Out Of Body Or Out Of My Mind?

Many people have claimed to have had out-of-body experiences from ancient times to the present day. I believe a great many people have had this happen but either didn’t want to tell anyone for fear of ostracization or believed it was a hallucination.

My own first personal “out of body” incident occurred sometime in my early teens, but I didn’t recognize what had happened until later in life. In those days, I would wait until my parents and brothers were sound asleep at night, then sneak out my bedroom window. Weather permitting, I’d often walk for miles. I loved to spend personal quiet time in one of my favorite places, hidden in the blackjack oak woods common to our area. I moseyed about at night for many years. One autumn night, I lay in my favorite spot upon a bed of oak leaves while looking at the stars.

I felt myself expanding outward, far above me, reaching up into the sky and into the surrounding area. I was no longer just looking up. It was no longer just looking but being in a larger space than just my body. It was instantly thrilling, but in the next moment, alarming, so much so that I drew back into my body with a start. The whole incident occurred within seconds. Attempting to rationalize what had happened just confused me more, so I went home and crawled back into bed. Day-to-day toil on the farm kept the experience far from my mind, and it was only many years later I revisited the incident with clarity.

The next time, years later, the experience was uniquely different. In that instance, I was performing a task in a small room that was very repetitive and mindless. At one point, I realized I was near the room’s ceiling, with my body continuing to walk across the room. Being somewhat startled, I went back into my body. It wasn’t an unpleasant experience at that moment, but I recognized later I felt a bit anxious being “out.” Later, when studying the phenomenon, I read a theory that seemed to fit: a similar anxiety you might feel if you’d misplaced your keys or wallet. Although my body wasn’t “lost,” the potential was there.

Later, I had the most dramatic experience, but I fully knew what was happening and was thoroughly amused. As a young man, a group I associated with liked to have fun and wanted to throw a costume party. My date and I decided to cross-dress. She dressed as a man and me as a woman. Three girls helped me shave my legs, dress to the nines with a wig, add makeup and fake boobs. When finished, they suggested I look in the bathroom mirror. Turning to my reflection, I shot backward out of my body against the back wall. I was looking at the back of a woman looking in the mirror. In the next second, I jumped “back in,” staring at a sexy, beautiful woman as my reflection (I was in my 20s and a much better-looking man then).

In the years since, I’ve had a few instances of out-of-body experiences. Most happened when alone, and most were similar to my first experience as a teenager. I’ve neither sought out nor avoided any of these. Because I am a spiritual being with a body and mind, I’ve taken them as a part of my spiritual nature and nothing to be concerned about.

Of course, you may think me crazy, which is okay too!