special guest

Maya and her skeptical friend Natalie discuss skepticism and question everything, including near-death experiences. They explore whether people claiming to see a light or God during near-death experiences are being dramatic or attention seekers. While some individuals may be exaggerating or lying, a vast number of people worldwide have reported near-death experiences, including the bright light phenomenon. The frequency of these experiences makes it unlikely that they are all planned or fake. The scientific approach suggests that the brain creates these experiences in response to trauma, rather than the spirit being elsewhere. The evidence regarding near-death experiences as glimpses of heaven is still new and often theoretical. It's important to listen to your gut and consider alternative explanations, even if they are less glamorous. The science of near-death experiences continues to be explored and questioned. Hey everybody, it's Maya, and I'm here with my dear friend and favorite skeptic, Natalie. Hi guys! So, what makes you consider yourself a skeptic? I think that's a really weighted word. I'm certainly open to being convinced I'm wrong, but some things I'm just kind of like, really? Oh, I get it. Do you have any specific things you're a skeptic about? Well, it used to be just your typical things, like ghosts or witchcraft, but I've learned how important it is to question everything, especially if it's being presented to you as fact or unchangeable. I love getting to talk to Natalie about things regarding fake, fact, and the in-between because she always knows how to ask the best questions. So, Natalie, near-death experiences. Boy, have I got questions. Hit me with it. So, for starters, how do I know that people who claim to see a light or even God aren't being dramatic? Who says these aren't just, no offense, attention seekers? I don't think that's offensive at all. I think it's actually one of the first really important questions we have to ask when investigating something like this. In fact, the absence of such questions can be the root of long-standing pseudoscience. So, to answer your question, sometimes we can't. There could be people out there who are dramatizing or even lying, especially because of the unpopularity some people have received after near-death experiences. However, a vast amount of people of all ages from all across the world have recalled something like a near-death experience. In fact, the bright light phenomenon has especially been reported worldwide. If it was all a ruse, a lot of people would have to commit really hard to the bed. Okay, fair enough. Kind of like the concept addressed in On the Viability of Conspiratorial Beliefs by David Grimes. If it was all fake, someone would have given it away? I mean, yeah, kind of. But the frequency of which near-death experiences occur kind of voids it from the conspiracy theory frame of thinking. They happen too often. It's really impossible for them to be planned so extensively, let alone without someone giving it away. Okay, I see what you mean. So, about the bright light, do people really see such things? I mean, is their brain somewhere else? Their spirit? Well, really seeing is a hard way to put it. The general approach used in scientific research is that, yes, the brain really is creating But there isn't evidence to support someone's spirit as elsewhere, seeing that light. Instead, it is believed to be something the brain does in response to trauma. It's kind of like when you watch a really scary movie and have to watch something cute and cuddly before bed, or else you just can't shake that fear. Your brain, likely because of its state of shock, creates a visual of a warm, bright light, or a review of all your best memories, or even an apparition of God, which brings comfort, kind of like that nice, fuzzy movie after Human Centipede. Maya, don't sit here and pretend like you could ever sit through Human Centipede. As far as the audience knows, it's my favorite movie. Sure. Okay, last question. What evidence says that near-death experiences aren't glimpses of heaven? I've heard some pretty convincing testimonies, and maybe I could be convinced, but my gut says it's not likely. It's good to listen to your gut. Frankly, that research is still new, and often theoretical, but that right there is the burden of proof fallacy. I can't sit here and prove God didn't come down and give some people a message or beckon them home to heaven, but we're starting to build some pretty solid theories of what else it could be, and sometimes the truth is just the less glamorous option. I like the way you put that. Tied up in a neat little bow. God, I wish. I think the science of near-death experiences has a long road of doubt and skepticism ahead of it, but these questions get us a little closer to figuring out our own perspective and ideas. I appreciate you coming on to share your curiosity, Natalie. It was my pleasure. Thanks for having me. Back to you, Maddox.