Title: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Qtipie on March 03, 2010, 08:17:21 AM
Post by: Qtipie on March 03, 2010, 08:17:21 AM
Recently, I read about transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and the helmet invented by Dr. Persinger. I understand, that some 80% of the test persons experienced the feeling of a "higher reality" or "the presence".
Assumed you knew exactly, that the TMS-helmet will convert atheists into believers (with a probability of 80%), would you put on that helmet?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Assumed you knew exactly, that the TMS-helmet will convert atheists into believers (with a probability of 80%), would you put on that helmet?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Tanker on March 03, 2010, 08:45:55 AM
Post by: Tanker on March 03, 2010, 08:45:55 AM
It doesn't "convert" anyone. It produces feelings of a higher reality.
How could you equate having a divice directly affect you brains operation as proof of conversion. If I got extremly high on drugs I could feel the same way but it wouldn't be a normaly functioning brain either.
How could you equate having a divice directly affect you brains operation as proof of conversion. If I got extremly high on drugs I could feel the same way but it wouldn't be a normaly functioning brain either.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: curiosityandthecat on March 03, 2010, 02:02:50 PM
Post by: curiosityandthecat on March 03, 2010, 02:02:50 PM
The same feelings (and thus the same areas of the brain) fire like crazy during a grand mal seizure. What's your point?
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Whitney on March 03, 2010, 02:42:16 PM
Post by: Whitney on March 03, 2010, 02:42:16 PM
IP match for memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=914 (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=914)
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: curiosityandthecat on March 03, 2010, 04:39:28 PM
Post by: curiosityandthecat on March 03, 2010, 04:39:28 PM
Imagine that. 
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Will on March 04, 2010, 06:58:17 PM
Post by: Will on March 04, 2010, 06:58:17 PM
Frankly, I'd like to try it during sex.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Whitney on March 04, 2010, 07:13:37 PM
Post by: Whitney on March 04, 2010, 07:13:37 PM
I only answered no because I won't want to put on a helmet that would fry my brain so much that I'd suddenly think that having an electrically induced higher experience means a god exists.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: LoneMateria on March 04, 2010, 07:42:55 PM
Post by: LoneMateria on March 04, 2010, 07:42:55 PM
Quote from: "Whitney"I only answered no because I won't want to put on a helmet that would fry my brain so much that I'd suddenly think that having an electrically induced higher experience means a god exists.
Part of me wishes this was like reddit ... because I would up-vote this comment.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Kidnapkid on March 04, 2010, 07:55:15 PM
Post by: Kidnapkid on March 04, 2010, 07:55:15 PM
Dawkins put the helmet on. Nothing happened to him. Apparently most (or all) of the people they use the helmet on have to go through a screening process and extensive questionnaire to make sure they already have a suggestible brain. Which to me makes the whole experiment biased. I'd put it on because I'm fairly sure that, like Dawkins, nothing would happen to me. And it would be good to see how many people it doesn't work on.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Mediocrates on March 06, 2010, 12:20:22 AM
Post by: Mediocrates on March 06, 2010, 12:20:22 AM
I recall Dr Susan Blackmore trying something similar, if not the same, quite some time ago in a documentary about alien abduction.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: karadan on March 08, 2010, 12:37:36 PM
Post by: karadan on March 08, 2010, 12:37:36 PM
Quote from: "Kidnapkid"Dawkins put the helmet on. Nothing happened to him. Apparently most (or all) of the people they use the helmet on have to go through a screening process and extensive questionnaire to make sure they already have a suggestible brain. Which to me makes the whole experiment biased. I'd put it on because I'm fairly sure that, like Dawkins, nothing would happen to me. And it would be good to see how many people it doesn't work on.
Hmm, sounds a bit like the scientology initiation.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: LoneMateria on March 08, 2010, 03:56:48 PM
Post by: LoneMateria on March 08, 2010, 03:56:48 PM
Quote from: "karadan"Quote from: "Kidnapkid"Dawkins put the helmet on. Nothing happened to him. Apparently most (or all) of the people they use the helmet on have to go through a screening process and extensive questionnaire to make sure they already have a suggestible brain. Which to me makes the whole experiment biased. I'd put it on because I'm fairly sure that, like Dawkins, nothing would happen to me. And it would be good to see how many people it doesn't work on.
Hmm, sounds a bit like the scientology initiation.
Only if they require money up front...
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: karadan on March 08, 2010, 04:48:47 PM
Post by: karadan on March 08, 2010, 04:48:47 PM
Quote from: "LoneMateria"Only if they require money up front...
And a huge supply of thetans
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Birdcrazy on March 09, 2010, 01:52:51 PM
Post by: Birdcrazy on March 09, 2010, 01:52:51 PM
I already had an experience like that before, not the helmet though. Occasionally someone experiencing psychosis will enter that state of mind, (hence the name Birdcrazy as my screen name, I'm medicated now and respond well to meds)
You feel perfectly at peace, at one with the universe... and I thought I was God's chosen one.... but yeah, investigating this further when I was well, it's a brain thing only.
And if it happened to me again, it would not convert me, I would realize my medication needs adjusting.
You feel perfectly at peace, at one with the universe... and I thought I was God's chosen one.... but yeah, investigating this further when I was well, it's a brain thing only.
And if it happened to me again, it would not convert me, I would realize my medication needs adjusting.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Ihateyoumike on March 10, 2010, 05:07:17 PM
Post by: Ihateyoumike on March 10, 2010, 05:07:17 PM
"The God-Helmet." I'm gonna start calling condoms that name.
"Hold on baby... Gotta throw on a God-Helmet." I like it.
"Hold on baby... Gotta throw on a God-Helmet." I like it.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Kidnapkid on March 12, 2010, 02:36:07 PM
Post by: Kidnapkid on March 12, 2010, 02:36:07 PM
Quote from: "Ihateyoumike""The God-Helmet." I'm gonna start calling condoms that name.
"Hold on baby... Gotta throw on a God-Helmet." I like it.
hahahaahahaha Now that's funny.
Title: Re: Would you put on the God-helmet?
Post by: Faradaympp on March 14, 2010, 01:09:50 PM
Post by: Faradaympp on March 14, 2010, 01:09:50 PM
I rejected the god of just about any religion due to their tendency to be self-centered, amoral, jealous, hypocrytical, DICKS. I'm sure that the experience depends on the wearer, all the christians would agree that their god had communicated with them but if we asked a muslim to try it he would claim it was allah, if you want to believe you will interpret anything as a sign, I mean for crying out loud these are the people who claim a banana's shape is proof of god's existence.
Quote from: "Tanker"How could you equate having a divice directly affect you brains operation as proof of conversion. If I got extremly high on drugs I could feel the same way but it wouldn't be a normaly functioning brain either.Would I wear it? yes, I am certain that if any god exists *rolls eyes* he is nothing like any of the gods of any religious group. But this device would be wasted on me, there are hundreds of such charlatans who offer "communion with god", if it doesn't work they say you didn't try hard enough. Really, no amount of neural stimulation will convince me of the existence of any deity. Does lack of neural stimulation convince theists that there is no god?