One thing I’ve noticed about rationality is that it likes finding “the” cause of something. It doesn’t like thinking systemically. We’ve already discovered that OBE’s take on content from the person’s belief system. Saying it’s just electrochemical means eliminating the concept of “information” from the theory.

You’d think that in this age of computers people would start thinking in terms of firmware, not just hardware (neurologists) or software (psychologists).

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Quote: And it resolutely fails to mention Persinger.

I am very interested in Persinger’s work, but I’m starting to wonder what magnetically inducing a “spiritual” experience means.

I could take peyote or some other hallucinogen and have a “spiritual” experience, but since it is chemically imposed (i.e. not naturally occuring) then the visions may arrive during a state of non-preparedness (compared with, say, meditation). Therefore, I would expect such experiences (Persingers’s or hallucinogens) to simply recapitulate the person’s existing belief systems. Based on what I’ve read, this is indeed what often happens.

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On the basis of my comments it may sound like I’m utterly against reductionist research. I’m not. But in my opinion we have to be careful that our beliefs don’t lure us into losing track of some of the pieces.