EssaysThe Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies was founded in 2020 to raise awareness of—and encourage research into—the survival of consciousness after death. To that end, the institute ran an essay contest on this topic, throwing down a whopping $1.8M to the 29 winners.
Considering the historic dearth in funding for consciousness and parapsychology research, they certainly have our attention. We should all loudly applaud this rare offering, and look forward to whatever else BICS and founder Robert Bigelow have in store.
Winning first prize, with an award of $500,000, is the essay 'Beyond the Brain: The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death', by Dr Jeffrey Mishlove of Thinking Allowed fame. Second prize went to NDE researcher, author, and manifesto signatory Dr Pim van Lommel for his essay 'The Continuity of Consciousness: A concept based on scientific research on near-death experiences during cardiac arrest', for which he received $300,000. And the third place prize of $150,000 went to historian Dr Leo Ruickbie for 'The Ghost in the Time Machine'. Ten others received $50,000 and a further fifeteen $20,000. Winners include noted scientists such as Julie Beischel PhD, Stephen E Braude PhD, Bernardo Kastrup PhD, Dr Peter Fenwick and his team, and many others.
All essays are free to read on the BICS website. If you're at all wondering what evidence there is for the survival of consciousness, a treasure trove awaits you.
"We hope these essays collectively provide a valuable resource for researchers and members of the public for presenting the evidence for survival of human consciousness after bodily death."
