polity4life
2011-04-25, 01:36 PM
Hello everyone,
In this thread, we can discuss the various stages of out of body experiences (OBEs) from their genesis to their conclusion in general and on a personal level. We can explore some basic questions about OBEs: What are they? How do they happen? What are they like? Is it weird that I have had one? We can also share our experiences with them and try to learn more through civil discourse.
Before I kick start things, I'm going to lay out some baselines rules:
1) Please observe the laws of the land as laid out by the Giant and the Moderators. The laws are there with cause. They are reasonable and they allow us to discuss a wide range of topics openly and respectfully. This is a great, mature community so let's keep proving that quality.
2) This topic certainly opens itself up to the discussion of substance use as they can evoke an OBE. In the spirit of following the rules laid out and to avoid a gray area, please refrain from sharing experiences induced chemically even if the substance was obtained legally and taken in doses as prescribed by a physician.
3) This topic also affords the opportunity for a tangent into religion which can quickly spiral out of control. This discussion is not about spirit walking or the soul. This is a discussion on personal experiences of a phenomena that has been studied in the scientific community and on the findings and theories of said community.
So to the fun part! In order for us to have a discussion on OBEs we first need to define an OBE. An OBE then is an experience where one feels a sensation of floating or flying and actively perceives the environment, including one’s own body, from a place away from his or her body. Essentially, your focus of sensory inputs is separated from your body.
These experiences can be induced through numerous means. Some may incur naturally during phases of sleep while others could occur due to mechanical inducement, such as listening to particular sounds or resting in a sensory deprivation chamber. Meditation has also been known to induce an OBE. OBEs are also known to happen during near-death experiences. There’s quite a bit on the web about these phenomena and I suggest that, if you’re interested, you take advantage of those resources to learn more.
From what I have read, OBEs have a respectable prevalence within a few tests that I've found in the literature (Charlottesville, VA and Bristol, UK); where upwards of 1 in 10 people have reported an experience once in their lifetime. As these are self-reported findings, they must be taken with a grain of salt. However, they still have value in that some people do have OBEs. Is it weird to that you have experienced an OBE? Not at all, though the experience itself may be weird.
What happens during an OBE? The only real way to find out is to experience it. Although some have described their forays, the most profound are those witnessed by yourself.
I remember my first and only "experience" distinctly. I went to bed listening to a pink noise track on my mp3 player that I set to repeat. At some point in the evening, something woke me up (either my girlfriend or our obnoxious, overweight cat). Upon waking, I knew immediately something was different; my body was absolutely drained by my mind was very keen and aware in a very particular manner. I wasn’t experiencing my normal rush of random thoughts and tangents. My mind was clear and focused, which is a very rare experience for me in and of itself. I lay back down, checked my mp3 player, closed my eyes, and started to actively envision the ceiling above me, where the wall meets, where the window is on the wall, etc. What felt like seconds that passed could have been longer but black gave way to a view of my ceiling, as though I were looking through a wide, short tube. That’s when I started to feel a floating sensation. I could visibly see the ceiling, window sill, and molding come closer. As soon as I grasped that I felt this huge rush of elation which was quickly followed by a violent vibration and noise, as though a jack hammer was battering the world. The experience quickly shifted into one of free fall, which felt to be less than a second. I felt like I was slammed into my bed. I sat up, thought to myself, “Holy crap! That was awesome!” and went back to sleep.
As I stated above, I have yet to repeat that experience. With it being my only exposure and after having read somewhat on the topic, I'm left to wonder if it was merely a lucid dream on something I had taken in recently. I have been trying to replicate the circumstances without any success.
So what about you? Have you had an OBE? Have any questions or want to talk about them?
In this thread, we can discuss the various stages of out of body experiences (OBEs) from their genesis to their conclusion in general and on a personal level. We can explore some basic questions about OBEs: What are they? How do they happen? What are they like? Is it weird that I have had one? We can also share our experiences with them and try to learn more through civil discourse.
Before I kick start things, I'm going to lay out some baselines rules:
1) Please observe the laws of the land as laid out by the Giant and the Moderators. The laws are there with cause. They are reasonable and they allow us to discuss a wide range of topics openly and respectfully. This is a great, mature community so let's keep proving that quality.
2) This topic certainly opens itself up to the discussion of substance use as they can evoke an OBE. In the spirit of following the rules laid out and to avoid a gray area, please refrain from sharing experiences induced chemically even if the substance was obtained legally and taken in doses as prescribed by a physician.
3) This topic also affords the opportunity for a tangent into religion which can quickly spiral out of control. This discussion is not about spirit walking or the soul. This is a discussion on personal experiences of a phenomena that has been studied in the scientific community and on the findings and theories of said community.
So to the fun part! In order for us to have a discussion on OBEs we first need to define an OBE. An OBE then is an experience where one feels a sensation of floating or flying and actively perceives the environment, including one’s own body, from a place away from his or her body. Essentially, your focus of sensory inputs is separated from your body.
These experiences can be induced through numerous means. Some may incur naturally during phases of sleep while others could occur due to mechanical inducement, such as listening to particular sounds or resting in a sensory deprivation chamber. Meditation has also been known to induce an OBE. OBEs are also known to happen during near-death experiences. There’s quite a bit on the web about these phenomena and I suggest that, if you’re interested, you take advantage of those resources to learn more.
From what I have read, OBEs have a respectable prevalence within a few tests that I've found in the literature (Charlottesville, VA and Bristol, UK); where upwards of 1 in 10 people have reported an experience once in their lifetime. As these are self-reported findings, they must be taken with a grain of salt. However, they still have value in that some people do have OBEs. Is it weird to that you have experienced an OBE? Not at all, though the experience itself may be weird.
What happens during an OBE? The only real way to find out is to experience it. Although some have described their forays, the most profound are those witnessed by yourself.
I remember my first and only "experience" distinctly. I went to bed listening to a pink noise track on my mp3 player that I set to repeat. At some point in the evening, something woke me up (either my girlfriend or our obnoxious, overweight cat). Upon waking, I knew immediately something was different; my body was absolutely drained by my mind was very keen and aware in a very particular manner. I wasn’t experiencing my normal rush of random thoughts and tangents. My mind was clear and focused, which is a very rare experience for me in and of itself. I lay back down, checked my mp3 player, closed my eyes, and started to actively envision the ceiling above me, where the wall meets, where the window is on the wall, etc. What felt like seconds that passed could have been longer but black gave way to a view of my ceiling, as though I were looking through a wide, short tube. That’s when I started to feel a floating sensation. I could visibly see the ceiling, window sill, and molding come closer. As soon as I grasped that I felt this huge rush of elation which was quickly followed by a violent vibration and noise, as though a jack hammer was battering the world. The experience quickly shifted into one of free fall, which felt to be less than a second. I felt like I was slammed into my bed. I sat up, thought to myself, “Holy crap! That was awesome!” and went back to sleep.
As I stated above, I have yet to repeat that experience. With it being my only exposure and after having read somewhat on the topic, I'm left to wonder if it was merely a lucid dream on something I had taken in recently. I have been trying to replicate the circumstances without any success.
So what about you? Have you had an OBE? Have any questions or want to talk about them?