Sunday, March 27, 2005

Late last night I almost had an out-of-body experience . . . or at least it felt that way at the time.

I was dog-tired and most of the sensation of leaving my body (which I never quite actually succeeded in doing) was probably due to the heightened suggestibility that comes with fatigue. Still, it was interesting: I more or less freaked when I felt the "OBE" coming on, so I centered my awareness and the sensation faded.

At no point did I feel as if I were being yanked out of my body; it was more of a subtle tropism, like a champagne bubble drawn toward the surface of a glass. And as scary as it seemed at the time -- whether it was the first stage of an OBE or not, and I tend to doubt it really was -- I never felt out of control. Just a little jarred. And then I was back asleep and dreaming.

So I remain agnostic on the reality of OBEs -- although, if pressed, I think there's something to it.

(I seem fated to a life of really lukewarm "paranormal" experiences.)

8 comments:

Mac said...

Whether this was the prelude to the real thing or not, I was really down on myself for not being ready. It was a little like being invited aboard the mothersip and chickening out.

Anonymous said...

I've had OBE's too. In fact, a number of years ago I OBE'd a lot, mainly just for the hell of it and because it can actually be fun and cool. Whether a person OBEing is really out of his or her body is problematic but it certainly seems like it. And people have reported obtaining information this way that they couldn't have otherwise known.

Personally, I think the OBE experience is a form of lucid dreaming, where you are in the dream state but conscious and in control of the dream. The accompanying psychophysical sensations of entering OBE can be a bit disconcerting but if you realize that everything's actually OK and just go with it, it will be.
--WMB

Ken said...

So tell me...how do you do a OBE?

Anonymous said...

Mac, you just didnt smoke enough of whatever you were smoking. A little more should get you out of your meat container.

I've tried to OBE and read up on how to do it but it never worked, and many times when i got that "champagne bubble drawn toward the surface of a glass" sensation it was usually just me trying too hard i think. I suck at OBE-ing.

w. m. bear, could you really do it at will? Wouldnt it be nice to OBE and go somewhere fun when you were in a really sucky situation like a very bad lecture or in a meeting with idiot bosses. I've learned to tune out AND have a conversation effectively as evident by the fact that I still have a job (usually i have NO idea what I just conversed about when that happens, thanks to mom and dad back in high school for giving me the opportunity to perfect that skill) The next step would be OBE-ing and floating around town while the stupidity is flowing out of my bosses' mouths.

Mac said...

There are dream-states that mimic OBEs. I'm skeptical of most claims, but I think there *is* such a thing. What I experienced probably wasn't it, but I still think it's something to shoot for.

JohnFen said...

"but you have to believe it does occur"

That's easy -- the mental state certainly occurs. What exactly it is can be debated, but that it is is undeniable.

When I was first learning this stuff, I found that the trick was an attitude of passivity. If I got nervous, or excited (it's happening! it's happening!) it would squash the whole thing right quick.

It took practice to be able to "not care" and just allow it to happen.

JohnFen said...

Oh, and what you described sound a lot like the start of an OBE to me. Just keep doing it every so often without expectation.

Anonymous said...

info, Ken, Mac, et al. It helps if you first practice a bit of meditation (good for what ails you too!) Especially the type where you focus on your breathing, since breathing seems to be one of the keys to entering the OBE state. Also relaxation exercises. That said, however, I will confess that my first real OBE occurred spontaneously while I was on a psychoactive drug (prescription type -- the name of which I forget). After that it was easier to do it intentionally and without any drug, although my efforts didn't always succeed. Basically, the idea is just to lie on your back (bed I've found is the best place and late night the best time for me), gradually slow your breathing (without forcing it) until you kind of relax into a very pleasant mild trance like the experience Mac described. Well, OK, it might not seem all that pleasant, but you should experience a kind of floating sensation and from there "just let it happen"(if it wants to!) Just before entering the much deeper trance of OBE, I often experienced a strange buzzing and vibration, as well as a kind of weird excitement, all of which can be disconcerting but seems harmless. Then I was outta there!
--WMB