Meditation: Leaving The Body Behind

Leaving your body during meditation is a phenomenon known as an out-of-body experience (OBE). It is a sensation of your consciousness leaving your physical body and has been described as feeling like you are floating outside yourself, looking at your body from another perspective. While the idea of astral travel is ancient and occurs in multiple cultures, there is no scientific evidence that consciousness can exist separately from the body. However, some people have reported experiencing OBEs during meditation, and it is believed that certain meditative practices can help one reach a state of consciousness that transcends the body.

Out-of-body experiences (OBEs)

An out-of-body experience (OBE) is a sensation of your consciousness leaving your body. It is often described as feeling like you've left your physical body and are observing yourself from another perspective. OBEs are usually reported by people who have had a near-death experience, but they can also occur during sleep, extreme physical exertion, meditation, or hypnosis.

Techniques for achieving an OBE

While OBEs often occur spontaneously, there are techniques that can increase the likelihood of having one. These include:

• Meditation: Some meditative practices can help you reach a state of consciousness that transcends the body and mind, leading to an OBE.
• Astral projection: This is a spiritual practice that involves intentionally sending your consciousness from your body to a spiritual plane or dimension.
• Hypnosis or meditative trance: This can induce an OBE, but more research is needed to support this.
• Hallucinogenic drugs: Substances like DMT, LSD, and ketamine can induce OBEs.
• Sensory deprivation or overload: Too little or too much sensory information can trigger an OBE.

The science behind OBEs

While the exact causes of OBEs are unknown, research has identified several possible explanations. One theory suggests that they are related to a failure to integrate multisensory information from one's body, specifically in an area of the brain called the temporoparietal junction (TPJ). The TPJ is a hub of activity that integrates information from the external environment and the body, and it may play a role in the distinction between self and other.

Veridical perception

A controversial aspect of OBEs is veridical perception, which is the claim that during an OBE, an individual can witness something they would not have been able to see otherwise. While there are anecdotal reports of this phenomenon, there is currently no scientific research to support it.

Astral projection

The term "astral projection" was coined and promoted by 19th-century Theosophists, and it is sometimes associated with dreams and forms of meditation. Some individuals have reported perceptions similar to astral projection induced through various hallucinogenic and hypnotic means, including self-hypnosis. However, it is important to note that there is no scientific evidence that consciousness can exist or function separately from normal neural activity, and astral projection has been characterized as a pseudoscience.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence, some people believe that astral projection can be achieved through certain practices. Notable practitioners include Emanuel Swedenborg, who wrote extensively about his out-of-body experiences in his Spiritual Diary (1747-1765), and Helen Keller, who wrote about her astral travel to Athens in her book, "My Religion." Other notable figures include Edgar Cayce, Hereward Carrington, Oliver Fox, Sylvan Muldoon, and Robert Monroe, who founded an institute dedicated to researching and exploring astral projection and related altered states of consciousness.

For those interested in attempting astral projection, some sources suggest lying in bed, clearing your mind, and visualizing your astral body leaving you. Guided meditations for astral travel can also be found online. It is recommended to approach this practice with calmness and without attachment to the outcome.

Near-death experiences

During an NDE, individuals may experience a sense of detachment from their physical body and a feeling of floating above it or flying off into space. They may encounter loved ones, living or dead, or spiritual beings such as angels. They may also experience a Proustian recollection or review of lifetime memories, both good and bad, often described as "my life flashed before my eyes". Additionally, NDEs can involve a distorted sense of time and space.

A 2017 study by researchers at the University of Virginia found that individuals who reported NDEs recalled them with greater vividness and detail than real or imagined events. This suggests that NDEs are remembered as being "realer than real". The study also raised the question of whether enhanced cognition during NDEs could be explained within a natural framework, rather than invoking supernatural explanations.

The underlying neurological causes of NDEs are not yet fully understood, but researchers have proposed several theories. One theory suggests that NDEs are related to disturbances in the right temporo-parietal cortex, which is involved in multisensory integration. Another theory links NDEs to complex partial seizures, which can be preceded by auras and accompanied by changes in the perceived size of objects, unusual tastes and smells, and depersonalisation.

While NDEs have been reported across different cultures and ages, they remain a subject of fascination and mystery. Some people view them as evidence of an afterlife or the existence of the soul, while others seek to explain them through neurological and cognitive mechanisms.

Kundalini energy

Kundalini meditation techniques include deep breathing, mantras, and physical movements such as mudras (hand movements). The deep breathing exercises involve inhaling and exhaling through the nose, with each breath lasting around 8 seconds. This slow and controlled breathing is believed to energize the body and promote a sense of calmness.

During a Kundalini awakening, individuals may experience physical sensations such as warmth or tingling, disorientation, and temporary discomfort. It is important to note that Kundalini meditation should not be forced, and one should always strive for a gradual and comfortable progression.

The benefits of Kundalini meditation are believed to include increased mindfulness and compassion, improved communication, a stronger sense of self, and greater purpose in one's actions. Additionally, research suggests that it may help reduce stress, anxiety, and improve cognitive function.

In conclusion, Kundalini energy is an ancient concept that has evolved into a popular form of meditation. By awakening the coiled energy at the base of the spine and guiding it through the chakras, practitioners seek to achieve a state of heightened awareness, balance, and enlightenment.

Veridical perception

There are several anecdotal reports of this phenomenon, with a few people providing specific and accurate details about events that occurred during surgical procedures or while they were clinically dead. Many people use these stories as evidence to support the existence of life after death. However, it is important to note that these claims remain limited to anecdotal reports, and there is currently no scientific research available to support the concept of veridical perception.

For example, a well-known case involving Pam Reynolds, a brain surgery patient, has been widely circulated by proponents of the afterlife. Following her surgery, Reynolds was able to describe aspects of the procedure that had taken place while she was clinically dead. She claimed to have surveyed the scene during an OBE. Despite the intriguing nature of her story, it remains unverified and lacks scientific evidence.

A 2014 study titled Awareness during Resuscitation (AWARE) was the first large-scale investigation to specifically examine near-death experiences (NDEs) and the possibility of veridical perception during OBEs. The study involved multiple hospitals and hundreds of interviews with cardiac arrest survivors. Researchers placed pictures on shelves that could only be viewed from above, testing whether individuals experiencing OBEs could accurately describe these images. Although there were two veridical OBEs reported during the study, neither individual was able to accurately describe the images from the shelves.

While the concept of veridical perception remains controversial and unverified, it continues to be an area of interest for researchers and individuals seeking to understand the mysteries of consciousness and the potential existence of life after death.

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