O.B.E.'s

Anyone else here every have Out of Body Experiences? I've had a bunch and would love to chat about them.

Is this that moment between sleep and awake where you think you were disembodied but in actuality were really not? These are artificial constructs by the brain to create a sense of "body ownership" of something that exists outside of itself. In actuality these experiences of being outside your body are false ones due to a cognitive dissonance in brain states. In effect, you have not left your body, instead your brain creates this illusion that you have due to a lack of cohesion the brain experiences in identifying the body's location in space.

Damn, I thought this was a chance to brag about our post nominals.

These are artificial constructs by the brain

As opposed to the rest of the things the brain does?


For the OP - I'm frequently sitting on the other side of the room from myself, but (like Kyrin I suppose), I'm fairly confident this is not a supernatural occurance so much as a few too many electric shocks as a kid

JamesSand wrote: As opposed to the rest of the things the brain does?

Whats your point?

Its all relative I suppose.

Whats your point?

Its all relative I suppose.

My point is that knowing that the brain is fallible and wacky doesn't change the reality for the person experiencing whatever their brain is doing.

So, yes, it is all relative. To the person having the "out of body experience" - That is what is happening.

I've had a handful of hypnopompic and even fewer hypnagogic experiences. They are rather cool with intense imagery, bodily sensations, sometimes sound, and usually really creative.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnopompic

Otherwise once I think I had a NDE which included the whole stereotypical 'going to heaven' experience, or rejoining the Force if you prefer
Thinking back, I did try and do astral travelling when I was a teenager quite a bit, but the only luck I've had is using movement in dreams to wake myself up by focusing too much on lucidity - which can lead to one of those hypnopompic types of sensations where the mix of dream movement and hypnopomia really feel like 'away' and 'return'. Instead I felt like I had more luck with 'listening' deeper and 'seeing' patterns then actually 'travelling'.

JamesSand wrote:

Whats your point?

Its all relative I suppose.

My point is that knowing that the brain is fallible and wacky doesn't change the reality for the person experiencing whatever their brain is doing.

So, yes, it is all relative. To the person having the "out of body experience" - That is what is happening.

No its not what is happening. We don't just decide our reality and then POOF that's what is real. In fact we must live according to a specific and well defined and rigid set of rules of physics and we just don't get to go bouncing around outside our bodies just because we decide we can or want to. Now you can pretend that's the case all day long and I can pretend I have an invisible unicorn in my garage but until such claims are proven the default stance on such issues is that they are not valid claims.

Because of the life I've lived, I've nearly died a few times (so far at 3, hoping to not add to that number anytime soon). During the last one (nearly drowned when I lost which direction was up) I had a experience that I guess could be counted as a out of body experience.

Beyond NDE's, I've dabbled in Astral Projection. I've only slightly succeeded, got a bit scared and ended up back in my body. I hope with more practise and time I can achieve more.

No its not what is happening. We don't just decide our reality and then POOF that's what is real. In fact we must live according to a specific and well defined and rigid set of rules of physics and we just don't get to go bouncing around outside our bodies just because we decide we can or want to. Now you can pretend that's the case all day long and I can pretend I have an invisible unicorn in my garage but until such claims are proven the default stance on such issues is that they are not valid claims.

I'm not saying things exist just because we want them to, I'm saying that the experience exists if someone experiences it.

If you went into your garage and an invisible horse has kicked your bike over, I suggest you do something about it (who you gunna call?) - But you are not saying you can feel the invisible unicorn, or are experiencing it any way other than "I am pretending it exists"


On another note - You would really hate being colourblind. :laugh:

I have never had any experience that is that vivid, just dreams that seem to have very specific meaning. The closest thing to an OBE is that sometime, when I meditate and look at the mirror, I feel like I could look at myself from the outside, I have tried to take this experience further but with not much more success so far.

Anyway, I am sure there is much more than what the "rules of physics" (especially just those that we know and understand) establish. just remember that those "laws and rules have changed drastically in the past and were adjusted to explain new phenomena that were demonstrated over time.