Alert does not mean what some of people seem to think it means.
Nice to know that the whole typing things was happening when someone was holding his typing hand for him.......

As soon as I saw the video of him 'typing' with a nurse holding his hand, I figured there was something a little fishy.

I think it's healthy to be a little skeptical of this, but is it just a coping mechanism to deal with the concept of someone having been put through such a terrible experience, or is it actually a hoax?

Dinki: As soon as I saw the video of him 'typing' with a nurse holding his hand, I figured there was something a little fishy.

good call, facilitated communication is a scam.

'cuz what he actually wrote was:

"sskdi dksllllllll coma lol"

So I decided to look up this author, to see what medical degree he has before I criticized him for giving an opinion from watching TV images, much like Senator Frist. And I found this from his bio at his Center for Bioethics: ...Caplan did his undergraduate work at Brandeis University, and did his graduate work at Columbia University where he received a Ph.D in the history and philosophy of science in 1979.

In other words, though he works with MDs, he is not one. Believe at your own risk.

Somaticasual: I think it's healthy to be a little skeptical of this, but is it just a coping mechanism to deal with the concept of someone having been put through such a terrible experience, or is it actually a hoax?

It's a hoax perpetrated by the "facilitating" therapist upon the family who is searching for some sort of mechanism to cope with being put through a terrible experience.

A video of it just came on my local news, the lady was totally guiding his hand. Weird.

Yeah I thought it was weird that he would say the things he said, After 23 years lying there I'd be more like OMG WTF I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!

Wasnt this a Law and Order episode?

GAT_00: In other words, though he works with MDs, he is not one. Believe at your own risk.

Oh, so he follows "Doctor" Laura's methodology.

xlbrooklyn: 'cuz what he actually wrote was:

"sskdi dksllllllll coma lol"

He's channeling Terri Schiavo.

GAT_00: So I decided to look up this author, to see what medical degree he has before I criticized him for giving an opinion from watching TV images, much like Senator Frist. And I found this from his bio at his Center for Bioethics: ...Caplan did his undergraduate work at Brandeis University, and did his graduate work at Columbia University where he received a Ph.D in the history and philosophy of science in 1979.

In other words, though he works with MDs, he is not one. Believe at your own risk.

The video shows a clear case of a well known and all-too-common scam pawned of as "facilitated communication" by those selling it, and it doesn't take a degree in medicine to recognize it any more than it takes a degree in parapsychology to recognize cold reading when you see it. The facilitator, the woman moving the patient's hand, is the one doing the actual communication, and this is easily proven by asking the patient to describe something visible to him but carefully hidden from the facilitator's view. Heck, it should be obvious just by paying attention to who in the room is actually looking at the pointer-board -- it's the facilitator, while the patient (who presumably needs to see where the letters are on the board in order to communicate) is often staring off someplace else.

I call bullshiat. He's a prop in someone's con game, and his family are the victims.

Ugh....here's the video I conveniently forgot to link to in my previous post. This stuff pisses me off no end.

GAT_00: So I decided to look up this author, to see what medical degree he has before I criticized him for giving an opinion from watching TV images, much like Senator Frist. And I found this from his bio at his Center for Bioethics: ...Caplan did his undergraduate work at Brandeis University, and did his graduate work at Columbia University where he received a Ph.D in the history and philosophy of science in 1979.

In other words, though he works with MDs, he is not one. Believe at your own risk.

There's a simple test. Show him a color, image, etc while the facilitator is out of the room. Return facilitator, ask what color/object was shown to him. He can answer that, right? How about three times in a row?

The Amazing Randi also has his doubts. (new window)

Wasn't this a Law and Order episode?

So let the libtards kill him. Who cares? Libs like killing, and killing is good.

BEEP BEEP

GAT_00: In other words, though he works with MDs, he is not one. Believe at your own risk.

I'd take both M.D.s and someone with a Ph.D. like him on equal terms in this case. The idea of, and the definition of consciousness has been a fascinating subject of philosophers for centuries. Medical doctors would do well to explore some of those ideas as each individual is different. Scientific definitions get into a lot of grey areas when it comes to a case like this.

/I'm in with the "it's a scam" crowd
//like you care.

Jesus people, I'm not saying he's wrong, I'm just saying he's not an MD.

Holy crap! He also said I'm going to marry Susie!! Ewwwwwwww!!!

The whole "facilitated communication" thing may well explain Skinnyhead.

/He's thinking "derp derp derp" but his local evangelical Republican pastor is doing the typing.

ju66l3r: Holy crap! He also said I'm going to marry Susie!! Ewwwwwwww!!!

First thing I thought of as well. Haven't seen a Ouija board in yeeuuhs!

Total bull. In one of the videos, his eyes are obviously closed while he's supposedly typing out a message.

I feel so sorry for the poor family that is being taken advantage of.

When I saw it on the news I was concerned about the speed of the typing.

Hell, I doubt anyone could accurately guess what I wanted typed just by merely sensing pressure from my figure tips, never mind someone who is completely paralysed.

And as the article mentions, why is he not full or anger or at least mentally disturbed for being ignored for twenty three years?

If this DOES turn out to be a scam, will the holyroller Schiavo crowd admit they were conned, or will they quickly pretend this never happened, and move on to something else?

Second thing I thought of:

You want me to respond in any other way than they typing?

That hurts my feelings and I'm not going to type for you anymore

How does he know he was conscious? I woke up once and thought I had been sleeping with Jennifer Aniston.

PunGent:

If this DOES turn out to be a scam, will the holyroller Schiavo crowd admit they were conned, or will they quickly pretend this never happened, and move on to something else?

I doubt they often follow the news from outside the US, or even their state. That debacle was one of the saddest things... she had no brain left, and yet there were unqualified people "diagnosing" her as being fully sapient based on some gurgles they heard on a video. All for cheap, histrionic political gain, and the family's vendetta against her spouse.

Man, I feel bad for feeling having to say this, but I hope the guy is a mental vegetable, so that he didn't spend the last 23 years in living hell.

Gotta feel for his family. They must have been awestruck to have him back, and sane and coherant to boot. But now they must be aware that there are some nagging doubts. I'm not sure anything they learn is going to make them feel better about this situation.

PunGent: If this DOES turn out to be a scam, will the holyroller Schiavo crowd admit they were conned, or will they quickly pretend this never happened, and move on to something else?

They'll just never admit the scam was a scam. Just like how they deal with religion and politics.

Man makes a good point. After a week laid up in bed with a leg injury, I was experiencing mild hallucinations. Thank god for Xanax.

He looks like me.

Well, actually he looks like me after a session on the Belgian beer.

Well, I see Ouija boards and Johnny Got His Gun have already been covered.

Confabulat
Yeah I thought it was weird that he would say the things he said, After 23 years lying there I'd be more like OMG WTF I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!

If he has regained communication abillities, it's more likely 'Unicorn rape purple dishwasher egg steve bacon my mind where cheese stand'.

Mmmmm bacon

"Chicken pot, Chicken pot, Chicken pot pie"

Is that a Apple Tablet

Okay. Law and Order did the facilitated communication thing and House did the "locked-in" thing. From L&O, I learned that facilitated communication is BS. From House, I learned that when someone is locked in, you can use this electrode pointy thingie to communicate. Silly Belgians. Don't they have TV?

Does the touchpad have a "please kill me" button?

Foaming: Does the touchpad have a "please kill me" button?

Oh, man. I wish I hadn't laughed at that.

GAT_00: So I decided to look up this author, to see what medical degree he has before I criticized him for giving an opinion from watching TV images, much like Senator Frist. And I found this from his bio at his Center for Bioethics: ...Caplan did his undergraduate work at Brandeis University, and did his graduate work at Columbia University where he received a Ph.D in the history and philosophy of science in 1979.

In other words, though he works with MDs, he is not one. Believe at your own risk.

Umm...the article shows his pic along with the fact that he is a PhD. Out of all the PhDs and MDs I have known over the years, I would have to say the PhDs are smarter on the whole, but both groups do tend to think they are experts in any subject; not just their specialties.

scam, typing is way to fast

That story that you thought was true? It's a hoax

I was totally on board with this story...until today, when Facilitated Communication was shown. FC has failed every single test ever conducted on it. Every one. I should know...I was involved in some testing her in AZ. Now, if that poor guy IS truly conscious in there, he's going to be in even more pain, watching this nurse type crap for him.

Money is a filthy liar Subby...