Supernatural experiences?

[DesignFox]

I actually experience sleep paralysis very frequently, most commonly when I am taking midday naps. <snip>
Often, I feel that I am hovering outside my body for a few seconds. This lasts until the paralysis wears off and I can feel my body again. My brain is interpreting my state of consciousness paired with paralysis as an "out of body" experience.

Is THAT what that is? I had that happen to me in college once. I felt like I was leaving my body...like, if I let myself keep going I just would have floated away.

It scared the crap out of me! (hasn't happened since)

I'm fairly insomniac, anyway. I rarely sleep soundly, and I constantly dream. I think the best part about getting my wisdom teeth out was the sedation and drugs gave me the best sleep of my life.

[Flyndaran]

...It's a strange sensation to know with your rational mind that you are safe when at the same time your subconscious is freaking the hell out.

That's my severe anxiety in a nutshell.
Maybe that's why I never give much credence to weird unexplained feelings. I know they lie too much to believe.

[Lachrymose]

I actually experience sleep paralysis very frequently, most commonly when I am taking midday naps. For me, I usually have a vague sensation of being held down by an invisible and malevolent presence. Only once (and this was just last month) did I actually hallucinate and see someone standing over me.

Often, I feel that I am hovering outside my body for a few seconds. This lasts until the paralysis wears off and I can feel my body again. My brain is interpreting my state of consciousness paired with paralysis as an "out of body" experience.

Uggh...it happened to me several times last night in a very short span. Probably the most I've ever experienced it.

I have narcolepsy, so I get it quite frequently. Usually once a night at least.

Until recently, I let it scare the bejesus out of me every time. Now I kind of go with the flow.

I can force myself to have auditory hallucinations (usually it just sounds like a crowd of people chatting, although once it was Pop Goes the Weasel. WTF? lol).

And occasionally I can make myself "leave my body" and kind of crawl around the room and what not (I know it's not real, but it damn near feels like it.)

[Slytovhand]

Firstly, Lachrymose.. who's to say it's 'not real'??? What you're describing is something that some students of metaphysics and the like would train for years to be able to do! If you practice it well enough, you just might surprise yourself with what is possible (and, more importantly, verifiable... with something that 'shouldn't' be...).

Boozy, RK & DF - check out a book called "God's Gladiators" by Stuart Wilde... for a ... different... take on things!

[Flyndaran]

Firstly, Lachrymose.. who's to say it's 'not real'??? What you're describing is something that some students of metaphysics and the like would train for years to be able to do! If you practice it well enough, you just might surprise yourself with what is possible (and, more importantly, verifiable... with something that 'shouldn't' be...).

Boozy, RK & DF - check out a book called "God's Gladiators" by Stuart Wilde... for a ... different... take on things!

Studies with hidden objects to be identified by such "floaters" have consistently shown that people only think they see from alternate viewpoints. Sorry, that power has been put to rest.

[Slytovhand]

Don't ya just love how 'studies have shown', means there's no way that such things are possible....

No Flyn, just because 'studies' show things, doesn't actually make something 'true'. There are talented and gifted people out there ('psychics') who are quite able to do things that are considered impossible...

Studies will show, that a lot of things we think are hogwash now, are quite factual and repeatable at some (not too distant) future! It's just that it's the 'wrong people' who are doing the 'studies'...

[Flyndaran]

Don't ya just love how 'studies have shown', means there's no way that such things are possible....

No Flyn, just because 'studies' show things, doesn't actually make something 'true'. There are talented and gifted people out there ('psychics') who are quite able to do things that are considered impossible...

Studies will show, that a lot of things we think are hogwash now, are quite factual and repeatable at some (not too distant) future! It's just that it's the 'wrong people' who are doing the 'studies'...

So you believe in the supernatual, but not scientific studies? I guess then, that there is no way to convince you otherwise. You'll just pooh pooh any evidence I present.
Goodbye.

[Slytovhand]

Your statement is stating the exact same thing that you've claimed I have. You, too, will 'pooh pooh' and claims to the contrary

I do not believe that science is the be all and end all of 'truth'. Scientific knowledge =/= reality. It's that simple.

Let me just quote one famous line, that you (and other pro-science people) keep forgetting: "Lack of evidence =/= proof against". In this case, just because 'scientific studies' didn't find a link, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. So, when you can prove that it has no effect, get back to me! Oh, what, you can't - science can only 'disprove'... damn! Don't we need a thread on the philosophy of science at this stage??? Probably also on what is 'truth' and 'reality'.


(perhaps I should have just made this post "So you believe in scientific studies, but not the supernatural? I guess then, that there is no way to convince you otherwise. You'll just pooh pooh any evidence I present." )

[Boozy]

Let me just quote one famous line, that you (and other pro-science people) keep forgetting: "Lack of evidence =/= proof against". In this case, just because 'scientific studies' didn't find a link, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

I believe that an invisible leprechaun lives under my bed. Prove one doesn't. You can't. Therefore the existence of an invisible leprechaun is as likely as the absence of an invisible leprechaun.

If you can't understand how insane that kind of thinking is, I don't know what to tell you.

[Slytovhand]

Would be insane (literally), if that were the case.

But, when the question comes to "What's your evidence?"... and 2 opposing groups both come up with 'reasonable' evidence, which do you then believe?? You see, I can point to 'evidence' for some of the things that I think exist in the world... but all those 'evidences' are 'poo-poohed' by the scientific community...

(do aliens exist? Probably. Have they abducted people or cows? Possibly. Is there 'evidence'. Well, yes... just depends on acceptability of evidence. Can or will science ever prove the aforementioned untrue? Nope! Only that 'This doesn't fit our current world view'.. which is the point... that world view is constantly changing).

eg - no scientific study has ever (in the western world) found evidence of Qi. Yet, the Chinese, Indians, Japanese, Burmese etc have been using the concept to successfully treat patients for thousands of years. There's also been other studies and experiments have suggested that at the very least, something exists... So, in this example, I'll go with the Qi existing, rather than the few studies that say it doesn't... isn't that 'fair'... how about 'sane'?


Besides... prove reality actually exists the way that you think it does.... (yes, we're getting into religion and philosophy.. but that's the point!)