If the mind is just a function of the brain, it makes sense that the more damaged the brain, the worse the mind functions. While this is what most current brain research reveals, there is a body of evidence that suggests the opposite: in extreme circumstances, such as near death, the mind may function properly or even better. than usual, while the brain is impaired.
This suggests that the mind can function independently of the brain.
Alexander Batthyany, Professor of Theoretical Psychology and Philosophy of Psychology in Liechtenstein and at the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of Vienna, is one of the researchers who studied these cases.
In his most recent study, published this month in the Journal of Near-Death Studies, he and his colleagues examined thousands of accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) to to determine the quality of vision and cognition.