What Convinced Two Skeptics that There is an Afterlife?: Darren McEnaney of Seeking i Part 1 - Episode 7

Darren McEnaney is the host of Seeking i, a podcast that speaks with the top researchers of afterlife evidence, psi, and consciousness. Darren is a self described "lay researcher of consciousness focused on anomalous experience and life beyond physical death."

Full show notes for What Convinced Two Skeptics that There is an Afterlife?: Darren McEnaney of Seeking i

Darren always assumed consciousness outside of a brain and an afterlife was fantasy as a child. When he became severely depressed at only 12 years old, he discovered NDE's - Near Death Experiences, as he was searching for some meaning to life. He was interested in them but dismissed them as nothing more than hallucinations to cope with the trauma of dying. He then learned that many people have the exact same experiences and "hallucinations." He was so intrigued by this that he researched further, and was astounded to learn that many people actually report information that is verified. One case that still stands out to him is the Pam Reynolds case.r.

Both of them discuss the concept of proof versus evidence. No there can never be actual proof of an afterlife, but that does not mean there can't be a preponderance of compelling and valid evidence that we survive death. Darren talks about how proof isn't even the goal of science.

Liz shares that for her it is when all the evidence comes together that she becomes convinced. The one common thread explanation of all the evidence from NDE's to mediumship is survival of consciousness.

The two discuss that there is no good explanation for how a brain, which is material mass and matter, creates and forms consciousness. There is as much of an explanation for how a material brain can do that as there is that consciousness could be stored in a cloud somewhere and downloaded to a brain.

An issue they both are concerned about is that this research is not neutral. Everyone truly hopes there is life after death. Could this deep wish affect how people process and interpret the evidence? Are Darren and Lis just seeing things how they hope they are? While both have this concern, Darren and Liz both make reasonable arguments for why they end up concluding that is not the case. Liz also shares some tangible evidence she has gotten that show there really seems to be more than just a material world.

Get the book - WTF Just Happened?!: A sciencey-skeptic explores grief, healing, and evidence of an afterlife.