Ex-atheist describes near-death experience

I know you are responding to someone else but this flies in the face of the evolutionists.

I don't think so.

According to the Darwinists only the adaptions that make a species more suitable to the environment persist. Creatures become more and more niche specific. An adaption that makes death less unpleasant does not enhance survival.

How does this adaption hinder survival? A function that makes death more pleasant won't disturb you while you are living. In earlier times when you had an NDE you were most likely going to die. It's only our modern medicine that brings you backSo, this would mean it's an neutral mutation, if it is one. But it's more likely that it is an otherwise clever protection mechanism that just overreacts when the damage is too big. The brain is a fine machine but don't expect it to run properly when it' just seconds away from goin kapput.

In the same vein since I have thought about things that defy evolutionary thought. There is a valve in mamilian ears that allows for pressure equalization. Everyone is familiar with the growing pressure in the eardrums when ascending while traveling.

I think you have a typo there. Pressure decreases the higher you go. But I get your point.

Why would a feature that is necessary only in the age of speed have become a mamalian feature prior to it being necessary. No animal can move fast enough up a height for this feature to be useful.

I see. Well, pressure increases under water too. Next time you go swimming, take a dive. At 30 feet you'll have the twice the pressure. Your ears are gonna hurt if you don't equalize the pressure.

Anyway, I'm not an expert in biology but I'm a SCUBA diver. I have no clue why we have this feature or how it we got it, I'm just glad we have it or I couldn't go further down than 30 feet.

The pressure thing, I'm not talking about atmospheric pressure but the sensation of pressure in your ear. As you rise and the atmospheric pressure falls, the air space behind your eardrum causes outward bulging of the eardrum . It is painful. That's why little kids with ear infections scream,cry and pull on their ears.

With the NDE, I wasn't suggesting that it would hinder survival. According to the Darwinist's the biologic changes that enhance survival among the breeding individuals tend to be the most successful in reproducing, therefore the trait gets passed along. It makes animals more uniquely suited to their environment.

A pleasant death experience does not contribute to breedability and numerous off spring. It doesn't fit into "Survival of the fittest". It doesn't hinder evolution it would be irrelevant to it. Traits that do not enhance survival are usually bred out over time.

The gap between hard science and religious faith may not be big as some think.

A couple of years ago, public TV ran a show on the possibility of time travel. Some theoretical physicists (all from Ivy League or comparable schools) discussed whether modern theories in physics allow for time travel. Some said no and some said yes citing a particular theory (string theory, maybe?) which holds that reality consists of an infinite number of parallel universes which in some cases may interact with one another. As they were talking about this, I keep thinking that this doesn't sound far removed from alternative universes called Heaven and Hell by Christians.

The pressure thing, I'm not talking about atmospheric pressure but the sensation of pressure in your ear.

You are talking about atmospheric pressure.

As you rise and the atmospheric pressure falls, the air space behind your eardrum causes outward bulging of the eardrum .

Right. Which is the same as diving where the outside pressure rise and the eardrum bulges inside. Since it's said all life started in the sea, I guess that's enough time for evolution. It's not something that came with quick travel.

It is painful. That's why little kids with ear infections scream,cry and pull on their ears.

It helps to swallow or to yawn. A chewing gum works best for me. I always have some with me when I fly.

With the NDE, I wasn't suggesting that it would hinder survival.

If it doesn't hinder survival, it can stay quite a while. Like you said yourself, it's irrelevant to evolution. No force is acting upon it.

A pleasant death experience does not contribute to breedability and numerous off spring.

Who knows? I've been death and came back to see you, sounds like a unbeatable pickup-line. Maybe it does enhance breedability.

Traits that do not enhance survival are usually bred out over time.

Well, without modern medicine most NDE cases wouldn't walk today. So, isn't it a mood point?

Anyway, I think you are too eager in search for reasons against evolution and use the NDE cases for that. I think this isn't really a case either pro or contra evolution. NDE's happen when the brain is under a lot of stress. I guess it uses every trick in the book to minimize damage and stay a live for some more time. The NDE's appear to be a side effect of this. Just a side effect not something that happens on purpose.

To grant you something here, if NDE's do happen on purpose, it does raise a lot of question in most areas, including theology and evolution. But I think that is very unlikely.

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