OBE, EPILEPTIC SEIZURE OR BOTH?

[alt0xFF]

I have never encountered any material associating OBE with epilepsy.
There appears to be no correlation in either direction.

Epileptic seizures are accompanied by certain EEG profile, while OBEs are accompanied by brainwave states associated with trance/deep sleep. If there was any connection, it would be common knoweldege by now.

[marhar]

Hiya Alto', there are lots of articles written about epilepsy and OBE having a connection, just type both into your search engine. I associate the symptoms with epilepsy because they are very similar, breathing, paralysis etc.

[alt0xFF]

"there are lots of articles written about epilepsy and OBE having a connection" Can you give me one or two links? I couldn't find any relevant info, apart from some anecdotal evidence.

However, here's quote from the top link returned by Google: "He [Professor Blanke] said there was no evidence to suggest that out-of-body experiences were linked to epilepsy. "


I'm not a neurologist, but I know a thing or two about logic.
Suppose that OBEs are caused by epilepsy. Then we have following refutation


OBE -> EPILEPSY (if a person OBE's he/she is epileptic)
~EPILEPTIC      (a person is not epileptic)
--------        //modus tollens
tf ~OBE         (therefore the person is unable to OBE)


However, since there are a lot of people that can OBE and are not epileptics, the original clause is false.

[beavis]

marhar "I used to end up in space with the feeling of my whole body being infinitely vast, the feeling was unbearable."

That happened to me once. I could zoom into anything and see its detail, then zoom out all in an infinitely small "time". Time didnt exist there. I exited earth at point B. (B + about 12 hours) is one of the points I zoomed into. I went back into my physical body in the future. My spirit swerved left and right of the body like it wasnt in phase every time I went into any of my bodies (at different times). I went a few other places that I dont remember clearly and went back to some time around B. I repeatedly asked a friend what year it is. B+12 was not the future of B. Knowing the future changed it.

[Tisha]

I have epilepsy, I have OBEs.  But they are nothing alike!  I don't think one causes another.  

Also, drugs can do REALLY weird things to your brain chemistry, with aftereffects that last for YEARS.  They can give you seizures and flashbacks to times when you exited your body via drugs.

[marhar]

http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm297607.html
http://www.innerworlds.50megs.com/obe.htm

Here are a couple of interesting articles on the epileptic connection.'Inner-worlds', I think the one you looked at Alt0', illustrates what I am getting at, in that I am not saying that epilepsy is a prerequisite for an OBE, but that it could be a contributing factor in producing one in certain individuals. I was wrong to say in my first post that epilepsy was a 'form' of OBE, it's not what I really meant, sorry, do you agree?

Hiya Tish, I'm new to all this OBE, do you have control over your OBE', cos' I do not. They happen when I am extremely tired/jet-lagged or flu-sick, their intensity always eventually overwhelms me and I struggle to wake up.

Yeah Beavis, that is exactly what I felt, being able to zoom into and away from in no time atall. I have never had that sensation since, but I remember being extremely frightend, and waking up in a sweat!

Cheers guys, Marcus.

[Tisha]

hi marhar,

my OBE's started out as weird, frightening, confusing events, but I'm starting to get the hang of it now, and can control when and where they happen.   See my essay (sticky) for more details!

[marhar]

Hiya guys, great site to come across on my travels. I have not read a great deal about OBE' but am very excited about the similarities to my experiences I have found on this site.
I have been having OBE type events on and off throughout my whole life, the main bulk being when I was younger and consuming vast quantities of xtc. I still have them now but they have become less frequent. My experiences consist of an unbearably intense ringing in my ears accompanied by a paralysing electrical shock that feels as though it would make my teeth explode. I realise what is going on, and sometimes bate the feeling into greater heights, I am not fully conscious or aware because I do not have complete control of the fear of maybe going to far, where to I do not know. I have managed to move and become aware of my surroundings a couple of times, but the feelings of the electricity, and paralysis do not abate, it's like moving through treacle, even turning ones head requires intense concentration. Normally what happens is the feelings overwhelm me, and fear makes me struggle to move and become conscious.
I remember as a child going through a series of hellish nightmares with the same feelings, but being unable to articulate them. I had images of being unable to stay on the ground, I used to end up in space with the feeling of my whole body being infinitely vast, the feeling was unbearable.
I have always attributed these events to nocturnal epilepsy- does anyone think that this is what it could be, or maybe epilepsy is a form of OBE, (*which I feel is quite possible because they happend more frequently while I was taking Class A drugs). I have never had a fit during the day so I have not felt the need to see a doctor about this.
I think that is everything, cheers guys, great site!
Marcus.[]