James Randy on Out Of The Body Experience

I just found this short video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NwKkbd2e-c) in which famous skeptic James Randy talks about his own Out of the body experience. The video is pretty interesting, because Randy admits that it actually happened to him, but his interpretation remains skeptic. He claims that many details of the surroundings while out of body did not reflect the reality. I must say it happened to me many times, too. There are other times though, in which I was sure I saw the reality just as it is. But it made me wonder: what if he's right and the times I thought I saw the real thing was a dream, too? Perhaps there were differences between what I saw while out of body and reality, but I just didn't realize it?

What do you think?

[psychoslice]

Yep just a dream, just like he said, if the same happened to someone who believes in OBE, then they would have over looked the evidence, for the reason it would contradict their beliefs.

[Kontufuto]

James Randi is an interesting chap. Besides being likely drunk (they had to put the beer away) and he said he was spread across the ceiling indicates a dream to me - 100%. Also he did right by gathering evidence and sharing it with the group. That would be a good proper acknowledgement whether or not it really happened or not.

[xxLoveLifexx]

I watched the video and I don't know about the relevance - there is not so much to say about this. There is a video with a man who claims to have had something and said it was though not quite something and that he disagrees with other people who, according to his opinion, can't trick him to believe it is quite something. Correct me if I didn't understand.

[Kontufuto]

Yeah...that pretty much sums it up! Can't shake that bug loose! He's doing the right thing though at the end...we should all do that as a sanity check. No point of going down a road that isn't a road at all!

Randi hit the nail on the head. The experience is no different to lucid dreaming. I still maintain that OOBEs are just a type of WILD in which the illusion of separating from one's body is simulated. There is no real out-of-body state in my book. Only the experience of such. Hence, out-of-body experience.

In my mind Randi is nothing but a simpleton who delights in shoving his narrowminded bigotry down peoples throats under the guise of a lover of truth.

Perhaps one day he'll take on major religion like the Muslim faith, that he can certainly discredit as nonscientific "superstition" without too much effort.
And we'd finally be rid of his nonsense.

"I already have all the answers to life" is his message ....
and there are no mysteries that science-logic cannot explain away.

Perhaps he finds comfort in this revolting-rediculous proposition.
but why others fall for this, for his arrogant posturing, is beyond me.

If this sounds hateful, it probably is.... as that seems his take on what many of us value about being human, the mysteries of human potential.
Sorry for the rant-venom, but he is a destroyer of dreams, ridiculing those who want to contribute something positive, rather than the seeker of truth he pretends to be. IMO

I can feel compassion for his ignorance, but not the manner is which he attempts to discredit our natural human potentials-gifts and make people question their innate abilities.... this I find tough to forgive.

Originally Posted by Henri77

In my mind Randi is nothing but a jerk who delights in shoving his narrowminded bigotry down peoples throats under the guise of a lover of truth.

Perhaps one day he'll take on major religion like the Muslim faith, that he can certainly discredit as nonscientific "superstition" without too much effort.
And we'd finally be rid of his nonsense.

"I already have all the answers to life" is his message ....
and there are no mysteries that science-logic cannot explain away.

Perhaps he finds comfort in this revolting-rediculous proposition.
but why others fall for this, for his arrogant posturing, is beyond me.

If this sounds hateful, it probably is.... as that seems his take on what many of us value about being human, the mysteries of human potential.
Sorry for the venom, but he is a destroyer of dreams, ridiculing those who want to contribute something positive, rather than the seeker of truth he pretends to be. IMO

With all due respect, he's doing a lot more for what he believes in (ha) than you are. He is relying on scientific fact and empirical evidence, while you (I would gather from your statement) are relying on personal experience and wishful thinking. I would like to remind you of two things - the only place in the world where eye-witness testimony counts for anything is a court of law (any other credible system of thought depends on observable and repeatable observations, in which the observer can actively scrutinize data and observations). Secondly, the earth, as Carl Sagan so aptly stated, stubbornly continued to revolve around the sun - even through all the ages in which it was claimed that the universe revolved around the earth.

I can respect that this is your opinion, but it would help your case a lot more if you were to back it up with fact, or at least a solid logical foundation. I don't deny that a lot of the 'spiritual world' may in fact exist, but rather I posit that it is a natural part of the universe, consciousness, dimensional theory, whatever you want to call it, that we cannot yet test or explain. But for you to say that it is absolute fact is pure arrogance.

Finally, I would submit for your consideration that the most positive force in the world is truth. Randi (among many others) seek the truth that they can explain; that they can rationalize. While this is a somewhat narrow point of view, it is actually the most open minded. To say that it is fact, without proof or substance for your claim, is no better than any of the religions that have plagued the world since beginningless time. In fact, it's the same thing. IMO

[psychoslice]

Myself i like old Radi, he's a good laugh also, I have been watching a few video's on youtube and he diffidently shows the fraud in all the **** that is around, go Randi go.

Originally Posted by The Om

I can respect that this is your opinion, but it would help your case a lot more if you were to back it up with fact, or at least a solid logical foundation. IMO

For someone who's been here a while to insist on courtroom logic suggests you may understand less about spiritual realities than most here.

My "case" is the way I perceive him, and I felt it necessary to say it.

If others perceive him differently, as a true champion of truth, that's not my concern.

He may have begun as an inquisitor of fraud, but has lost his way IMO and attacks-ridicules everyone with gifts he doesn't possess and will never understand.

You & I have no argument, but simply live in different universes, it seems.

Spiritual phenomena is typically an individual personal experience rather than empiricly verifiable fact.
That's unlikely to change any time soon.

Randi creates-promotes a universe of skepticism and rigid logical argument. A place where spiritual reality finds hard to visit, as his mental defenses are well fortified against such experiences.

IMO his activities-goals are diametrically opposed to the principles that brought about these forums,
If everyone had to defend the personal spiritual experiences many share, with courtroom logic or verifiable evidence, this forum would cease to exist.

And folks like Randi would triumph.

I've said my piece regarding him and will not debate the topic further. Folks can judge on their own what his interior motives really are.

But I suspect furthering our understanding-growth isn't a priority.