Out-of-Body Experience:
A Powerful Tool for Self-Research
 Part three of an article by Sandie Gustus. Out-of-body experiences are common to all humanity, but producing them at will and remaining lucid whilst outside the body requires ideal physical conditions as well as strong desire, concentration and determination.
Types of out-of-body experiences
There are innumerable types of OOBEs. These vary according to the way in which they occur, in their nature and in their purpose. For example, the most common type of out-of-body experience is the "spontaneous" (or accidental) experience, in which the projector did not intend to leave the body (and often does not even know about the phenomenon). By contrast, an intentional OOBE is one that has been purposefully provoked by the application of a projective technique.
Among the many other types of OOBEs, we can also cite the "confirmed" experience, which is when the individual attains enough lucidity outside the body to perform a practical task that enables him to confirm his extraphysical state; for example, seeing something in the physical dimension that can be confirmed later. It is this type of experience that allows scientists to conduct experimental research on the OOBE phenomenon.
Another very common type of experience is the "leisure" OOBE that is typified by feelings of liberty and well-being and often includes extraphysical flights.
Some also claim to have had experiences in which they encountered a friend, family member or other acquaintance who has passed away. Others have had encounters with friends who were also conscious outside their bodies and were able to communicate with them during the experience.
One of the most interesting types of OOBEs, however, is the continuously conscious OOBE, during which the individual maintains awareness through all stages of the experience; in other words, during the period of their normal waking state, their relaxation, the separation of the nonphysical body, the period spent outside the body, the return of the extraphysical body to the physical body and, finally, the return to normal waking state (waking up upon returning).
Projective phenomena
Paranormal phenomena are very much a part of our ordinary physical day-to-day lives. We may benefit from a series of synchronicities—for example, receive a signal that we feel compelled to act upon in some way, or play the role of a (secondary) messenger to someone we know, passing them a message that we don't understand but that has clear implications for them. Yet without a perspective that includes extraphysical dimensions and beings, we assign the resulting fortune (good or otherwise) to chance, luck or fate, failing to recognise that we are in fact experiencing a paranormal phenomenon such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, channelling or intuition.
This is another reason why research, both personal and formal, is important, as it allows us to identify and study nonphysical dimensions and beings and therefore better understand the true nature of our reality.
The nonphysical dimension, however, is so different to the physical, material existence to which we are accustomed that during conscious OOBEs we are exposed to conditions that are totally outside our usual frame of reference. For example, when manifesting outside the body, we can fly, we can have 360-degree vision, and in some cases we can do things such as exit the Earth's atmosphere at astonishing speeds.
Similarly, when the extraphysical body is in a state of nonalignment with the physical body (as is the case in either a partial or full projection), a whole range of psychic phenomena and perceptions can occur that fall well outside our regular perception of life.
The ability of individuals to experience such phenomena is a normal condition of the consciousness when projected from the physical body with a high level of awareness, and operates independently of the level of the individual's psychic capacities in the normal physical waking state.
Some examples of projective phenomena include:
- Self-bilocation – in which the person perceives himself to be in two places at once. A common example of this, as previously mentioned, is when the individual can see his or her (motionless) physical body whilst manifesting in the extraphysical body.
- Self-permeability – in which the projected individual is able to move through physical objects.
- Internal autoscopy – in which the individual has an internal view of his own body, and can see his own bones and organs either with the consciousness inside the brain or outside the physical body.
- Cosmoconsciousness – a state of highly expanded awareness, in which the individual perceives the order, balance and logic of the universe, simultaneously feeling and celebrating that he or she is a part of it and at one with it. This condition is known by many other names in various fields and religions, including nirvana (Buddhism), satori (Zen Buddhism) and samadhi (Yoga).
- Precognition – in which the individual, fully projected from the physical body, obtains information relating to events that have not yet occurred.
- Retrocognition – in which the individual, fully projected from the physical body, obtains information relating to events that have already occurred, most commonly about him or herself from this life or previous lives.
- Extraphysical telepathy – in which the projected individual communicates with others who are in the physical, projected or nonphysical condition through the transmission of thought.
Interaction between physical and nonphysical worlds
The out-of-body experience provides us with an insight into and allows us to understand better how the physical and nonphysical dimensions interact. Thus it is a valuable evolutionary and self-research tool. Knowledge of the mechanism of interaction between these dimensions helps to explain some things in our lives that we would otherwise not be able to explain without resorting to beliefs.
Some examples of phenomena not explained by conventional scientific knowledge today include: the instinctive but certain knowledge that an unseen force is helping us at critical moments in our lives; certain life-changing inspirations and intuitions; perplexing synchronicities; and the sudden (and apparently inexplicable) onset of various moods and emotions.
The theory of the existence of an interrelation between the physical and extraphysical dimensions also explains many documented phenomena such as poltergeists, "material" apparitions of deceased persons who perform a rescue or communicate vital information, and the perceived presence of a relative who has passed away in his or her former home, to name a few.
In the same way that we have relationships and interactions with other physical beings, be they family, friends, work colleagues, acquaintances or strangers, we also have relationships and interactions with extraphysical beings every day. By working at developing awareness of these beings, the nature of our connections to them and their actions and influences upon us, we can have a better understanding of them and we can use this understanding to exert a greater level of control over our lives.
Cosmoethical extraphysical beings—individuals of a heightened level of awareness, whose intentions for us are constructive in an evolutionary way—are known by many different names including helpers, spirit guides, guardian angels, (nonphysical) masters, mentors and protectors. Unfortunately, many of these expressions have a mystical or religious connotation attached to these beings, when there is nothing mystical or religious about them. They are individuals like us, expressing a high level of maturity and lucidity during their period between lives. They are still evolving, and as part of their evolution they will have future physical lives. These beings specialise in providing assistance to individuals in need. Their work is characterised by their discretion, their level of ethics and their respect for the free will of all individuals. Their presence does not promote any type of guruship, as it generates an increase in our levels of lucidity, rationality and critical thinking.
Benefits of conscious projection
Throughout this article we have seen that the out-of-body experience is very rich in terms of the opportunities it provides for the individual to expand his or her awareness and to evolve as a consciousness. It is worthwhile to summarise some additional comments on the key benefits of the OOBE.
Through having lucid OOBEs, individuals are provided with irrefutable personal evidence of life after death. They may even recall the plan of action (purpose) for this life that was established prior to being born, which can help them to reprioritise their lives. They may also recall past lives or periods between lives whilst lucid outside the body.
Regular lucid experiences outside the body have the effect of enhancing the individual's parapsychic abilities, extrasensory perceptions and sensitivity to energies and of promoting the development of energetic self-control and personal energetic defence capabilities. Equally, an accumulation of such experiences enables individuals to develop awareness of the nature of their energetic interactions with both physical and nonphysical beings, to offer assistance to needy beings through the transmission of therapeutic energies, to communicate directly with evolved extraphysical beings whose presence the great majority of people are not able to perceive, to expand their self-knowledge and to accelerate the process of personal maturation.
A new science for a new century
Many societies of the 21st century have matured beyond the unfounded fears and superstitions that may have limited the perspective of their ancestors. As more people around the world have better access to education, ideas, information and the world at large than ever before, they have become increasingly resistant to traditions belonging to bygone eras and are more questioning, critical, discerning and independent in their thinking.
Consistent with this general shift towards transparency, it is possible today to study the out-of-body experience within formal, structured, academic environments. In Brazil in 1989, for example, a new science, conscientiology, was proposed for the study of consciousness (individual essence, soul or spirit) with rationality and logic, free of all dogma, rituals and mysticism. This relatively new science takes into account all the attributes of the consciousness, its phenomena (including the out-of-body experience), and the fact that it has multiple lives and can manifest both inside and outside the physical body.
The main premise of conscientiology is participatory research. In other words, researchers, students and all interested individuals are encouraged to have their own experiences and verify the true nature of their existence for themselves by using the OOBE as their main research tool.
The science of projectiology is a sub-discipline of conscientiology, exclusively dedicated to the investigation of the out-of-body experience and related phenomena.
Bibliography
Carrington, Hereward Hubert Levington, Psychic Oddities, Rider & Co., London, 1952
Crookall, Robert, The Study and Practice of Astral Projection, University Books, New York, 1966
Crookall, Robert, The Techniques of Astral Projection, The Aquarium Press, London, 1977
Muldoon, Sylvan Joseph, The Case for Astral Projection, The Aries Press, Chicago, 1936
Vieira, Waldo, Projectiology, International Institute of Projectiology and Conscientiology, Rio de Janeiro, 2002
Sandie Gustus © 2004
Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 11, Number 3 (April-May 2004)
PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. editor@nexusmagazine.com
Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381
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