MISSION
The mission of the HICS is to research and investigate human consciousness. These efforts shall focus in particular on scientifically and definitively proving, or disproving, the existence of a conscious individual soul or self and its continued existence after physical death. Particular emphasis is placed on establishing a body of rigorous and indisputable scientific verifications of reported out of body experiences (OBEs) and recalled experiences of death (NDEs / REDs). We also seek to introduce and explore new experimental approaches and methodologies (see below).
DETAILS
The Institute was founded to research the nature of human consciousness and in particular to investigate physicalist vs non-local theories, to examine the evidence and approaches for each, and specifically to examine evidence for and against the continued post-mortem existence of an individual conscious self or soul. The institute's ultimate aim is to definitely settle the long standing and unresolved "hard problem of consciousness", as formulated and described by cognitive neuroscientist and NYU professor Dr Richard Chalmers in his 1995 paper "Facing Up to the Problems of Consciousness" and in his 1996 book "The Conscious Mind".
The Institute will at all times employ the highest standards of scientific rigour to:
1. Compile a definitive and highly scrutinised and verified database of reported OBEs, NDEs, REDs and other related experiences, reports, testimonies and phenonoma relating to consciousness and the existence of the soul and the survival of the soul in an afterlife. Of the many thousands of reported and documented cases to be investigated it is expected that only a very small percentage will meet the required level of stringent independent scientific, medical and statistical examination, scrutiny and verification required.
2. The Instutute will explore, conduct, support and develop new research techniques and approaches into all such phenonema as outlined above and work with researchers in this field worldwide and publish the findings.
3. The Institute shaIl investigate the possibility and validity of induced death experiences (for which we introduce and use the term IDEs) in all their various forms.
4. The Institute shall explore medical, ethical and legal issues, difficulties and challenges involved in the development of research and experimentation leading to voluntarily induced death followed by attempted resuscitation with human volunteers under stricly controlled and monitored conditions.