A Life-Changing Experience...

[inky_1]

The one thing I find most difficult about AP and OBEs is that very few people in my everyday life understand why I even care or think about these things. I don't really have any friends who also experience these things, and I have only one friend who has an interest in AP and OBEs, but she lives far away.

A couple of months ago, I had an OBE/AP experience that truly changed my life. I've shared the experience with a few people, but most pf the people in my life don't know what to make of it. Since having this experience, I've been "starved" for information and just aching to find a community of friends with whom I could discuss these things without having them look at me like I just grew another head.

So, here I am... I've posted before, but I want to share this particular experience and see if anyone else can relate.

It began the way most of my experiences now begin - with me raising up out of my body. I used to get stuck in a dream paralysis stage but, thankfully, that practically never happens anymore. Now, I almost always drift up out of my body.

I was not alone; I had some sort of guide with me, though I could not see any being. I moved out of a window and began drifting up over the earth. During this time, I was not aware of my earthly life at all. I couldn't have told you my name; I couldn't have told you anything about my earthly life. I was completely filled with something I can only describe as absolute love. I just felt so amazingly full of love and peace.

As I was drifting up, I felt this intense love for every being (person, animal, tree...just everything) on the planet. I was seeing the tops of roofs, and I was aware of the families in each one. I knew and could understand how every single being was both connected and separate, and I just ...loved them. Loved everyone with a beautiful, powerful love that was more than a feeling.

So, a pause here... see, I've been struggling a lot in the past couple of years with an intense fear of death and dying. Just an overwhelming terror about the whole dying process.

Well, during this experience, my "guide" "said" (not verbally) to me something akin to "if you are able to feel all of this right now, can you imagine how much more powerful it will be when you are truly dying?" and I knew this was in reference to my fear of death and dying...and that I was basically being told "look... your body and soul are prepared and equipped to handle the experience of dying. It will all be taken care of when it's time. Don't worry."

I was suddenly aware that if I looked above me (or behind what would've been my shoulder if I'd had a body), I would see "God" (or the Divine Creator...or just whatever being it is that some of us refer to as God). And I did look. And I saw the brightest most intense light I have ever seen...it was both far too bright to look at but did not hurt me. It was the very definition of light.

And I was immediately propelled back into my body.

When I woke up, my entire body was tingling (similarly to how it feels if a limb just begins to fall asleep)...only it wasn't just a limb...it was my whole body. It was intense. I've never ever experienced that when coming out of an OBE/AP experience; I've never had a physical reaction to an experience like that.

This particular OBE/AP experience has really and truly altered my life. My terror over death has diminished a fair amount, though I admit to still being afraid. I'm curious as to whether or not anyone else has had a similar experience or might be able to help me understand mine more.

See, I do not ever consciously project myself into OBEs/APs. They happen to me at random, and I can't induce them. I've very very slowly over time learned to experience them more fully (they began as night terrors...then sleep paralysis...then drifting but panicking...and now full experiences). I'm eager to learn more, though admittedly not eager to learn to consciously make these experiences happen at will.

[Astralzombie]

I really do love to read these types of experiences. Both because I completely understand and relate and it's nice to see someone else catch a clue. Like you, my first OOBE were spontaneous and unbelievable in some sense yet undeniably real in another. I absolutely had to have one intentionally and it did not take me very long. The biggest difference with me though, was that my first experiences were panicked filled because of my former religious beliefs.

Your mindset will change many times based on the different experiences that you personally have as well as what you read from others. One thing that won't change is the "knowing" that this life is but one blip on the radar but is precious none the less. Most of us develop a sense of well being and understanding of each other. We're far from perfect but at least I can say that I am a much better person from the experience and insight gained from astral projection or whatnot.

I almost forgot, I have never had an experience in which I saw, met, or felt, God/Creator/Source yet I feel the love that you described all the time during my experiences. It's usually after i see some rough stuff though. You can get what you put into this. If you want to just have fun and ride in space ships, you can do that. But the real ride begins when you start to explore yourself.

Good luck.

[Szaxx]

Welcome inky_1
You'll find the love again. The light has been visited by a few and words fail to explain its feeling. One with all and all with one.
You are now on the Pulse and nobody here will run away from anything related.  Safe at last.
When you are ready to learn how to do this at will many here can aid you.
It's a nice place as you'll find out for yourself.
Enjoy reading posts, there's lots of them and ask questions if any answers are hard to find.
Hope you settle in.

[Lionheart]

 Hello and Welcome to the Astral Pulse, Inky_1! 

Not everyone is ready or even willing to open "Pandora's Box". For that matter, not many people even know it exists, lol.

But you have come to a Forum where opening and reaching deep into it, is part of the norm.

Just know you are amongst like minded and good natured people here! 

We are all here to share and help others experience the many wonders of the NPR. (Non Physical Reality)

[Blazewind]

I greatly enjoyed reading about this experience and of course I thank your for sharing it with all of us here.  Sometimes I get nervous about dying too, which seems odd, but I guess it's part of what makes us human.  I've read quite a bit on the subject of near death experiences, a nd it seems that no one ever says they were afraid, only strangely calm or even curious, and yet still I suppose until you learn such a thing for yourself, it's difficult to not have a couple of doubts.  In your case, it seems like you own guides just decided it was time to just randomly show you something so amazing simply because you were afraid.  Of course they don't want us to be afraid.

I do wonder thouhg, how to you feel about the whole matter now, after this little amazing experience?         

[inky_1]

Thank you, everyone, for the warm welcome and responses

I know that I previously said that I was not eager to learn to consciously AP/OBE. See...On one hand, I do so desperately want to learn how to consciously experience Astral Projection because the experiences I have had have been so wonderful (well, at least they are now; it was not so wonderful when I experienced sleep paralysis for years and years - not knowing anything at all about any of this!). At the same time, there's something to be said for having these experiences be beyond my control...

How do I feel about death now? Less anxious; less obsessively worried... but still scared sometimes. This experience came only a few months after I experienced my first loss of a close family member (my 99 year old great grandmother... yes, I got to have an amazing, close relationship w/ a great grandmother! crazy!) Losing her really seems to have awakened a lot in me... I miss her desperately. I feel as if she's near me all the time, and that both terrifies and excites me.

I know so little about this stuff. I only know what I've experienced unconsciously and what a select few have explained to me. Whenever I start to dig deeper, I run into all these terms and "methods" that overwhelm me. It looks so complicated, and so many people seem to know so much more than I can hope to comprehend. I don't even know where to start!

[Szaxx]

To say there's many differing ways is akin to all roads lead to Rome.
That said it's quite a simple and natural process.
The very basics are to ALLOW your body to fall asleep and while this occurs you keep your mind active just enough to keep an awareness of self.
If you experiment with sleep you'll see progress too in the art.
Watch yourself falling asleep without excessive thoughts and not analysing anything. Whatever occurs is natural and you may be unaware of it normally as the mind too falls asleep with the body.
By staying alert in mind you need to ignore the body and passively remember all that happens during the process. Lights and sounds are natural, as drifting in and out of a dream state, you'll be concious longer and enter the hypnagogic state. Anything heard or seen is an illusion of sorts and should be ignored but remembered.
Try this for a few nights and see what occurs.
It changes depending on how much sleep you actually require from nothing to a fascinating display
of light and sound.
You may also find yourself in a familiar position to your above post.
Let us all know how you find this exercise if you wish to try it.

[|Anthony|]

"The one thing I find most difficult about AP and OBEs is that very few people in my everyday life understand why I even care or think about these things. I don't really have any friends who also experience these things, and I have only one friend who has an interest in AP and OBEs, but she lives far away."

Yeah these topics aren't the type you go to work and talk about during your luck or around the water cooler. You dont say "hey last night I left my body and traveled around town" or "I became lucid in a dream and pretended to beat up the boss with a gulf club" lolol. Unless someone knows of this topic or experienced it than its hard to discuss it. A lot of skeptics who don't or won't see the aspects of lucid dream. But there's an old saying too. "If they're walking around half dead while awake, its no surprise they're walking around half dead in sleep too".

As for death I wouldn't fear it. Every living thing dies. Even non-living things hehe. The sun will turn nova and "die". Our galaxy will "die" (or collide with the Andromeda galaxy). No getting around it. Death is the greatest mysterious in the world...we find out what comes after if anything....we all find out lol. 10 out of 10 people will die in their lifetimes. Nothing to fear...its usually hardcore materalists that fear or run from death because they dont want to leave their little "material world" or "life status" behind.

Keep enjoying lucid dreaming; its a fasinating experience.

[inky_1]

Someone once told me "there's no such thing as death; death is not a thing on its own. Death is just the absence of life."

Similarly, there's no such thing as darkness; darkness is just the absence of light. It is not a thing on its own.

For some reason, that helped

[soarin12]

What a wonderful experience!!  You had a need and it was met.  The same has always been true in my OOBEs  Whenever I have had fear, grief or just a problem that is really weighing on me, I ask God/source for help and I am always given just what I need in my OOBEs and/or regular dreams too.  I have also felt that amazing love and experience of connection many times and it changed my life completely as well.

I used to have a powerful fear of death too and I feel like even though I was given a series of miraculous experiences, I was slow to give up completely on my fears.  In the last year, though I had several OOBEs that were so powerful that my fears about death have been squashed for good.  It's great to be free!!

Like you, most of my OOBe's are spontaneous although I sometimes do induce them.  I have had to work through my fear issues with SP (getting there! ) as I have had some negative experiences in that area.  I am receiving help from God/guides or what have you, in that area as well.  All of this has taught me not to be afraid and that help will always come to you as you reach out for it.

There is a lot of great info. on the Pulse about how to induce OBEs.  Reading about others experiences is great and lends perspective, but just keep in mind that everyone on the forum has their own opinion about the nature of the NPR.  For example, some people feel that you can meet real "beings" over there, and some feel that it is all an illusion from the subconscious.  Just because a person is experienced at OOBEs doesn't mean they have all he answers to the nature of the universe!  There are still a lot of mysteries out there.  Let your own experiences be your greatest guide.