There’s now a scientific explanation for out-of-body experiences:
Two teams used virtual reality goggles to con the brain into thinking the body was located elsewhere.
The visual illusion plus the feel of their real bodies being touched made volunteers sense that they had moved outside of their physical bodies.
The article nicely explains the setup of the experiment with visuals.
For some reason, I’m still positive all those out-of-body books will still find an audience… but it’s very telling that we can now recreate those experiences in a lab. When you don’t understand why these things happen, it’s easy to say “God did it” or think you’re somehow special for going through it.
What are the applications of these findings?
The researchers say their findings could have practical applications, such as helping take video games to the next level of virtuality so the players feel as if they are actually inside the game.
Clinically, surgeons might also be able to perform operations on patients thousands of miles away by controlling a robotic virtual self.
Christian, who sent the link, adds this:
Guess those experiences wasn’t God showing us paradise after all… must be frustrating for him that his role in the world keeps shrinking as we learn more.
[tags]atheist, atheism, out-of-body, heaven, Christian[/tags]
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