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The Reincarnation Hypothesis
In the last few posts, I have referred to the idea of being reborn in varying bodies as “The Reincarnation Hypothesis.” I’ve given brief overviews about the evidence, objections, and alternative explanations, and argued that the reincarnation hypothesis is the most likely one for the over 2,500 recorded cases of children who were able to…
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Alternative Explanations to Reincarnation
Last week, I discussed common criticisms levied against the work done by reincarnation researchers, and explained how these objections, when scrutinized, are not defeaters of the reincarnation hypothesis. However, these are different than another class of objections, which accept that the reincarnation researchers are picking up an actual phenomenon—that is, that the data they collected…
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Objections to the Reincarnation Hypothesis
In my last post, I discussed the scientific approach to the study of reincarnation, and challenged skeptics to either show that there was systemic error in the approach of Ian Stevenson and others or provide an alternative hypothesis that explains the data. Unsurprisingly, the reincarnation hypothesis is unpopular in the world of institutional science. It…
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Coming Back
Suppose a friend of yours told you that years ago he was in a plane crash. This friend is known for telling tall tales, so you just say that he’s full of it. But he insists that he’s telling the truth—in fact, he’s willing to prove it. He tells you what type of plane it…
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When All Your Dreams Come True
A few weeks ago, the much awaited second part to the movie adaptation of Wicked was released. For my readers who don’t follow pop culture, Wicked is a highly regarded musical, loosely based on a book of the same name by Gregory Maguire. Maguire’s book is a parallel story to The Wizard of Oz, told…
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Continuity and Conscience
Imagine you work for an AI company that wants to tap into a new market — chess. You are selected as the head of a project named Gambit, an AI that is made to win chess games. Of course, that isn’t so exciting; machines have been beating people at chess since the days of Deep…
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Welcome to More Deeply Considered
More Deeply Considered is an exploration of life’s big questions. Examining science, philosophy, culture and just about anything else to try to understand a deeper perspective, question assumptions, and maybe see things from another point of view. Of course, everyone claims to question assumptions these days. You can hardly pass a graduate student, professor or…