SYNOPSIS:

     Will we 'live again' after we have died?
Most of us hope to transcend death in some form,
but what reasons would we offer to support this wish?
This talk with explore immortality, resurrection, and reincarnation
—raising several scientific and philosophical questions
about such beliefs.
Participants will be invited to present and defend
their own forms of belief in life after death.
We can't come to grips with life until we come to grips with death.
Confronting death may be the beginning of human spirituality.

OUTLINE:

I. Three Forms of Life After Death

     A. Immortality—Greek Philosophers and American Civil Religion

     B. Resurrection—Christianity

     C. Reincarnation—Eastern Religions and New Age Thinking

II. The Burden of Proof and the Argument from Ignorance

III. Four Areas of Questioning

     A. Sense Perception—Can We See without Eyes?

     B. Consciousness—Can We Think without Brains?

     C. Memory—Can We Remember
                without a Place to Keep Our Memories?

     D. Communicating and Relating—Can We Interact without Bodies?

IV. Do Near-Death Experiences Tell Us Anything about Life after Death?

V. Conclusion: If We Lack Experience, Awareness, Memory, &  Action,
                How Does 'Life After Death' Differ from Death?

     James Park is an existential philosopher with deep interest
in all issues relating to dead and dying.
See especially the DEATH section of his home page.
One item there relates especially to this presentation:
Is there Life After Death? The Best Books

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.