Born | Peter Brooke Cadogan Fenwick 25 May 1935 (age 84) |
---|---|
Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
Known for | Near-death studies |
Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Fenwick |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Neuropsychiatry, neurophysiology |
Institutions | Maudsley Hospital |
Peter Brooke Cadogan Fenwick (born 25 May 1935) is a neuropsychiatrist and neurophysiologist who is known for his studies of epilepsy and end-of-life phenomena.
Peter Fenwick is an eminent neuropsychiatrist, academic and expert on disorders of the brain. His most compelling and provocative research has been into the end of life phenomena, including near-death experiences and deathbed visions of the dying person, as wel The Art of Dying is a contemporary version of the medieval Ars Moriendi-a manual on. The Art of Dying is a contemporary version of the medieval Ars Moriendi-a manual on how to achieve a good death. Peter Fenwick is an eminent neuropsychiatrist, academic.
Fenwick is a graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge,[1] where he studied Natural Science. He obtained his clinical experience at St Thomas' Hospital.[2]
Fenwick is a senior lecturer at King's College, London, where he works as a consultant at the Institute of Psychiatry.[3][4][5] He is the Consultant Neuropsychologist at both the Maudsley,[6] and John Radcliffe hospitals, and also provides services for Broadmoor Hospital.[7] He works with the Mental Health Group at the University of Southampton, and holds a visiting professorship at the Riken Neurosciences Institute in Japan.[5][8]
Fenwick is the president of the Horizon Research Foundation,[9] an organisation that supports research into end-of-life experiences. He is the President of the British branch of the International Association for Near-Death Studies.[7]
Fenwick has been part of the editorial board for a number of journals, including the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, the Journal of Consciousness Studies and the Journal of Epilepsy and Behaviour.[1]
Fenwick's interest in near-death experiences was piqued when he read Raymond Moody's book Life After Life. Initially skeptical of Moody's anecdotal evidence, Fenwick reassessed his opinion after a discussion with one of his own patients, who described a near-death experience very similar to that of Moody's subjects.[10] Since then, he has collected and analysed more than 300 examples of near-death experiences.[11]
He has been criticised by some in the medical community for arguing that human consciousness can survive bodily death.[12] Fenwick argues that human consciousness may be more than just a function of the brain.[8][13]
The plain fact is that none of us understands these phenomena. As for the soul and life after death, they are still open questions, though I myself suspect that NDEs are part of the same continuum as mystical experiences.[14]
Fenwick and his wife are co-authors of The Art of Dying, a study of the spiritual needs of near-death patients. The Fenwicks argue that modern medical practices have devalued end-of-life experiences, and call for a more holistic approach to death and dying.[15] In 2003, Fenwick and Sam Parnia appeared in the BBCdocumentary 'The Day I Died'. In the documentary Parnia and Fenwick discussed their belief that research from near-death experiences indicates the mind is independent of the brain. According to Susan Blackmore the documentary misled viewers with beliefs that are rejected by the majority of scientists. Blackmore criticized the documentary for biased and 'dishonest reporting'.[16]
Fenwick and Parnia have claimed that research from NDEs may show the 'mind is still there after the brain is dead'. Download terjemahan arab gandul kitab qomi tughyan. The neurologist Michael O'Brien has written 'most people would not find it necessary to postulate such a separation between mind and brain to explain the events,' and suggested that further research is likely to provide a physical explanation for near-death experiences.[17]Robert Todd Carroll has written that Fenwick has made metaphysical assumptions and dismissed possible psychological and physiological explanations for near-death experiences.[18]
Fenwick's interests include hill-walking and fishing.[19] He is married to Elizabeth Fenwick, who co-authors many of his books.[citation needed]
A new book to help the dying, their loved ones and their health care workers better understand the dying process and to come to terms with death itself. The Art of Dying is a contemporary version of the medieval Ars Moriendi--a manual on how to achieve a good death. Peter Fenwick is an eminent neuropsychiatrist, academic and expert on disorders of the brain. His most compelling and provocative research has been into the end of life phenomena, including near-death experiences and deathbed visions of the dying person, as well as the experiences of hospice and palliative care workers and relatives of dying people. Dr. Fenwick believes that consciousness may be independent of the brain and so able to survive the death of the brain, a theory which has divided the scientific community. The 'problem with death' is deeply rooted in our culture and the social organization of death rituals. Fenwick believes that with serious engagement and through further investigation of these phenomena, he can help change attitudes so that we in the West can face up to death, and embrace it as a significant and sacred part of life. We have become used to believing that we have to shield each other from the idea of death. Fear of death means we view it as something to be fought every step of the way. Aimed at a broad popular readership, The Art of Dying looks at how other cultures have dealt with death and the dying process (The Tibetan 'death system', Swedenborg, etc.) and compares this with phenomena reported through recent scientific research. It describes too the experiences of health care workers who are involved with end of life issues who feel that they need a better understanding of the dying process, and more training in how to help their patients die well by overcoming the common barriers to a good death, such as unfinished business and unresolved emotions of guilt or hate. From descriptions of the phenomena encountered by the dying and those around them, to mapping out ways in which we can die a 'good death', this book is an excellent basis for helping people come to terms with death.