What are the contents of Out of Body Experiences? How closely do they map the actual physical world? Is it possible to induce them purposefully? How do modern practices compare to indigenous shamanic ones?
In this Episode we look at the scientific, religious, cultural and historical contexts of Out of Body Experiences, also known as astral projection - so the experience in which an individual appears to leave their body and be able to travel around the world and into other dimensions, often meeting other worldly entities, similarly to DMT psychedelic experiences, (see Episode #73, “DMT Entity Experiences”). So, we get into the phenomenology- the various things people experience; potential neurobiological explanations; and the possibility of inducing the experiences on purpose and of exploring alternate realities; we get into indigenous traditions of ‘Shamanic flight’ and which people might be predisposed to these alternate states of consciousness; and we end up talking about a potential connection between OBE, sleep paralysis and ludic dreaming.
To discuss this slippery topic, we have a researcher who is also a lifelong experiencer, who has devoted her career to trying to understand these phenomena, the medical anthropologist and author Samantha Lee Treasure; she has an MA in Medical Anthropology from SOAS university in London, has been a brain science research assistant at the University of Liege, and has just released her first book on the topic, “Out of Body experiences”, the release of which this episode is timed to coincide with.
What we discuss:
00:00 Intro.
11:30 What is medical anthropology?
16:00 OBE entity research.
22:15 Samantha’s New Book - getting beyond preconceptions.
25:50 OBE vs Astral projection - bypassing the taboo.
30:00 Common reported OBE experiences.
33:00 Mental body schemas and projected models of the world.
37:00 Do OBE’s map the real world accurately?
45:00 Olaf Blanke - the Temporoparietal junction discovery.
48:45 No sense of smell during OBE nor processed by the TPJ.
49:40 Techniques to induce OBE’s intentionally.
53:45 Bob Monroe’s perspective switching technique.
55:30 Shamanic flight practices in Tuva, Siberia.
59:35 The sonezen - the perceiving mind self.
01:01:00 This is not for everyone, it can be scary.
01:05:00 The predisposition for some to have these experiences.
01:10:45 Crossovers between NHI Contact and OBE entity experiences.
01:14:20 Genealogical predispositions.
01:18:25 “Reality Shifting” and the role of intention in OBE.
References:
Samantha Lee Treasure, “Out-of-Body Experiences: Explorations and encounters with the astral plane”.
Stephen Le Berge, “Pre-sleep treatment with Galantamine stimulates lucid dreaming” paper
Olaf Blanke, “Linking out-of-body experience and self processing to mental own-body imagery at the temporo-parietal junction” paper.
Charles T Tart - 6 Studies of OBE.
Graham Nicholls, “Navigating out of body Eperiences”.
Yurgan Zeiwe - “Multi-Dimensional Man”.
RosalieYoga, Monroe Sound science guided meditations,You tube channel.
Celia Green & Charles Mc Reery, “Lucid Dreaming: The Paradox of Consciousness during Sleep”.
Anthony Peake, “Near Death Experiences”.