It has been talked about a lot on this forum about keeping the mind awake and having the body fall asleep in order to initiate an OBE.
1) Does the body actually fall asleep?
Or
2) Does consciousness go into a state of increased awareness which causes a split between the mind and the awake body which causes an OBE?
As of recently, I would say my answer would be #2. I have analyzed my last few OBE's, and I have noticed there is an increase in awareness which leads to a mind/body split.
#2 may lead to a whole new understanding of OBE's and could lead to better techniques.
This would also explain how lucid dreaming works since there is an increase in awareness which initiates lucid dreaming.
1) Not all the time. Meditation, phasing and day dreaming, also experiencing breakthrough hallucinogenic trips... don't seem to require an actual switch in brain state... whereas Sleep Paralysis is technically an REM state physiological process that you are just aware of.
I don't think there are any better techniques out there than the ones we all use... and with practice it becomes easier.
I think that this 'thing' we do here... is the one of lives things that actually has to be worked on rather than come easy like a phone app or a microwave meal. Something that actually needs someone to make a distinct effort.
It attracts popcorn culture centred people because it sounds like the coolest thing... yet in the end can't be treat like a fad, possession or gimmick.
Hi,
#2, its plausible if you accept that memory and personality etc are outside of the physical body. The subconcious would automatically take care of the physical while experiencing a NPR. Any thoughts of the physical puts your conciousness back inside, this being the alpha state the NPR is terminated.
Your body *CAN* fall asleep, yes.
Is it required in order to project? Nope.
In both cases, you've shut down the sensory input of your physical body... you've DISASSOCIATED yourself from this physical reality.
Hi There..
I have done video recordings of my physical body during the OBE and I have to tell ya
YES it does fall asleep...;-)
Like the others before me, in meditation, lite trance it is possible to be semi awake to experience
a partial OBE. Think about it this way - many times, I will be in a lite trance state but not sleeping. I will be looking through my eye-lids into the astral and not realizing it. Something in the room startles me and I am brought back to the body.
There ya have it...
Dave