Is it possible to look into the afterlife with the help of computer technology? People who have experienced clinical death recount stories of near-death experiences (NDE). Many survivors talk about an extraordinary clarity of mind and seeing vivid images, noting that everything seemed more real than in life. However, it is often added that there are no words to adequately describe the experience.
Two researchers—Raul Valverde (Canada) and Chet Swanson (USA)—proposed using computer language processing to analyze stories about NDEs. For example, survivors often talk about their sense of unity with the world. This can be expressed in words such as “connected,” “one,” “calm,” “wholeness,” etc. The scientists identified and counted these words in order to characterize different indicators of NDE.
The study focused mainly on philosophical issues and in particular on ontology. Simply put, ontology studies “that which exists.” At the moment of clinical death, people find themselves in a certain kind of reality. Various scientists have repeatedly tried to create an ontology capable of describing this reality. It has been proposed, for example, to use art for this purpose.
The authors also mentioned philosophical studies by other scientists that combine NDE with other phase states, in particular with out-of-body experiences. The list includes alien contact, which may also be a sign of being in a phase state. According to the theory, in such states a person is outside space (distance does not affect “telepathy”) and outside time (“precognition” provides information about future events).
As Valverde and Swanson add, through their research they wanted to gain a better understanding of the reality of the afterlife. What do you think: which tool is more suitable for this—computer technology, art, philosophy, religion, or something else?
The article was published in October 2021 in the Journal of Consciousness Exploration & Research.
