It seemed too good to be true: a brain-damaged Belgian man in a coma for 23 years began to communicate – and even promised to write a book – after doctors discovered that he was really conscious. The tragic case of 46-year-old Rom Houben was reported around the world. Unfortunately it turns out that it wasn’t true – at least the most dramatic aspects of the story.

The neurologist who examined Mr Houben, Steven Laureys, now acknowledges that his cautious endorsement of the miraculous story was wrong. It turns out that the dramatic comments credited to Mr Houben had been filtered through a speech therapist using a technique called facilitated communication. After more extensive tests, it seems that she had unwittingly been projecting her own story and presenting it as his.

Sceptics of Houben’s incredible story feel vindicated. "It's like using an Ouija board," said bioethicist Arthur Caplan, of the University of Pennsylvania. "It was too good to be true, and we shouldn't have believed it."

However, that is not the end of the story. What has been proved faulty is facilitated communication. According to a long article in Der Spiegel, Houben may be capable of communication, but it is very difficult to examine him because his body is constantly shaken by spasms.

“Researchers are fairly certain that Houben is conscious -- and they find themselves in the desperate position of a rescue team trying to dig out a person from under the rubble…. ‘We'll simply have to find another way to him,’ Laureys says.” ~ Guardian, Feb 19