Experts have found a way to trigger an out-of-body experience in volunteers

[devance]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6960612.stm

[simon_marklar]

i dont understand why they are "total assholes and idiots" ??

"Scientists have long suspected that the clue to these extraordinary, and sometimes life-changing, experiences lies in disrupting our normal illusion of being a self behind our eyes, and replacing it with a new viewpoint from above or behind."

Thats a rather interesting comment.

I see this as confirmation that we are more than we think we are, and that we can do things to short circuit and possibly escape the body. Quite fucking weird as i am 3/4 of the way through "Cosmic Trigger" which says something similar (amongst other interesting topics) and has inspired me to look for ways to shatter this illusion. After a total drought of coincidences for the last year, since starting that book it seems like more than two a day are happening to me

[Ace]

Interesting article - though I am curious as to why you have used the title you did, Devance:

Experts have found a way to trigger an out-of-body experience in volunteers, Total assholes and idiots as a scientific report.

Do you mind sharing your viewpoint, considering it appears so strong?

Personally, I thought it was quite intriguing and was a very interesting project. It certainly would take surgery/gaming/etc to a whole new level of reality. And imagine the feelings that would be produced partaking in one of these tests whilst under the influence of a substance that naturally increases OBE occurances! Would make things very interesting

[KanJe]

Having come from a obsessive RPG gaming background, its really exciting to observe this kind of development of a sensory interface.

It could raise possibilities like if you were to feed the senses virtual information over time, the development of the subject's personality and communication might be dramatically impacted.

Imagine where World of Warcraft would go with this technology...

I can kinda see it becoming more and more like a William Gibson novel.

[Legba]

newscientist.com/article

[devance]

Well I had some out of body experience and it hasn't involved disoreintation from drugs or a virtual world.

But to complicated to talk about.

I don't think its an illusion but not reproducible.

Strange but true involes the great illusionator a entity.

I think spirit bodys might be very real but if I had one I be going to far places like South America and rest in my safe coporeal comfortable bed after the day

Might teleport a marmaset mating Monkey pair with me..

[botanika]

'our equations do not describe the universe really. They describe the mental processes we have to put ourselves through to describe the universe.' Niels Bohr

'the universe is so structured that it can see itself, and that this self-reflective arc is built into our frontal lobes, so that consciousness contains an infinate regress, and all we can do is make models of ourselves making models... Shiva-darshana - you are still in life, but there are infinate aspects to everything'

Robert Wilson

Maybe it should be called the mind body continium rather than 'outer body experience'. Space and time are not considered seperate so why is the mind and body?

[devance]

I will explain in more detail.

Theres two ways to have a primitive [thats me, out of body experience].

A entity is a sort of a bounce back perception from a satellite just 10 feet away.

So just a matter of a out of body experience within 6 feet at best.

Also possible and better just doing so oneself with the same perception range by creating such a space/time/distance temporary point, bounce back point but bouncing back from yourself.

So a limited experience would be within 6 to 10 feet and not limited to just a floating body but actual perceptional visual 3D of the surrounding environment.

Using a circular model rather than a globe would be better for such as a beginning.

A circular model would be less stressfull although a ball like can be eventually achieved I would think.

The limitations is that one has to be every point of a globe or circle for full 3D perception, but partial is also possible as we are not animals and life is a learning experience.

[five]

'our equations do not describe the universe really. They describe the mental processes we have to put ourselves through to describe the universe.' Niels Bohr

'the universe is so structured that it can see itself, and that this self-reflective arc is built into our frontal lobes, so that consciousness contains an infinate regress, and all we can do is make models of ourselves making models... Shiva-darshana - you are still in life, but there are infinate aspects to everything'

Robert Wilson

Maybe it should be called the mind body continium rather than 'outer body experience'. Space and time are not considered seperate so why is the mind and body?

Space and time have been linked with theory and practical applications I do agree though that the body and mind/spirit are all somehow attached, though the border of mind/spirit to me is very unclear. Where does supernatural "influence" or "inspiration" start and subconsious logic begin? (sorry to derail... im not sober, thinking lots.)

Those two quotes, by Niels Bohr and Robert Wilson, articulate somewhat how i feel about the lack of essence to our understanding. Perhaps i should read more of what they have to say. Can you recommend any books about the nature of perception and existance, other's views i should consider? I havn't read a great deal of other people's philosophy, but i find myself loosing faith in my own perception and as such any logical conclusions i draw are constantly under attack by my own mind. Nietzsche "I think therefore i am" seems horribly cliche but its the only thing ive found ultimately reliable.

[Zen Peddler]

Having had several paranormal experiences in my life Ive learnt that these things seem to occur in specific locations. As an example a lot of friends hired a house at Phillip Island - my partner and I saw a UFO the first and second night there, while others had poltergeist experiences in the house (i know which one id prefer) and I also heard whsipering in the place when no one was there.

Either its some kind of weird-arse portal - or more likely - the area has rather strange electro magnetism that sets off the temporal lobe and the subconscious does the rest..