Out Of Body Experience

It’s believed that 1 in 10 people have experienced an out of body experience (OBE). Robert Monroe’s book ‘Journeys out of the Body’ (1971) is said to have been the platform that launched the phrase into the public although, when looking at Eastern religions and ancient yoga techniques, out of body experiences were documented much earlier.

Because everyone is different, OBEs will vary from person to person. The most common experience, however, is the sense of floating above your body and looking down.

Neuroscientists have tried to make sense of the phenomenon and many believe it is the canals in the inner ear that cause the experiences – particular for those with ear problems.

Some studies show that those with anxiety and depression, as well as dizziness, were more likely to have an OBE. However, this does not account for the people without these conditions who have had the same experience.

There is another theory that looks at the way the brain functions to explain out of body experiences. Braithwaite says that your brain automatically builds a bird’s eye view of the space around you and if you are in an unsettling situation your brain may switch from your perspective to this bird’s eye view. This may explain why those who have had near-death experiences have said to experience OBEs.

Though near-death experiences are said to bring out of body experiences, this isn’t a situation we knowingly put ourselves in. However, we have also heard of OBEs occurring during sleep or meditation.

We have little control of OBEs during sleep but through meditation, it is said we can induce them and be more in control. This is because it can help you connect to your chakras in order to leave your body, but this does take practice.

How to have an out of body experience

Start by finding a meditation that works for you and try to do it at the same time everyday. Some believe that between 5am and 7am is ideal because you should have had good quality sleep but you’re still tired enough to drop off again. Your aim is to clear and focus your mind while your body falls asleep. Go through your normal meditation exercise but allow yourself the conscious choice of wanting to leave your body. Imagine each muscle group relaxing and either sinking into the bed or floating up as if they were weightless – you may feel your limbs start to float at this point. Once your body is fully relaxed, shift your focus to the blank space in front of you. Hypnotic patterns may appear and keep an awareness of the images that come from your mind’s eye. Sleep paralysis may also come but don’t worry if this happens it’s just another stage. You may also hear vibrating noises that can be very loud, again don’t worry, once the vibrations pass you can be set free from your physical body. Visualise floating, sinking or rolling out of your body. To get back to your body, simply wake yourself up naturally how you would with your meditation, with a bell timer for example.

There is a chance you could meet spirits or entities during your out of body experience. Their behaviour will be dictated by your expectations so the best way to deal with them is welcome and accept them.

Out of body experiences is best controlled through meditation as you go in with a better headspace. Remember that it takes practice and that your experience is usually dictated by how you are feeling at the time.