From: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick)
Newsgroups: sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: "Out-Of-Body"
Date: 27 Jul 92 01:11:29 GMT
Reply-To: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
Organization: HST Wide Field/Planetary Camera

In article <n05e3t@ofa123.fidonet.org>, David.Rice@ofa123.fidonet.org writes:
>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.

Including James Randi.  The following is a summary of part of a talk he gave at
Caltech on April 12, 1992 to the Skeptics Society of Los Angeles.  Copyright
considerations prevent my giving the transcript verbatim.  If you want a copy
of the magazine, containing the transcript contact:
		Skeptics Society
		2761 N. Marengo Avenue
		Altadena, CA 91001

		(818) 794-3119.
and ask for SKEPTIC, Volume 1, Number 1.

Some years ago, when Randi was living in New Jersey, he came home very tired
after a trip, and went to bed.  The next morning he reported to his son and
assorted houseguests that "I think last night I might have actually had a
classic example of the O.B.E."  When asked for a description, he reported that
he remembered waking up in the middle of the night, feeling that he was
spread-eagled against the ceiling of his bedroom, looking down at the bed, upon
which was lying Alice, his cat, and himself, scrunched over to one side (so as
to avoid squashing the cat), under the chartreuse bedspread.  The cat looked up
at him, snorted, and went back to sleep.

Sure sounds like an O.B.E. to me.  However, Randi et. al. did something that
most people who experience and report O.B.E.s don't seem to think is necessary: 
They performed a reality check.  There were two major problems with that O.B.E.,
if you want to tread O.B.E.s as your consciousness actually leaving the body:
	1)  The chartreuse bedspread was in a laundry bag in the basement, and
	    had been since the previous day.  The bedspread actually on the bed
	    was nothing at all like the chartreuse bedspread he'd "seen" in his
	    O.B.E.
	2)  His cat, Alice, was outside, and had been since the previous day
	    (and was none too happy about it), because one of the houseguests
	    was allergic to cats.
I've had a few O.B.E.s myself, and I, too, have, whenever possible, checked the
experiences of the O.B.E. against what was actually going on at the time.  In
all cases where I've been able to compare the O.B.E. with reality, either:	
	1)  I didn't experience anything in the O.B.E. that I didn't already
	    know or that was in any way unusual and specific; or
	2)  What I experienced during the O.B.E. was in conflict with reality.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL

Disclaimer:  Hey, I understand VAXen and VMS.  That's what I get paid for.  My
understanding of astronomy is purely at the amateur level (or below).  So
unless what I'm saying is directly related to VAX/VMS, don't hold me or my
organization responsible for it.  If it IS related to VAX/VMS, you can try to
hold me responsible for it, but my organization had nothing to do with it.
Newsgroups: sci.skeptic