Out-of-Body Experiences

by Robert Peterson

  Skeptics may say that the blackout suggests a loss of consciousness during which the person might actually start dreaming. They would say that the blackout is some kind of shortcut to the delta brain wave state that accompanies our everyday dreams. Therefore, they would say the OBE is just a dream, with only subjective reality.

  Some theories claim that the blackout is necessary. Crookall believed the blackout is caused because neither the physical nor astral body is available as a vehicle of consciousness during the transference of consciousness. Some people believe the blackout happens because only the subconscious self can separate the soul from the body; therefore, the consciousness of the individual must give up all control to the subconscious during the transference. Others maintain that the blackout occurs because during the actual separation process, the physical brain is unable to interpret the experience. Or, perhaps the brain can interpret the experience, but for some reason or another, the portion of the brain that is responsible for memory is unable to function.

  Despite the theories, I have experienced OBEs in which there was no lapse of consciousness during the separation process and OBEs in which there was no blackout during reentry. The first time this happened was on my fifth OBE.

  01/01/80Tue-OBE #5

  …I looked at my astral hands. They were gently waving back and forth. I thought my waving must be interfering with my travels. I slowed myself down. It felt as if I was drawn closer to the physical body. I felt more physical. Then I dropped into my body and immediately opened my eyes (no blackout). There was no split-second of unconsciousness. I was fully conscious the whole time. I gently floated down into the body and felt myself become more solid. I immediately took charge of the physical body and opened my eyes, wide awake.

  In my 54th OBE, I was fully conscious for the entire exit and reentry.

  10/31/81 Sat-OBE #54

  …I got really comfortable and started to “mind- sway” myself gently. I was extremely relaxed, and my mode of thought was perfect: passive.

  I went deeper toward the unconscious state, but I never got there. I felt a strange electrical type of sensation one third of the way up my spinal column. I also became alert, and at the same time I became restless. I was on my back but my back was curved around my pillow, and I felt uncomfortable with that position. I turned over so that I was on my stomach, but I felt that my body didn't move with me! Only my astral body turned! I didn't let this bother or excite me, because I knew that the separation process was not finished. I knew I was half in and half out of my body.

  I also knew what I had to do next to finish the process. I gently and carefully pushed myself down a little bit, away from my body; about one inch of me was out. I instinctively knew that the vibrations would come to me then. Sure enough, the vibrations came filtering down into my head from above. When the vibrations were at their peak, I took that as my cue and lifted out of my body, twisting at the same time so that I was heading for my bedroom door. I mentally noted how clear my consciousness was again. When I got to the bedroom door, I looked and realized that my astral self was curved around an astral pillow, just like my physical body was curved around its pillow. I reached over with my astral right hand, and tried to pull the pillow away. That is when I noticed that I was dressed in the same clothes as my body—my pajamas. I pulled on the pillow, but it wouldn't come free.

  I got frustrated and turned so that I was facing west. I was going to look at my body to the northwest, but I stopped turning when I looked to the west and saw some lights. I tried to look at the lights and study them, but I noticed that my sight was strange. Everything looked as if it was tilted back forty-five degrees—as if my astral body was leaning at a forty-five-degree angle. I wanted to see those lights better, so I tried to right myself. But no matter how hard I tried, I was still at a forty-five-degree angle. It was as if I was halfway between lying down and standing up. I thought to look at my physical body, but when I thought about my body, I immediately went into it without getting a chance to look at it.

  I was now semi-physical in my body, and I made a great effort to stay awake. I kept saying to myself, “I will stay conscious.” Then I thought that if I opened my eyes again it would help me stay awake. So with a great effort, I opened my eyes and everything was blurry. But I was awake. Then it seemed as though I was in the cataleptic state. Very, very slowly my sight became more “real” until I was fully back in my body. I was fully physical again. When I rolled over and looked at the clock it was 9:35 A.M., so I estimate the projection to have started around 9:30 A.M.

  Here is another example.

  09/18/82 Thu - OBE #81

  …Then the vibrations swept into me, and I was cataleptic. I tried to move, but I couldn't. I struggled to get away from my body but I couldn't. I opened my eyes. I could look around, but could not pull away from my body. My astral body was obviously separate from my body, and it felt free. I felt weightless, and yet I couldn't move. After trying to roll out of my body to the right unsuccessfully, I looked at my bookcase. I looked around some more. Then I tried to roll out to the left. Then I noticed a blur of red to my left. It was my clock, with a digital red display. I had heard that some people believe time moves differently while out of body, so I tried to look at my clock. The clock was just barely out of my field of vision; my body was pointing straight up. So I tried to turn my head.

  After a great deal of effort, I managed to turn my head to the left. It was very hard to turn. But as my head turned, my whole being solidified. I was turning my physical head. With no break in consciousness, I felt my whole being getting bound into my physical body. By the time I finished moving my head, I was no longer astral, but I could see the time: 9:30 A.M.

  I've had many more fully-conscious exits than reentries, for a simple reason: I usually try to make my OBEs last as long as possible, so I don't let the experience end until I black out or lose consciousness.

  We may never know why the blackout usually occurs. Perhaps science will discover the reason, but not until the OBE is given serious scientific research.

  Pain During an OBE

  I have learned some interesting things about pain while I was out of my body. All the OBE books said that during an OBE, it is impossible to feel pain. They said only the body feels pain. So I was very surprised when I had the following experience.

  04/26/80 Sat - OBE #14

  I entered my astral body and suddenly felt a pressure at my astral rib cage on both sides, as if someone were poking me there! I couldn't stand the pain, and I twisted and put myself back into my body. Once in my body I felt all right.

  I left the body again and the same thing happened! I tried to ignore the poke-pressure, but was overcome with the pain and had to go back again.

  I was determined. I tried again. I swayed my astral legs once again. This time I noticed something strange. I didn't use my eyes or my astral eyes, but I could feel my astral limbs with my mind! I could also see them partially with my mind's eye, just like visualizing a thought! This time I also noticed my astral arms. When I got out, I wiggled my fingers. Again, I felt the tickle-pain in my rib cage on both sides. It wasn't as bad this time, and I also did a better job of ignoring it and withstanding the pain. I felt a hand grab my right wrist. It gently tried to help me away from my body, but once again the pain-tickle took its toll and I had to return to my body. When I came back to my body for the third time, I suddenly became very dizzy, and had to abandon the attempts.

  This experience was the only one in which I felt “pain” in the true sense of the word. As I described, it felt as if someone was poking me in the rib cage very hard.

  I didn't get around to actually experimenting with OBE pain until 1983:

  01/09/83 Sun - OBE #86

  …I clapped my hands in front of me as hard as I could. This made a sound, just as I had expected. I had hit my hands very hard, and I felt the pain in them for a second, but the pain was a painless pain! I clearly recognized the sensation of pain in my hands, but
I swear it didn't hurt!

  I've experienced this painless pain or mock pain several times. For instance, instead of floating up above my body on one occasion, I decided to float down under my body:

  04/27/80 - OBE #15

  Sometime this morning I found myself conscious out of my body, but very near it. My first instincts were to get away from it. So when I thought about getting away, I drifted down through my bed underneath my body. I could feel the bed as I went through it.

  What I experienced was the sense of thirty or forty bedsprings piercing through my astral body as I went down beneath my body. The sensation wasn't painful, but I did feel the dull, throbbing sense of mock pain.

  In another OBE, I very much expected to feel pain, but I didn't:

  05/25/84 Fri - OBE #109

  I woke up astrally. I had been dreaming that something was attacking me on my left side. I woke up (in the astral body) and found myself swinging my right astral arm, wildly hitting at the imaginary attacker on my left side. Although I was hitting my left side as hard as I could, I didn't feel any pain at all. I became fully conscious and continued to swing my arm, but only to gather momentum to swing away from my body. Soon I blacked out.

  The subject of astral pain (especially the unexpected lack of pain) may very well be another way to clearly tell OBEs apart from dream states.

  Making the Body Move During an OBE

  The books I read on out-of-body experiences led me to believe that it was impossible to move the physical body during an OBE. I found out that it might be difficult, but possible.

  Several times I have apparently forced my body's eyes open during an OBE, yielding some interesting results. I have written more about that in the next chapter.

  Although I have no way to prove it, I have apparently made my body move in other ways during a few OBEs. For example:

  11/08/80 Sat - OBE #25

  …I started myself astrally swaying again. I tried moving my feet and my physical ones moved! They felt very heavy. The foot I moved was not the swaying astral limb, but the physical one, and I could sense it move with my mind-vision. Just about then I blacked out and came back.

  I have also apparently made my body speak during an OBE. For example:

  10/04/81 Sun - OBE #51

  …I was really in my astral body again, stuck to my physical body. I tried to say, “It's just not fair,” but I couldn't! So I tried to telepath it, and I heard it faintly in my inner hearing. Disappointed that I couldn't “say” it physically, I tried very hard again. Then I heard my physical voice say it, but the voice sounded distorted, as if someone said it for me. Or as if the transition from the physical sounds to the astral sounds made it sound squeaky and distorted.

  I've also had OBEs during which I've put all my energy into trying to make my body speak, without success. Again, only scientific experiments can prove whether a person can affect his body during an OBE.

  OBE Myths

  There are many myths about the out-of-body experience passed down through the ages, many of which cause people unnecessary concern.

  State of Health

  Some books on OBEs say that OBEs are easiest when the subject is in perfect health. Other books say that OBEs are easiest when the body is physically weak, sick, or exhausted.

  I've had OBEs in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for better and for worse, till death do I part! Most of my experiences were done in good health, but as a rule, my body's state of health hasn't affected the experiences or my ability to induce the experience.

  Lying on Your Stomach

  Many books caution the reader not to attempt an OBE while lying on their stomach. At first I had some concern about it, but the concern was short-lived.

  04/05/81 Sun - OBE #38

  …I rolled over onto my stomach. I headed off to sleep. I wanted to project, but I was too lazy to make any effort. I was almost asleep when I found myself waving. I thought, “Good. Now I can project.” So I increased the waving. I was almost ready to come out of my body when I thought, “Wait. I read that you're not supposed to project while on your stomach. Maybe I shouldn't.” Then the waving slowed down. I thought, “Maybe I should turn over.” Then I thought, “No! That might ruin the whole attempt. I should take the opportunity while I still have it.” So I started waving again. The waving got big enough, and I went up out of my body.

  I've projected many times while lying on my stomach, and never had any problems or discomforts from doing so.

  Attempting to Have an OBE with Your Legs Crossed

  Many OBE books caution their readers against attempting to have an OBE with arms or legs crossed, or with the body in any unusual positions. Supposedly, there is a danger of blocking the flow of energy in the body, which could possibly harm the physical body or astral body. Some books claim it's difficult for the astral body to leave the physical body in strange positions.

  I've left my body in many unusual and awkward positions, and there have been no bad side effects.

  It is important that your body be comfortable and relaxed during OBEs, and if you are comfortable and relaxed in an awkward-looking position, don't hesitate to use it. I would, however, recommend using only positions that allow good blood circulation. Some people look like a squashed ant when they sleep, or like an airman whose parachute didn't open on time. My general rule is this: if you can sleep in such a position, it is safe to leave your body in that position.

  Some body positions do make it easier to leave the body. I've found that when I lie on my side, I am sometimes too comfortable and therefore fall asleep instead of leaving the body. When I lie on my back, it seems easier to control my state of consciousness.

  Use of Energy During OBEs

  I've often had people ask me if I came back to my body feeling drained. Not surprisingly, several books on OBEs claim that the experience requires a great deal of energy, and is therefore rare and difficult to achieve.

  My experience has been just the opposite. I've never come back to my body feeling drained of energy. Rather than being tired, I return to my body feeling refreshed and happy. When I return to the body, I'm often exhilarated because the experience was so exciting and uplifting.

  Although there have been many myths and legends about the out-of-body experience, there is still much to be learned. There is only one way to break through the barriers of fear, superstition, and prejudice that keep us from broadening our knowledge and expanding our consciousness: that is to test the myths, explore our outer limits, and bring that information out in the open.

  EXERCISE 17

  head rocking

  Sit up straight (do not lean back), close your eyes, and very gently and slowly start nodding your head “yes.” Don't analyze any of this; just try to feel that rocking sensation. Memorize that feeling of gentle swaying. Pretend that your whole astral body is also swaying just like your physical head is swaying.

  There is a point where your head is balanced front to back, and if you nod your head with your eyes closed, you will probably lose that balance and feel slightly disoriented.

  Do this several times at different practice sessions, spending at least a full minute each session. As a variation, try moving your head in small circles instead of nodding.

  This exercise is good for many reasons. First, it will get you used to the feeling of being disoriented. OBE exercises can sometimes leave you disoriented, and becoming familiar with that feeling makes it easier to handle. Second, if you memorize this feeling of rocking, you'll be able to trigger the pre-OBE state more easily, which may have its own rocking sensations.

  CHAPTER 18

  fight for sight

  Scientific experimenters were quick to discover that OBE eyesight is different from physical eyesight. They set up a simple experiment. They placed an object inside a locked room. The subject was supposed to fly into that room and identify the object. The experiment sounds easy enough, but the subjects had problems identifying the objects. The most proficient s
ubjects, such as Ingo Swann and Keith (“Blue”) Harary could make drawings of what they saw during OBE experiments. Often the drawings were unrecognizable, or at best distorted. For example, in one experiment part of the “target” was an American flag. Ingo Swann made a very impressive and accurate drawing of the target. However, the flag was drawn as a rectangle with a box in one corner and stripes on the rest of the rectangle. Swann seemed to see the flag with some clarity, but was unable to identify it as an American flag. Why do such distortions exist?

  In an attempt to tell whether some sort of clairvoyance was involved during OBEs, parapsychologists devised an ingenious experiment. They built an optical box that was computer-controlled. The computer would choose random colors, quadrants, and patterns. The colors and patterns were displayed in the chosen quadrant. The displayed image could only be identified if the subject was standing in a certain position in front of the box, where he or she could interpret the superimposed images as a single image. The complexity of the superimposed visual images was meant to rule out clairvoyance. This experiment had a very small rate of success, but sometimes the target was “seen,” as if the subject was actually viewing the box from outside his or her body. But this experiment also had many problems with the eyesight being distorted. Again, why is this?

  I believe the distortions in astral eyesight are partly due to the fact that the astral body isn't equipped with eyes that process light. Astral eyes are more for appearance than function. Therefore, the physical brain is forced to give physical interpretations to nonphysical “images.” Many of my experiments were devoted to exploring the astral equivalent of eyesight.

  The Different Types of Sight

  I've experienced four basic types of sight during my out-of-body experiences. I call them astral sight, body sight, mind sensing, and clairvoyance. Of course, there is a fifth category: no sight at all. OBEs can sometimes be very difficult to describe because during the experience you may have switched several times among the four types of sight. One moment you might be mind sensing, and the next minute you use your astral sight to look at a particular object, and so on.