Out of Body Experiences by Ron Murdock
POSTED: 18 July 99
To put it in its simplest terms, an Out of Body Experience (OBE) is when
one experiences their consciousness at a location outside their physical
body. Some researchers are quick to point out that the "experience" of being
out of your body is different from the "fact" of being out of it. Those
who have had an OBE believe there is some objective reality to it &
something, as in their spirit, does leave the body. Though quite difficult
to prove, the scientific community could set up some serious experiments &
see what is behind the matter at hand.
Throughout history, OBE's have been reported
across all cultures, religions, belief systems & social classes. In Second
Corinthians 12:2, Saint Paul writes of a possible OBE. Paul wrote of a man
who, fourteen years previously, was caught up to the third heaven. Paul
wasn't sure whether the man was in the body or out of it.
Regarding the different phenomena concerning human consciousness & its
ability to transcend the physical body, some light needs to be shone on the
similar but different areas. Some claim that "Astral Projection" is an OBE
experience where ones consciousness is located in the astral plane rather
than in the physical world. Others don't make that distinction. The Near
Death Experience includes an OBE plus other phenomena that normally doesn't
occur during an average OBE such as a "life review". By strict definition,
NDE's happens only when the physical body is near death. A lucid dream is
when a person is completely conscious & realizes they are in a dream. They
can take control of their dream & do what they want with it. Remote Viewing
is when one's consciousness remains inside their body but they can "view"
events at a remote location. Bilocation is where people, usually saints,
have actually been physically located in two places at the same time. Their
second body can be seen, touched & heard. Focus Levels occurs when one remains
inside their body but a portion of their consciousness travels to a remote
location & they can consciously report on what is happening there. This is
quite similar to Soul Travel as described in the Eckankar Faith.
Since humans spend most of their time inside their bodies,
the whole OBE idea is an unusual one. An account has one fellow who got up
in the middle of the night to get a drink of water. When he tried to turn
the door handle, his hand went through it. Looking back at his bed, he saw
his body peacefully sleeping there. It was then that he realized he was
outside his body. When dealing with OBE's the general rule is to expect the
unexpected.
For the most part the soul
doesn't need much protection during an OBE journey. The vast majority of
OBE's reported by people have been positive & uplifting spiritual
experiences. On occasion someone does report a negative experience that is
usually influenced by that person's belief system. The biggest thing for a
person to do is to control their fear & believe in their own power. If a
person gets into any tight spots, they have three options. One is to end the
OBE & return to their body. Secondly a person can surround themselves with a
white light of protection. Finally a person can call for helpers, such as
Guardian Angels, to protect them.
This is an area in
which, until one experiences for themselves, it is hard to take a person's
word for it. Apparantly it's simple for a person to take the time to learn
how to induce an OBE for themselves. For someone who has had an OBE, it is
convincing to them that they have had a legitimate experience.
Just like everyday life, OBE's range from amazing
to boring. One person, Bob Peterson, experienced being in five different
places at one time. In another experience, Peterson met his dead dad &
talked with him. His most astonishing OBE was when Peterson watched his
"higher self" perform healing on people by making adjustments on their
brains. But OBE's aren't always excitement & thrills. Many of Peterson's
experiences are just getting out of the body & getting back into it.No
matter how trivial an OBE may be, it is still amazing just to have it happen
in the first place.
Ron Murdock is a free lance writer, who has
contributed articles to several publications in Western Canada. For story ideas, comments or suggestions, he can be reached at murdockron@hotmail.com
