An out-of-body experience, also referred to as OBE, has been described as experiencing the departure from the physical aspect of the body, where a person observes both their own image, as well as the rest of the world. This subject deals with contact from the outside of the body. This experience also extends to acts of daydreaming, dreams, as well as memories.
One of the most common times that an out-of body experience is felt, usually occurs while one is under the influence of a drug, such as an anesthetic, as well as during a period of unconsciousness that was received due to some sort of trauma. Other drugs can also trigger an OBE moment. There have been reports of out-of-body experiences occurring when a person is suffering from a mental disorder, such as being bi-polar. Disease or stress can add to the causes of what leads a person to experience this type of mental and physical journey. Another time that an out-of-body experience may be felt is when a person endures a near-death experience (NDE for short).
When a person has dealt with a near-death experience, it could lead a multitude of results. There has been an array of documentation regarding this topic. A near-death experience deals with people who have come close to dying or have believed that they were going to die. There are so many varieties to what is experienced that it seems that no two stories are the same. You may have heard of some of these tales when a person claims to have “seen the light at the end of the tunnel” or met with a deceased family member before regaining consciousness. NDE and OBE are often used to describe the same thing, but they are quite different from one another. It is also rare for a person to experience both of these occurrences at the same time.
Testimonies dealing with a near-death experience have been described when a person has felt that they were floating out of their body and being able to view their surroundings from above. Some say that during this experience, they were able to encounter an array of people from their past, including deceased loved ones, saints, angels, as well as Christ. Doctors, patients and nurses have recorded these accounts. More than not, an NDE is a pleasant occurrence and does not exhibit horrific results.
There are a few different types of out-of-body experiences, including what is called astral projection. When a person experiences astral projection, their astral body leaves the being and is said to journey anywhere throughout the world, including the universe. Theosophist, Madame Blavatsky, believed that a person possessed seven bodies, which represented a body for each of the seven planes of reality. The difference between astral projection and an out-of-body experience is that in OBE, it is the consciousness of the person that is separated from the body, while astral projection deals with the departure of an astral body, not a person’s soul. Blavatsky states that astral bodies possess an aura.