Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife
by Mary Roach
Norton Paperback, £12.69, ISBN 978-0-393-32912-4
Is there life after death and, if so, how can we find out? One way is to sort the wheat from the chaff, discarding any ‘mystery’ that can be scientifically explained to see what, if anything, is left. Roach looks at attempts past and present to explore the Big Sleep in a chatty, often jokey style underpinned by solid research and historical detail. She interviews scientists and believers as she looks at (among other things) reincarnation, the search for the soul, spiritualism, EVP, EMF, infrasound and neardeath experiences. She also tries some things out for herself – a mediumship course, recording spirit voices and meeting reincarnated people in India. She is not convinced.
She says that, ”for millions of people, religion will turn out to have been a bum steer as regards the hereafter. Science seemed a better bet”. As a good sceptic, she keeps an open mind and readily admits what science has yet to prove or disprove.
The book is full of fascinating stories and findings, from attempts to weigh the souls of mice and early theories about sperm to solid recent work on how EMF and infrasound can cause hallucinations, a racing heart, sensations of a presence and other ‘spooky’ reactions in certain people. While this can explain some experiences, she also considers the possibility that EMF, for example, simply opens receptive people up to something that is really there. She points out that many good scientists in the past were fooled or came to the wrong conclusions with the best of intentions. After meeting would-be mediums, she also decides that many are fooling themselves about their abilities rather than deliberately trying to con the punters. Roach’s conclusion is that, while science has so far cleared a lot of mud from the waters, there is still a big “Who knows?” to be resolved in many areas. The book is a good introduction to the subject of the afterlife and a useful source of research findings that debunk many claims. Don’t be put off by the title.
Tessa Kendall
