[womberte]

There is no evidence here. You are entering into the sphere of speculation again.

Well, it would be impetuous to say that there is no evidence at all. There have been millions of people that have had DAR (Death And Resuscitation) experiences. Numerous experiences, such as these, have taken place in clinical setting (e.g., hospitals) where people have been hooked to vital-sign monitors and EEG (electroencephalogram) machines. Many individuals, some clinically dead longer than 5 minutes, were resuscitated and described what was happening around them the entire time they were clinically dead. The described who came into the room, what was happening, what people were saying and doing, etc.

EEG machines reveal that all electrical neuronal activity ceases with the brain instants after death. These people are having conscious experiences while the brain is dead. I'm not talking about run-of-the-mill near death experiences. I am talking about death experiences, from individuals who died and were resuscitated.

Additionally, it is a core principle within Tibetan Buddhism that some forms of consciousness (subtle consciousness) are not dependent upon the physical brain. The is the whole basis of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which is essentially a navigational "travel" guide through the death experience. Ricard speaks of this in his books. Are you familiar with The Tibetan Book of the Dead?

He also talks about how the belief that consciousness is limited only to the brain as being purely metaphysical belief in its own right. Sure, it may be the consensus, in terms of scientific reductionism, but it is still just a metaphysical belief and hardly a proven fact.

An interesting metaphor is as follows: When you have your antenna plugged into television, you get a picture on your screen. When you damage your antenna, the picture becomes damaged on your screen. When you remove or completely break your antenna, your picture goes out.
Some would see that as proof that the picture originates, and exists solely in, the antenna. Would that be a fair conclusion?

You are entering into the sphere of speculation again.

Can we stop the charade here, honestly. Buddhism itself, as with every other religious tradition, falls firmly into the sphere of speculation as a whole.

Let me let you in on a little secret: Spirituality= speculation. Buddhism= speculation.

For example, when a human being is given an anesthetic, which sedates the brain & nervous system, they have no conscious experiences whatsoever.

People have no conscious experience when given anesthetic? Are you sure this might not be an unfounded generalization?

Actually, I received general anesthetic when I was a child. I got into a bike accident and tore up my arm and ended up with pieces of pavement inside my arm. I was rushed to the hospital and the chief of surgery ended up removing the roadway from deep inside my arm. Under general anesthetic I had one of the most vivid and sublime dreams that I can ever remember having. I was floating on a gigantic red ballon into an endless sky filled with other balloons. I drifted higher and higher in this world of balloons.

The point is, I had a conscious experience (a dream) while under anesthesia. I'm not saying that everyone does, or that everyone remembers their experience, but it is possible.