Women and OBES

[fireprooflighter]

Hmmm odd, I've always seen more men around here than women. Maybe I'm just a pitiful observer. [|)]

[Lighthouse]

It does seem that there are more men on here than women, however, I think this is an anomoly (sp?) I wonder how many men are here because it gives them some time to kill at work when they are on the computer all day anyway and need a break from the grind.  

I have been the president of a large holistic organization in the midwest as well as having attended and taught many seminars that relate to topics within this forum.  My experience is that women are generally much more interested in this type of thing.  In fact, last night, I gave a presentation that was publicized for both men and women and ZERO men showed up.  

Perhaps another explaination may be that women are more open about this because we have less to lose in the public eye.  So, public exploration of thoughtful topics are more acceptable for women to pursue.  We are taught to be more in touch with our feelings and ourselves.  This is where vulnerability is an advantage for women because we are then given the freedom to seem vulnerable, not know everything and explore the depth and breadth of our beings.  Men might be judged in a more negative light if they are viewed as exploring the types of topics in this forum.  I think everyone will admit that this is not your typical water cooler discussion.  Deeper conversations occur here than football and men in general are taught as children to be more guarded. This may be a safe place to explore for men who are interested in expanding their minds.  

--Kerri

[Ybom]

Well being considered a man myself, of 22 years of age no less, I generally am looked at kind of strangely when I even look at these kinds of pages. It's not that men aren't interested, it's just that their peers usually control them better, like Lighthouse said "...less to lose in the public eye...", I feel like I lose a lot of credibility in general around my coworkers (even the female ones too) when I talk about the benefits of meditation or what it feels like to vibrate. I'm also considered crazy by my friends when I say I'm trying to get to the point of healing with my hands, or eventually able to levitate or travel to the astral plane.

The good things much outweigh any of that though. That is so useless to me to have closed friends, because the children that I deal with and understand what I'm talking about and like me because they have an "adult" to talk to about their own gifts (imagine that) is essentially priceless to me. Maybe I should persue teaching them more about being open with their abilities? I'm not sure if their parents will accept them doing that though. Maybe I can use rebellion to their advantage here?

[Michael_E]

quote:Originally posted by Lighthouse

 I wonder how many men are here because it gives them some time to kill at work when they are on the computer all day anyway and need a break from the grind.

perhaps. i think the typical guy would take a break from the grind looking at women or sports on the web though[]. i think the majority of guys here are actually looking for answers or just to share things with like minded across the globe.

quote:I have been the president of a large holistic organization in the midwest as well as having attended and taught many seminars that relate to topics within this forum.  My experience is that women are generally much more interested in this type of thing.  In fact, last night, I gave a presentation that was publicized for both men and women and ZERO men showed up.

this is true. quite often i find myself being the only guy or one of the only guys at seminars. But i have also found that more guys show up if it is a guy teaching the seminar. i wonder what the man/woman ratio was for robert's seminar.

quote:Perhaps another explaination may be that women are more open about this because we have less to lose in the public eye.  So, public exploration of thoughtful topics are more acceptable for women to pursue.

thoughtful topics are quite broad, plus whats thoughtful for a man or woman or any individual in that case is relative to the thinker![] guy usually like the esoteric aspect of martial arts which involve lots of stuff discussed at these jiggy forums. i think woman are more into the esoteric healing angle which also involves stuff involved here. all in all i think the guy/girl ratio in seminars depends on the context in which the stuff discussed at these forums is being taught and who is teaching it.


--Kerri
[/quote]

[beavis]

OBE seems more illogical than most things, so the right sides of brains are better at it. Women use the right side more than men.

[fireprooflighter]

Current Astral Pulse Statistics.

Members
Total Members: 4297
Female members: 834
Male members: 2872

[holy reality]

I think part of the reason people think of it so weirdly is simply misconception of what exactly an OBE is.

It sounds, to the common guy, like some sort of occult ritual or superstitious nonsense.

Yet, if you asked him about dreaming, unless he "doesn't dream" I'm sure he'd at least have a bit of a conversation with you. If you then steered it toward lucid dreaming, I'm sure maybe he'd have one or two experiences with that. Then maybe you might mention a time when you woke up paralyzed for some reason (using those words, don't say "sleep paralysis" as it makes you sound nerdly) and he might be like "oh yeah, that happened to me once" and you might go as far to describe vibrations and he'd still have your interest... he may have even had a time when he felt kind of like he was floating.

Yet, if you flat up asked him about out of body experiences, he'd probably look at you as crazy... becuase people don't realize just exactly what OBE's are, and how COMMON they are during sleep. (neglecting the fact that we are more or less "out of body" while dreaming) They just kind of associate it with you doing some sort of ritual and all of a sudden stepping out of your body... which is weird, and to a degree even WRONG in this society..

So it's all in how you go about talking about OBEs, if you mention them by name, or especially by "Astral Projection" (sounds much more new age nutty and less scientific and credible) you're going to get weird looks.

If you casually talk about dreaming and steer the topic into OBEs in a smooth manner... I'd venture to say you might get a lot more interest and response, even from the "if you aren't in your body it gives the devil a chance to enter it" people.


So what I'm saying is bascially there is a huge conception about what an OBE is, and most people think that either they aren't real, or you have to be associated with magick or the occult or devil worship or whatever stereotype to be able to perform it.

They fail to realize just how easy they are to voluntarily induce at night, and how everyone has them every night (ala dreaming) and they are one and the same, just different means to attain them, and more can be done with voluntary OBEs because.. well.. they are VOLUNTARY... hence you can do them whenever and wherever and maintain focus better.

If this makes any sense?

OBEs = stigmatized as mystic nonsense that is unfounded scietnifically

dreams = OBE's (sort of) yet everyone, including men, likes to talk about them sometimes.

just be crafty in the way you try talk about them

and I've only known one guy that was interested in them, and zero women, myself.

[TheSeeker]

I think only females showing up to your seminar is just like you said, the guys think they have a lot to lose in the public eye.  They think they won't be manly anymore, or something.

Whenever I go to the Edgar Cayce foundation here, I feel like I stick out.  Most times I'm the only male there, and a 22 year old at that.  Most of the people there are elderly women.  There has been one occasion when I was sitting in the zen garden with my girlfriend (now my fiance, yay me) where I saw another couple my age there.

[vgchesskid]

Ok, look. Stop with the bulls**t. Women and men have the same intelligience. Same side of brain is used. Same strength. STOP WITH THIS GENDERIST BULLS**T. We are all human beings folks. Women TEND to be a little more interested in psychic phenomenon because society has made it so. It doesn't matter. If you took 100 men and 100 women and asked them if they had an OBE and whether or not they were interested, it would average out at about the same.

[Amber]

Yes, perhaps it is easier for men to open up anonymously over the internet as opposed to in person where they might be judged by society and their peers for being interested in what is usually a woman's realm: dreams and occult phenomenon.

I do think also that the way men and women approach learning and experience is different. Men seem to like to reason things out, understand them intellectually and logically before embracing them. Whereas women will usually experience something and just accept it, use it and speak about it privately with their friends. Never really picking it apart, so to speak. So, maybe writing about their experiences on the internet doesn't seem so necessary for women.

I do have to say that from a physiological standpoint, women have a slight advantage for cultivating these experiences. I know personally OOBE's happen very easily during certain cycles of the month for women, our dreams start to get heavy, vivid and extended right before we menstruate, just naturally. Makes it ideal for slipping out of your body or into a lucid dream ect.

But it seems that the most famous speakers or writers on this subject are usually men. Go figure...

[vgchesskid]

OMG you idiot. Guys have "cycles" too. They just don't menstruate.
Everyone has hormone cycles. Think males have it good because they don't menstruate? How about feeling like your crotch is being removed with a hacksaw for a few days? That's no fun either. OBE has nothing to do with gender. OBE concerns the brain, not the crotch. Female and Male brains are the EXACT SAME, besides hormonal functions, which have similar/same results anyway. We ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS. You genderists just don't stop with your crap, will you!

[Nay]

No need to get bent out of shape there vgchesskid..  There are ways to have a conversation without getting angry.  I don't think anyone here is really putting one gender down.

I have no idea if you are a male or female, but with your attitude I can totally understand the "cycles" reference you gave..HEHEHE..[] Sorry no offense meant, just thy humor. []

Nay.

[Amber]

Hmmmm,
Seems we struck a nerve here...
VGchesskid,
yes, there is almost no difference in the way the brain works(ie.processes information ect...) between men and women. As for men having hormonal cycles that are the equivalent of menstruation...I would really like to see some documentation and evidence, please. What the female body goes through every month really has no correlation in the male body. The only experience that comes close is the passing of kidney stones for men and that certainly doesn't happen every damn month.

My observation is, and this is only a theory, that women in general can benefit from the natural perceptual shift that happens around their menstrual cycle, and use it for their OOBE's practices. I speak from personal experience and the information I have gathered from my close girlfriends. And that is it. I am no genderist, I simply believe that the physiological differences between the sexes may have some influence on perception. And it is worth exploring as a topic of discussion.
Amber

[Michael_E]

quote:Originally posted by Amber

Yes, perhaps it is easier for men to open up anonymously over the internet as opposed to in person where they might be judged by society and their peers for being interested in what is usually a woman's realm: dreams and occult phenomenon.

I think its more like the guys are here looking for answers to questions from people who know more than they do or to share experiences and perspectives with like minded, probably the same reason why the ladies are here too. Internet is great for information exchange especially esoteric info since most people's peers and society dont much about it.

quote:I do have to say that from a physiological standpoint, women have a slight advantage for cultivating these experiences. I know personally OOBE's happen very easily during certain cycles of the month for women, our dreams start to get heavy, vivid and extended right before we menstruate, just naturally. Makes it ideal for slipping out of your body or into a lucid dream ect.

Eh, you can have all the periods you want but if you dont put some effort into it you probably wont get anywhere.[] any kind of cyclical advantage or hinderance at that whether it do with the stars or biological can be trancended with some good effort.

quote:But it seems that the most famous speakers or writers on this subject are usually men. Go figure...

thats true id like to see some sistas sharing thier wealth in the mainstream, whats up wit dat![]

[James S]

At the risk of generalising a bit here, I'll draw on what seem to be common observations - something that Beavis hit on.....

Keep in mind the following things (something most of you are probably well aware off, but I'll detail it anyway) -

Left brain functions - problem solving - analytical, problem solving, logic, reasoning, languages, detail, maths, sciences, object & pattern recognition.

Right brain functions - creativity - spacial perception, feelings, intuition, imagery, non-verbal, belief, philosophy, imagination, art.

Men are often credited with the "problem solving" capacities. When something goes wrong the male typically seeks to solve the problem, so there is a lot more left brain activity attributed to what men do.

Women are often credited with intuition, descisions based on feelings rather than logic. Women are often seen as more artistic, or appreciative of the artistic, all right brain traits.

Thing is there are many crossovers - my wife is very much a left brain person - she works in the computer industry, is currently a trainer, but has also been a technician, programmer, project manager and programming analyst. Though also from a technical background, I use a lot of my right brain, and have often used intuition to help me find a fault where the normal logical processes have failed. I also have a great passion for composing music.

Men and women still suffer from societies stereotyping. It is more acceptable for women to be seen being involved in mystical endeavours than it has for men. The left brain / right brain ratios are probably more even than is usually considered, but much of our social grooming tends to restrict this balance.

As to why there are more males on this site -  I think because of this social grooming women are more free to speak about things of a mystical nature among friends, where as men are not, so forums such as this are a good outlet for more anonymous discussion.

James.

[Lighthouse]

Whoa!!! I haven't been in this thread in a few days... didn't realize what a "gender bender" my comments may have turned out to insue -- go me!![]

Seriously, Thank you James... well put.

--Kerri

[ASunnieSpirit]

I think there can be a logical explanation for this.
Ive been to a few Psychic conventions and they are mostly female. Im a young women and I hardly see any young people at all. Old people don't use computers very well, my grandma cant even print without my help, so perhaps that explains the loss of women on this board. I wonder what the age stats on members are here?

In the public I keep quite on these interests especially with my girl friends because (as much as I hate to say this) they never talk about anything deep, just boy friends and stuff, ive gotten the weirdest looks from them, its quite funny. Its my guy friends that aren't afraid to talk about other dimensions and all that, but then again most of my guy friends smoke a lot of pot.

Its an age thing. I think younger males have a large interest in the occult same as older woman. In some ways younger girls may be more secret about it because it can be really damaging for a girls social life. It seems that guys don't really care as much about what people think, it doesnt phase them.
Just a thought.

[yellowsubmarine]

I've noticed that more women talk about OBEs than men. ARe women more prone to having OBES? Are you more open than us closed-up men are? It seems that artworks have depicted female profiles going through OBEs as well. Look at the woman featured on this site for example...

any thoughts?