A Look into Out of Body Experiences
Out-of-Body experiences, or OBEs, involve the spiritual body temporarily separating from the physical. Some, including Buhlman, claim they are able to produce the experience through continued practice. Buhlman has published two books on the subject. He has also appeared on the television show Sightings and on the radio talk show, Coast to Coast AM.
In his book Adventures Beyond the Body, Buhlman describes his first OBE, which occurred in 1972, when Buhlman was 21 years old. After having a strange dream, he awoke to find himself outside his body. “Extending my arm, I reached for the wall in front of me. I stared in amazement as my hand actually entered the wall; I could feel the vibrational energy of it as if I was touching its very molecular structure. Only then did the overwhelming reality hit me, My God, I’m not in my body.”
Although the subject might be difficult to grasp, the commonalities between individuals who have experienced OBEs with no relation to one another is hard to ignore. According to the results of Bulhman’s survey, 85 percent of reported hearing sounds “such as buzzing, humming or roaring” (known as “vibrations”) prior to having an out-of-body experience, 98 percent felt as though they were being jolted awake, and 72 percent experienced sleep paralysis. Bulhman says people can verify the validity of OBEs through personal experience.
“(While out of body) I have received future knowledge of several important events in my life, including the birth of my twin sons and the death of my mother,” Buhlman says. “My out-of-body experiences have changed my life in countless ways. I no longer settle for beliefs of any kind, I now know the truth is always available, however, it is up to us to seek it.” His conclusion from years of experience in the field is that with daily practice, almost anyone can travel out of body.
I myself used Adventures Beyond the Body while attempting to have my own experience. I followed Buhlman’s instructions, and by the second week I awoke with the sensation of being out of my body. I was outstretched, floating perpendicular to my bed. Behind me lay my body, sleeping peacefully. Below me lay my dog, and she was looking up at me, unalarmed. I wanted to fly around so badly, but I felt glued to my physical legs. I actually reached out to my dog in desperation and self-consiousness, shouting, “Susie! Help me!” She, of course, did not respond. Since that first experience I have had others, and although their validity can never be proven, I find each experience to be fascinating.
Andrew, from Indianapolis, IN, was 23 when he had his first OBE. He says he practiced for nearly two years before experiencing success.
“Originally, I did it to prove there was something, anything paranormal that I could verifiably prove to myself,” Andrew says. Once he began exploring the topic, he found his life could never return to its previous state.
“I have become more aware of my environment, my own body, and more importantly, my quality of thought. I have found peace in meditation, reason behind my thoughts, and an outlet of reality for my daydreaming.”
Andrew’s biggest fear is a fear of the unknown, which he deals with occasionally. According to a survey Buhlman is conducting of more than 16,000 individuals from 43 countries, 5 percent of those who travel outside their bodies also admit experiencing this fear. Most (86 percent) reported experiencing no fears at all. Andrew says his wife, one of the few people he has shared his experiences with, is frightened by the subject. Mostly, he says he keeps the experiences to himself.
Andrew says he has begun taking notes of his dreams and OBEs in the hopes of drawing conclusions as to what, exactly, his experiences are. He says dreams and OBEs seem different from one another. “Not even the most lucid of dreams compares to the experience of transitioning from wakeful every-day consciousness, then sliding into the vibratory stage, then being weightless and seemingly free from physical constraints,” he says. “And while they are not dreams, I still cannot say conclusively that they are not a hallucination, a bona-fide OBE, or what, and at this point I don’t really care. They happen, whatever they may be, and I’ve accepted that and included them into my life.”
