Michael Shermer Out of Body Experiment

Michael Shermer travels to Laurentian University in Sudbury, Canada, to strap on the "God Helmet" in neuroscientist Michael Persinger's lab that duplicates out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, alien abductions, and other paranormal phenomena.

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[LeordRedhammer]

See, I haven't really hear of any such cases where it creates a stigma on what to research. There has been studies on OOBE of many kinds, as it ha with lots of supernatural claims. I don't think it bohers you it's very "anti-science", but that it pretty much sums up science's general conclusions on the supernatural.

Or give me an example where critical thinking an debunking this type of fraudsters has hampered actual science...

[Angela Payne]

I think scientists should be allowed to pursue their research interests free from interference from the Idea Police. That's the point I was trying to get at. Persinger's research into the OOBE doesn't prove that people actually leave their bodies but that wasn't the point and he discovered some interesting things. But this is the kind of research that is so often stigmatized. I think that's a shame. I think it's very anti-Science and that bothers me.

[LeordRedhammer]

Your words make sense, but I still think you're going to say next that this research will prove ESP or telekenisis, lol. If that's not the case, I apologise.

I am at a loss then, how will investigating paranormal claims hinder science? Science has done a lot of research into paranormal claims already, and Randi, while not specifically a scientist, use scientific methods for investigations.People don't need a Phd to do that.

[Angela Payne]

I agree, there is no "paranormal". If there appears to be a phenomenon that is paranormal, ultimately it can be shown to be entirely natural ... but research has to happen first. The Sylvia Brownes & Popoffs of the world need to be exposed and Randi has contributed to that... but that isn't Science and he isn't a scientist. The problem I have is when Randi et al. (not Shermer) exert influence in attempts to make it more difficult for credentialed scientists to research the "paranormal".

[LeordRedhammer]

No, you misunderstand, Shermer, Randi and others' "woo-woo" is when "paranormal" is shown to be part of the real world. There is no supernatural, that is the whole point!

James Randie DOES investigate the paranormal, as does Shermer and the Sceptic community. They are not stuck in a paradigm, they are investigating supernatural claims and have yet to find one that is true.

[CA Skep]

Thank you sooooo much for the vid!!!!!!

[Angela Payne]

Funny idea - Shermer having an OOBE. I absolutely love Dr. Persinger. As he says, "400 hundred years ago the paranormal included what in large part is now science today. So, that's the fate of the paranormal. It becomes science, it becomes normal." This is so true and it's unfortunate that many scientists who investigate the paranormal are often marginalized, accused of being "woo woo" by a loud minority of James Randi devotees who are stuck in a scientific paradigm that's about 200 years old.

[Andrew Evagelou]

If you ask me, this just seems to create more questions than it answers.

5:10 we're talking about the brain producing these experiences which seems obvious but then he talks about subjective interpretation. The way I understand that is that he's saying the brain, which produces conciousness, interprets the consciousness which is made by the brain. Isn't that circular? What is really going on here?

[maurice mckinley]

sounds like a bad case of conformational bias.how much parallel processing power is needed to create an interactive virtual reality in real time with a biological computer with a clock speed of 5 to 8 pps?where do non rem dreams come from?what algorithm describes.the non-deterministic characteristics.of the mind?there is a mountain or evidence from clinical experiments that you would need to ignore to accept the believe that who and what we are is the product of a bag of water and chemicals.