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What is considered "better", I use to believe that OBE's were just lucid dreams that were special, but Im starting to change my mind and maybe want to start trying it, but I'm not sure what to do, I can't do both because I'm not even a good LD'er yet...
What is your definition of OBE, especially in contrast to a lucid dream? I only ask because there are many different levels of belief. What differentiates the two experiences, for you?
Personally, I have been doing both for years. I started with OBE, moved into lucid dreaming, and now practice both. I'm sufficiently convinced they are the same basic experience. I define OBE as a lucid dream where you dream about yourself separating from your body.
Well it depends on what you consider an OBE. lot of people just see these as perhaps vivid lucid dreams about leaving your body (rationale people), while some believe that your 'spirit' or whatever actually starts flying around your bedroom. :P
Furthermore, what do you WANT out of the two things?
Ok, I had this 10 page essay set up for you guys on all your questions about me but then my labtoP ran out of battery... So. I don't really know what to consider an OBE, I Guess I typed the wrong stuff in my post because that was one of the things I'm wondering about... And what do I want from them? Well LD'ing is an amazing experience in and of itself, and an OBE... I it really is true that you leave your body and can move around everywhere... Well maybe if I fell asleep during a test... Just kidding but if you can leave your body thats something that I would want to get in on
As I'm sure anyone on this website knows, we can dream about almost anything. Our brains are very good at coming up with vivid, convincing, realistic environments. All of the current evidence suggests that out of body experiences are just dreams about leaving our bodies and flying around our familiar environments.
In theory, it is very easy to prove whether an OBE is happening in our real physical environment, or in a replica of it that only exists in the dreamers mind. There are all kinds of experiments where people are asked to view something that is only accessible from above, or placed after they fall asleep. They never work. There are countless anecdotal tales of this happening, but it suddenly becomes impossible when we try to really pin it down.
Many people make the argument that OBEs happen in a realm that exists just out of phase with our reality, which is why we can not see things that would otherwise be plainly visible. "It is only the impression of our reality," or "It is a dream overlapping our reality." This starts to move into the realm of belief and faith, since it is inherently impossible to prove. There would be nothing differentiating this from a regular dream, so it is up to the person experiencing it.
On a semi related note, I think the most fascinating evidence for OBEs comes from near death experiences. It is fairly well documented that people can still experience their surroundings after their sensory organs have supposedly shut down. People can recall what was said or done around them after they were pronounced dead. Of course, this does not necessarily prove that some sort of spirit was witnessing. It only suggests that our senses can provide our brains information even after we are pronounced "brain dead." There is a lot of wiggle room in how doctors define dead, brain dead, ect. There are a few minutes when we are pronounced dead, but can still be revived. It happens all the time in hospitals. There are some new drugs being researched right now that can prolong the window from what is currently a few minutes to a few hours, or even DAYS. DAYS. You could be dead days, and still be revived. That is some horror movie shit!
OBE are definitely real, anyone who can not understand that simply has not had an experience that really shows this to them yet. Lucid dreams are great and all, but an OBE is truly where it is at. Actually, a lucid dream may in fact be a type of outer body experience, and I would also bet it would be. However, the biggest different between a lucid dream and an OBE is that you have much more control over an LD. With an LD you can literally conjure up and manifest anything you can imagine. With an OBE its a little different. You can conjure stuff up, but its like the range you have access to is only right around your area. Also, a LD is more difficult to hold on to, and it also seems more scattered. An OBE is more what you would expect in regards to moving through space and time, they are a little easier to recall (sometimes) and they are definitely easier to maintain (for me anyways)... Though, they are similar in many ways, I would say that an OBE is much more gratifying, exciting and all around more intriguing.