# Have you ever left your body? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 19, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811 "2002-06-19T05:16:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![emolson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@emolson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emolson)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/1 "2002-06-19T05:16:09Z")
Like it says: Have you ever left your body? I did. I was in an est meeting, addressing the group, when I briefly had the awareness of looking down on myself and the group. I noticed a female face looking up at me (at the ceiling), and when I talked to her later, she said that she had seen “me” up there. So: 1. Have you ever left your body? 2. What happened? 3. Did anyone else participate in your experience? 4. Have you explored this phenomenon further, and, if so, how? 5. Do you know of any relevant links, especially re the pursuit and enhancement of this “ability”? 6. Were you dreading that I would list “Hi, Opal”? I’m not really interested in chemically-induced phenomena. unless you bring something pretty damn good to the table, and it has the independent verification. ---
**Author:** ![emolson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@emolson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emolson)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/2 "2002-06-19T05:22:01Z")
Oops! I meant to include the term familiar to me: Out of Body Experience. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/3 "2002-06-19T06:06:41Z")
I did that in college. It appeared to me to be a meditative technique. (Or maybe an hypnotic technique, as it used "guided imagery). I believe that people are capable of visualizing themselves from the vantage point of the ceiling. Or any variety of places. Nice parlor game. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/4 "2002-06-19T06:30:22Z")
This is weird. Two OPs in GQ on this topic in the one day by two separate posters. I’m with **flodnak** on this one - a meditative/self-hypnotic technique. ---
**Author:** ![emolson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@emolson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emolson)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/5 "2002-06-19T07:07:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flowbark \* > \*\*I did that in college. It appeared to me to be a meditative technique. (Or maybe an hypnotic technique, as it used "guided imagery). > > I believe that people are capable of visualizing themselves from the vantage point of the ceiling. Or any variety of places. > > Nice parlor game. \*\* Maybe not what I am looking for. You “did it in college”? Details, please. I didn’t visualize myself there. I _was_ there when I had the experience, and a person I did not know beforehand confirmed it. My question is not about parlor games, unless they result in experiences as real as my own. Anyone else? (Oh Jeez, I hope so. I didn’t think this was unusual when I asked.) ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/6 "2002-06-19T07:23:22Z")
This should really be in MPSIMS or IMHO, as it’s about something subjective and not scientifically measurable. Subjectively, you _were_ there. Clearly, no-one can prove or disprove your subjective experience of your “soul”, “astral body” or whatever being on the ceiling. The technique isn’t confined to est, it’s one which other “technologies” which use meditative and hypnotic techniques also use. I learned it in the Church of Scientology. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/7 "2002-06-19T07:27:06Z")
A further note - and I do recall this being posted before, although I can’t remember in which thread - there have been experiments done in emergency rooms to test the OBE phenomenon. IIRC, not once has anyone been able to report the presence of things on top of lockers or similar which they didn’t objectively know were there. If the experience was anything other than subjective, then sooner or later someone should be able to describe the presence of such items - AFAIK, there are no credible reports of this having happened. ---
**Author:** ![emolson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@emolson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emolson)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/8 "2002-06-19T07:59:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reprise \* > **This should really be in MPSIMS or IMHO, as it’s about something subjective and not scientifically measurable.** I am completely open as to where this thread may belong - I just wanted to start a discussion about something in which I am interested. > [@](#): > > **Subjectively, you _were_ there. Clearly, no-one can prove or disprove your subjective experience of your “soul”, “astral body” or whatever being on the ceiling.** ] Actually, someone can, if I knew now how to reach her. And I would call it “objective”, since someone whom I had never met before described to me, without prompting, what seemed to me to have happened. > [@](#): > > \*\*The technique isn’t confined to est, it’s one which other “technologies” which use meditative and hypnotic techniques also use. I learned it in the Church of Scientology. \*\* Actually, est had nothing directly to do with it - it just happened when I was there. So, please tell me what you learned, and what you experienced as a result of such learning, at the Church of Scientology. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/9 "2002-06-19T08:10:50Z")
No, someone confirming that they met you on the astral plane is **not** objective evidence. Describing objects you could not possibly have known about **could** be objective evidence. There’s plenty of information about the various TR routines practised by the Co$ on the net. If you want to read about them, I’d suggest Operation Clambake as a starting point. You’ll also find critical analysis of those techniques on that site. ---
**Author:** ![emolson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@emolson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emolson)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/10 "2002-06-19T08:20:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reprise \* > \*\*There’s plenty of information about the various TR routines practised by the Co$ on the net. If you want to read about them, I’d suggest Operation Clambake as a starting point. You’ll also find critical analysis of those techniques on that site. \*\* I haven’t been to the sites, but wth are “TR” and “Co$”? ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/11 "2002-06-19T08:22:02Z")
TR is a training routine, Co$ is a somewhat derisive abbreviation for the Church of Scientology. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/12 "2002-06-19T09:22:26Z")
General Questions is for factual questions. IMHO is for polls and opinions. Since I don’t see a question searching for a factual answer, but rather a poll, I’ll move this to IMHO for you. **DrMatrix** - General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/13 "2002-06-19T13:27:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by emolson \* > \*\*I’m not really interested in chemically-induced phenomena. unless you bring something pretty damn good to the table, and it has the independent verification. \*\* Well, that’s _my_ story down the drain, unless the ghost of Arthur Guinness counts as “independent verification”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/14 "2002-06-19T13:49:51Z")
I did, early in our relationship, but my body apologized so I took it back. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/15 "2002-06-19T17:03:55Z")
Actually, I did it a lot when I was a very young child. I even planned these “trips” each night, going further and further away. I gradually got braver and braver. Then something very bad happened. I don’t really want to go into the story here, but one night my parents came running into the room about 2:00 AM, along with my brothers, due to my screaming. I never tried it again and made a conscious effort not to do it ever again. I was probably 7 or 8 at the time of the last adventure. Skeptics go ahead and scoff. I know it is very real. It was fun for awhile…and I know these were not just dreams. I tried little experiments to “find” things that were very successful. ---
**Author:** ![lethean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@lethean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lethean)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/16 "2002-06-19T17:25:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DMark \* > \*\*I gradually got braver and braver. > Then something very bad happened. > I don’t really want to go into the story here, but one night my parents came running into the room about 2:00 AM, along with my brothers, due to my screaming. > I never tried it again and made a conscious effort not to do it ever again. I was probably 7 or 8 at the time of the last adventure. > Skeptics go ahead and scoff. > I know it is very real. > It was fun for awhile…and I know these were not just dreams. I tried little experiments to “find” things that were very successful. \*\* Would you be willing to reconsider and share your story? I’m very intrigued. If not, no problem. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leifsmama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a698b9/32.png) [@Leifsmama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leifsmama)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/17 "2002-06-19T17:44:58Z")
I’ve had an experience once where I “came loose” inside my body. I was driving at the time and am very glad that I didn’t go anywhere. It was really amazing, all my body issues (I’m over-weight and have a couple physical aliments) were gone as if they never exsisted. I remember being excited and happy and then as suddenly as it came, it was gone. ---
**Author:** ![Calliope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Calliope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calliope)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/18 "2002-06-19T17:46:15Z")
People I know and have no reason to disbelieve have told me they do astrally project during meditation. I have no objective proof they are telling me the truth, only what I know about their character. I believe them. Personally, I would be scared shitless to try it. I would be afraid I would not be able to return to my body. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/19 "2002-06-19T21:50:51Z")
Testing this sounds easy. Have somebody place a target object someplace locked or far away. Have the subject “take a walk” and come back and identify it. See if they’re right. So - has somebody tested it and does it work? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811/20 "2002-06-19T23:55:02Z")
It’s been tested many times. Hasn’t worked yet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-left-your-body/114811.md?page=2)