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Originally Posted by Radical  If I somehow ever experienced an OBE, I would have to either radically alter my beliefs about what is possible, or consider the possibility of being delusional.
One way I've thought people having OBE's can prove they exist is to set up an experiment: Someone very sceptical and anti-supernatural (such as James Randi) writes something on a piece of paper that only he/she could possibly know about and puts it somewhere in a locked room. Then the person claiming to experience OBE's can be induced to sleep. Then they can prove whether they are delusional or not by travelling to the room, reading the piece of paper and then when they wake up will be able to recall and relay the exact transcript on the piece of paper. All of this done under controlled scientific conditions of course.  |
Very true; the most we can hope for anyone is that they're willing to examine both possibilities equally.
Actually experiments of exactly the sort you talk about have been performed, though I can't point you to any papers on the results. One of the problems, of this of course, is the induction of the state under controlled scientific conditions, which are not necessarily conditions of comfort, relaxation and safety that are required to achieve the state. If you're interested in exploring the topic, I'd recommend reading some of Robert Monroe's books, like
Journeys Out Of Body. Interesting stuff.
Afterthought: Studies in quantum physics have shown that the intentions of those conducting an experiment sway the outcome. A qualified study would be conducted neutrally, not as a competition between opposed believers.