Lägg märke till att biskopen tvingas reducera religion till psykologi (eller psykoterapi) för att kunna göra den relevant för ett modernt samhälle. Och talar han verkligen för islam när han gör den reduktionen?
Börjar kanske tycka att "religionsfobi" är något positivt...
Imagine an alliance of Europe and Canada, also comprising Ukraine and a Turkey liberated from Erdogan. And, of course, Greenland!
But sure, it would have to become a bit more "based" than it is presently...
J D Vance is going to Greenland. Probably against the will of both the Danish government and the Greenland local administration. The victors-apparent of the recent local elections oppose Greenland becoming a US protektorat, so how is this *not* "campaigning for the opposition"? To repeat one of J D´s allegations against Zelensky...
My exploration of the far reaches of the known universe with the help of ChatGPT continues! But this is probably the last question I´m going to ask about NDEs.
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Can near-death experiences be simulated by electrical stimulation of the frontal cortex or other parts of the brain?
Yes, near-death experiences (NDEs) can be partially simulated by electrical stimulation of certain brain regions, particularly the temporal lobe, frontal cortex, and brainstem. Several studies have shown that stimulating specific areas can induce out-of-body experiences (OBEs), tunnels of light, and feelings of detachment from the body—all common features of NDEs.
The temporal lobe (especially the right temporal lobe) is closely linked to spatial awareness, memory, and self-perception. Stimulating this area can trigger intense hallucinations and mystical experiences.
🔹 Dr. Michael Persinger's "God Helmet" (1980s-2000s)
A device that applied weak electromagnetic stimulation to the temporal lobes.
Many subjects reported feeling a presence, floating, or detachment from their body, similar to NDEs.
Some even described entering a tunnel of light or meeting spiritual beings.
However, skeptics argue that suggestion and expectations played a role in the results.
🔹 Dr. Olaf Blanke's Out-of-Body Studies (2002, Switzerland)
A Swiss neuroscientist stimulated the right angular gyrus (part of the temporal-parietal junction) in epilepsy patients.
One patient reported floating above her body, a classic out-of-body experience (OBE).
Other patients felt distorted body perceptions, like their limbs stretching or shrinking.
🔹 The Ketamine Connection
Ketamine, a drug that affects NMDA receptors in the temporal and frontal lobes, can simulate NDE-like experiences, including:
Feeling detached from the body.
Entering a "higher realm."
Seeing bright lights or tunnels.
Some researchers believe that low oxygen levels in the brain (like during cardiac arrest) trigger a similar NMDA response, possibly explaining real NDEs.
The frontal cortex is responsible for memory retrieval, self-awareness, and emotional processing.
🔹 Dr. Jimo Borjigin's Study (2013, University of Michigan)
Studied brain activity in dying rats after cardiac arrest.
Found a surge of gamma waves (linked to consciousness and memory recall) just before death.
This could explain the "life review" effect reported in NDEs.
🔹 Penfield’s Brain Stimulation Studies (1950s)
Neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield electrically stimulated different brain areas during surgery.
Some patients reported reliving vivid past memories, similar to the "life review" in NDEs.
The brainstem and optic nerve may explain the tunnel of light effect seen in NDEs.
🔹 Hypoxia (Low Oxygen) and "Tunnels of Light"
In extreme stress or oxygen deprivation, the retina’s visual field collapses from the edges inward, creating the illusion of a tunnel.
Fighter pilots experiencing G-force blackouts report similar "tunnel visions" before losing consciousness.
Skeptical View: NDEs might just be neurological reactions triggered by stress, oxygen deprivation, or brain stimulation.
Alternative View: While the brain can simulate some NDE features, it doesn't explain cases where blind individuals "see", or cases where people report accurate perceptions of events while unconscious.
✅ Yes, electrical stimulation of the brain can trigger experiences similar to NDEs, including OBEs, tunnels of light, and mystical encounters.
✅ The temporal lobe, frontal cortex, and brainstem all play roles in these experiences.
✅ This suggests that at least some NDE phenomena are brain-generated, but it doesn’t necessarily disprove deeper spiritual interpretations.
Would you like more details on specific studies or alternative theories about NDEs? 😊
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Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a condition where people who have lost their vision experience vivid and complex visual hallucinations, even though they are not mentally ill or experiencing dementia. It occurs when the brain continues to generate images despite the lack of visual input.
It was first described by Charles Bonnet, a Swiss scientist, in 1760. He observed that his blind grandfather saw vivid, lifelike hallucinations despite having no sight.
People with CBS report seeing a wide variety of hallucinations, including:
Simple Patterns & Shapes
Lights, colors, geometric shapes, or lines.
Complex Scenes & Objects
Faces, people, animals, buildings, or entire landscapes.
Some report seeing cartoon-like characters or strange creatures.
Distorted or Surreal Visions
Objects appearing larger, smaller, or morphing into different shapes.
Faces with exaggerated features or missing parts.
Non-Interactive & Silent Hallucinations
Unlike psychotic hallucinations (e.g., schizophrenia), CBS hallucinations do not interact with the person.
The hallucinations do not make sound and disappear if the person tries to focus on them.
People with vision loss due to macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or stroke.
Can affect people blind from birth, but it is more common in those who lose their vision later in life.
Estimates suggest 10–40% of people with significant vision loss develop CBS.
CBS occurs due to sensory deprivation—when the brain no longer receives input from the eyes, it compensates by creating its own images. This is similar to:
Phantom limb syndrome (where amputees feel sensations in missing limbs).
Dreaming (where the brain generates visual scenes without real input).
Neuroscientific studies using fMRI scans show that when visually impaired individuals experience CBS hallucinations, the visual cortex of the brain remains highly active, even without external stimuli.
Although CBS is harmless, it can be disturbing. Some ways to manage it include:
Blinking or Looking Away – Often, hallucinations disappear when trying to focus.
Changing Lighting – Some find that adjusting brightness can reduce episodes.
Engaging Other Senses – Listening to music, touching objects, or moving around can interrupt hallucinations.
Knowing It’s Normal – Understanding that CBS is not a mental illness but a normal response to vision loss helps reduce anxiety.
There is no cure for CBS, but symptoms often fade over time as the brain adjusts to vision loss.
In severe cases, medications like anti-seizure drugs or antidepressants have been used, but they are not always effective.
Oliver Sacks wrote about CBS in his book Hallucinations, describing cases of blind patients who saw elaborate hallucinations of people, landscapes, and objects.
In scientific studies, CBS has been observed using brain scans, confirming that the visual cortex remains active even when no real images are being processed.
Charles Bonnet Syndrome proves that vision is not just about the eyes—the brain itself plays a major role in generating visual experiences. This condition also suggests that hallucinations can be a normal function of the brain, rather than just a sign of mental illness.
Would you like examples of real CBS cases or more about how the brain creates these images?
Yes, please. Both.
Here are some documented cases that illustrate how CBS affects people with vision loss:
A 92-year-old woman with macular degeneration (a leading cause of blindness in older adults) began seeing cartoon characters in bright, colorful outfits.
The figures did not speak or interact with her.
They appeared suddenly and would disappear when she tried to focus on them.
She knew they were not real but found them amusing rather than frightening.
A 67-year-old man who lost his vision due to glaucoma began seeing people in Victorian-era clothing standing in his living room.
He saw women in old-fashioned dresses and men with top hats.
The figures stood silently, never moving or reacting to him.
Even though they looked real, he knew they were hallucinations because they vanished when he waved his hand through them.
A blind woman reported seeing a disembodied face that would drift toward her when she sat alone in her house.
The face had distorted features, with an exaggerated smile.
She found the hallucination disturbing, but it never spoke or moved aggressively.
The face disappeared when she turned on a bright light.
CBS hallucinations happen because of sensory deprivation—when the eyes stop sending signals, the brain fills in the gaps by generating its own images. Here’s how:
Even when someone is blind, the visual cortex (the part of the brain that processes sight) remains active.
Brain scans show that this area "fires up" during CBS episodes, even without visual input.
Normally, vision is a mix of sensory input and the brain's predictions about what should be there.
When the brain stops receiving input, it still tries to generate possible images, leading to hallucinations.
People who are blind from birth do not experience visual hallucinations in CBS. Instead, they report hallucinations involving touch or sound.
This suggests CBS is similar to dreaming—where the brain creates images without real-world input.
It’s also similar to phantom limb syndrome, where amputees feel sensations in missing limbs.
✅ CBS hallucinations are not caused by mental illness—they result from the brain trying to "see" despite vision loss.
✅ The visual cortex remains active even in blind individuals, showing that vision is partly generated by the brain itself.
✅ Hallucinations can be simple (lights, shapes) or complex (faces, animals, buildings) and often fade over time.
Would you like more details on specific aspects, such as how CBS relates to near-death experiences or sensory substitution?
Yes, please. Both.
CBS and Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) share some interesting similarities, particularly in how the brain creates visual imagery in the absence of normal visual input. Here’s how they connect:
In CBS, people with blindness or vision loss see vivid hallucinations, even though their eyes don’t function.
In NDEs, blind individuals have reported "seeing" their surroundings during out-of-body experiences (OBEs).
👉 Example: Kenneth Ring’s book Mindsight describes blind people having NDEs where they "see" during the experience but return to blindness afterward—similar to how CBS hallucinations appear and disappear.
CBS happens when the visual cortex lacks input, so the brain compensates by creating images on its own.
In NDEs, the brain may do something similar—especially if oxygen deprivation or sensory deprivation is involved.
👉 Example: Some neuroscientists believe that NDEs might be the result of the brain generating a "final experience" in response to extreme stress or lack of sensory input.
CBS images can be highly detailed—people see faces, buildings, landscapes, or even moving scenes.
NDEs also involve clear, structured visuals, such as tunnels of light, deceased relatives, or out-of-body perspectives.
👉 Possible Explanation: The brain has a natural ability to simulate vision, even when external vision is impossible. This could explain why blind individuals report visual NDEs.
CBS isn’t the only way the brain creates vision without sight—there’s also sensory substitution, where other senses (like sound or touch) are used to "see."
Studies show that blind people’s brains still use the visual cortex, but it processes other information instead.
If touch or sound carries enough detail, the brain can construct a mental image.
👉 Example: Zoltan Torey, a blind psychologist, described how he mentally "visualized" his surroundings using touch and spatial awareness.
Devices like The vOICe convert visual information into sound, allowing blind individuals to "see" through auditory input.
The brain learns to interpret these sounds as spatial and object-based information.
Some blind people trained with The vOICe report experiencing visual perception, despite having no eyesight.
👉 Example: Brain scans of blind individuals using sensory substitution show activity in the visual cortex, proving that "seeing" doesn’t require working eyes.
Like CBS, sensory substitution proves that vision is more than just the eyes—the brain itself plays a huge role.
Like NDEs, it suggests that people can "see" in non-traditional ways, whether through hallucinations or alternative senses.
✅ CBS, NDEs, and sensory substitution all show that the brain can generate visual experiences without normal eyesight.
✅ Blind individuals "seeing" during NDEs may be a result of the brain creating images—similar to CBS.
✅ With the right training, even totally blind individuals can "see" using sound or touch, proving that perception is flexible.
Would you like more details on how these ideas challenge traditional views on consciousness? 😊
So I discussed near-death experiences with ChatGPT...
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How can the brain construct imagery without sight? How can blind people "dream visually"?
The ability of blind individuals to "see" or construct imagery without sight is a fascinating topic that involves brain plasticity, sensory substitution, and internal mental models. The way this happens depends on whether the person was born blind (congenitally blind) or became blind later in life.
The brain does not need direct visual input to create mental imagery. Instead, it relies on other sensory inputs, memory, and neural connections to build a mental representation of the world. Here’s how:
Brain Plasticity and Cross-Modal Processing
In blind individuals, the visual cortex (normally used for sight) can adapt and process information from other senses, such as touch and hearing.
Studies using fMRI scans show that when blind people read Braille or use echolocation, their visual cortex becomes active, suggesting that the brain repurposes itself to construct a "mental image" using non-visual information.
Sensory Substitution
Devices like the vOICe system convert visual input into sound, allowing blind people to "hear" images. Some users report experiencing mental visual-like perceptions after long-term use.
Tactile maps and raised-line drawings allow blind individuals to explore spatial layouts and form mental representations of objects, which function similarly to visual imagery.
Memory and Conceptual Understanding
Even without direct vision, blind individuals can form detailed spatial maps of their environment by using sound, touch, and descriptions from others.
For those who became blind later in life, memories of sighted experiences provide a foundation for mental imagery.
Dreaming is largely based on past sensory experiences. Whether a blind person experiences visual imagery in dreams depends on when they lost their sight:
Blind Since Birth (Congenitally Blind)
They do not experience visual imagery in dreams.
Instead, their dreams are rich in sound, touch, taste, smell, and emotions.
They often describe dream experiences in terms of movement, spatial awareness, and non-visual sensations.
Blind Later in Life
If someone became blind after early childhood, they may continue to experience visual imagery in dreams for years or even decades.
Over time, their dreams might become less visual and more dominated by other senses.
If blind individuals report "seeing" during an NDE or OBE, it may not be literal vision but rather a multisensory mental representation constructed from sound, touch, and memory.
The brain is capable of generating complex experiences, such as dreams and hallucinations, without external input, so these experiences might be internally generated rather than actual perception.
In summary, the brain can create imagery without sight by reorganizing its neural pathways, integrating sensory input from other modalities, and leveraging memory and conceptual understanding.
Yes! Mindsight: Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences in the Blind (1999) is a book by Dr. Kenneth Ring, a professor emeritus of psychology and a well-known researcher in the field of near-death experiences (NDEs). In this book, Ring investigates accounts of blind individuals who report seeing during NDEs and out-of-body experiences (OBEs), even if they were blind from birth.
Case Studies of Blind Individuals with NDEs and OBEs
Ring and his co-author, Sharon Cooper, interview blind people who claim to have experienced visual perception during an NDE or OBE.
Some of these individuals were congenitally blind (blind from birth), yet they report seeing detailed images of their surroundings.
Challenges to the Materialist View of Consciousness
The reports challenge conventional neuroscience, which assumes that vision requires functioning eyes and an intact visual cortex.
Ring suggests that these experiences may indicate that consciousness can function independently of the physical body.
Descriptions of the "Mindsight" Phenomenon
The book describes how blind people "see" during these experiences in a way that is different from normal sight.
Some report a panoramic or 360-degree view, vivid colors, and a form of perception that they struggle to compare to normal vision.
Comparison to Sighted NDEs and OBEs
The experiences of blind individuals are strikingly similar to those reported by sighted individuals who undergo NDEs.
Many describe floating above their bodies, seeing medical personnel working on them, or traveling through a tunnel toward a bright light.
Possible Explanations
Ring explores both scientific and spiritual explanations, including theories of consciousness existing beyond the brain.
He suggests that NDEs in the blind may offer evidence for a form of non-physical perception or a consciousness that can function without sensory organs.
Some scientists and skeptics argue that these experiences could be the result of the brain constructing an internal model based on sound, touch, and other sensory cues.
Others suggest that memory, expectation, or even unconscious visual processing could explain these phenomena.
Mindsight is a fascinating exploration of NDEs and OBEs in the blind, offering compelling testimonies that challenge traditional views of perception and consciousness. While controversial, the book is widely cited in discussions about the nature of human awareness beyond the physical body.
Would you like a specific summary of one of the cases from the book?
One of the most striking cases in Mindsight is the story of Vicki Umipeg, a woman who was blind from birth yet reported vivid visual perceptions during her near-death experience.
Vicki was blind since birth due to retinopathy of prematurity, meaning she had never experienced vision in her life. However, during an accident that left her critically injured, she had an out-of-body experience (OBE) where she saw herself and her surroundings for the first time.
Seeing for the First Time
During her NDE, Vicki found herself floating above her body in the hospital emergency room.
She was surprised to see herself lying on the operating table, recognizing her own long hair and her physical features, though she had never seen herself before.
Observing the Hospital Room
She described seeing the medical team working on her and accurately noted the equipment and layout of the room, which she had never been able to perceive through touch.
She later confirmed details about the doctors and nurses that she could not have known otherwise.
Traveling to Another Realm
After observing the hospital, Vicki experienced the classic tunnel phenomenon reported in many NDEs.
She described entering a realm of light and beauty, where she met deceased family members.
She reported that in this state, her vision was perfect and unrestricted, unlike what she assumed normal sight would be.
Returning to Her Body
Eventually, Vicki was pulled back into her body and lost her vision again.
She awoke in the hospital, blind as before, but retained the vivid memory of having seen during her experience.
This case is particularly compelling because she was congenitally blind, meaning her brain had never processed visual input before.
Her descriptions of sight differ from normal vision, suggesting that she did not merely construct the experience from prior memories.
The case challenges conventional scientific understanding and raises questions about whether consciousness can exist independent of the brain.
Some researchers argue that her descriptions may have been influenced by how sighted people have explained vision to her throughout her life.
Others suggest that her mind might have created a conceptual or sensory-based "vision", rather than actual sight.
Regardless of interpretation, Vicki’s story remains one of the most compelling cases in Mindsight and is frequently cited in discussions on NDEs and consciousness.
Would you like more details on similar cases from the book?
Yes! There are several great books and articles exploring how the brain can construct "seeing" without visual input, particularly in cases of blindness, sensory substitution, hallucinations, and mental imagery. Here are some recommended reads:
Explores how people with blindness, neurological disorders, and brain injuries experience "seeing" without sight.
Discusses Charles Bonnet Syndrome, where blind individuals experience vivid visual hallucinations.
Covers cases of people who lose sight but still "see" in dreams or mental imagery.
Explores how the brain can create sensory experiences (including vision) without external input.
Includes cases of blind individuals who experience visual hallucinations and mental imagery.
Discusses how sensory deprivation can trigger hallucinations that feel real.
Torey, a blind psychologist, describes how he constructed a "mental visual world" after losing his sight.
He argues that the brain can create an internal simulation of vision even in the absence of visual input.
Examines how blind individuals process spatial information and form mental representations.
Discusses how the brain adapts by using other senses to "simulate" vision.
While not exclusively about blindness, this book includes cases of people whose brains misinterpret or reconstruct visual information.
Covers neurological disorders that alter perception, showing how vision is more than just the eyes.
"How the Blind ‘See’ Colors and Shapes" – Scientific American (2019)
Discusses research showing that blind individuals can "see" using touch, memory, and spatial awareness.
Shows how the brain’s visual cortex is still active in blind individuals, repurposing itself for other senses.
"Visual Imagery in the Blind: Neural Basis and Behavioral Evidence" – Frontiers in Psychology (2015)
A scientific paper on how blind individuals experience mental imagery despite never having seen.
Uses fMRI scans to show activation of the visual cortex in blind individuals during mental imagery tasks.
"Seeing with Sound: How the Blind Learn to See with Auditory Substitutes" – Journal of Neuroscience (2012)
Covers research on sensory substitution devices like The vOICe, which converts images into sound.
Shows that blind individuals can "see" by using sound-based mental imagery.
"Charles Bonnet Syndrome: Visual Hallucinations in the Blind" – Brain (2009)
Explores how blind individuals experience spontaneous visual hallucinations.
Shows that even without visual input, the brain generates images on its own.
The brain is highly adaptable and can simulate vision using sound, touch, memory, and spatial awareness.
Even people blind from birth can experience visual-like imagery, proving that vision is not just about the eyes.
The visual cortex remains active in blind individuals, often repurposed for other senses.
Hallucinations and mental imagery can arise from the brain’s need to create a coherent model of the world, even in the absence of sensory input.
Would you like recommendations on a specific aspect of this topic (e.g., sensory substitution, hallucinations, mental imagery)?
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