Simply, an Out of Body Experience (or OBE - in this case, not the Order of the British Empire) is when one experiences
consciousness at a location outside one's physical body. Some researchers are quick to point out that the 'experience' of being out
of the body is different from the 'fact' of being out of it; but those who have had an OBE believe there is some objective reality
to it and that something, their 'spirit' or 'soul' or whatever, does in fact 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, had been caught
up to 'the third heaven'. Paul wasn't sure whether the man was in his body or out of it.
Regarding the different phenomena concerning human consciousness and 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 do not make that distinction. The near death experience also
includes an OBE plus other phenomena that normally do not occur during an average OBE such as a 'life review.' By strict definition,
NDE's happen only when the physical body is near death.
A lucid dream is when a person is completely conscious and realizes they are in a dream. They can take control of their dream and
steer it in a more desired direction. Remote Viewing is when one's consciousness remains inside their body but they can see 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, and heard.
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.
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 and uplifting spiritual experiences. On occasion someone does report a negative experience that is usually influenced
by that person's belief system. 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.
Out of Body Experiences remain mostly an interpretive phenomenon, based mainly upon the fact that their existence relies upon the quite
personal stories of those who have undergone the event. Likewise, although some Experiencers have anecdotally reported information
gained during their OBE that they supposedly could not have gotten otherwise, science cannot detect, let alone measure, any occurrence
of the phenomenon; thus the world at large remains skeptical on the reality of it. And of course, bringing such things as souls,
spirit guides, and guardian angels into the equation only muddies the issue further.
