China Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 'Ghostly presence' created in lab Scientists say that they have identified the parts of the brain that are responsible for generating these spooky sensations. They have also created an experiment that makes some people feel like there is a ghost nearby. The research is published in the journal Current Biology. There are many tales of the paranormal, but an often-reported phenomenon is that of the invisible apparition. Dr Giulio Rognini, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), says: "The sensation is very vivid. They feel somebody but they cannot see it. It is always a felt presence." He said it was common in those who experience extreme conditions, such as mountaineers and explorers, and people with some neurological conditions, among others. "What is astonishing is that they frequently report that the movements they are doing or the posture they are assuming at that specific moment is replicated by the presence. So if the patient is sitting, they feel the presence is sitting. If they are standing, the presence is standing, and so on," he explained. To investigate, the researchers scanned the brains of 12 people with neurological disorders, who had reported experiencing a ghostly presence. They found that all of these patients had some kind of damage in the parts of the brain associated with self-awareness, movement and the body's position in space. In further tests, the scientists turned to 48 healthy volunteers, who had not previously experienced the paranormal, and devised an experiment to alter the neural signals in these regions of the brain. They blindfolded the participants, and asked them to manipulate a robot with their hands. As they did this, another robot traced these exact movements on the volunteers' backs. When the movements at the front and back of the volunteer's body took place at exactly the same time, they reported nothing strange. But when there was a delay between the timing of the movements, one third of the participants reported feeling that there was a ghostly presence in the room, and some reported feeling up to four apparitions were there. Two of the participants found the sensation so strange, they asked for the experiments to stop. Click on the link for the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chew Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 So....exorcist being a "true story" is bananas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 So....exorcist being a "true story" is bananas? The **** is bananas, b a n a n a s! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted November 7, 2014 Author Share Posted November 7, 2014 So....exorcist being a "true story" is bananas? That was about possession, not ghosts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 This seems like a hell of a stretch. I question how they arrived at the conclusion creepy situations consists of things mimicking the positioning of the person experiencing them. That seems selective with the intention of fitting the experiment. Maybe I'm just reading the wrong ghost stories but that certainly doesn't seem like a common detail. The only time this seems to come up is when people think they hear footsteps following them, which acoustics can do and when it happens is definitely creepy. I've had that sensation and it is unnerving, but you figure it out pretty quick... and then repeat it in your head a hundred times. I'm not a person that believe your door moving at night is evidence that your dead grandma is paying you a visit. I think people jump to this conclusion the same way people assume UFOs are alien ships. I do think there is enough evidence to say that seeming weird stuff happens, but just like UFOs I stop there. I think we'll figure out something eventually but this experiment seems to fall way short. I liked the other explanation better. Infrasound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Cool stuff! I suppose our ability to trigger supernatural experiences internally on demand will reduce our temptation to believe that we are perceiving something external. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacks 'n' Stuff Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 The title of the article had me intrigued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chachie Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 There is a thread somewhere in the Tailgate where members post their own paranormal experiences. I'm too lazy tonight to look for it but it's a fun read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Kev Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 The title of the article had me intrigued. Indeed, "inducted an apparition" might be pushing it a bit, still interesting though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 There is a thread somewhere in the Tailgate where members post their own paranormal experiences. I'm too lazy tonight to look for it but it's a fun read. Here you go. http://es.redskins.com/topic/278874-have-you-had-an-encounter-with-a-ghost/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s0crates Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Reminds me of the god helmet. http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/brain-religion2.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Our house has ghosts. Odd cause we are the first people to live in it. All my kids say they have seen her and that she lives in the playroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 So....exorcist being a "true story" is bananas? I drove by the house where the exorcist boy lived last year. Nothing special, but cool nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 So....exorcist being a "true story" is bananas? I drove by the house where the exorcist boy lived last year. Nothing special, but cool nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade7 Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 I don't feel everything can be explained with science, especially considering our technologicial limitations right now. I would be very disappointed if the scientific community chalked up the possible presense of souls among us to simply "brain damage". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 All ideas are welcome. The question for proponents of supernatural ideas is simple: how do you know what you claim to know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Excuses Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 I don't feel everything can be explained with science, especially considering our technologicial limitations right now. I would be very disappointed if the scientific community chalked up the possible presense of souls among us to simply "brain damage". At what point do we attribute things to be outside the realm of science? I think there is a good reason for science to intrude in the areas of paranormal and pseudoscience. If "ghosts" are able to interact with the sensory systems of natural entities, then by this characterization, they should be an observable and testable phenomena. http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14/index.cfm/chapter-7/c7h.htm In 2012, slightly more than half of Americans said that astrology was “not at all scientific,” whereas nearly two-thirds gave this response in 2010. The comparable percentage has not been this low since 1983. It's probably not good from an educational purpose to have a population that believes something like astrology has a scientific basis. It's the sign of a gullible society that is not very scientifically literate. How do you let the general public know what is true or what is made up, if you aren't testing for its validity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 All ideas are welcome. The question for proponents of supernatural ideas is simple: how do you know what you claim to know? There is no such thing as the supernatural. There is however a large amount about existence that remains unknown and our understanding continues to evolve. If you think this odd little experiment tapping on a persons back explains away all those ghost stories that frustrate you, feel free to wrap yourself in the security that belief gives you. No one will judge you for doing exactly what everyone else does; searching for an affirmation of your own beliefs. Just don't pretend that isn't what you're doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 There is no such thing as the supernatural. There is however a large amount about existence that remains unknown and our understanding continues to evolve. If you think this odd little experiment tapping on a persons back explains away all those ghost stories that frustrate you, feel free to wrap yourself in the security that belief gives you. No one will judge you for doing exactly what everyone else does; searching for an affirmation of your own beliefs. Just don't pretend that isn't what you're doing.It would be kind of exciting if there were any evidence of ghosts. Unfortunately all mysteries and unknowns are elsewhere.Why do you think I have this emotional relationship with ghost stories? They are just stories, and stories are a dime a dosen. Unexplained sound stories, I thought i saw something stories, etc. who cares? I am okay with not explaining them. You think ghosts are real? Ok how do you know that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade7 Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 At what point do we attribute things to be outside the realm of science? I think there is a good reason for science to intrude in the areas of paranormal and pseudoscience. If "ghosts" are able to interact with the sensory systems of natural entities, then by this characterization, they should be an observable and testable phenomena. http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14/index.cfm/chapter-7/c7h.htm It's probably not good from an educational purpose to have a population that believes something like astrology has a scientific basis. It's the sign of a gullible society that is not very scientifically literate. How do you let the general public know what is true or what is made up, if you aren't testing for its validity? Maybe one day we'll figure that out, but right now we're very much trapped in explaining what we see right in front of us and filling the gaps with what makes sense to us based on our current understanding of the universe (like dark matter and negative energy). We've already stated in a couple scientific situations that just because we can't prove it yet doesn't mean its not there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 How about we start by showing that something is actually there? People have been telling stories about these things for thousands of years. More we look, less we find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 How about we start by showing that something is actually there? People have been telling stories about these things for thousands of years. More we look, less we find. They're just shy. Like bigfoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s0crates Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 If a ghost is a disembodied spirit, then it is hard to explain how we could perceive one in the first place. It is much easier to explain how we could imagine one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artmonkforHOF Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Ghostly experience manufactured in a lab? Well duh, LSD is made in a lab, nothing to see here, move along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.