Spirit

[Gavmacp]

This is a subject that interests me. As to whether we have a spirit.
Due to an experience as a child I have always been interested in Near Death Experiences. I am a nurse and have heard of people that have been successfuly resuscitated (the unsuccesful ones strangely remain quiet on the subject) that have recounted experiences that are interesting though I could explain using a scientific approach. An article that I read that I find difficult to explain was that of a casualty doctor in America who put posters on top of cupboards and occasionally people that were resuscitated would ask why they were.

[RATTER15]

Interesting, yes. reality, no!

[Gavmacp]

Maybe not 'Reality' in your experience but I wasn't looking the usual AB arguement counter arguement thing that appears to go on but just a general discussion.
There was a lady on the radio talking about Guardian Angels and that if you see a feather you have been visited. When I see a feather I know 1 of 2 things have occurred:-
1. My wife has changed the duvet cover.
2. I have hit a pheasant......again!

[naomi24]

I'll get lambasted by the other atheists here - as usual - but I think it's possible that human beings possess a soul.

Actually, I think it says a lot for the confidence non-believers have in their own conclusions that they will openly disagree - unlike the religious who appear to support one another in any discussion regardless of their particular brand. Just an observation.

[Gavmacp]

Dear Naomi24,
As a nurse we were told not to discuss religion with a patient. Though this could get complicated when someone is dying and is looking for something. I would often reflect their own beliefs.
There was someone recently that suggested that maybe we should look at the 'spirt' as well as the body and the mind.
I have experienced many things that could be explained by science but there have been somethings that cannot. Someone I worked with lost her grandma and the 'spirit' visited all her family. She is a very competent nurse and not someone I would disbelief.

[boxtops]

The feather question was posted on here a few days ago - I believe that all our senses are heightened at the time someone dies, we are very raw in emotion and all things take on significance.
Several of our family members "felt" our father around us a few days after he died when we were sorting out his papers - it was comforting, real or not.

[cazzz1975]

I agree with naomi. I have had personal experiences from childhood that cannot be explained, I am an atheist though.

[naomi24]

Gavmacp //As a nurse we were told not to discuss religion with a patient. //

Quite right - in my opinion.

//Though this could get complicated when someone is dying and is looking for something. I would often reflect their own beliefs.//

In those circumstances, I certainly wouldn't contradict them. The first rule for any counsellor is to listen - not to talk.

[naomi24]

Oh, well done Cazz! There aren't many of us about! :o)

[boxtops]

I agree entirely, naomi - sadly in the past I have heard of nursing staff trying to speak to dying patients about their own religious convictions, not those of the patient. These days, religious comfort can be requested from the hospital pastoral personnel - all trusts have a multifaith team on hand.

[DTCwordfan]

I agree with naomi.

As there are energy forms out there we do not yet understand and may well involve what could be termed telepathy - for example the ability of animals and birds to use sonar and navigation systems....

If we look back, how did our ancestors feel about electricity - they could see lightning, the Northern lights, St Elmo's fire, feel static etc but couldn't explain it.

I think it may be possible for some form of energy passes from us to the medium - and this is not per se spiritual....

[Gavmacp]

But as I have said someone in the Medical profession suggested that we 'nurse the spirit'. Which I agreed with at the time but then what is the spirit.
I have, in the past been present when people have passed away and I have never experienced the 'spirit' leave them. There are many rituals nurses do when someone dies that are quite charming such as open the window to let the spirit go.

[naomi24]

Ooo ... another one! We could start our own club - the Ghostly Atheists Society - or GAS for short. ;o)

[DTCwordfan]

will that be a wind-up or wind up, naomi?

[naomi24]

Gavmacp, if it's something you can't see, how could you experience it?

[naomi24]

I was thinking more 'hot air', DT. ;o)

[boxtops]

Holistic nursing - with attention to spiritual needs (not merely religious) - is taught these days in pre-reg, our local university runs a post-reg nursing module about spirituality in healthcare, it's an interesting curriculum.

[Gavmacp]

There are times when as a nurse you cannot see something is going wrong with a patient. All there observations are satisfactory but you just sense something is wrong.

[DTCwordfan]

the sixth sense they say - though I think it can be very subtle body language that also gives signals off to the "recipient"

[DTCwordfan]

one of the interesting areas in all of this is twin communication, especially when they are miles apart from each other.......

[naomi24]

Gavmacp, so are you saying that you, as a nurse, might expect to 'sense' a spirit leaving a body - and if so, why?