Out-of-Body Experiences: 7 Step Guide

There are many many approaches to having out-of-body experiences, anyone with even a passing interest will have come across a few, so what are the key factors that will lead to success and overcome the pitfalls? Here I outline 7 steps that will help you have the perfect foundation for applying techniques consistently and effectively.

1. Know your strengths and weaknesses - Knowing ourselves on the one hand alludes to a deeper understanding of the self, the core unfettered centre of our being. On another level it speaks of the practical benefit of understanding our strengths and weaknesses. Many of us will set ourselves impossible targets, be it in business, relationships or spiritual development. It is like standing at the foot of a mountain and trying to jump to the top, rather than realising that if we take the time to steadily climb we could succeed and reach the top, not instantly, but almost certainly.

But you also need to start your process of learning by understanding, not just the methods or techniques, but what you can and cannot do. If we use the climbing analogy, you would start by thinking about your level of fitness, do you need to train, do you have access to equipment, do you have any experience? Learning to have OBEs is no different. In my workshops and mentoring I work directly with students  to identify what will likely work for them. It is about starting to understand what you are likely to be good at, and what might hold you back.

2. Make small attainable changes - Learn basic skills like relaxation and practice regularly and consistently. When we look at most people trying to have an out-of-body experience we see a similar pattern emerging to the mountain analogy. Many will expect to attain a rare and life-enhancing experience without putting in place the basic foundations. They will not want to change or even disturb the usual patterns of their lives. This often leads to short cut methods or signing up to a ‘snake oil’ type event that claims to change your reality in an evening, or to tell you the secrets of the reality in which we live. When these claims inevitably fall short the searcher looks for the next quick way. This is unfortunate as they are inadvertently setting up a pattern of failure in their desire for the shortest road. 3. Don’t look for shortcuts - This kind of thinking reminds me of the fad diet phenomena, which we all know, if we are honest, fails in the long run, but still millions are drawn to them, why? in my view because we’ve got lost in the thinking that actual genuine change, such as eating healthily or exercising is painful, stressful or beyond us. But it need not be the case, if we really look at ourselves and consider what we are good at, what we can realistically achieve and then give ourselves a little less than that to do, it’s amazing how painless making real change is. If, for example, you feel you could do 30 minutes of OBE practice a day, then set your target at 25 minutes. The reason for this is it is easy to attain, you are still doing real practice, but you won’t get stressed thinking about it, as it is less than you could do generally. 4. Get support - As you may be aware, those trying to give up smoking are far more likely to succeed if they get the support of a group and work together. Learning to have out-of-body experiences is also easier with the support of a friend or group. Taking part in a workshop will encourage you to go further than you would normally and to not let the group down. It is also about knowing where your strengths lie (Step 1).  If you think that practising alone you will be undisciplined, then find support. Don’t get into the fad thinking and knot your brow and say “right I’m going to do this”, sit down get stressed out, put all your energy into it and then never try again if it fails. That is the jumping over the mountain method, finding a supportive group is the steady climb method. 5. Immerse yourself - A large part of the process of learning to have out-of-body experiences is communicating to your unconscious mind what your intention is. The more you immerse yourself in practice, books and conversation about your goal, the more it will become a part of who you are, and the more likely you’ll be to succeed. Also the more you immerse yourself in the subject the more familiar you will become, this will help to alleviate any fears that you might have - fear is a common reason for failure. 6. Keep a journal - Awareness of the subtle ebbs and flows of your psychical faculties is very important to the learning process. Do not rely on memory, many years of experience has shown me that only through a journal can we have any real grasp of the progress we are making. In the esoteric world I have heard the journal or diary referred to as the ‘magickal memory’, giving an indication of how important it is to spiritual training, especially in areas that fall within the bracket of the psychical. 7. Be creative - The last point is about not being fixed, if you don’t get success with the first set of methods you use, try alternative ones, or adapt them to make them more exciting for you personally.  Most successful people in any area of life are creative and willing to take risks. They are hungry for knowledge and cultivate what works and are able to adapt and change when something doesn’t work. They are excited inspired and open to invest in their learning and development, they realise they don’t know everything and that people need to be inspired to grow. Be an inspired and creative learner and your chances of success will be so much stronger, good luck! If you would like to learn a full range of methods and techniques for having out-of-body experiences I am running an OBE Intensive for beginners and advanced students at Parsonage Side Retreat on September 3rd and 4th 2011. Also check out my book, Avenues of the Human Spirit at Amazon for insights into the journey I have taken over the last 20+ years.