Selected valued comments from the Peanut Gallery. >From Mr. Lawrence:
> The question to be considered is, what causes them? Is > it aliens, in the case of abductions? Is it God, in the > case of theophanies? Or is it some internal change in > state, like, say, a sudden drop in GABA levels in the > midbrain? That is an objective question which surely has > an objective answer, and looking for the answer seems > perfectly reasonable, rational, and even called for. If > we actually knew the answer, then that answer would > certainly not change "with the times". There is certainly every legitimate reason to pursue "causes" for such experiences. However, as we may end up with numerous technical/medical/physiological explanations that attempt to explain the mechanisms behind such experiences – such "causes" don't go to the heart of the experience itself. What I have tried to bring forth here is that in the end it may be the experience itself that is the most important component – how it affects the experiencer as well as those who listen to the recounting of the experience. It seems to change according to the culture one is living in. I realize my comment is likely to be considered unsatisfactory to some. Regards, Steven Vincnet Johnson www.OrionWorks.com www.zazzle.com/orionworks
