Was It a Dream or OBE?

[kenny r]

I had been having spontaneous OBE exit symptoms while falling asleep but they subsided a few months ago without an actual conscious OBE.

Then last night I felt the symptoms again, ignoring what sounded like an "evil female voice" screaming (because Robert and Robert* have both said not to be concerned with those things), and eventually felt myself rise up. I had been lying on my stomach, and momentarily I was able to look down from a vantage point near the ceiling and saw my sleeping physical body.

The view was fuzzy and monochromatic...I hadn't remembered to demand clear vision like Robert and Robert have suggested when sight is impaired. The arrangement of the room seemed different, though I can't remember now in what ways.

I was able to observe from this perspective and ponder the situation for only a moment, then I felt myself return to the physical. Back in the physical I thought about it for a while then drifted off to normal sleep.

So how do I know if it was an actual OBE or perhaps a dream of having an OBE?

*Robert Monroe and Robert Bruce

[Weena]

Sounds like an OBE to me. I had something similar but i don't remember as much as you remember of yours. I remember getting out of my body as if i was taking off a coat. That's all i remember though. It surprised me because i consciously tried many times and it never happens for me. And to get out of it so nicely, never even thought of trying like this (i should remember next time i try a conscious OBE).

The detail about your room looking different also suggest astral projection (when you go to a different place). Again, I'm not an expert at all, but i have had many dreams where the place were so detailed that i can only assume i astral projected in some etheric places.

Do you reckon there's a difference between OBE and astral projection? (I'm a rookie so just looking forward to read your thoughts).

[TheLifeQuaker]

It's extremely difficult to tell, if not impossible if you can't remember the position of things etc.

I have personally always experienced crystal clear vision (clearer than my everyday vision) whenever I have an OBE. Very detailed and panoramic. Among people I've talked to, they also note this very clear vision - but among a few others I talk to they seem to get blurry as well. Not sure what is up with the differences there!

You saying things were in different positions would suggest that it is more likely to just be a dream, as opposed to a genuine OBE. There ARE exceptions though.

Like I mentioned above, when out-of-body we can actually have 360 degree vision. We normally don't though because we are used to how we operate in daily life and so stick to that. But if someone tries to see that way, or if for some reason they perceive that way from the get go...then some funky things can happen as we try to 'understand' this. For example, someone might see the bed as above them on the roof.

Another exception is that you can be viewing the environment from a different point in time (our 'souls' are not limited to the time period we're currently living). In that case, you could see the furniture how it is organized in that time period, whether past or future.

One 'trick' to try and see if you are just having a dream, or are actually having an OBE is to deliberately try and imagine the opposite of what you are seeing...or such. If you can do that easily then it's fairly certain you are having a dream, not an OBE. [Afraid you can't use this now...but if - or I should say when - it occurs again, you can]

The only real way to check is to verify what you saw...by getting physical information on that place later when you get back in your body (or wake up). So, if you can't remember where things were then we can't do that.

Since you said you saw your body (and if it was lying in the same position you were, particularly) then we can assume you were not in a different time period. [Still possible, but unlikely].

Normally, the vision effect I mentioned above only happens when people try. It is possible it was that though - without knowing how the furniture and articles were arranged in the room that you saw when out of body compared to how they normally are we can't really say.

It could have been genuine, but the weird positions you mentioned raises a red flag to me. And since you can't remember the positions to check them against where they normally are (the effect I described is typically a sort of 180 degree switch, or at least everything is just switched equal degrees around)...you can't really verify it.

Personally I would write it off as a dream...I'm just a stickler like that. It is at least, an inconclusive experience.

But, it is encouraging since it shows - something - is up. Perhaps you will have another experience you can verify later?

[P.S. Sorry for the book!]

[kenny r]

Weena I like your idea of removing a coat. I haven't tried many exit methods that use some kind of physical action but that one makes sense. For my purposes I use OBE and astral projection interchangeably, although I think I read one can astral project mentally without actually "going out" of the body. I could be wrong.

TLQ I like all your info, thanks. I am curious to experience this again and hope to retain more of the information after. I lean toward this one having been a dream because I didn't feel as lucid as earlier times. But this one is a bit confusing.

[nicbrahms]

Was it a dream or OBE?

Well if it was the latter I recommend some strong deodarant.