Scientists probe out-of-body experiences

[UM-Bot]

For the first time a brain scan has revealed what happens when someone is undertaking an 'astral trip'.

Reports of people 'projecting' from their physical selves and being able to view their own body while floating above it have persisted for years, both as part of near-death experiences and through self-initiated 'astral projection' techniques.

Read More: http://www.unexplain...ody-experiences

[Leonardo]

My take on this is the experience is fully internalised. Rather than being 'out-of-body' the subject is perceiving these images within the brain in a 3-D 'map' of what their senses have interpreted as being either their immediate surroundings, or some location they imagine or have previously viewed via some other, mundane, means.

The sensation of being 'out-of-body' is an illusion brought about by how we perceive.

[MiroBG]

Deep meditation can achieve this.

[White Crane Feather]

I was hoping for more. I would be nice to brain wave readings as well.

But in not the least bit surprised. Typical energy work involves improving your spacial awareness.

[White Crane Feather]

My take on this is the experience is fully internalised. Rather than being 'out-of-body' the subject is perceiving these images within the brain in a 3-D 'map' of what their senses have interpreted as being either their immediate surroundings, or some location they imagine or have previously viewed via some other, mundane, means.

The sensation of being 'out-of-body' is an illusion brought about by how we perceive.

I don't think it's out of body either. Most people that are proficient at this would say they see it as an expansion of awareness rather than a separating of consciousness. The feeling of being separate is a necessary contextual interpretation of a mind used to understanding 3d environments.

Edited March 8, 2014 by White Crane Feather

[Hawken]

Even with this new evidence, It's still speculation on both sides of the coin. Still don't have the bullets for the gun.

[FizzPuff]

Well; it's about time people look more into this. It's such an interesting subject. Hope they find out more about it.

[XenoFish]

It's all in your head, just depends on how big your head is.

[FizzPuff]

It appears my browser hiccuped and posted the same thing twice...ugh.

Edited March 8, 2014 by FizzPuff

[ancient astronaut]

I have an out of body experience whenever I eat Chile Relleno. My favorite dish ever.

[NightScreams]

I had one once. The amount of detail you can see is more like being awake than any dream is. Real or not it's certainly a unique experience when you have one. I could even feel things behind the wall, I could feel nails and insulation and even the brick on the other side. I could sense pressure and feel texture but no pain and nearly 20 years later can still recall every detail like it happened yesterday. I slammed pretty hard back into my body and it jerked me awake, kinda similar fashion to if you experience sleep paralysis. I had a few Lucid dreams over the years but even those didn't have the same awake feeling.

[White Crane Feather]

Of course if there something out of body is happening its going to have to interface with the brain for a memory to even exist. The imagining done on this subject is interesting because if you look at the other NDE threads, animal testing has proven to us that blood flow upon cardiac arrest is non existent, and NDEs ( a type of OBE) can't possibly be counting as a result of blood flow. The interesting thing is that real time brain imaging is conducted by inserting a slightly radio active die into the blood. Then the imager pics up where the blood concentrates.

To conclude that OBEs are all in the head as a result of images built on blood flow collecting in certain parts of the brain flies in the face of the fact that the most researched, vivid, and life changing type of OBE seems to happen when there is no blood flow.

[XenoFish]

Could always be the effect of the brain dying. They say life flashes before our eyes as we die.

[MyOtherAccount]

I, too, am glad people who have an fMRI have done enough research to acquire scans that support the experiences she has. Hopefully it is the same thing others have related.

Although the experiment records her brain activity and gives a measure of authenticity to such occurrences, IMO, that is as far as it goes. However, finally people in the scientific and medical communities can associate with the topic with far less criticism from their peers. I imagine lots of experiments will come about hereafter.

The experimenters, or the author, have taken a great deal of liberty itemizing further conclusions they think can be drawn. Where is the proof that there is or is not consciousness fully contained in the body or partially extended beyond her body. Do fMRIs detect consciousness? What does the paranormal appear like on an fMRI? How do you know when it is or is not present?

These may seem like a rediculous set of questions, but they reveal that the conclusions made are equally far fetched.

Wouldn't it be brilliant to expand the experiment further by providing a visual item picked by a double blind, random, verifiable device, like has been done for so long in ESP experiments. The item would also need to associate with some other kind of living thing to be of interest in that state of mind.

Remember the cardiac surgical room where they attempted to study OBEs? They placed cards with geometric shapes on them in the corners of the room. It may have worked if the symbols were atop the hats of the surgical caps them surgical teams wore.

Man is more interested in other living things than corners of rooms and of all things, geometric symbols--perhaps a drawing of a wheelchair.

[qxcontinuum]

My cousin had a out of body experience during a yoga session. He was marked for the rest of his life. Very positive and self equilibrated person he has become. After seeing the body laid flat on the floor he felt being pushed with an extreme force like by a powerful spring. Then he has mentioned feeling pains throughout all of finger nails. I believed him. These were symptoms nobody experienced so far.

[highdesert50]

Sleep paralysis is believed to occur when normal REM sleep is disrupted and the individual's waking consciousness is partially retained. Of note is that out-of-body experiences and floating have been associated with recurrent isolated sleep paralysis (RISP).

[Mr Supertypo]

a form of Lucid dreaming?

[SolarPlexus]

The more we research it the more we will know about the possibilities of our mind

[drewiduk]

And everyone said those military psiops were a waste of time!

[AlienDan]

A simple expierment can validate or disprove this, get someone to read what is written on a piece of paper in an an unreachable place in the room, or one next to it. Com on, would someone do this already!? I beleive it was done once, but only with one person, so and apperently the person was able to read the numbers, but the paper was in a reachable place, so I'm doubful. Needs to be replicated. I've tried astral projecting so many times with no success, would love for it to be real, but I just want the truth.

Edited March 10, 2014 by AlienDan

[Arbenol]

A simple expierment can validate or disprove this, get someone to read what is written on a piece of paper in an an unreachable place in the room, or one next to it. Com on, would someone do this already!? I beleive it was done once, but only with one person, so and apperently the person was able to read the numbers, but the paper was in a reachable place, so I'm doubful. Needs to be replicated. I've tried astral projecting so many times with no success, would love for it to be real, but I just want the truth.

You've misunderstood the research. The MRI scan showed what happens in the brain when someone "feels" like they are leaving their body, not when they are actually doing so.

It has nothing to say about whether these are real experiences or not. In fact, the original research uses the term "hallucinations" several times to describe the phenomenon.

You're correct about how to establish easily if it's real or not - and to the best of my knowledge I don't think that's ever been achieved. Like you, I remain sceptical.

[Kazahel]

A simple expierment can validate or disprove this, get someone to read what is written on a piece of paper in an an unreachable place in the room, or one next to it. Com on, would someone do this already!? I beleive it was done once, but only with one person, so and apperently the person was able to read the numbers, but the paper was in a reachable place, so I'm doubful. Needs to be replicated. I've tried astral projecting so many times with no success, would love for it to be real, but I just want the truth.

I think you might be talking about this mysterious Miss Z(Charles tart)?. If you actually read the experiment done in detail it wouldn't even be considered an experiment now days. Back in the hippy days(I think it was 1968-70, around there I forget) it would've been lapped up like milk(and sold on as books). He even admitted to not fully watching this Miss Z during the experiment and had even maybe fallen asleep instead of watching her.. Let alone the chance of reflections. I'm pretty sure I also read that she was either Charles Tarts house keeper for awhile or Dr Monroe's. So they were lucky enough apparently to come across someone perfect for their experiment(obe at will).. And she needed the money...

I cant find the link to that(housekeeper)but I thought I read something like that. So yeah if you read it in detail you'll see what I mean. But you need to find the one written by 'Dr' Tart and not ones written from tart that omit certain details. I cant find the one I'm looking for now, the link I had to it is not working anymore for some reason.

Anyway here is a small example of the kind of 'experiments' they did around those years(the 70's).

One series of investigations conducted by Dr. Robert Morris and astral traveler Keith Harary involved Harary astral traveling to another room in which a kitten (name Spirit) was being monitored. During the times that Harary was instructed to visit Spirit, the kitten's behavior changed drastically.

I mean can you believe they would even bother to type this and include it. lol. I suppose the hippies back then lapped that stuff up(with their cats named Spirit) but now days I think we want a little more.

Anyway like what was said its not really what this thread is talking about but I'm surprised they didn't test it at the same time.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Kazahel

[Jack_of_Blades]

Very cool. I've been lucky enough to have a couple powerful OBE's. They can really shake you up and make you

see your beliefs from previously unimaginable positions. One when I was thirteen made me start studying

the great philosophers and resulted in me becoming agnostic. They really are impossible to explain to

someone who hasn't had one.

I personally believe it's all self-contained within your mind, but still the power they can have is astonishing. And

I think it's down-right criminal that more scientific studies haven't been done on the matter.

[bendigger0]

i assert that the OOB condition is real. that consciousness can and does frequently leave the physical body. Conscious awareness of the condition can be achieved through a simple suggestion to self before sleep "i'd like to leave my body and maintain consciousness". Try it for 30 days. There's an amazing reality, just 'outside' of this reality. You'll know the difference when it happens, and it's not a dream.

[bendigger0]

I had one once. The amount of detail you can see is more like being awake than any dream is. Real or not it's certainly a unique experience when you have one. I could even feel things behind the wall, I could feel nails and insulation and even the brick on the other side. I could sense pressure and feel texture but no pain and nearly 20 years later can still recall every detail like it happened yesterday. I slammed pretty hard back into my body and it jerked me awake, kinda similar fashion to if you experience sleep paralysis. I had a few Lucid dreams over the years but even those didn't have the same awake feeling.

Yes. Both the separation and re-joining can be a jolting experience, literally. i just want to validate your experience, and mention that during OOBE's we don't always experience this reality... sometimes we go to another 'place'.