Q: I was reading a book about Out-of-Body (OOB) experiences. It took the author years of effort to become accomplished at taking these journeys. I’ve been interested in learning how to do this, but I haven’t been consistent. Part of the reason why is that I’m not sure that I care quite enough to do it. I also think there’s a little bit of fear of what might happen.
So much of why the whole subject of intuition scares a lot of people is exactly that—fear that we won’t be able to control the experience. That somehow it will take over our lives, and we won’t know what’s going to happen. Or, that what’s going to happen is going to be scary. And if it’s scary, what can we do to reverse the experience? Could we possibly get hurt? If we have an out-of-body experience, what if we meet other beings? What if they want to hurt us?
The thing with an out-of-body experience is that when you don’t have a body, you are no longer space-time bound. This means you can go anywhere in the universe. It’s also very easy in that state to slip into another dimension and not know what that dimension is or what the rules of that dimension are. You’re just aware that you’re someplace that you know is not Earth. There are beings there, but they’re not people. They can see you. You can see them. They’re as surprised to see you as you are to see them because they’re not expecting you in that dimensional state.
I don’t know if the author you’re referring to talks about all this in his book, but it’s not a simple straightforward linear thing. Once you drop the body, everything opens up. That’s part of the All-That-Is. The body bound in space-time creates a dual reality. “I am me in my body here in this time and space.” Being free of that expands everything.
The emotional state that you take into that exercise can determine the experience. It’s sort of like steering a car; a positive emotional state will keep you straight. A worried emotional state will have you zigzagging down the road or taking a sharp left when you’re not expecting to. So, it’s not only about releasing the body. It is about learning mind control and then also having the emotional control to be able to do something with that state.
While, phenomenologically, OOB experiences interest a lot of people, it is limiting. The experience of astral projecting or bilocating, or any of those skills where you move from one location to another, you could say is cool and interesting, and you could use it for certain purposes. But, in the scheme of things, once you’re able to do that—release from the body—you are also able to expand spiritually and begin experiencing the All-That-Is. That’s a trip worth taking.
Q: So, what about the fear factor? Could something bad happen?
Yes, something bad can happen when you have an out-of-body experience. You can run into bad energy. There are all kinds of weird stuff that can happen. But really, what’s the worst that can happen? Can you die from an out-of-body experience? Well, we don’t know, because if anybody died from it, they’re not here to tell us. But the reality is that when you become scared enough, you’ll just pop back into your body. Think of it as similar to having a really bad nightmare. It can terrify you, and it can go on for longer than you’d like, but eventually, you’ll just wake yourself up to get out of the nightmare. It’s the same for OOB experiences; there is a survival mechanism that will just reel you back in. That’s the worst that can happen.
Is that the most likely experience? No, not really. The likely experience is of just being fascinated. The sensation of flying, the awareness that you are in two places at once. You’re aware that your body is here and you’re over there, and you’re actually seeing and experiencing what’s over there. It can be fun. But is “fun” enough of a reason to put all of that energy into achieving that kind of experience?
What else might you commit your time to and have experiences that might truly matter to you and the way you live your life? It’s a cost-benefit thing. How much time and dedication do you have to put into getting results?
Q: The thing is, though, and I don’t need to make this about me, but it’s been on my mind that I clearly have had the bug. And, though at a low level, it’s been there for as long as I can remember. It’s just not strong enough to make it the passion that it needs to be to go to the next level, I guess. Or it hasn’t yet.
I think what you have is the curiosity, but not the drive. There’s an interest, there’s a desire, but it’s not all-encompassing. To achieve this kind of experience it almost needs to become an all-encompassing obsession. What I’m suggesting is that there might be more beneficial ways to devote your time and energy.
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