Dame Jane Goodall is held in the highest respect in the scientific community, on the basis of her expert knowledge of chimpanzees after more than 60 years of studying and working with the primates, as well as her activism on animal welfare and conservation issues.
But the legendary primatologist is unafraid to hold beliefs that are at odds with ‘orthodox science’ – for instance, she has previously said that she is “sure” that there is an undiscovered large ape species – that is, Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Yeti. And now, in a recent interview posted by Channel 4 in the UK, she has stated her belief that consciousness survives the physical death of the body, on the basis of experiences that she and others have had.
My next great adventure, aged 90, is dying. There’s either nothing or something, and if there’s nothing there’s nothing, and that’s it. If there’s something I can’t think of a greater adventure than finding out what it is.
I happen to think there is something because of experiences I’ve had, [and] because of experiences other people have had – very powerful ones.
It would be fascinating to learn more about the experiences that Jane Goodall says she has had. (You can learn more about the extraordinary experiences others have had in my book Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife.)
