'Out-of-body' experiences may come from within

[Dover]

'Out-of-body' experiences may come from within (23 August, 2005)

Psychologists at The University of Manchester are investigating the idea that out-of-body experiences, commonly thought of as paranormal phenomena, may in fact have their roots in how people perceive and experience their own bodies.

Around 10% of the population have an out-of-body experience (OBE) at some time, typically involving a sensation of floating and seeing the physical body from the outside. It isn't uncommon for people to have more than one OBE, and they may also occur as part of the wider near-death experience some report experiencing in life-threatening circumstances.

Despite the high incidence of OBEs however, there is still a great deal scientists don't know about the phenomenon.

The University of Manchester study, funded by the Portuguese Bial Foundation which supports the scientific study of the physical and spiritual nature of Man, will use an online questionnaire on body perceptions and experience to examine differences between those who have and have not experienced OBEs. The survey will also gather details on the different kinds of OBEs people have, to categorise these experiences more precisely...cont'd

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/press/title,39579,en.htm

Sometimes, rather than investigating phenomenon with a truly open mind, these studies set out to prove an existing theory which limits the outcome to the expectations of the observer. In this case the study seems to assume that OBE's are not OUT of body at all. I've never had an OBE but from what I've read of other's experience, the person often can identify people and situations occurring in the room or in other locations that can later be validated as having actually occurred. So I'm wondering how this study will incorporate those situations.

[murielm99]

1. Not only that,

blind people have had OBE's where they can see.

I have never had an out of body experience, either, but I believe people who insist they can happen.

[intensitymedia]

2. Monroe - the institute teaches you how

Monroe wrote the original book on this

his institute is still there in virginia

you can go and learn how

a hallucination?

don't jump

to any

conclusions

read Monaghan - the first remote viewer - who lives there

us military intelligence officer -

the world has surprises for everyone -


peace - but never give up the struggle

che de vera

[TaleWgnDg]

3. Here's my guess, Dover:

.



.

[Dover]

5. Lol! That's perfect.....n/t

[Maple]

9. Actually the cartoon

works both ways.

[Dover]

10. Yeah.......that's why I find it so funny. Clever.

Hi Maple!:hi:

[Maple]

12. Heh...howdy!

:hi:

Yes, both positions harden, and then nothing gets done, and we take a giant leap backwards.

Ahhh well, local phenom only, thank goodness. :7

[Dover]

6. .

[Dover]

4. I was reading a science magazine article the other day about how they've

discovered, but still can't explain how, particles can be in more than one place at the same time. The author of the piece thought he had a least part of the answer.....gravity. I didn't have a chance to read more than a few paragraphs of the article, but it was posing the question, 'if particles can be more than one place at once, why can't we?'.

[Mythsaje]

7. I've witnessed it myself...

A friend used to be able to do it seemingly at will... He 'followed' a bunch of our friends on a drive and managed to describe EXACTLY where they went while they were gone when they returned.

It was pretty amazing.

[sam sarrha]

8. why dont they just learn Prana Yama and have their own..& write about that

:eyes: :nuke: :wow: :bounce: :woohoo:

[sam sarrha]

11. the comment about the Portuguese study reminded me of an old joke...

the _________ (whatever is politically correct for you) government heard that the United States and france were completing a 7 year study after spending 10 million dollars, france spent 8 million dollars and 5 years.. researching what the knob on the end of a mans penis was for.

the _______ quickly spent two days and $50 on red wine and cheese and some crackers.. not wanting to be left out of big media event.

the americans said it was for the pleasure of the man.. the french said it was for the pleasure of the woman

the ________ said it was to keep your hand from slipping of the end.

[Old Mouse]

13. I'm more interested in why

some people are so obsessed with proving such things don't happen.

I've had them. They are definitely OUT of body.

[Maple]

14. Oh now youse gone and done it !

The science fundies will be after yer butt. :7

[Pepperbelly]

16. their motivations are pretty clear to me ...

particularly when you read their little forum and the high fiving they sometimes do as they wallow in their superiority over the "woo-woo". It is really quite amusing when you look at what is really going on with them.

[lady lib]

15. I had one experience

after reading Secret of the Soul by William Buhlman. After finishing the book and using the techniques for about a week I started having very intense and memorable dreams, then I had an OBE one night as I was falling asleep. Let me just say for the skeptics that there's no mistaking an OBE for a dream or wishful thinking, it's way too unique an experience. One moment I was doing the visualization Buhlman suggests and the next thing my entire body started to vibrate intensely (and I do mean, intensely!), and then immediately after my spirit floated above my body and I thought to myself, "Oh, I'm out!" It's hard to see when you're out, so I asked for clarity like the book suggests, and then I pictured the hall outside my room (if you think of your body at all, you'll immediately go back into it, so you have to picture something that's away from it), and then I asked to experience my highest spiritual self. I went somewhere, I don't really know where and made some spiritual goals (which I managed to forget by morning - way to go!) Then, I pictured my body and went back into it without difficulty. I don't keep a clock in my room so I don't know how long the whole thing lasted. There didn't seem to be any residual effects except some dizziness the next day.

[greyl]

17. Has anyone here answered the questionnaire?

Or are you just gonna high-five each other on the sidelines of Science?
http://www.freeresponse.org/muobe2005/studyinfo.aspx

[Maple]

18. "The proper study of mankind is man"

So the human brain is a legitimate field of inquiry for science.

[greyl]

19. What the HELL are you replying to? nt

[Maple]

20. I'm not

I'm just making an observation.

Why does that bother you so much?

[greyl]

24. I was "moderate"ly bothered.

Since you weren't replying to anything, you didn't mean to reply to my post then?

[Maple]

26. Think of it as a

preemptive observation. ;-)

[greyl]

27. "Preemptive"? My, what nobel company you keep.

But at least you've provided one sensible explanation as to why your first reply made no sense whatsoever.
It was based on the best intelligence you had, right?

Thanks for that.

[Maple]

28. Never met Alfred Nobel. Sorry

But you keep trying, okay?

[greyl]

30. He invented dynamite.

There is a peace prize in his name.
Would you like a pancake?

[Maple]

31. I had one once but the wheels fell off

There's a canoe on the front porch.

[greyl]

32. You're gonna need it. eom

[Maple]

33. LOL

[greyl]

29. That is sooo true.

Do you have any links to scientific studies on or neurological explanations for oobes?

As blitzer would say, "this poll is not scientific".

I participated in it anyway. :)

[Nevernose]

21. I was part of an earlier OBE study

I took it as an undergrad as part of a Psych 101 requirement (maybe ten years ago?). However, I misinterpreted the directions, reading EXcluding as INcluding when the question "excluding periods when you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, have you ever experienced the following?" There were a thousand questions and took over an hour to complete.

Needless to say, when asked things like "have you ever felt detached from a specific limb?" or "have you ever seen your body float before you?", I was thinking:

"Oh yeah, the acid those dudes at the beach had was awesome" and "well, there was that last Grateful Dead concert." Or what about the time my landlord smuggled back that pound of hashish from Amsterdam? or the time I got drunk and tried to climb the Statue of Liberty? or the time I smoked mushrooms on the hood of a police car on the Las Vegas Strip on New Year's Eve?

Needless to say, I was NUMERO UNO on their list of subjects for study. They paid me good money to undergo all kinds of ECGs and X-Rays and stuff, not to mention that I had to wear a monitor at all times. After about a month, while undergoing my twice-weekly "interview" with a resident psychologist, he figured out what the cause of my visions was and terminated me from the program.

Still paid me, though. Ah, youth...

[frustrated_lefty]

22. Most of the responses to this thread

are entertaining, but express a basic skepticism. That skepticism is fair, I guess.

To try and place my perception in perspective, let me say I am a scientist and I have studied Tai Chi (which, under my instructor, included "moving meditation"), and meditation. The experiences were profound, at some points alarming. A few of the experiences I had would be categorized as "OBE"s. *Sigh*. OBE is such an annoying acronym.

I think we all have a great deal to learn about ourselves, and there are established contemplative tools which may help in this process. Exploring those tools and looking within is not necessarily such a bad thing.

Most people will laugh at you if you discuss it, so it probably is just best to make those efforts on your own, in private.

FL

[greyl]

25. I don't see any respones that are

skeptical.
Care to explain?

edit: Unless by skeptical, you mean skeptical of science?

[frustrated_lefty]

23. Ow.

I replied to the questionairre, and all I can say is "ow." That was painful to give honest answers to.