Consciousness is one of the great puzzles of modern neuroscience. Most scientists believe that awareness arises from interactions between neurons in the brain, but the details on how that works, exactly, are still unclear. And what happens as we die? Does consciousness disappear as soon as the heart stops beating? If so, how do we explain near-death experiences? Join us for a conversation with three scientists exploring these issues.
Guests: Bruce Greyson, MD, is Carlson Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia. He is also Director of the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia Health System.
Sam Parnia, MD, PhD, is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the School of Medicine of the University of Southampton, U.K. He is founder and director of the Human Consciousness Project there. He is also a Fellow in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. Dr. Parnia is leading the AWARE study (AWAreness during REsuscitaion), aimed at studying the brain and consciousness during cardiac arrest. His book is What Happens When We Die; A Groundbreaking Study into the Nature of Life and Death. The photo is of Dr. Parnia.
Melvin Morse, MD, is a pediatrician who has studied near-death experiences in children. He is author of four books: Closer to the Light, Transformed by the Light, Parting Visions, and Where God Lives.
