An experiment was conducted at the Out-of-Body Research Center in Los Angeles to explain the encounters with various higher powers described in the Bible. Center staff suggest that the reason lies in lucid dreams
Thirty volunteers were instructed on what to do when they wake up at night or are awake in order to achieve a so-called out-of-body experience. In particular, they had to recreate the story of the prophet Elijah, who is mentioned in the Talmud, the Bible and the Koran. According to the legend in one of the Books of Kings, Elijah went into the wilderness, where he asked God for death and fell asleep under a juniper bush. Then he was touched by an angel who told him to get up, eat and drink. Elijah was surprised to find a baked cake and a jug of water. He ate and fell asleep again. Up to this point, the test subjects have been asked to simulate the "scenario".
According to lead researcher Michael Rainbow, this episode was chosen from many others because "angels are an ideal subject of hypothesis testing, because they have a clear image in people's minds - wings, white cloak, halo, etc."
The study, which was not peer reviewed for a scientific publication, did find support among other sleep researchers. In particular, Dr. John Allan Hobson, Professor Emeritus of the School of Medicine at Harvard University, believes that the experiment has a rational grain.
During the 4 weeks of the experiment, 24 participants had at least one lucid dream. They were required to try to "separate from the body" every time they were half asleep or had a lucid dream. After beginning to experience the out-of-body experience, the test subjects were required to search for angels in their home. If they could not get out of the body, they had to go back to sleep and try later.
15 of these 24 were able to partially or completely recreate the episode with the participation of the prophet Elijah. Nine of them saw an angel and food, and the other six saw only an angel.
In October, a similar experiment was conducted at the same center, as a result of which it was allegedly possible to prove that people who were abducted by aliens for experiments also saw it in a dream. The center is funded in part by selling an instruction book on how to "get out of the physical body."