Science, Philosophy, and the Afterlife with Chris Carter

Sep 4, 2025

Chris Carter, a physics teacher from Oxford and author of several books on life after death, delves into the intriguing intersection of science, philosophy, and consciousness. He shares compelling evidence supporting postmortem survival while addressing philosophical skepticism about the afterlife. The discussion highlights fascinating topics like near-death experiences, dualism, and baffling paranormal encounters that challenge materialism. Carter's insights provoke deeper questions about the nature of reality and our understanding of consciousness.

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INSIGHT

Brain As Intermediary Not Generator

Chris Carter argues dualism fits evidence better than materialism, viewing brain as intermediary rather than producer of mind.
He claims brain sometimes transmits mind both for perception and for volitional action, implying separable mental substance.

INSIGHT

Terminal Lucidity Challenges Materialism

Carter highlights terminal lucidity where dementia patients briefly regain normal cognition before death.
He interprets this as the mind disengaging from damaged brain constraints, supporting survival of mind.

ANECDOTE

Pam Reynolds Near-Death Account

Carter describes the Pam Reynolds near-death case where clinical death coincided with vivid out-of-body perceptions of surgical details.
He notes her accurate recall of specific events and two shocks needed to restart her heart, arguing this supports consciousness beyond brain activity.

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Science, Philosophy, and the Afterlife with Chris Carter

Chris Carter is a physics teacher who was educated at Oxford, England. He is author of four books that make him one of the most significant authors today exploring the question of life after death: Science and the Near-Death Experience, Science and Psychic Phenomena, Science and the Afterlife Experience, and most recently The Case for the Afterlife: Evidence of Life After Death.

Here he share some of the strongest case supporting postmortem survival of consciousness and also presents the counter-arguments to several philosophical objections.

New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science.

(Recorded on August 15, 2025)

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