In Best Evidence, Michael Schmicker explores the scientific data that
have been developed pertaining to a wide range of anomalous phenomena. These
include mediums, ghosts, spontaneous healing, reincarnation, near death
experiences, poltergeists, and several others.
Schmicker is an experienced investigative reporter who has taken a fair
and impartial look at these areas that are of interest to so many. The unique
aspect of the book is that he not only provides an excellent overview of
the material about each topic, he then provides the reader with scientific
sources from which they can obtain more detailed information. This will
be a great service to those who have an interest in a specific subject and
appreciate being pointed in the right direction. Anyone who has attempted
to research these controversial topics knows just how difficult if is to
sift through massive amounts of inadequately prepared popular literature
to find veridical information.
The book opens with an intelligent discussion of belief systems including
data from polls taken pertaining to those who have had experiences with
psi phenomena. Extrapolating from numerous professional polls, Schmicker
notes that the percentage of people who believe they have personally had
one or more of these experiences is very substantial. Next he addresses
the fact that many notable people are included among those who have publicly
made statements affirming what apparently happened. His list of scientists
involved comes heavily from membership in the Society
for Scientific Exploration of which he is an affiliate.
There is also a section containing examples of scientists who were preeminent
in their respective fields but went on to denigrate advances in other areas
that turned out to be accurate and are now commonly accepted by the scientific
community. Some famous examples include Lord Kelvin’s pronouncement that
X-rays would prove to be a hoax, rejection of Joseph Lister’s notion that
germs caused infection, and Scientific American’s branding of the Wright
Brothers as a “pair of hoaxers.” Readers will find the comment attributed
to Dr. Lewis Wolpert, chairman of COPUS (the British version of CSICOP)
particularly troublesome when he stated “Open minds are empty minds.”
The second section of the book outlines the best evidence for each of the
phenomena that he explored. While I am familiar with most of the topics
covered, I have been most closely associated with near-death experiences.
One of the primary arguments presented by skeptics always revolves around
the quality of the data and lack of controls during experimentation. In
general they have little knowledge of these fields but in fairness, many
of these phenomena occur spontaneously and often are not readily subjected
to laboratory rigor. The search has gone on without much success for the
definitive case that would defy conventional explanation and meet all of
the questions of the skeptics.
However, if there were ever a case that did happen under extremely controlled
conditions it is that of a woman known by the pseudonym Pam Reynolds. Michael
Sabom, himself a cardiologist, first reported the case in his 1998 book
Light & Death. Most incidents of NDEs happen spontaneously due to
illness or accidents and the information provided is purely subjective.
Frequently we cannot confirm that the individual was actually close to physical
death and instrumentation to support those claims is rarely available. The
Pam Reynolds case meets the most stringent requirements for controls and
should even force us to reexamine our definition of death.
In 1991 Pam Reynolds underwent brain surgery during which she was put into
full hypothermic cardiac arrest. Her vital signs were carefully monitored
including cessation of heartbeat, draining of all blood from the brain,
no cortical brain activity, and her core body temperature was dropped to
60 degrees. By all known standards Pam Reynolds was clinically dead and
remained that way for many minutes. Yet she was revived and continues to
live a healthy life.
While her physical death was assured, what Pam Reynolds reported was equally
important. Most of the experience she had during her operation is subjective.
However, like a few other NDEers, she provided information about what happened
to her in the operating room that was corroborated by technical witnesses.
Although she previously did not have specific information about the procedures
that were performed on her, she provided detailed descriptions that were
later substantiated. She also reported being in an out-of-body state and
proceeding through a tunnel of light. During her visitation she claims that
she had the opportunity to meet with relatives she knew to have been deceased.
While that aspect may be subjective, it receives strong inferential support
given her objective clinical condition at the time.
The book contains a myriad of similar stories concerning personal experiences—the
kind that drive human interest in the study of phenomena. While Schmicker
does not have the answers to these exotic and sometimes teleological questions,
he does point the way for further study.
The book is published by iUniverse.com, Inc. and may be accessed through
either iUniverse.com or Amazon.com
Reviewed by John Alexander
