The Afterlife could be worth $500,000!

[PaulS]

I came across this promotion where entrepreneur Robert T. Bigelow and his Bigelow Institute are offering $500,000 for the winning essay that is judged to provide the best evidence of the Afterlife.  To me it reads that one doesn't have to 'prove' the afterlife, rather just convince the judging panel that their essay is the best evidence for.

http://bigelowinstitute.org/

I'm afraid I don't have much to submit, but was wondering if anybody here wanted to (and/or were brave enough to) share any stories or personal experience they may have for an afterlife.  I'm hoping maybe people can just post without being questioned, challenged or doubted, and just let the stories be, for readings sake.  Any takers?

[Kellerman]

Barf.

I'm genuinely sorry if I offend anyone with what I say, but this is some serious hubris garbage right here. 

Living humans are supposed to "prove" the existence of "the afterlife" through writing essays? Which will be then judged by 5 other living humans, who somehow hold some degree of authority on the matter?

From what I can tell, the only authority these people have to judge is that they're the ones holding the cash, so they can ask people to do whatever they want. 

Such utter nonsense. 

Cool for the person who wins $500,000 from people who apparently don't have better things to do with their money...

Hopefully some poor underemployed MDiv grad gets the money, because we all know they could use it. 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Kellerman

[PaulS]

17 hours ago, Kellerman said:

Living humans are supposed to "prove" the existence of "the afterlife" through writing essays? Which will be then judged by 5 other living humans, who somehow hold some degree of authority on the matter?

I'm not sure if you had a look at the website, but it does seem to be a reasonably genuine attempt at developing soem serious attention to that area.

As they say on the website: "There are almost no significant conferences or symposia on this question which could appeal to scientists, academics and others with advanced training. This is partly because such research is not taken seriously by the current scientific paradigm. It is probably time to end this close-minded approach. We at BICS believe that the only way to do so is to appeal to qualified professionals who have the power to create change."

So to me they seem to be inviting scientists and others to contribute to such studies.  I don't think there's much in it myself, but good luck to them.

[Kellerman]

8 hours ago, PaulS said:

I'm not sure if you had a look at the website, but it does seem to be a reasonably genuine attempt at developing soem serious attention to that area.

As they say on the website: "There are almost no significant conferences or symposia on this question which could appeal to scientists, academics and others with advanced training. This is partly because such research is not taken seriously by the current scientific paradigm. It is probably time to end this close-minded approach. We at BICS believe that the only way to do so is to appeal to qualified professionals who have the power to create change."

So to me they seem to be inviting scientists and others to contribute to such studies.  I don't think there's much in it myself, but good luck to them.

Oh, I understand what they are trying to do, I still roll my eyes until they hurt though. 

This is said as a former research scientist. 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Kellerman

[John Hunt]

I have no experiences (and very little knowledge) to offer. I've read around the subject quite a bit though, and find Sam Parnia in particular interesting - seems a serious medic, and his work on resuscitating patients hours after they've gone brain dead possibly raises questions-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Parnia