Exploring the relationship between Out of Body Experiences (OBEs) & Ghosts
Out of Body Experiences (OBEs) is a term used to describe the separation of a person’s spirit from their body. OBEs usually occur during trauma, transition in and out of sleep or meditation. During the out of body experience, typically, the spirit floats up and out of the body and effectively “detaches.” In rare cases of spontaneous out of body experiences (SOBEs), the person simply walks out of their body for a few seconds.
The Out of Body Experience: What Does an OBE Feel Like?
When experiencing an out of body sensation, he or she is a free spirit able to move around with full faculties while the body remains asleep. Many report being able to see their own body while sometimes experiencing a “buzzing” sound within the ears. What is amazing is the fact that the senses (sight and sound) seem to remain active during the detachment from the physical body, even though the physical eyes and ears are inactive due to being left behind. However, during the out of body experience, it is impossible for one to speak, as the body remains apart from the spirit and faculties. The power of the mind - thought - is used to navigate, travel.
Out of Body Experiences & Astral Projection
It is well known that the more one has OBEs, the easier it becomes to separate from the body and travel about. There are those who practice having out of body experiences, and it is known as “Astral Projection” or Astral Travel." People who have become familiar with “Astral Projection” and practice it have sometimes reported struggling to stay separated from the body. The minute the person thinks about the body, he or she may be back in it. The opposite can be true, however, as some report becoming too proficient at astral projection. The out of body journeys became so frequent and easy for them to do, that they struggle with staying in the body!
Ghosts and Out of Body Experiences: Similarities
We cannot help but draw some conclusions between OBEs and what ghosts must face after leaving the body behind. If we understand what it is like to have an out of body experience, it is likely that we also will understand some of the challenges and limitations ghosts must feel and face. Imaging trying to communicate with the living without having vocal cords! Imagine having to rely solely on your mind for movement and communication. Imagine the isolation and anguish ghosts must feel if there are not other people with whom you can interact but family and friends who cannot see you! Just like astral travelers who learn, by practice, how to navigate the ethereal realm, we suspect ghosts must also work to improve contact with the living. This is quite possibly why some methods of haunting used by ghosts first appear to be "odd behavior" to us: rappings, movement of objects, touching, etc are simply ways to get our attention so the ghost's presence may be recognized. It's a place to start so we know the person without body is there.
Ghosts, OBEs & the Silver Cord
During out of body experiences, many believe the spirit remains connected to the body by what is known as the “silver cord.” This phrase is mentioned in the Bible's Old Testament. It is theorized by some, that if the silver cord is severed, then death comes to the body; the spirit animates the flesh so, therefore, when one’s physical body dies, it is because the spirit has completely detached and left our physical habitation. We would suggest, however, that the silver cord may only be an allegory used to describe the connection between spirit and the physical makeup. Perhaps with ghosts, the silver cord, the spirit's tie to the body, is broken.
Near Death Experiences, Out of Body Experiences & Ghosts
Near Death Experiences and Out of Body Experiences are closely related in our opinion. In both cases, the body remains dormant while the true person, “the spirit” travels about. We have read accounts of witnesses who claim to have seen God and those “on the other side” during their OBEs and NDEs. The importance of mentioning this is so we can have a better understanding of ghosts and the paranormal; for there is no true death that awaits each of us, only life. Death is the illusion, for we are all spirit and spirit is energy - it is alive. To leave the body means to still exist in spirit. To exist in spirit is to very much be conscious, aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts, feelings, etc. We are all spirits having an earthly experience through physical bodies. But, the body is not who we really are, for we are more than meets the eye. Ghosts are proof of our eternal nature, evidence that humanity is a mass of evolving spirits (See: Spirit World).
Accounts of Astral Projection and Out of Body Experiences
One friend of mine was ill as a child and found himself confined to a hospital. With practice, he became quite good at journeying out of the hospital and to his home at night – all out of his body. One night he was in his sister’s room, and she woke up and was looking his direction, even though she couldn’t see him. Somehow she knew he was there. The next day, she asked him if he had been in her room. My friend was shocked, to say the least. This same person later had an NDE or “Near Death Experience” and saw his family members who had passed and crossed over to the other side of the grave. To him, he knew that what we call "death" is truly just a doorway to the next world, the “afterlife.”
I know somewhat of this through my own experience which happened quite by accident. During a relaxed time of meditation, I simply floated out of my body and ascended above it. Being frightened during my unexpected OBE, I fought to get back into my body while trying to call for help – I thought perhaps I was dying. People who have experienced this same feeling and fear say it is simple to return back into the body: think about your body, and you are back into the body. I suppose I returned to my body as I thought and fought to do so; but it was just not quick enough for me in my frenzied state. Seconds seemed like minutes, to me, during the frightening experience.