By Leah Larwood
Image courtesy of Pixabay
While the nation navigates the new normal, there continues to be some hesitation in booking holidays further afield. As a result, there has been an increasing number of people interested in learning how to have an Out of Body Experience (OBE) as a way to engage with the outside world safely and without breaking government travel restrictions.
It’s estimated that around 10% of people in the world have had an out of body experience (OBE) of some kind. During an OBE, it’s possible for an individual to see everything that is going on from outside the body, but from a different perspective. Not to be confused with lucid dreaming, which is when you are aware that you are dreaming, during an OBE the individual’s consciousness seems to leave their body temporarily, enabling them to visit places, and even travel the world, while their body remains asleep.
There is said to be a plethora of benefits to the person’s wellbeing should they experience an OBE while they sleep. OBE teacher, Jade Shaw, has seen three of her online courses sell-out within days of their release, as the nation embraces alternative ways to explore the world.
Jade Shaw said: “Interest in astral projection, also known as having a self-induced out-of-body-experience, has soared since lockdown. I’ve heard from people from all walks of life - lawyers, artists and cab drivers, they’re all giving it a go. We might be exerting caution or self-isolating still but we needn't be locked down. During these times many people have been napping more and having extra sleep, which is giving us time to reconnect with our self and others”.
The courses, co-hosted by Jade Shaw and The Psychedelic Society, launched with 40 places on each, but after selling out on both within a short space of time she had to offer up a long waiting list for her third. Jade has now opened up a fourth course, which will run in October.
In her online courses, Jade teaches a three step process to self-induce, navigate and integrate an out-of-body-experience. This involves learning the mind-awake-body-asleep state, vibrational state and exiting process in order to have a self-initiated OBE. Each week builds on how prepare the body and mind, implement techniques and navigate the experience through breath work, visualisation, mindfulness, physical exercises and conscious sleeping.
Participant Katie, enrolled on Jade’s 4-week online course with the intention of meeting her new partner in lockdown. She said: “Self-isolation led to an incredible desire to expand upon my existing knowledge. Before lockdown I met someone over the internet and we decided to explore ways to connect through an out of body experience. We had never met physically, and enjoyed the process of romancing each other on different planes of existence. This course was incredibly new and exciting for me!”.
Another course participant, Michael, is fully blind and decided to enroll on Jade’s course to discover what an out of body experience would be like from the perception of somebody who has no concept of sight. He said: “I hear lots of folk talk about people seeing things during out of body experiences, and so I would like to see what I can explore in the astral plane without actually seeing anything with my eyes - but with all of my other senses intact.”
Jade added: “Learning how to have an OBE is certainly a wellbeing practice for these uncertain times. There are many benefits of having an OBE including: finding answers to pressing problems, insights to recurring illnesses, guidance with decision making, healing grief, better sleep hygiene, a greater connection to others and self-empowerment.”
This remarkable experience usually shapes the individual’s life in profound ways. An OBE tends to happen in an altered state of awareness such as during deep relaxation, meditation or on the cusp of sleep in the hypnogogic (falling asleep) and hypnopompic (waking up) states. Triggers can take place during dreams, lucid dreams, sleep paralysis, and within near death experiences.
The great thing is that OBEs can be learnt by anyone - it’s an empowering technique that can help us improve our wellbeing on many levels. With increased mental health awareness, developments in neuroscience, the rise of spirituality, the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and during these unprecedented times, we are very much on the edge of a consciousness era.
Jade has produced a documentary about OBEs called Insight Out which is available to watch on Gaia, the spiritual sister of NetFlix.
6 Reasons To Explore OBEs During Covid-19
1. It’s coronavirus-proof: You don’t need to leave the house to practice!2. It’s economical on time: Unless you’re a master of meditation, the practice is most commonly done in sleep states.
3. All the ‘cool kids’ staring on Netflix are doing it.
4. It can shape your life in profound ways, giving direction and meaning to your life and challenging situations you are facing.
5. It allows you to ‘travel’ the world (and beyond) without breaking restrictions or worrying about safety.
6. Own your own crystal ball: An OBE gives you helpful insights to ongoing problems with health or relationships.
For more about Jade Shaw’s online course go to: https://dandelion.earth/events/5f21b42e1c9bc3000e4a5542
DATES: Four consecutive Sunday evenings of October, 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th TIMES: 7-9:30pm London, UK (GMT+1)
TICKET PRICES: £65-£95
Jade’s Website: www.jadeshaw.com