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4515
qualitative
book
Mays, Robert G. and Mays, Suzanne B. "Near-Death Experiences: Extended Naturalism or Promissory Physicalism? A Response to Fischer's Article." Referenced from Casebolt personal communication and Corcoran 1996. Case 2: Jerry Casebolt.
Mays Response to Fischer 2024; Corcoran 1996 p.83
2024
7
M
Jerry Casebolt experienced a near-death experience at age seven while hospitalized for a serious medical condition. During his NDE, Jerry found himself outside of his physical body with the ability to move freely throughout the hospital environment. This out-of-body state provided him with an unusual perspective and capabilities that he would not normally possess as a seven-year-old patient confined to a hospital bed.
During his out-of-body experience, Jerry discovered he could interact with the physical environment in subtle ways. He moved through the hospital and came upon another patient, an elderly woman who was described as having dementia. In a playful manner characteristic of a seven-year-old child, Jerry decided to test his ability to interact with the physical world while in his out-of-body state. Jerry approached the woman with dementia and playfully tickled her nose. To his amazement, the woman responded by sneezing. Intrigued by this result, Jerry repeated the action two more times, and each time the woman sneezed in response. This interaction demonstrated that even while out of body, Jerry could produce physical effects that were observable and measurable in the material world. The woman's sneezing response was an involuntary reflex action triggered by the sensation Jerry was able to create. This case is particularly significant because it demonstrates interactive veridical perception - not only could Jerry perceive the physical world while out of body, but he could also influence it in a way that produced an observable response. The specificity of the interaction (tickling producing sneezing) and its repeatability (occurring three times) argue against coincidence or chance. The case suggests that consciousness during an NDE maintains some form of agency and ability to interact with the physical environment, even when separated from the physical body. This challenges purely materialistic explanations of consciousness and supports the view that mind or consciousness has properties that transcend purely physical brain processes.
5
Hospital
7
10
25
Suggestive Evidence
8
Seven-year-old hospitalized with serious condition
Interactive veridical perception with observable physical response
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7/22/2025
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