What it is Like to Have an Out-of-Body Experience

A friend of mine recently asked me to share the details of an out-of-body experience (OBE) that I had about nine years ago.  To be sure, I don’t think about it much because it was associated with a very difficult time in my life.

I had experienced a stroke after a clot apparently migrated through a previously undiagnosed hole in my heart, and traveled up to my brain.  For a short time after the stroke, I was also in a coma. It took several hospital visits to determine the best way to repair my heart.  It was during one of those visits that I had the OBE.

Let me explain what I mean by an out-of-body experience.  Like a near death experience (NDE), I seemed to be completely removed from my physical body. I observed “myself” on the hospital bed while doctors and nurses attended to me during a rapid response.  

I will attempt to give my best description of the event.  I remember an awareness of being in pure consciousness.  Separate from my body, I was able to observe everything going on around me.  There was an overwhelming sense of peace.  My experience did not include a tunnel or bright light.  Instead, I had more of an understanding or knowingness.  Specifically, I understood that the peaceful “me” who was doing the observing, was immortal – a soul.  I also had an immediate and definite understanding that all humans are connected through this consciousness.

“Reverence” is the word that I would attach to my experience.  It was a gift and privilege to receive a glimpse beyond the physical world into the realm of the spiritual.  As human beings, we tend to identify only with our brain (thinking mind) and body.  I learned that we are far greater than that.  Essentially, we are each a part of the entire collective consciousness or Spirit, temporarily living in a human body.  

When I realized all that I think and do has an effect on the “whole,” my thoughts and actions became far more deliberate and positive.  Coupled with meditation, I’ve learned to lead with love from my heart.  It’s also been interesting to note that my environment is a reflection of my inner thoughts.  Now that my mind is peaceful and positive, so is my outside world.

I think, without a doubt, that my OBE was the foundation for leading a less stressful and more fulfilling life.