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Out Of Body Experiences (OBEs / OOBEs)

OoBE as a defence in court?

Man who shot a priest who allegedly molested him is let off without a prison sentence


FOSTER KLUG, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, July 15, 2004


(07-15) 13:40 PDT BALTIMORE (AP) --

A man who shot and wounded a priest who had allegedly molested him as a boy pleaded guilty to gun charges Thursday and was let off without a prison sentence.

"It's a big relief," said Dontee Stokes, a 28-year-old barber. "I'm thankful to have the support of other victims and the support of the community."

Stokes had already served 18 months under house arrest.

A jury acquitted him in 2002 of attempted murder and other charges in the shooting of the Rev. Maurice Blackwell. Stokes told jurors he had an "out-of-body experience" when he shot the Roman Catholic priest three times with a .357 Magnum handgun for allegedly molesting him as a teenager between 1989 and 1992.

Stokes was convicted of carrying a handgun, firing a handgun within city limits, and transporting a handgun in a vehicle, and was sentenced to 18 months of home confinement.

An appeals court overturned the conviction in February and granted him a new trial because alternate jurors were allowed to take part in deliberations. But Stokes pleaded guilty instead.

Under Maryland law, he could not get a stiffer sentence than the one originally imposed.

"We're elated," said Stokes' attorney, Warren Brown, standing outside the courthouse. "We walked up these same steps ... 26 months ago, and he was facing life in prison. The state thought they were doing us a favor by offering us 25 years."

Blackwell goes on trial Aug. 30 on charges of molesting Stokes. The former priest could get up to 60 years in prison.

"I want to see him face to face," Stokes said. "There's still a whole lot more fighting I have to do for other victims."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/07/15/national1640EDT0701.DTL
 
Mis-Use of Term

Seems they used the term to refer to a kind of temporary insanity, the kind in which a person feels distanced from their body as it acts in certain ways. Voting, for instance.

Doesn't seem they meant OOBE the way we do on this thread.
 
I had an OBE once years back. I mustve been about 11 years old.

Let me tell you, it was very strange and I actually saw my body lying down.

There wasn't any thread connecting us as in other accounts.

I remember looking out the window and at the sky, and as I was about to float out the window I went back into my body.

Weird stuff no>?
 
If

If it was just the once and had no cord, it may have been but a vivid dream.
 
I have had an OOBE, about a year ago.

I was trying to get to sleep, and i felt numb all over my body, then like i was falling back... which i often feel, this time, however, i didnt stop it. Then it felt like my whole body was blushing, then i "lifted" out of my body. I heard white noise in my ears and one popped, and after only about an inch or so out of my body, i decided to stop it, and concentrated on wiggling my toes, which worked. I never opened my eyes, because i was scared as to what I'd see.

I have tried to do it since, and i have only managed to get to the "blushing" stage of it.

It is very very different to any kind of dream. I wasn't asleep, and I was very aware of what was happening.

I'm not sure what it was, whether it was my spirit floating out of my body, or neurons firing in my brain, or whatever, it was very very strange.
 
Sounds

Chewlip, your experience sounds much like those described by Monroe in Journeys Out of Body, the seminal work on this stuff. I'd suggest you check it out and see if his experiences might help you.
 
FraterLibre said:
If it was just the once and had no cord, it may have been but a vivid dream.

So experiencers of genuine oobe's tend to have more than one?
:confused:
 
Now you can go to astral travel agent!

http://www.ncbuy.com/news/2004-09-17/1010598.html
MINNEAPOLIS (Wireless Flash)Minneapolis Man Is World's First Astral Travel Agent -- A travel agent in Minneapolis is a real trip himself.

Jack Dunamis claims to be the world's only "astral travel agent" and helps tourists select appropriate vacation spots by reading their energy fields and then mentally transporting himself to the location they want to go, before they go.

For instance, Dunamis had one client planning to visit the Hawaiian island of Kauai but convinced him to go to the big island instead "because he wouldn't have a good time because [Kauai is] where the kahunas practice black magic."

Dunamis says he can also determine which vacation spots are most conducive to fun, adventure and romantic encounters.

Each astral consultation costs about an hour, but Danamis considers it money well-spent, especially since he's able to figure out if a client had a past life in a proposed vacation spot and help them avoid negative reincarnation experiences while on holiday.
Hmmm:hmm:
 
I try my best to meditate in bed before I go to sleep and would love to have an out of body experience. Can anyone suggest a website/book I can read to practice this? Or is it dangerous?

Cheers
 
a true out of body experience is not a good idea,
there are various legal drugs you can use that would give you a safer and better ride.
 
Most astral projection books contain the same stuff; firsthand accounts, scientific ideas, astral plane symbols and doors etc. The main difference is the style of writing which varies from unreadable solemnity to unreadable fairy new age nonsense. This book by J.H. Brennan kind of walks a thin line between both:

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1855381079/

I was far too lazy to follow any of the techniques through but it was interesting reading all the same.

[Emp edit: Shortening Amazon link.]
 
I can produce this experience at will, but its still an erie thing and i dont do it much. Last night however I did feel like it. And after about 5 minutes of lying on my bed I snapped "out". I went right back. Its just... weird.

Reason I'm so good with it is because I used to do it all the time. Trick is you have to get the right mindset. People who have little patience will struggle with this greatly. Ask questions of me if you wish.
 
Out-of-body experiences 'probed'

UK researchers are asking for your help to find out exactly what is behind out-of-body experiences (OBEs).
Psychologists at Manchester University have set up an online survey that they hope about 3,000 people will fill out.

By comparing the responses of those who have and have not had an OBE they aim to discover the overarching cause.

One theory is that it is down to how people perceive their own body - those unhappy or less in touch with their body are more likely to have an OBE.

Floating sensation

About one in 10 people claim to have had an OBE at some time, typically involving a sensation of floating and seeing the physical body from outside.

For some, the phenomenon occurred spontaneously, while for others it was linked to dangerous circumstances, a near-death experience, a dream-like state or use of alcohol or drugs.

Despite this, relatively little is known about OBE.

Dr David Wilde and his team plan to find out more by studying the experiences of a large number of people.

He said there were several theories as to why people have OBEs.

Common thread

"There were early theories which looked at whether something actually physically left the body, like consciousness, but there's no real scientific evidence for that.

"Other theories over the years have looked at whether OBE is a psychological defence mechanism in response to a perceived threat to the body in some way.

"Others have wondered whether it is a visual hallucination.

"But what has connected all the theories is the fact that they all start from a feeling of a loss of input from the body - a loss of conductive information coming from the legs, the arms, the trunk and so on.

"Our theory follows on from that."

His team believes that people experience their body in different ways and that this could explain why some people experience OBEs while others do not.

"We are finding that people with OBEs tend to experience their body differently to others.

"They tend to have increased social anxiety, to be uncomfortable about their body being scrutinised by others and dissatisfied with their bodies, and they tend to get immersed and absorbed in things very easily."

He said that by studying more people over the coming months he will be able to check whether his theory is correct.

The anonymous survey, funded by the Bial Foundation, can be accessed at www.freeresponse.org/muobe2005/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4177912.stm
 
OBE survey

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4271018.stm


David Wilde says the experience is rather like a dead arm
One in 10 people have had an out-of-body experience, yet scientists know very little about the phenomenon. Researchers say a new study could bring us closer to the ultimate question of what happens when we die.

Out-of-body experiences involve a sensation of floating and seeing the physical body from the outside. They are often a symptom of the near-death experience, where people, whilst apparently dead, experience visions, tunnels of light and a feeling of peace, before being resuscitated.

These experiences are reported across many cultures and "experiencers" often cite them as life-changing events. Preliminary studies have shown that certain populations are more susceptible. Among students, for example, the incidence of out-of-body experiences (OBE) rises to 25%.

A team of scientists at the University of Manchester aims to study profile those who have and haven't had OBEs. Using an online questionnaire on body perceptions and experience, they aim to isolate differences between these groups. The survey will also gather details on the different kinds of OBEs people have, to categorise these experiences more precisely.

"There are several theories as to why people have OBEs," says David Wilde, the researcher running the project. "A common link between them is the idea that in certain circumstances the brain somehow loses touch with sensory information coming in from the body. This triggers a series of psychological mechanisms which can lead to someone having an OBE."

If someone has had an experience, then we take that as real - we can't disprove or prove anything

David Wilde
Mr Wilde draws an analogy with the experience of a dead arm.

"It's a little bit like if you sleep on your arm and loose sensation in it. Only with an OBE, the sensation loss is in the whole body and the brain's response seems to be to create a feeling of separation from the self."

"In this study we aim to take the theory a stage further, by looking at the way people see and experience their bodies, and how - through perfectly ordinary psychological processes - these images and experiences may create the impression of seeing their bodies from the outside."

It isn't rare for people to have more than one OBE, and they may also occur as part of the wider near-death experience (NDE) some report experiencing in life-threatening circumstances.

Mr Wilde is at pains to stress that he doesn't judge whether OBEs are real.

"If someone has had an experience, then we take that as real. We can't disprove or prove anything."


Sam Parnia is looking at oxygen, CO2 and salt levels among patients
A different research approach comes from Dr Sam Parnia, who studies OBEs as part of his interest in near-death experiences. He is looking at reports of OBEs from cardiac arrest patients. He is conducting a national study, looking at physical factors that might cause this experience.

Reports of OBEs and NDEs are often simply anecdotal, but the hospital environment allows Sam Parnia to monitor and compare oxygen, carbon dioxide and salt levels in the patients who did and did not have either experience.

His study also involves a novel method of testing if the "self" actually does leave the body during an OBE. Sam has suspended boards below the ceiling and these have images on the upper side. The idea is that if people do look down from above, they may recall the extra information. As yet, no patients have reported seeing these images.

Whether these phenomena are visions of a dying brain or paranormal activity, Dr Parnia says science needs to offer an explanation of what happens when we die.

"I think that NDEs hold the key to finally solving this mystery. In studying them further we will be able to discover the true nature of the relationship between the mind and the brain and answer the wider questions regarding the existence of an afterlife."

Some related links from the article :

http://www.freeresponse.org/muobe2005/
http://www.horizonresearch.org/
 
I would like to see the his methodology, questionnaire forms and statistical analysis that determined this 10% figure - hmm, demand characteristics, self-selecting participants etc. More info would be good. :D
 
You can find his questionnaire here:
http://www.freeresponse.org/muobe2005/

I keep meaning to complete it, but it's rather long.
Whether these phenomena are visions of a dying brain or paranormal activity, Dr Parnia says science needs to offer an explanation of what happens when we die.
Is this really the job of science?
His study also involves a novel method of testing if the "self" actually does leave the body during an OBE. Sam has suspended boards below the ceiling and these have images on the upper side...As yet, no patients have reported seeing these images.

I'm pretty certain that this "novel method" has been tried many times before - and always with the same results..
 
I already posted about this survey, a month ago!

[Emp edit: Ah yes but in the NDE thread ;)

All posts shuffled over to the OoBE thread and link removed]

8)
 
My Out of body experience/s

My first experience of this phenomena occured Xmas eve 1977.
I had been out for a drink with my wormates from the mine i worked at, i had a great night but was not drunk. It started to rain so i phoned a cab which came, and i got in the front passenger seat, and tried to clip the seat belt (It would not lock).. We had travelled approx 3/4 of a mile, there was a white opal car in front of us, then suddenly a drunk driver coming the opposite way sideswiped the opal causing the taxi i was in to swerve up the kerb, and we hit a telegraph pole.
I was launched from the cab through the windshield narrowly missing the pole, then i landed undeneath an hedge, (please note the events explained above about the actual collision i found out from the police)..
I was of course out cold having suffered a severe blow to the head, and my face was chopped liver. I was taken to hospital, and to the operating room where i received several pints of blood, and was operated on by two surgeons trying to save my life, during this time my heart stopped twice, and they had to restart it using the machine..
While this was going on i was above the table looking down on events from i assume was the ceiling. I saw in great clarity exactly what they were doing, i could hear their words clearly, and later on waking i quoted the doctors verbatim, and told them i had died twice.
Needless to say they were amazed but to me it seemed the most natural thing in the world..During the experience i felt aware that someone was with me, and i felt totally at peace with no fear of dying, in fact i was sad to know i had to return to my body. Since then i have had several OB's and to me it's a normal thing...Some argue that maybe i was not totally unconcsious but in actual fact i was Clinically dead, i could not have seen what was going on with my physical eyes because my face was so cut up, and my eyes so swollen it would have been impossible, yet i described to these doctors the exact procedures they were doing..Those like myself that experience this are lucky, and i believe that at sometime in our lives we all experience this but not all are aware of it happening, i can however clue you in to when it may be occuring, sometimes when you are in bed, relaxed, and comfortable your entire body may suddenly jump, this is it happening, the knack is, is not to panic but simply let it happen. This is my story, it is completely true, and i hope it may help some...Thank you[/i]
 
Wow, that is EXACTLY how I'd imagine an OOBE experience to be. :shock:
 
spacemonkey~ said:
I try my best to meditate in bed before I go to sleep and would love to have an out of body experience. Can anyone suggest a website/book I can read to practice this? Or is it dangerous?

Cheers

I'd recommend Astral Dynamics by Robert Bruce. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 93-3855652

It's got a pretty clear writing style and lots of practical exercises.

I tried it and certainly had some interesting experiences as a result.

I'm still unsure as to whether OOBE's are something physically leaving the body, or merely an altered state of consciousness. However, I certainly think it's worthwhile having them, and I've found them to be an interesting and enjoyable experience
 
'Flying' in your sleep may be a paralysis
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 2:20am GMT 06/03/2007

People who have out-of-body experiences, such as flying along a tunnel towards a heavenly light, are more likely to suffer a strange effect called sleep paralysis, according to a survey that adds to mounting evidence for a biological explanation for the experience.

During sleep paralysis, people experience a kind of breakdown between states of consciousness which takes place on the fringe of sleep, either when falling asleep or waking. Because the brain turns off the body's ability to move during dreaming, muscles can lose their tone, or tension, causing paralysis.

The details of sleep paralysis vary from person to person. Some hear vague sounds, indistinct voices and demonic gibberish. Others see hallucinations of humans, animals and supernatural creatures. There is a striking inability to move or to speak, or a weight on the chest.

Also common are feelings of rising off the bed or flying. In addition, people report out-of-body experiences, sometimes accompanied by "autoscopy" when they look down on themselves. Not surprisingly, these moments are accompanied by fear.

Throughout history, there have also been accounts of people having visions on the brink of death - what are now called "near-death experiences".

Today, the two odd effects are linked by a study that backs the idea that the near-death experience is a biological experience, rather than anything to do with a spiritual dimension, a glimpse of heaven or the existence of the soul.

People who have had near-death experiences are also likely to have suffered sleep paralysis, according to the survey published by a team in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, by Prof Kevin Nelson, from the University of Kentucky, Lexington.

In a survey of 55 people who had a "near-death experience" - defined as a time during a life-threatening episode when a person experienced a variety of feelings, including unusual alertness, seeing an intense light, and a feeling of peace - he found three quarters had an out-of-body experience and half of them had also felt they had left their body during the transition between wakefulness and sleep.

"We found that 96 per cent (24 of 25) of near-death subjects having sleep paralysis also had an out-of-body experience either during sleep transition or near-death," said Prof Nelson.

In a control group of 55 people, three reported an out-of-body experience. Two of them also suffered sleep paralysis. Prof Nelson says this suggests the same brain circuitry plays a role.

The sleep paralysis linked with out-of-body experiences was thought rare, but may strike between 40 per cent and 60 per cent of people at least once.

They report sensations of floating, flying, falling or leaving one's body. It ranges from relatively tranquil floating experiences to horrible feelings of falling or rising at high speed.
http://tinyurl.com/2mmesg

(Near death experience thread is at
http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1765 )
 
'Flying' in your sleep may be a paralysis

I believe this may be partly a reason for an OoBE, at least IMOE. One of the most frightening experiences I had while experiencing sleep paralysis was when I believed my self to be lying under my bed. I was hiding from who ever was "in" the room with me, however at the same time I was unable to move.
I was trying to scream and move but was obviously paralysied. The worst thing about the situation at the time for me was that I was 5 months pregnant and living in a homeless shelter. Therefore because the situation seemed so real it was even more terrifying due to my emotional and physical circumstances at the time.
It took me several days to get over the experience. However over the years I have been able to deal with SP in a more rational manner.

Slightly OT but still maybe relevant to OoBE

Mods feel free to move if necessary
 
Robert Bruce and I think other OOBE writers have talked about the liminal state similar to sleep paralysis (but not, because you induce it on purpose and it does not nessecarily precede sleep) where partial or complete projection can occur. I tend to get stuck there with my total OOBE attempts. I tend to think that I have just moved about my legs when, physically, I couldn't possibly have done so. I have had spontaneous sleep paralysis a couple of times. one of these gave way to a attack by an entity. I ended up in fighting the entity off in very Marvel Comics fashion. since that time I have not had any more instances of sleep paralysis at all, other than deliberate OOBE attempts.
 
Whilst surfing I came across this artical (Brief copy and paste, then the link for more.):

People Have NDEs While Brain Dead

Dr. Michael Sabom is a cardiologist whose latest book, Light and Death, includes a detailed medical and scientific analysis of an amazing near-death experience of a woman named Pam Reynolds. She underwent a rare operation to remove a giant basilar artery aneurysm in her brain that threatened her life. The size and location of the aneurysm, however, precluded its safe removal using the standard neuro-surgical techniques. She was referred to a doctor who had pioneered a daring surgical procedure known as hypothermic cardiac arrest. It allowed Pam's aneurysm to be excised with a reasonable chance of success. This operation, nicknamed "standstill" by the doctors who perform it, required that Pam's body temperature be lowered to 60 degrees, her heartbeat and breathing stopped, her brain waves flattened, and the blood drained from her head. In everyday terms, she was put to death. After removing the aneurysm, she was restored to life. During the time that Pam was in standstill, she experienced a NDE. Her remarkably detailed veridical out-of-body observations during her surgery were later verified to be very accurate. This case is considered to be one of the strongest cases of veridical evidence in NDE research because of her ability to describe the unique surgical instruments and procedures used and her ability to describe in detail these events while she was clinically and brain dead.



http://www.near-death.com/experiences/evidence01.html

I found it interesting reading, not least as much because the woman was clinicly dead yet still reported an oobe with proven observations and an nde.
 
akaWiintermoon said:
I found it interesting reading, not least as much because the woman was clinicly dead yet still reported an oobe with proven observations and an nde.
Yes, very interesting, but it would have been far more convincing if there wasn't a whole raft of books and music CDs being marketed on the strength of it....

rynner " I want to believe, but..."
 
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