hello ken, I'm new here but I'll give your replies a shot purely from my own perspective.
1) As far as I can determine everything leaves an information imprint at a basic level. An example would be the phenomena of repeater-ghosts that have been reported around the world - the apparition repeating a set of actions. In OOBE/Astral theory this would be called perhaps a remnant ethereal body devoid of astral consciousness. The repeater-ghost could be considered analagous to a standing wave. Environmental and causal circumstances would contribute to the localized standing wave formations. Most scientific investigations into these phenomena have focused on discrediting specific mediums of interaction. For instance, 'cold spots' are measured and shown to have a normal thermal distribution. However, this misses the point as the information seems to be passed to the human nervous system directly. This would be corroborated by the reports of animals reacting to ghosts. The "cold spot" phenomena would then be interpreted as a nervous system "chill" in reaction to such a formation rather than an objectively lower temperature location. This could be confirmed scientifically by taking a nervous system culture/organic filament structure and attaching it to measuring devices. If they show perbutation at the location, that would be an empirical evidence of such a phenomena. The technology currently exists to perform this experiment.
2) Most spiritual systems of belief do not include a biological theory of evolution as a component. Most uses of the word evolution are synonmous in the lingo with emotional and personality development and maturity.
However, my personal investigations indicate that there is a strong biological component to the functioning of OOBE with the possibility of rudimentary specialized brain structures, analagous to the brain structures specialized for language and mathematics and other neural operations. In that case, darwinian evolution and natural selection could be invoked in order to explain this if there were some differential reproductive advantage in the usual manner.
There are many species or genus with relatively rare physical adaptations. Ceteceans for instance have interesting sleep patterns. Dolphins alternative sleep cycles in each half of the brain.
Just as humans are unique in whole language capability, it's not that inconceivable that they have some other rare evoled mental functions.
3) In my experience from working with mothers who have had abortions or miscarriages, the equivilent ethereal and astral bodies are relatively not-robust and are reasorbed into the mother's system or are discharged and quickly disintegrate. If there are higher planar bodies corresponding to immortal souls, etc. they don't seem to be highly active in most instances. Some babies seem more "there" and fight harder to live however in canvassing pregnant women. However, since these babies are more likely to survive anyway one would rarely see them terminated. Bio-volition or the "will to live" is still a real but unquantified part of the practice of medicine, and while recognized by medical science as being potent is unpredictable or classifiable by current scientific models. It could be argued this comes from a more intense early connection with higher planar soul aspects.
4) Dreams are mostly the randomized refreshment of neural patterns. Synaptic patterns that are too strongly reinforced, become unalterable. Others which aren't utilized die away. Use it or lose it. Dreams perform the admirable primary purpose of dreams is that they are the byproduct of neurons firing in the brain to refresh certain pathways, and aid learning.
As a secondary function, the random firing can trigger neural patterns which have been inactive or repressed leading to dreams symbolic of personal issues. There is significant evidence of a tertiary function where the greater freedom of neural adapation during dreams leads to occasional problem solving dreams - if the problem is deeply entrenched enough that the brain continues to solve it even while asleep. This produces problem solving dreams.
The last function is that the random firing can trigger regions and coordination in the brain that are rarely utilized. One of these would produce the OOBE phenomena.
5) Yes. By being able to astral project, one can purposely tap into virtual experiences that closely resemble the problem solving and repression-exploration dreams. Behavior and cognitive patterns are more easily modified in this environment because it by definition occurs when the brain is attempting to change set patterns. This can lead to accelerated learning. Finally, the alteration of brain activity can activate what many people would call ESP or synchronicity related brain functions. This can lead to premonitary or clairovoyant experiences that gather valuable information. All of these are possible reasons why the trait may have some selection value in evolutionary terms.
Robert Bruce in his book Astral Dyanmics is the only author that I know of that discusses what I call the virtual-reality input-output model of OOBE though he doesn't do so in such terminology. He discusses how OOBE can be viewed as a reflection produced by the altered consciousness that can include objective perceptions of real time distant information mixed in with symbolic renderings of internal inputs or subejctive perceptions.
1) As far as I can determine everything leaves an information imprint at a basic level. An example would be the phenomena of repeater-ghosts that have been reported around the world - the apparition repeating a set of actions. In OOBE/Astral theory this would be called perhaps a remnant ethereal body devoid of astral consciousness. The repeater-ghost could be considered analagous to a standing wave. Environmental and causal circumstances would contribute to the localized standing wave formations. Most scientific investigations into these phenomena have focused on discrediting specific mediums of interaction. For instance, 'cold spots' are measured and shown to have a normal thermal distribution. However, this misses the point as the information seems to be passed to the human nervous system directly. This would be corroborated by the reports of animals reacting to ghosts. The "cold spot" phenomena would then be interpreted as a nervous system "chill" in reaction to such a formation rather than an objectively lower temperature location. This could be confirmed scientifically by taking a nervous system culture/organic filament structure and attaching it to measuring devices. If they show perbutation at the location, that would be an empirical evidence of such a phenomena. The technology currently exists to perform this experiment.
2) Most spiritual systems of belief do not include a biological theory of evolution as a component. Most uses of the word evolution are synonmous in the lingo with emotional and personality development and maturity.
However, my personal investigations indicate that there is a strong biological component to the functioning of OOBE with the possibility of rudimentary specialized brain structures, analagous to the brain structures specialized for language and mathematics and other neural operations. In that case, darwinian evolution and natural selection could be invoked in order to explain this if there were some differential reproductive advantage in the usual manner.
There are many species or genus with relatively rare physical adaptations. Ceteceans for instance have interesting sleep patterns. Dolphins alternative sleep cycles in each half of the brain.
Just as humans are unique in whole language capability, it's not that inconceivable that they have some other rare evoled mental functions.
3) In my experience from working with mothers who have had abortions or miscarriages, the equivilent ethereal and astral bodies are relatively not-robust and are reasorbed into the mother's system or are discharged and quickly disintegrate. If there are higher planar bodies corresponding to immortal souls, etc. they don't seem to be highly active in most instances. Some babies seem more "there" and fight harder to live however in canvassing pregnant women. However, since these babies are more likely to survive anyway one would rarely see them terminated. Bio-volition or the "will to live" is still a real but unquantified part of the practice of medicine, and while recognized by medical science as being potent is unpredictable or classifiable by current scientific models. It could be argued this comes from a more intense early connection with higher planar soul aspects.
4) Dreams are mostly the randomized refreshment of neural patterns. Synaptic patterns that are too strongly reinforced, become unalterable. Others which aren't utilized die away. Use it or lose it. Dreams perform the admirable primary purpose of dreams is that they are the byproduct of neurons firing in the brain to refresh certain pathways, and aid learning.
As a secondary function, the random firing can trigger neural patterns which have been inactive or repressed leading to dreams symbolic of personal issues. There is significant evidence of a tertiary function where the greater freedom of neural adapation during dreams leads to occasional problem solving dreams - if the problem is deeply entrenched enough that the brain continues to solve it even while asleep. This produces problem solving dreams.
The last function is that the random firing can trigger regions and coordination in the brain that are rarely utilized. One of these would produce the OOBE phenomena.
5) Yes. By being able to astral project, one can purposely tap into virtual experiences that closely resemble the problem solving and repression-exploration dreams. Behavior and cognitive patterns are more easily modified in this environment because it by definition occurs when the brain is attempting to change set patterns. This can lead to accelerated learning. Finally, the alteration of brain activity can activate what many people would call ESP or synchronicity related brain functions. This can lead to premonitary or clairovoyant experiences that gather valuable information. All of these are possible reasons why the trait may have some selection value in evolutionary terms.
Robert Bruce in his book Astral Dyanmics is the only author that I know of that discusses what I call the virtual-reality input-output model of OOBE though he doesn't do so in such terminology. He discusses how OOBE can be viewed as a reflection produced by the altered consciousness that can include objective perceptions of real time distant information mixed in with symbolic renderings of internal inputs or subejctive perceptions.