astral projection (1 Viewer)

[BrianW]

I see the straw man has arisen to haunt us once more. These discussions would be earnestly facilitated if many of the non-skeptics would simply learn what skeptics are.
As an illustration, here’s an example of what skeptics are:

Quote:

The fact is that skeptics are open minded enough to be willing to be convinced of anything given sufficient proof. And despite what you believe, being unconvinced is not necessarily the same as being convinced the possibility doesn't exist. Until you understand this simple fact, your arguments against skeptics will fall on deaf ears, because what you are arguing against is not at all what we are.
(Yeah, I know I’m just repeating what Max said – I even stole his “alien” analogy – but at least I didn’t spell skeptic in an inflammatory manner. Sic him, Jack! Get it? “Sic”? Oh, never mind. )

 

[Rain]

Some of the people claiming to be "skeptics" and posting in this very thread have made it abundantly clear that they do not accept some of these things as even being possible. One only has to read their posts to see that.

I think I have made my opinion as clear as I can, though it obviously continues to be misinterpreted.

 

[Jack Briggs]

When a claim made for the existence a certain "phenomenon" flies in the face of physical laws, that's where problems lie. You're misinterpreting the comments of the resident skeptics. Hard proof is required of any claim.

Brian: I caught your "sic" comment. As in, "'Sceptic' [sic] is not how the word is spelled here in the U.S. of A."

 

[Rain]

And astral projection is yet another nonsensical component in a seemingly endless pantheon of silly "new age" claims.

Now perhaps I am misinterpreting, but it sure sounds like you are dismissing said phenomenon completely due to the fact that it has not (yet?) been proven.

Correct?

 

[BrianW]

Ha! I can't believe someone finally understood one of my jokes! Hooray! It's about time. I'm way obtuse for my bowling team to appreciate me.
Of course, I pretty much had to spell it out for everybody. (Get it? "Spell it out"? See, it was a spelling thing that... Aw, forget it.)
And, yes, I know that understanding and thinking it's funny are two very different things. But hey, a guy can dream, can't he?
-----------------------------------------
Rain, I've gone through and reread the posts by the self-proclaimed skeptics in this thread, and I must confess that I just don't see anyone dismissing possibilities. I see only the dismissal of unsubstantiated claims. Is astral projection possible? Who knows? But if you claim NOT just that it’s possible, but that it actually exists and that people are doing it, then proof of your claim will be required.

 

[Rain]

But if you claim NOT just that it’s possible, but that it actually exists and that people are doing it...

To clarify my opinion:

- I do not "believe in" astral projection. In other words, I do not "believe" it exists.
- I accept that it could. Who knows? Certainly not me.
- I think some of the self-proclaimed skeptics are stating unequivocally that it does not exist, since it has not been proven to. It is with this attitute that I disagree.

Hope that clears everything up.

 

[BrianW]

Fair enough. But watch out: You may be more of a skeptic than you know. (Please take no offense - I mean that in the nicest way possible.) Also, to be clear, when I said, "But if you claim blah, blah, blah," I didn't mean you (or anyone in this thread) specifically. I was using the peradventurous you, presupposing somone in the world who is convinced of such things. For the record, I never believed that you actually believed in astral projection. Indeed, you've been very clear throughout the discussion that your argument is about how to approach the notion, not whether one should believe in it. I was just trying to clear up what I perceived as a misconception about skeptics. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear about that

 

[ChrisMatson]

Saw this interesting article on CNN today that may point to a neurologic origin of this phenomenon:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science...ody/index.html

 

[Max Leung]

Damn Chris, you beat me to it!
(BTW, the HTF needs a spell-checker! Sceptic(sic)...oopsy).
Did scientists find the spot in the brain that facilitates an orgasm without the sticky mess? My interest is purely for scientific reasons.

 

[Leif Wall]

When I was in 11th or 12th grade I astral projected a few times and also had sleep paralysis.(which freaked the hell out of me)

It's hard to explain. Don't know why it happened to me then, but never after. I'd be floating above in the room. One time I was watching a basketball game on TNT or TBS and fell asleep when it happened. I could never move around or anything which freaked me out and I'd be panicing to wake up.