egnor argues, “There’s something about the relationship between the mind and the brain that’s not in the textbooks.”

Egnor’s work invites readers to reconsider the mysteries of the mind, urging a more open and curious approach to understanding human consciousness.

Read More ›
doctor-writing-on-a-clipboard-in-a-high-tech-medical-environ-955475674-stockpack-adobe_stock
Doctor writing on a clipboard in a high-tech medical environment, monitors displaying vital signs

5. NDEs: The Enduring Mystery of the Pam Reynolds Case

There can be no question that Reynolds was dead when she had an NDE during a risky operation. To succeed, the procedure required her to be dead…

As evidence for NDEs accumulates, we hear from cardiologists rather than mediums on the subject and that is a promising development for future research.

Read More ›
light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-stockpack-adobe-stock
light at the end of the tunnel

The Brain Does Not Create the Mind; It Constrains It.

Near-death experiences in which people report seeing things that are later verified give some sense of how the mind works in relation to the brain

Neurosurgeon Michael Egnor did a recent podcast with Arjuna Das at Theology Unleashed, “where Eastern theology meets Western skepticism.” In the previous segment, they discussed the way that the split-brain research that followed Roger Sperry’s findings has increased the evidence for the reality of the mind. In this segment, they discuss the way in which the brain actually constrains the mind. That may seem counterintuitive at first but consider the evidence: Here is a partial transcript and notes for the 1 hour 12 minute mark to the 1 hour 25 minute mark: Arjuna Das: So, this relates to how I understand perception in the brain, despite the mind being non-material: “The brain is a reducer of consciousness rather than a Read More ›