Out of body experiences just the product of a confused mind

I was watching 'The Wright Stuff' this morning as I do occasionally when this topic was brought up.

It seems that out of body experiences are nothing more than a temporary glitch in the brain. I always had my doubts about the reality of this phenomenon, especially as one could get the same or similar effects after indulging on dissociative anaesthetics or hallucinogens.

But scientists now claim they have dispelled this myth by artificially creating an out-of-body experience using computers and cameras.

They believe the feeling of detachment occurs when the brain becomes confused by conflict between the senses - and is not proof of any "spiritual dimension" to existence.

Out of body experiences are just the product of a confused mind

It occurred to me a while ago that people who have these 'out of body experiences' have a similar experience to people who have undergone conditions of extreme G force. The reason why people get tunnel vision and can sometimes see a white light when they have experienced a lot of G force is because not enough oxygen can reach the brain. Similarly, when a person is dying, in some circumstances not enough oxygen can reach the brain which could cause similar effects to present

reply to post by Griffo


How do you propose we measure a 4th dimensional activity with 3rd dimensional devices? I accept your ability to decide for yourself, however one need first discipline themselves sufficiently, often times in established practices like Raja Yoga, in order to have actual experience in the matter from a perspective that is valid.

This proves nothing, all I'm seeing in all this is that they found a way to make the person feel as if they were 2 meters out of their body... it's just the feeling of being out, thats the glitch. This doesn't even come remotely close to what a real out of body experience is.

Please correct me if I am wrong or misunderstanding something, but from my personal experience, an out of body experience is A LOT MORE than just thinking you're 2 meters above your body.

I suspect this study in relationship to this thread is meant to be supportive of the doctrine of a certain western based religion whose adherents try at anything to discredit other forms of spiritual endeavor to make themselves feel superior and correct in their own acceptance of said doctrine.

reply to post by Griffo


OP this is not new news, sorry my friend but Susan Blackmore has been saying this for years, of course if we are to believe her and her CIA connections? without actually having an experience yourself we could argue til the cows come home. Its best to simply leave a little room in the mind for doubt and just carry on as we were.

Susan Blackmore - Out Of Body Research amongst schizophrenia patients Report

no, I have spoken with a friend who at one point in their life literally clinically died, out of body experiences cannot be explained by science, and any scientist who thinks they know the facts need to look again.

for example the case where a blind from birth woman had an OBE and after being revived was able to describe the colours and patterns of the medical workers uniform AND the numbers on a label ON TOP OF a celing lights shade.

getting a little sick of the usual crowd of sceptic physisists and biologists coming up with bs for things they don't understand...like this anti laser, what else blocks light hm let me think, A WALL...idiots.

edit: not to even begin to mention remote viewing.

Originally posted by madscientistintraining

getting a little sick of the usual crowd of sceptic physisists and biologists coming up with bs for things they don't understand..

Leave 'em be, this stuff makes them feel really uncomfortable so they need a way to explain it away. No need to go pointing out that it didn't prove anything or was a really flawed experiment.

Originally posted by polarwarrior

Originally posted by madscientistintraining

getting a little sick of the usual crowd of sceptic physisists and biologists coming up with bs for things they don't understand..

Leave 'em be, this stuff makes them feel really uncomfortable so they need a way to explain it away. No need to go pointing out that it didn't prove anything or was a really flawed experiment.

edit on 18-2-2011 by polarwarrior because: I cant spell)

edit on 18-2-2011 by polarwarrior because: (no reason given)

I would leave them be but then we will have more retarded hypotheticals like big bangs, or in biologys case, free radicals. of course science only see's OBE's as an aspect of the mind, to them there is the body and the mind and that is the human. apparently mainstream science doesn't have room for the soul.

one recent case I can point to is the kid with no cerebelum, who still has motor skills. its all guess work and frankly unless you can legitimatly say you have read the original papers on some phenomena I do not take any science as 'law' anymore. like when my science teacher told me it is and I quote "impossible" to set water on fire.

proved wrong time and again.

reply to post by Griffo
Hello, I think -I know out of body experience is real. I have had a number of them over the years and it wasn't caused by lack of oxygen or a weak mind. I think science can be too eager to explain things that can not be proved or disproved. But if they are correct how can remote viewing work? How can people describe things they can't see, and be correct, during meditation? I guess I do not have the same faith in scientists that you do.

Originally posted by madscientistintraining
for example the case where a blind from birth woman had an OBE and after being revived was able to describe the colours and patterns of the medical workers uniform AND the numbers on a label ON TOP OF a celing lights shade

This is the video of the blind lady


There is another case where this lady had to go in for surgery for something to do with her brain. She had to be clinically dead for them to do this procedure on her so they killed her.. a while into the surgery she heard the people talking about what they were going to do and described a tool they used to cut open her head.

Later her doctor was curious cause she mentioned them using some type of electric toothbrush thing on her and sure enough thats what it looked like.. This is a good case because it was in a controlled setting where no bs would happen..

Anyway I love when people say crap about oobe's and NDE's they cant explain the things these people see while dead ..

Oh I faied to mention a few of our own members on ATS have had NDE's.. One that comes to mind is KingLizard.. Maybe you should check his post out and read it...

reply to post by madscientistintraining


But these "scientists" are delusional. They already knew for a fact that obe's are impossible before they even started the experiment. They will defend their precious paradigms and beliefs systems from the invasion of mystery at all costs. The evidence proving obe's is all out there, in really redundant amounts, but they already know its false evidence because they already think they know for a fact that obe's are just lies or hallucinations.

How can ya even talk to someone like that?

I guess for some people only a first hand experience will do it. They say they are open to proof but this is just part of the delusion.

Originally posted by madscientistintraining

Originally posted by polarwarrior

Originally posted by madscientistintraining

getting a little sick of the usual crowd of sceptic physisists and biologists coming up with bs for things they don't understand..

Leave 'em be, this stuff makes them feel really uncomfortable so they need a way to explain it away. No need to go pointing out that it didn't prove anything or was a really flawed experiment.

edit on 18-2-2011 by polarwarrior because: I cant spell)

edit on 18-2-2011 by polarwarrior because: (no reason given)

I would leave them be but then we will have more retarded hypotheticals like big bangs, or in biologys case, free radicals. of course science only see's OBE's as an aspect of the mind, to them there is the body and the mind and that is the human. apparently mainstream science doesn't have room for the soul.

.

edit on 18-2-2011 by madscientistintraining because: (no reason given)

o.O

You're actually trying to deny the existence of radicals? For starters, that's not biology's field, that's chemistry's. Secondly, you clearly have no idea what you're on about.

I believe OBE's are real, just cant back it up myself. Been meditating for at least 6 months and nothing, though to be fair my meditations goals weren't to have an OBE. They were frequency enhanced and about health and happiness.

You should rename this thread to:
'Out of body experiences just a product of MY confused mind'


Congrats OP. you've just accepted a lie to perpetuate your own ignorance of reality. One day, when your body expires, you're going to witness an eternity of that 'glitch' you spoke of.

As for me, I know without a doubt, that OBE's are real.

I'm curious how they explain the silver cord.

Prior to having one, I always thought the stories about the cord were a bunch of bull....until I actually saw it.

Don't be too impressed, both times it's happened, it was because I was knocked out....they weren't intentional OBE trips. I've tried to do it willingly on a few occasions, but haven't quite gotten fully away.

Originally posted by Griffo
It seems that out of body experiences are nothing more than a temporary glitch in the brain.

And what about OBEs where another person is also present and also remembers it the following day.

Is that a glitch in their mind too? Maybe a telepathic glitch?

It's happened to me more than once.

Whoa, it seems I've offended a lot of people here

I probably would have got less of a reaction if I had started a thread entitled: "Jesus said abortions were ok"

Well at least scientists are trying to explain away all of the mysteries in life, instead of people rambling on about higher levels of consciousness and vibrating energy levels. We might not have all the answers now, but I'd rather trust people in white lab coats to find out the answer

Originally posted by Griffo
I was watching 'The Wright Stuff' this morning as I do occasionally when this topic was brought up.

It seems that out of body experiences are nothing more than a temporary glitch in the brain.

I had some out of body experiences, even moreso as a child, and I figured it had more to do with my physiology and my brain than with actually leaving my body.

I look at it the way I look at the sun rising in the East. Watch the sun rise, it gets higher and higher in the sky, so it sure seems like the sun is really rising.

Similarly, the OBE can seem real.

But in the case of the sunrise, even the very real observation of the sun "rising" doesn't mean that's what is happening. It sure LOOKS that way and seems that way, but we know the reality is quite different.

Likewise my personal experience might lead me to observe that my OBE was just as "real" as perceiving that "the sun is rising". It's just that deeper investigation and understanding is required to learn that our perceptions about the sun actually rising, or about actually being out of our body may not be correct perceptions even though they seem quite real to us.

Since we now have a sun-centered model instead of an earth-centered model of the solar system, this should be a big clue that we can't always trust our perceptions, even something as seemingly real as the "sun rising". So I try to examine all human perceptions in this light, it doesn't mean they are all wrong, but it should really make you ask yourself how you know which perceptions are very convincing illusions like the sun rising illusion...in fact we still say "the sun rises in the East" even though we now know better, it's a very realistic illusion.

I can't claim that my out of body experiences were otherwise, though I feel a little offended by them saying it's a symptom of a confused mind, I don't think I was confused.

The ATS motto: Deny Ignorance

Responses to this thread from laymen: Scientists don't know what they're talking about.

Good job everyone.