Jim Tucker, MD, the Bonner-Lowry Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences and recently retired director of the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS), was featured in The New York Times about DOPS research devoted to the rigorous evaluation of empirical evidence for extraordinary human experiences and capacities.
UVA DOPS is one of the few institutions worldwide studying “parapsychology,” which includes near-death and out-of-body experiences, altered states of consciousness, and past lives research. The division, founded in 1967 under the leadership of Ian Stevenson, MD, focuses on investigating the mind’s relationship to the body and the possibility of consciousness surviving physical death. In general, this process involves studying phenomena that challenge mainstream scientific paradigms regarding the nature of human consciousness. The research is funded by private donations.
In the article, Dr. Tucker stated, “…if people could see that there is this aspect of themselves that continues, it could help with grief and death anxiety, and, you know, hopefully help people treat each other a little better. There would be a stronger sense that we’re all kind of in this together, that, again, this is not just a pointless existence.”
Read the full story in The New York Times (subscription may be required).
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