OBE's and NDE's

Question 1

What do most religious people see when they have an OBE or NDE?

Answer 1

The God of their faith

Question 2

What is the debate about OBE’s and NDE’s?

Answer 2

No one is disputing whether people actually have them or not but if they are paranormal experiences or if there’s another more scientific explanation.

Question 3

What do most people feel about their NDE experience?

Answer 3

That their soul temporarily left their body

Question 4

What is the evidence for paranormal explanations?

Answer 4

Case studies (such as Pam Reynolds) indicate that people who have experienced NDE’s can come times accurately report things that were going in whilst they were being resuscitated. At this time they were unconscious, therefore they should not have been aware of anything

Question 5

What’s an alternative explanation to paranormal explanations?

Answer 5

The brain death hypothesis

Question 6

What is also the problem with paranormal explanations?

Answer 6

It is not scientific to draw conclusions based on anecdotal evidence. Science should use empirical evidence which is falsifiable. These stories cannot be verified or replicated as science should be

Question 7

What is now being done in an attempt to make case studies of OBE’s and NDE’s more reliable?

Answer 7

Operating theatres are now placing photos on top of strip lights which can only be seen from above

Question 8

What is the brain death hypothesis? (Detailed)

Answer 8

This states that NDE’s and OBE’s happen while we are entering into brain death or leaving it, not when it’s stopped working. During these periods we see a tunnel of white light because the retina has more cells in the middle and fewer on the edges. So a when a lack of oxygen occurs this means the edges of vision become darker and the light is intensified in the middle which could be perceived as a tunnel of light. We also have a surge of endorphins which make us feel calm and serene

Question 9

What is the brain death hypothesis? (Briefly)

Answer 9

More cells in retina so lack of oxygen means light is intensified in the mirrors so it could be perceived as a tunnel
Surge of endorphins makes individual feel calm and serene

Question 10

How is an OBE described?

Answer 10

As an experience a person can see the world from a location outside the human body

Question 11

Who is more likely to experience an OBE?

Answer 11

Those who are more susceptible to hypnosis, have a good memory for dreams and/or report psychic experience

Question 12

Are OBE’s and NDE’s linked?

Answer 12

OBE’s are commonly reported by people who have a near death experience

Question 13

What do most people feel about OBE’s and NDE’s?

Answer 13

That they are a paranormal experience

Question 14

Who researched into if there were key features of OBE’s?

Answer 14

Alvarado

Question 15

What did Alvarado research?

Answer 15

If there were any key features of OBE’s

Question 16

What are the key features of OBE’s?

Answer 16

Various levels of awareness, there’s a separation from the body. Most leave and return to it, 62% could see it from a short distance
7% could see am astral cord
50% see a body that’s not their own
28% feel like a ball of light or cloud

Question 17

What were Alvarado’s findings?

Answer 17

Various levels of awareness, there’s a separation from the body. Most leave and return to it, 62% could see it from a short distance
7% could see am astral cord
50% see a body that’s not their own
28% feel like a ball of light or cloud

Question 18

What is a persons mental state like before an OBE?

Answer 18

60% feel the same before and after
For some an OBE is emotionally arousing
No links/pattern between a mental or physical state triggering an OBE
Many happen in a dark room during minimal sensory input but they can occur when emotions are high e.g NDE

Question 19

Who investigated the circumstances in which OBE’s occur?

Answer 19

Irwin and Watt

Question 20

What did Irwin and Watt discover?

Answer 20

60% feel the same before and after
For some an OBE is emotionally arousing
No links/pattern between a mental or physical state triggering an OBE
Many happen in a dark room during minimal sensory input but they can occur when emotions are high e.g NDE

Question 21

What did Irwin and Watt investigate?

Answer 21

The circumstances in which an OBE occur

Question 22

What are the after effects of an OBE?

Answer 22

The more complex the experience the more likely it is too change someone’s attitude
Many are happy to have another

Question 23

When do NDE’s occur?

Answer 23

During a medical emergency when the patients life is in danger

Question 24

What % of cardiac arrest patients have an NDE?

Answer 24

12%

Question 25

Who investigated the key features of an NDE?

Answer 25

Roe

Question 26

What did Roe investigate?

Answer 26

The key features of an NDE

Question 27

What are the key features of an NDE?

Answer 27

Feelings of deep peace and well being
Sense of separation from body
Entering darkness/passing through a tunnel
Seeing light/entering a beautiful garden

Question 28

What were Roe’s findings?

Answer 28

He found 5 key features of an NDE:
Feelings of deep peace and well being 
Sense of separation from body 
Entering darkness/passing through a tunnel 
Seeing light/entering a beautiful garden

Question 29

What is the case study of Pam Reynolds?

Answer 29

Pam was clinically dead for half an hour, she had no brain activity. Her eyes had been taped shut and ticker plugs placed in her ears. She describes her NDE/OBE in great details and described the instruments used and could retell the nurses conversation. Doctors confirmed even if she was semi conscious she could not have known this

Question 30

What does the case study of Pam Reynolds support?

Answer 30

The paranormal explanation (which counteracts the biological explanation)
OBE’s and NDE’s

Question 31

What is the evaluation for Pam Reynolds?

Answer 31

Although anecdotal evidence is not always scientific, have was under strict medical guidance and these controls make it more scientific.
It can be verified she was clinically dead
However, it cannot be completely verified that Pam did not find out these details before or after the event.
For it to be completely scientific it needs to be objective, not a subjective self report.
The results need to be replicated but this is not possible because they are so rare and happen of their own accord, you cannot really prepare an experiment for one. However, photos are being placed above the strip lights in operating theatres to help the research

Question 32

What were Greysons findings?

Answer 32

Those who experienced an NDE perceived death as a passage to a pleasant state and had prior paranormal experience

Question 33

What is the problem with using anecdotal evidence?

Answer 33

It is subjective and not objective. It’s not falsifiable so not entirely reliable.