Question 1

Which is the MOST appropriate way to view the out-of-body experience (OBE) as a scientific question?

Accepted Answer

The most appropriate way to view the out-of-body experience is as an actual phenomenon that can and should be explained by science in natural terms. There is a growing body of research that supports the idea that OBEs are real experiences that can be studied and understood using scientific methods. In fact, it is only by taking this approach that we can hope to unravel the mysteries of this fascinating and elusive phenomenon. Options B and C are not valid because they discount the subjective experiences of those who report having had an OBE, without any scientific basis. Option D is also not valid, as significant progress has been made in the scientific study of OBEs in recent years.

Question 2

In response to the out-of-body-experience (OBE) study conducted by Tart (1968), which rebuttal was offered for the claim that Miss Z's mind had left her body to view the numbers hidden out of sight from her?

Accepted Answer

The rebuttal offered for the claim of Miss Z's OBE was that disturbances in the EEG recordings suggested that she might have moved during the study, which would have allowed her to see the hidden numbers. Therefore, it is suggested that her mind did not actually leave her body to view the numbers.

Question 3

In relationship to out-of-body experiences (OBEs), electrostimulation of the brain can:

Accepted Answer

Electrostimulation of the brain has been demonstrated to produce OBE-like experiences, leading some to speculate that certain types of OBEs may be a result of physical processes rather than metaphysical ones. However, it is important to note that not all OBEs can be explained by electrostimulation and there is still much debate surrounding the nature and cause of OBEs.

Question 4

Some scientists who have conducted research on people adept at having out-of-body experiences (OBEs) have occasionally shown that their subjects can identify objects out of ordinary sight when the subject has not moved. These scientists may make an argument that the mind actually leaves the body during OBEs. What is the MOST important question these scientists have not answered?

Accepted Answer

The most important question that these scientists have not answered is why the brain appears to be involved in the production of OBEs because this would suggest that the experience is actually a product of the brain rather than evidence of the mind leaving the body.

Question 5

A limitation of the studies by Blanke and his colleagues who electrostimulated the brains of individuals undergoing surgery to produce out-of-body experiences is that:

Accepted Answer

The studies were conducted on individuals with epilepsy or other problems, so it is possible that the findings may not generalize to people with healthy brains. This limits the external validity of the research.

Question 6

According to research by Blanke and colleagues (2002), stimulating the temporal parietal junction with small amounts of electricity is likely to produce a(n):

Accepted Answer

According to the research by Blanke and colleagues, stimulating the temporal parietal junction with small amounts of electricity is likely to produce an out-of-body experience.

Question 7

People who have out-of-body experiences tend to have more:

Accepted Answer

People who have out-of-body experiences tend to have more lucid dreams. This is because both experiences involve a sense of detachment from the physical body and an altered state of consciousness. Flashbacks and déjà vu experiences are not necessarily related to out-of-body experiences, and there is no evidence to suggest that people who have these experiences have more personal problems.

Question 8

Case studies by Ramachandran on patients with phantom limb sensations suggest that the:

Accepted Answer

Ramachandran's studies suggest that the brain has a representation of body parts that can be activated even when a limb is amputated, leading to phantom limb sensations. This indicates that the brain is capable of plasticity and can adapt to changes in the body.

Question 9

Which statement provides the BEST conclusion based on the evidence presented in this chapter's literature review about out-of-body experience (OBE)?

Accepted Answer

The literature review suggests that OBE is likely an illusory experience resulting from the brain's failure to correctly integrate information about the body's position. There is no evidence to suggest that it is something people can learn to do or that it results from brain damage. While it is true that the mind and body may be perceived as separate during an OBE, this does not necessarily provide the best conclusion.

Question 10

Which finding provides the strongest evidence in support of the conclusion that the mind does not actually leave the body in an out-of-body experience (OBE)?

Accepted Answer

The fact that out-of-body experiences can be experimentally induced and demonstrated provides stronger evidence that the mind does not actually leave the body, but rather that the brain is capable of generating these experiences within the body. The other options do not provide evidence to support or refute this conclusion.

Question 11

According to Susan Blackmore's (1987) cognitive psychological theory of out-of- body experience (OBE), an OBE occurs when:

Accepted Answer

According to Blackmore's theory, an OBE occurs when the normal flow of sensory data is disrupted as the cognitive system constructs its usual model of experiencing the self as in the body. This can happen due to various reasons such as sensory deprivation, trauma, meditation, or drugs. During an OBE, the person perceives that their consciousness is separate from their physical body and they can view their body from an external perspective.

Question 12

Suppose someone concluded that out-of-body experiences (OBEs) can be explained in natural terms, such as a sort of illusion or hallucination produced by the brain when the mental processes for constructing the experience of being "in the body" have been disrupted. This explanation of OBE in natural, psychological terms is MOST consistent with:

Accepted Answer

This explanation of OBEs as a result of natural processes in the brain is most in line with physicalism or materialism, which holds that everything can be explained in terms of physical matter and natural laws. It does not require any appeal to a separate realm of consciousness or spirituality, as would be required by mind-body dualism or idealism. The concept of interactionism proposed by Descartes would posit that the mind and body interact, but this does not necessarily explain OBEs in natural, psychological terms.

Question 13

Case studies by Ramachandran of amputees who experience pain in missing limbs together with research on the mapping of the body onto the brain's somatosensory strip suggest that:

Accepted Answer

Ramachandran's case studies and research suggest that the brain can create a representation of missing limbs that becomes activated when a limb is amputated, leading to phantom limb sensations and pain. This indicates that the brain's somatosensory strip has the ability to reorganize and adapt to changes in the body. Option A is incorrect because the brain has been shown to have a significant degree of plasticity. Option C is partially correct in that nerve endings from the missing limb can contribute to phantom limb sensations, but this is not the only factor involved. Option D is incorrect because the existence of phantom limb sensations undermines a dualist perspective that separates the mind and body.

Question 14

Tart (1968) tested whether Miss Z, a subject who had many out-of-body experiences (OBEs), could accurately perceive things when outside of her body. The important limitation of this study as OBE evidence is MOST related to:

Accepted Answer

The study provided limited evidence as it was based on a single subject and a single instance, which is not sufficient to draw strong conclusions about OBEs.

Question 15

According to the text, which statement is TRUE about near-death experiences?

Accepted Answer

The text specifically states that "one of the most common features of near-death experiences is an out-of-body experience, in which people feel as though their consciousness is hovering above or outside their physical body." None of the other options are supported by the text.

Question 16

The fact that some people experience pain in a missing limb after amputation is MOST consistent with:

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon of experiencing pain in a missing limb, known as phantom limb pain, supports brain-based explanations of out-of-body experiences (OBEs). This is because it suggests that the sensations and experiences are generated by the brain, even in the absence of the physical limb, rather than indicating that the mind has left the body or exists independently of the physical body.

Question 17

Ramachandran's work with amputees who experience phantom limb sensations is relevant to the study of out-of-body experiences (OBEs) because:

Accepted Answer

Ramachandran's work with amputees and their experiences of phantom limb sensations suggests that the brain can produce an illusory experience of a missing body part, which may be relevant to understanding how the brain produces out-of-body experiences. Both phantom limbs and OBEs involve the brain constructing a representation of the body that does not fully correspond with physical reality, suggesting that the brain is highly plastic and adaptable in its ability to create vivid perceptual experiences.

Question 18

Andrea concludes that out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are actual experiences of the mind leaving the body. Which assumption might call into question and even challenge Andrea's evaluation of the common experience of OBE that people report?

Accepted Answer

The assumption that many people might mistake an illusion for an OBE (Option C) directly challenges Andrea's evaluation by suggesting that what people perceive as their mind leaving their body could actually be a misinterpretation of their experiences, rather than a literal departure of the mind from the body.

Question 19

The study by Blanke and his colleagues showing that people can be induced in the laboratory to experience something like an out-of-body experience provides the BEST support for the position that:

Accepted Answer

The study by Blanke and his colleagues provides evidence that the experience of being "out-of-body" is something like an illusion. This supports the position that the mind experiences something like an illusion when it leaves the body. It does not support the other options, including that the mind can actually leave the body, that mental experience is not related to the functioning of the physical brain, or that the brain is highly plastic.

Question 20

Suppose the out-of-body experience (OBE) is explained as occurring when perception becomes destabilized and the brain's construction of its usual model of the mind as inside the body is disrupted. This is a _____ explanation of the OBE.

Accepted Answer

The explanation given that the OBE is a result of destabilization of perception and disruption of the brain's usual model of the mind as inside the body is rooted in psychological principles.

Quiz 7: Can the Mind Leave the Body the Mindbrain Problem

Which is the MOST appropriate way to view the out-of-body experience (OBE) as a scientific question?

In response to the out-of-body-experience (OBE) study conducted by Tart (1968) , which rebuttal was offered for the claim that Miss Z's mind had left her body to view the numbers hidden out of sight from her?

In relationship to out-of-body experiences (OBEs) , electrostimulation of the brain can:

A limitation of the studies by Blanke and his colleagues who electrostimulated the brains of individuals undergoing surgery to produce out-of-body experiences is that:

According to research by Blanke and colleagues (2002) , stimulating the temporal parietal junction with small amounts of electricity is likely to produce a(n) :

People who have out-of-body experiences tend to have more:

Case studies by Ramachandran on patients with phantom limb sensations suggest that the:

Which statement provides the BEST conclusion based on the evidence presented in this chapter's literature review about out-of-body experience (OBE) ?

Which finding provides the strongest evidence in support of the conclusion that the mind does not actually leave the body in an out-of-body experience (OBE) ?

According to Susan Blackmore's (1987) cognitive psychological theory of out-of- body experience (OBE) , an OBE occurs when: