Skeptic-bait #1: "Astral Projection"

[bambi_swag]

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Skepticbait Intro:
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I am starting a series of posts for you skeptical atheists to munch on and determine the truth value thereof based on your objective critical thinking skills. Most of this series will be about so called "supernatural" phenomenon that I (and my hippie wippie New Age community) have experienced when I was younger and deconverted from Christianity.
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What is Astral Projection?
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To put it basically, Astral Projection is the "art" of "out of body experiences".

In other words, this a practice in which you purposely push your "soul" out of your body and you can fly around earth, spy on what other people are doing, meet other "soul beings/aliens", and do other incredible stuff. (Some people even claim to have flown to the moon). These are very bold and outlandish claims indeed.

Today's topic is one that some of you might know about if you watch spirit (pseudo)science series on YouTube,
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The possible answers I know so far:
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#1. Astral Projection is a hoax and LIE
#2. It's a hallucination or some psychological/drug issue.
#3. We don't know, we need more info
#4. There's a little grain of truth
#5. Damn hippies are right. O_o
#6. Other, you tell me what's going on
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My Stance: #4, #3. And now Arguments:
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Why do I think there is a little grain of truth in this? Many reasons.

THE TRUTH GRAINS:

#1. Because you try this at see for yourself Because this is a purposeful practice (like meditation and very similar to meditation as well) that can undergo the scientific method to test its results. But unfortunately, there are moments when you have to base some of your results on the speaker's testimony, just like you would in sleep experiments.

#2. There is a project going on to study astral projection hosted by this one Russian dude. It goes under the the name "The Phase."

There's a documentary on it over here: https://youtu.be/sGwbBRj4Fc8
BUT there are some limitations as to the credibility of the group hosting the project since it is know for its Fringe studies, so I guess their would be a little doubt on their credibility.

#3. (Self-Testimonial) I have tried it myself and had success to a certain extent. This unfortunately means that you would have to take my word for it. What exactly did I experience? Most times I tried without any success at all. But a few times I did succeed and actually experienced flying over what looked exactly like my physical body. I felt like I was extremely light in weight, and I astonishingly flew around with ease. When I looked at my myself there was nothing to see, but I could feel myself as a flying eyeball of sorts. I think this is what people call the "soul" when astral projecting. Well it was amazing as crap and fun. However, these moments of success lasted for hardly half a minute before I felt a sort of shocking falling back into my body (or what felt to be my own body). But now that I Christian, this practice is considered a form of black magick according to the Biblr so I don't practice this anymore.

#4 (Testimonial Evidence only presented) Why I don't think it's merely I psychological hallucination? Well though I have not experienced remote-viewing through Astral projection myself, some of my friends, and even rrustworthy family-friends have practiced and mastered this experience better than I have.

They were into this stuff told me how they *spied on people* (this is called remote viewing) using astral projection and later told the people on what he/she saw them doing accurately.

I've heard a lot of similar testimonials about remote-viewing through astral projection,My EP friends, my Brahmin Hindu friends. Not just a few, even this ex-Muslim-mystical-nut in a different country (Uzbekistan) whom my parents met on our journey told us, how he saw what other people were doing using this technique and then scared those people by informing them and he use to touch girls with his out-of-body "soul" lol. So that's why If it were just a merely hallucination, the practitioner wouldn't be able to affect other far-distance people people's lives at all. Plus, there's a vast community of Astral projectors at the Astral Pulse forum who report these types of remote-viewing experiences.

Remember this is just testimonial evidence of what people who practiced this told me, so you could only take their word for it to determine the truth value of this phenomena, either that or you could try Astral projection yourself and make up your mind on this matter for yourself.

Why do I also think there is a lot of bullshit in this too? Many reasons.

THE LIE GRAINS:

#1. Lack of mainstream Audience. If this really was indeed a very plausible thing, there would be MYRIADS of people trying Astral projection and spying on their girlfriend and flying around the moon. The lack of this publicity is one reason which suggests that there is some nonsense in this too.

#2. Hallucigens. Certain Hallucigens report some form of these Out of Body Experiences, and most of them are certified crap-wirings caused by the drugs affects in your brain. And since there is a lot of drug culture associated with this, I have reason to doubt.

#3. Sensory-Deprived hallucinations. When your body has a lack of sensory input, the Brain itself produces sensory imagery similar to someone who's sleeping in REM mode. Astral Projection and Meditation involve a purposeful deprivation of mental, visual, and auditory stimulation, so that's one reason why I the hallucinations explanation to Out-of-body experiences add up better theoretically.

#5. Lack of research from the Scientific community. Isn't it a little strange there are hardly any scientists researching these really amazing claims on Astral projection things expect for a handful of parapsychologists and quantum physicists? That's another reason to doubt.
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I'm done. Please don't instantly dismiss it as "nah its just hoax brow, kill yoursalf" could you discuss these points I made and ask questions about them and tell my WHY you have doubts about this thing being legit. Thanxy.

Btw, if you want to try Astral projection and experience those awesome things (regardless if it's hallucination or not) here you go: http://snip.ly/3eOl#http://www.wikihow.c...Projection

Be warned though, I think it's "spiritually dangerous" as according to what I believe in the Bible.

[Losty]

I'm replying anyways despite your orders

[Aoi Magi]

I am going to reply despite the warning:

Prove there is a "soul" before determining why it stalks it's own vessel.

[Losty]

I am going to reply despite the warning:

Prove there is a "soul" before determining why it stalks it's own vessel.

The rebellion!!!! It fuels my passions!!!

[Fake Messiah]

Richard Feynman actually experimented in this with those isolation tanks and he (along with scientific community) concluded that it was just hallucination and if this was real, like people being on the Moon, then they would bring some useful, previously not known informations but in every case it was just that - a hallucination.

[bambi_swag]

I am going to reply despite the warning:

Prove there is a "soul" before determining why it stalks it's own vessel.

Sure. But me let finish writing my experience about what people call "souls" first in the post ok?

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Richard Feynman actually experimented in this with those isolation tanks and he (along with scientific community) concluded that it was just hallucination and if this was real, like people being on the Moon, then they would bring some useful, previously not known informations but in every case it was just that - a hallucination.

Yes. I heard a about the isolation tanks experiment too. They are the wake-version compared to this type of practice but in the same category, so the experiences vary. But please discuss point number #4 that on my stance on this issue and tell me what you think.

[robvalue]

I'll come back to this more later, but for now #1 and #2 seem most probable. #3 is always applicable and should be kept in mind, or else one becomes closed minded.

I've yet to see any evidence that such a thing is real, and plenty to suggest that it isn't.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I've actually read a fair bit about astral projection. I believe a more apt description of this phenomenon is 'dreaming'.

Boru

[robvalue]

There's another possibility. People don't come up with their "remote viewings" as independently as they might think. This shows the importance of rigorous scientific conditions, which these kinds of things have not stood up to as far as I know.

http://youtu.be/eAPdHyM2Oqg

This is video series which shows how easily people can be tricked into woo beliefs in general. I would love to know what he could pull on me, especially the conversion of atheists in part 3. Would I fall for that?

http://youtu.be/0CFDAw7sv9c

[Aoi Magi]

Ok so regarding your "Truth Grains"
#1 - hearsay/testimony on it's own is pointless in science.
#2 - people research all sorts of weird shit, doesn't make it true
#3+#4 - Floating/Flying dreams are one of the most common dreams. And again rumors and testimonials which cannot be examined or scrutinized are not worth discussing.