Skeptical of Out-of-Body Experiences?

by Jordan
Toronto, Canada

Someone once told me out of the blue that it's possible to actually come out-of-body, to move about consciously in a place called the Astral world.

After listening to a lengthy explanation of the Astral plane of the 5th Dimension - a real place where one can travel outside the body - I was lost for words. I was sure that such a place was simply a figment of the imagination; "surely, wouldn't everybody know about this if it was true," I thought to myself...

Interestingly, while I was intent to argue, spend time researching all sorts of studies on it, and really enjoy mocking this person's ideas with other people who also 'knew' that everything the person told me about the Astral was false, the one thing I flat-out refused to do was to actually try an exercise to come out-of-body. I would argue all day long about it, but one thing was for sure, I was not going to do an exercise.

But eventually it occurred to me that if I truly knew that out-of-body experiences (OBE's) were not real, I wouldn't be so angry and defensively arguing against their existence every time someone brought up the subject. After all, when someone once tried to convince me that Root Beer tastes good, I knew I didn't like it, because I had tasted it myself, and therefore, there was no need to argue further. In this case, I was being presented with the idea that OBE's exist and that anyone could have them - I had no experience of them myself, and yet I was vehemently arguing that they were simply a fantasy.

However, something inside of me was intrigued by the subject, and I was even secretly longing to get that experience for myself, if it was possible. I was told that with OBE's, you can travel pretty much anywhere you like, learn about the past, see premonitions of the future, go to temples and sacred sites, gain teachings, meet spiritual beings, learn about death, and so on, and so on. All great sounding stuff, but still, how could I be sure it wasn't just a fantasy or a dream...

After some time, I decided that I had to find out for myself if it was possible to actually have an OBE. I was told that there were simple exercises one could do to have such an experience, so I figured, seeing as apparently you could do so many great things, why not at least give it a shot?

Was I ever shocked when I felt myself actually lifting up out of my body!

I was so excited that the experience ended almost immediately, I came right back. There, I learned first-hand that any strong emotions, such as fear or excitement, will bring you right back - so much for worrying about not being able to return...

It was simply by trying one of the techniques posted on this website, the mantra "La Ra S", that I was able to experience coming out of my body. Even though it was such a short experience, it gave me direct experience that I could actually come out of my body. And this opened up all sorts of possibilities: most importantly, there must be more to life than what I could see. If I was able to come out-of-body, then perhaps there is some credence to the idea of life after death, and what else could I learn while out there?

Since that first experience, I've been able to have many experiences that lasted much longer, where I was able to travel to and explore places that I would never have the opportunity to visit physically, yet they exist there just as they do here. I've met with spiritual beings, received premonitions of the future, and gained a whole wealth of insight into my own thoughts, feelings, and emotions - and this information has helped me greatly in daily life. But the most important thing is that I've actually experienced this myself, and those experiences stick with me.

Therefore, the best advice I can offer is to go out and try these exercises. Don't simply believe or disbelieve in it, just try it with an open mind. You may be surprised at what you find... I sure was. And had I let my doubts, fears, and beliefs stop me from trying it, I would still be in the unfortunate position of merely relying on those things, without ever really knowing the truth of it all.

I am certainly glad to have investigated it and I continue to work on my skills with it, such that I can gain more experiences. It's so precious a tool you can use because it means that there's a way to really explore and get answers to the big questions that we all face, such as "why are we here?" and "what's the meaning of it all?" And believe me, if I can do it, you can do it too!