Sketchy Coma Story Called Out For Improbabilities

I have had a ton of questions this week about Rom Houben, the Belgian man who was supposedly completely conscious during a 23-year coma. Like, “Really?” And, “How does that work?” And, “Doesn’t this sound a little unlikely?” Well, now that the world has reported the miracle and all of its amazingness, there are finally some other people who have questions. Like this guy.

Houben’s account of his ordeal, repeated in scores of news stories since appearing Saturday in Der Spiegel, appears to be delivered with assistance from an aide who helps guide his finger to letters on a flat computer keyboard. Called “facilitated communication,” that technique has been widely discredited, and is not considered scientifically valid.

“If facilitated communication is part of this, and it appears to be, then I don’t trust it,” said Arthur Caplan, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Bioethics. “I’m not saying the whole thing is a hoax, but somebody ought to be checking this in greater detail. Any time facilitated communication of any sort is involved, red flags fly.”

They sure do! Anything else, Arthur Caplan?

“You’re going to lie for 23 years in a hospital bed with almost no stimuli, and then sound completely coherent and cogent? Something is wrong with that picture. The messages are almost poetic. It sounds too lucid, like someone prepared these things to say. I’m not saying it’s all a fraud, but I want to hear a lot more.”

Me too!