OBE (Out-of-Body Experience)

The term refers to an experience of spontaneous and rarely voluntary exit of one’s body. People experiencing this condition often report fear before leaving their physical bodies and seeing themselves from above. They frequently describe contacts with family members and the ability to “travel” to places of their choosing. OBE’s are often the beginning of Pre Death Experiences and may be triggered by mental or physical traumas and drug use.

The return to the body has been described as difficult by many patients.

OBE’s may occur during regressive hypnosis sessions, as documented in video by Dr. Angelo Bona: a patient in a hypnotic trance described leaving her body and seeing him beside her physical body; after waking from the trance, she remembered nothing.

History:

The term Out-of-Body Experience was introduced in 1943 by physicist and mathematician GNM Tyrell in his book Apparitions. Science has not yet explained these occurrences although they are rather common; studies show that one person in ten has a OBE at least once in life.

Suggested reading:

Immortal Longings: W.H. Myers and the Victorian Search for Life After Death, Trevor Hamilton