Hello, my name's Mrs. Rawbone and be working with you today on a lesson on Ian McCormack and near death experience.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to reflect on Ian McCormack's conversion experience and use philosophical arguments to show how it could be used as support for the existence of God.

We're going to be using a few keywords today, and they are conversion, Ian McCormack, near death experience, and Richard Swinburne.

Now, a conversion is a complete transformation, often involving a change in worldview, such as adopting a new religious belief.

Ian McCormack is a man who converted to Christianity after having a near death experience.

A near death experience is a transformative experience often involving visions, feelings of peace, or encounters with a higher power, typically reported by those who have been close to death.

Richard Swinburne is a philosopher who argues that religious experiences should be taken as evidence for the existence of God.

There will be two parts to our lesson today.

First, we're going to look at Ian McCormack's story, and then we're going to be looking at evidence for the existence of God.

So let's get started and explore Ian McCormack's story.

In this lesson, we're going to be using the tool of philosophy to explore Ian McCormack's story and what it says about evidence for the existence of God.

Now, philosophers are academics and thinkers who study ultimate questions about existence, knowledge, ethics, and reality, using logic to explore these topics.

Whether you have a religious or a non-religious worldview, you can use philosophy as a tool to understand the arguments others use to support their views.

In this lesson, we will use Ian McCormack's near death experience to form a philosophical argument for God's existence, supported by the ideas of the philosopher Richard Swinburne.

Our worldview is the way we experience, understand, and respond to the world.

Worldviews evolve over time and are shaped by our experiences, including our culture and upbringing.

They become established and can be resistant to change because they are so deeply tied to our identity, beliefs, and values.

When someone changes a religious worldview dramatically, it is sometimes known as a conversion.

The word conversion comes from Latin.

It's made up of two parts, con and version.

Con is from the Latin con, meaning altogether or completely.

Version comes from the Latin vertere, meaning turn.

So conversion has come to signify a complete transformation, often linked to a change in worldview, such as adopting a new religious belief or faith.

Although conversions don't happen easily, there are certain experiences that can lead or influence someone to change their worldview.

Here are some of the factors that can change worldviews.

Encounters with new ideas.

This could be a new culture, or a new worldview, or a new or different religion.

Major life events, such as trauma, loss, or illness.

Getting older.

So ageing and gaining experience could lead someone to change their worldview.

Religious experiences could also lead someone to change their worldview.

They could be influenced by that moment when the presence of a higher power is felt.

Near death experiences are reported by those near death and are sometimes seen as religious experiences.

Dr.

Raymond Moody, an American psychiatrist, identified their common features.

Those who experience them report feeling detached from their physical body.

They usually describe moving through a tunnel towards a bright light.

They'll often mention a sense of peace.

They might describe meeting deceased loved ones or spiritual beings.

They often also say they experience some kind of review of their life.

And the key feature is that they often end up with a deeper understanding or purpose for their life.

So let's check your understanding.

Which of the following is an example of a conversion? Is it a, becoming a Christian, b, changing your political views, c, changing jobs, or d, moving to a different country? Take a bit of time to think, jot down your answer, pause if you need to, and then come back to check.

Well done if you put a, becoming a Christian.

In the context that we're using it, the word conversion is about a dramatic change in a worldview, such as changing religion.

Ian McCormack's experience of being stung by five box jellyfish changed his life.

He was brought up as a Christian but later became an atheist.

Following this near-death experience, he gave up atheism and became what he called a reborn Christian.

Here is a retelling of Ian's account of this experience.

One night, while diving for lobster on the small island of Mauritius, Ian McCormack, a 26-year-old New Zealander, was stung on his forearm by five box jellyfish.

The sting left him paralysed.

And by the time an ambulance arrived, his body was completely immobile.

As he was rushed to the hospital, Ian began to see his life flash before his eyes.

In this moment of crisis, although he was an atheist, Ian had a vision of his mother praying for him.

She encouraged him to cry out to God, assuring him that God would hear and forgive him.

Unsure of what to say, Ian pleaded for help to pray.

And instantly he recalled the words of the Lord's Prayer, a prayer he had never spoken sincerely before.

For the first time in his life, he prayed with his heart.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Ian was rushed inside, but the medical staff struggled to save him and he was pronounced dead.

During this time, Ian found himself in a dark, featureless void.

Attempting to reach out, his hands passed through (indistinct) and he realised he couldn't touch anything.

As he grappled with fear, a sinister presence emerged, accompanied by mocking voices declaring he deserved to be in hell.

Suddenly, a radiant beam of light pierced the darkness, lifting him upward like a speck of dust drawn into sunlight.

Ian entered what seemed to be a long, narrow passageway or tunnel, at the end of which was the source of the radiant light.

Emerging from the tunnel, Ian stood in the presence of a magnificent light.

And the voice spoke, asking Ian, "Do you wish to return?" Ian looked back and saw a vision of his mother and of countless other people, many of whom would not have the chance to know God if Ian did not return.

Ian realised he was no longer in his physical body.

And turning back to the light, he expressed a desire to return.

The voice replied, "If you wish to return, you must see in a new light." After being dead for 15 minutes, Ian awoke on a hospital bed, startling the attending doctor who had been working on his apparently lifeless body.

Overwhelmed by what he had just experienced.

Ian prayed for healing.

The following day, he walked out of the hospital fully recovered.

So have a think.

How might different people interpret this story in different ways and why might they do this? If there's someone nearby that you can talk to, then have a conversation.

Give yourself a chance to think over what you've just heard and come back when you are ready.

Now, this powerful experience led to Ian's conversion and it had a huge impact on his life and has done ever since then.

Ian turned away from the life he formally had, which was focused on self gratification, and he now lives with a deep, unwavering faith in God.

As a motivational speaker and a missionary, Ian shares the story of his encounter with God with audiences around the world, offering a message of hope and transformation.

He speaks not just of his own experience but of the transformative power of faith, the importance of love, and the deep interconnectedness of humanity.

Ian's life is now dedicated to helping others discover God's purpose for them.

He travels extensively, sharing his testimony, offering spiritual guidance and encouraging others to embrace belief in God.

His story inspired countless people to reflect on their lives, recognise the deeper meaning of their experiences, and find God's peace and purpose for themselves.

Through his speaking engagements, his books, and his personal ministry, Ian McCormack continues to inspire individuals, demonstrating the power of divine love and the possibility of transformation.

So what do you think is important when considering Ian McCormack's experience and how it led to his conversion? Have a conversation with someone nearby, pause if you need to, and then come back when you've had a chance to reflect on what you've heard about the impact it had on his life.

So let's check your understanding.

Ian McCormack converted to Christianity after his near death experience in which he encountered.

And you need to decide on the missing words.

Is it a, a feeling of fear, b, a vision of his past life, c, a higher power or God, or d, a bright light? Choose the letter, jot it down, pause if you need to, and then come back to check your answer.

Well done if you put c, a higher power or God.

So let's practise your understanding on Ian McCormack's story.

Jacob, Alex, and Izzy are talking about the reason why Ian McCormack's near death experience led him to convert to Christianity.

I'd like you to identify whose explanation best reflects why he became a Christian and to explain why.

Jacob says, "I think he converted because he wanted to reconnect with the peace and love he felt." Alex says, "I think God felt real to him and he wanted to change." Izzy says, "I think he felt judged and became a Christian to feel safe for the next time." So think back over what you've learned about Ian McCormack's experience and choose who is best explaining why he became a Christian.

Take your time to write down your ideas and explain your answer.

So pause the video and come back when you are ready.

So let's have a look at what you could have said.

Alex's explanation is best because Ian McCormack's experience led him to believe in God because it felt deeply personal and real.

During his near death experience after being stung by box jellyfish, Ian described being surrounded by an intense, loving light that he believed was the presence of God.

In this moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of peace and unconditional love.

He also heard a voice that he identified as God, which guided him and made him realise the reality of God's existence.

This powerful encounter convinced him that God was real, inspiring him to change his life and become a Christian.

Well done if you spotted that Alex's was the best explanation, because in Alex's explanation he mentioned that meeting with God, that encounter.

So let's move on to the second part of our lesson and look at evidence for the existence of God.

Ian McCormack's story can be formulated as a philosophical argument for the existence of God.

It will be structured as follows.

Premise one, religious experiences provide evidence for God.

Premise two, McCormack's near death experience was a religious experience.

Premise three, his near death experience led him to convert to Christianity.

Conclusion, McCormack's experience proves that God exists.

So let's look a bit more closely at this argument.

Some philosophers might disagree with the premises.

For example, the premise that Ian McCormack's near-death experience was a religious experience, they could contend this by saying, well, perhaps he interpreted it as religious just because he was brought up as a Christian.

They might also disagree with the conclusion.

For example, there might be a psychological explanation rather than God being the explanation.

However, other philosophers might agree, perhaps agreeing with the premise that it was a religious experience because it involved common features that other religious experiences also have, like visions, and peace, and transformation.

They might also agree that it proves God exists because the transformative nature of the experience might suggest a divine encounter.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, if a philosopher agrees with the premise that Ian McCormack had a religious experience, they're likely to agree with the conclusion that God exists.

Take your time to think about whether it's true or false.

Have a think as well about why.

Pause the video until you're ready to come back and check your answer.

Well done if you got that the statement is true.

But why? It's true because if a philosopher accepts the premises of an argument, then they are likely to agree with the conclusion.

Richard Swinburne is a philosopher who has applied some everyday observations and use these to support the argument from religious experience.

Aisha says, "I smelled something burning in the science lab and trusted my senses, so I told a teacher.

They investigated and found someone had left the bunsen burner on, which was a fire hazard." According to Swinburne, what Aisha is doing here is she's putting the principle of credulity into practise by trusting her own experience.

Swinburne says it's usually right to trust your experiences unless there's a good reason to doubt them.

Lucas says, "Aisha told me she saw a Premier League football player at the weekend.

Even though I wasn't there and she didn't manage to get a photo, I believe her because she knows a lot about football and I have no reason to think she's lying or has got it wrong." According to Swinburne, Lucas has put the principle of testimony into practise when he believed Aisha.

Swinburne says it's usually right to trust what someone else tells us unless there's good reason to doubt them.

So the principle of credulity is about believing yourself.

We should trust our own experiences unless there's good reason to doubt them.

If we experience something, like a vision or feeling, it's generally right to trust it as real.

Our perceptions are usually accurate and it's reasonable to trust them.

So it's about trusting ourselves if we have some kind of religious experience.

The principle of testimony is about trusting what others have to say about religious experiences.

We should trust others' experiences unless we have evidence they are mistaken or lying.

If someone shares their experience, for example, seeing a vision, we should believe them unless we have a reason to doubt.

We should give the benefit of the doubt to what people tell us about their experiences.

So let's look again at Ian McCormack's experience formulated as an argument for God's existence.

Religious experiences provide evidence for God.

Ian McCormack's near death experience was a religious experience.

His near death experience led to a commitment to Christianity.

Ian McCormack's experience proves that God exists.

We saw earlier how philosophers might agree or disagree with the premises.

Now, if we use Swinburne's principles, then we would likely agree with them, because the principle of credulity suggests we should trust our own experiences unless there's a good reason not to.

So Ian McCormack should trust his own experience.

And according to Swinburne, the rest of us can see McCormack's experience as proof that God exists, because the principle of testimony suggests we should trust what others tell us about their experiences unless there's a reason to doubt them.

So essentially Swinburne was saying, you know, we use these kinds of principles all the time when we're thinking about what we should and shouldn't believe in everyday life, and there's no reason why we shouldn't use them with examples of religious experience too.

So let's check your understanding.

According to Richard Swinburne's principle of testimony, how should we treat Ian McCormack's account of his religious experience? A, we should reject it unless it can be scientifically proven, b, we should accept it unless there is strong reason to doubt it, c, we should ignore it as a psychological effect, or d, we should accept it as it fits with Christianity? Take some time to think about your answer, pause if you need to, and then come back to check.

Well done if you chose b, we should accept it unless there is strong reason to doubt it.

Swinburne would most likely say that we should believe Ian's account and see it as evidence of God's existence.

Let's practise your understanding on evidence for the existence of God and how Swinburne's principles apply to this.

Andeep is explaining Richard Swinburne's principles of credulity and testimony.

Your task is to identify what he has got wrong and explain why it is wrong.

"Swinburne's principle of credulity says we should always believe what others tell us about experiences like seeing a vision or hearing a voice, even if we have reason to doubt them.

The principle of testimony states we should trust our own experiences even if there's another explanation, such as a hallucination, because we know what we've seen or felt." Take some time to read his explanation carefully again and jot down all the things that he's got wrong, with a note as to why they are wrong.

Take as long as you need, pause the video, and come back when you are ready to have a look at what you wrote.

Let's check your work.

So you could have said Andeep says we should always believe what others tell us about their experiences even if we have reason to doubt them.

This is incorrect because Swinburne's principle of credulity states that we should believe our own experiences unless we have good reason to doubt them.

If there is reason to doubt, such as we were hallucinating, we should not believe the experience.

Andeep says we should trust our own experiences even if there's another explanation, such as a hallucination.

This is also incorrect because although the principle of testimony emphasises that we should trust others' accounts of their experiences, it doesn't mean we should should ignore alternative explanations.

If there's a reasonable alternative explanation, like a hallucination, we should consider it.

Well done if you established that Andeep had got the principles mixed up and if you picked out some of the things that he got wrong about them.

So for Task 2, in looking at evidence for the existence of God, Lucas and Sofia are thinking about how Richard Swinburne might use Ian McCormack's example to answer the question, do religious experiences prove God exists? I'd like you to complete their statements, making sure you explain each principle and you apply it to Ian McCormack's example.

Lucas says, "Swinburne's principle of credulity can be applied to Ian McCormack's example and used to support the existence of God because.

." And Sofia says, "Swinburne might say that Ian McCormack's experience supports the existence of God because his principle of testimony.

." So take some time, think back over what those two principles are, and use your knowledge to complete the sentences.

Pause the video and come back when you're ready to check your work.

So let's have a look at what you could have said.

Lucas says, "Swinburne's principle of credulity can be applied to Ian McCormack's example and used to support the existence of God because it's suggests that we should believe our experience unless we have a good reason to think it was caused by something else.

Ian McCormack's life-changing encounter with God is convincing because of the strong and lasting impact it had on him.

He decided to become a Christian missionary and travel the world to share his story and help convert others to Christianity." Well done if you wrote anything similar to that and if you showed that it was about knowing that Ian McCormack had very good reasons for believing what he experienced.

For Sofia, you could have said, Swinburne might say that Ian McCormack's experience supports the existence of God because his principle of testimony suggests that we should trust people's accounts of their experiences unless there is a good reason to doubt them.

Ian McCormack's testimony, which describes a deep and transformative encounter with God, is likely to be believable because it has changed his life.

He stopped being an atheist and made significant changes to how he lives.

Well done if you managed to mention the fact that Ian McCormack converted or became a Christian from atheism, because this really does suggest that maybe his experience should be trusted if you are following Swinburne's principle of testimony.

In our lesson today on Ian McCormack and near death experience, we have learned that a conversion experience leads to someone changing their religious beliefs, that Ian McCormack's near death experience led to his conversion to Christianity, Ian McCormack's near death experience continues to impact on his life, his experience can be used as a philosophical argument for the existence of God, and that Richard Swinburne argues that the principles of credulity and testimony can support religious experiences as an argument for God's existence.

Well done.

We did a lot today.

Thank you for working so hard.