This thread covers a lot of ground, I'd like to contribute my $0.02.
A simple test for the objective validity of out-of-body experiences is to have the subject lie down, and place a drawing facing upwards up high so they can't see it. If they are able to exit their body and peer down at themselves they should also be able to view the picture. This makes the assumption that the astral plane and the physical plane coexist in the same space and that while in the astral plane an individual can fully perceive the physical plane. Controlled tests have failed but there continues to be anecdotal accounts by many people of many different types of OBEs.
Reincarnation is also quite interesting. There have been several reported cases where children have been able to recall the lives of specific individuals who died before their birth (their "past lives"). In a number of these cases the children are able to recall very specific details such as a person's name, the names of relatives and friends, how they died, and specific details of their life. These individuals did not live near the children and were not widely known or famous. The actual identities of these past lives are figured out only after the parents piece together the incredibly accurate details of the children's vivid memories and track down the records of the person's life and family.
This was already hinted at a little bit, but another thing to consider is recent scientific studies. Classic physics and materialism are becoming old-fashioned. String theory, quantum field theory, and quantum cosmology are our newest, most promising tools we have at our disposal. Matter is no longer reducible to matter and it's not clear what energy really is. The limiting factor in these fields seems to be our intellect. Many experiments have been carried using different principles of quantum mechanics and yielded complementary results giving us concrete information to work with. The problem is, we lack the mental equipment to properly conceptualize these theories. Suddenly, philosophy is inseparable from science again. We are struggling to comprehend our discoveries.
What's the answer? I don't know. It's hopeless to try and shoehorn everyone's experiences into a rigid belief system. I try to stay open-minded with a healthy dose of skepticism. I work on myself where I know I can improve and explore and adjust my beliefs to accept anything I discover along the way. I strive to learn vivid visualization (I want it to be as good as normal vision), different meditation techniques, lucid dreaming, and eventually astral projection so I can see for myself what is out there.
So far, so good.
I just treat others as I would like to be treated, do my best to reduce suffering anywhere I can in the world, and work hard to grow to my highest potential. I have discarded the concept of Heaven and Hell -- good vs evil -- a 2-dimensional approach to goodness. Now I see things as more of a continuum from fear to unconditional love. The concept of evil now just seems dismissive to me. My (very few) misfortunes are more constructive than destructive, and by the time I am able to explore the astral plane I hope to be at a conscious level where my fears are so minimized and insignificant that I do not attract negative attention of any sort.
P.S. Sorry, I didn't mean to write an entire book on the subjects. 