From: David.Rice@ofa123.fidonet.org
Newsgroups: sci.skeptic
Subject: "Out-Of-Body"
X-Sender: newtout 0.01 Jul 13 1992
Date: 25 Jul 92  10:16:18

Tag: The Independents - SUNY Buffalo (ztsindi@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu
Tag: (The Independents - SUNY Buffalo))
 
TI> "John Martin claims that the test I posted earilier in
TI> NO WAY proves that OBEs don't occur. The burden of proof,
TI> however, rests on those who claim they DO occur. The test
TI> is a controled situation that precludes any outside help
TI> to read the numbers on the card. If successful it would
TI> PROVE that OBEs happen. But then thats the problem with
TI> scientists isn't it? They always want to set up experiments
TI> with inconvient things like controls to remove fraudulant
TI> assistance, objective witnesses, methods of recording
TI> results in a clearly understandable way, Ways to REPRODUCE
TI> those results. [... stuff deleted ...] Until there is valid
TI> experimental evidence of OBEs they must be regarded as myth."
 
I hereby give testimony that "Out of Body Experiences" do in
fact occur, as I suffered greatly from them as a child (for
a period of two years the events were almost nightly), and
occasionally I am afflicted by OBE now as an adult (once a
year or so).
 
OBE is a fact of life. It terrorized my childhood in ways many
cannot imagine; it is triggered by manic depression and severe
bodily violations. When a child is in an extremely hostile
environment, that child becomes hyper-aware of stimulus even
when the nervious system is repressed: the disassociated state
(which usually involves low-awareness of environment) associated
with hyper-awareness gives the child stimului that the child
perceives clearly but cannot deal with effectively. Terror
is often the result, because the environmental stimulus doesn't
meet with the reality the child, under normal conditions, is
accustomed to.
 
For instance, as a child I would "feel" an attack comming on
while in a hypnogogic state; pressure would build in my head,
my body would be paralyzed, terror would grip my heart, and
my body would "vibrate" or "buzz" like a brass bell being hit.
I learned, as an adult, that this is classic OBE. As a child
I was terrified.
 
As the attack progressed, I could "feel" "me" being pulled
out of my body. I was utterly helpless. Some times I would
even feel HANDS grab "me" and pull "me" out! Being a child,
I thought some demon was trying to kill me.
 
Hell of a thing for some little kid to have to deal with, on
top of the parental abuse! When a child reports these events,
as I did to a teacher or two, they are not believed, and they
are often, as I was, PUNISHED for "fibbing!"
 
For a long streach of time, I was too afraid to go to bed at
night. Problem was, the longer I stayed awake fighting sleep,
the worse the attacks got when I did fall asleep.
 
Some nights the "demon" (in my child-mind) would succed in
"pulling me out," and I would find myself floating around the
room (in terror). Many times found myself floating in the corner
of the ceiling looking at my body (autoscopy), while in my mind
I was screaming for help to "get back in."
 
One night I "woke up" to find my face pressed against the
ceiling, as I had "floated" upwards while I was sleeping.
That was also terrifying.
 
What I relate here is absolutely true. I did not embelish the
tale, nor did I make up any part of it.
 
As for people claiming to wilfully "leave the body," I say
BULLSHIT. The OBE occurs spontaniously and cannot be induced
in any controllable way. Sherlie McClain is a liar of the
highest order if she claims otherwise. NOR IS IT A MYSTICAL,
PSYCHIC, MAGICKAL, PARANORMAL ABILITY! It is a =MENTAL
DISORDER= and should be treated. If a child reports it,
it should not be ignored, made light of, OR PUNISHED.
 
I believe that the OBE is embelished by pure, unadulturated
BULLSHIT, into becomming the nonsense many "true believers"
propound. I suspect that now and then, perhaps once or twice
in a persons' lifetime, each individual will spontaniously
have an "out of body" experience. The twits who see something
magickal or divine in them expend much effort trying to achive
the effect wilfully; the con artists among them sell books.
 
There is NO TRUTH in the claim that a person undergoing an Out
Of Body Experience can in reality "leave the room" and report
on real events occuring outside of that persons' normal range
of sesory input.
 
In no way does the individual actually "leave the body." It is
the SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSION OF DOING SO that is being reported.
Anyone who claims otherwise is a damn liar or a damn fool.
 
> ztsindi@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu

--- Maximus 2.00