One writer, Benjamin, says there are three chief ways of entering an OOBE.
There are three main ways to enter the ‘State’; before sleep, during REM dream sleep and upon waking from a nights sleep.
*Before sleep state induction. this requires a set up ‘pre-sleep’ that primes you biochemically and physiologically to enter the state.
*REM dream sleep induction requires a grasp of Lucid Dreaming and is a bit hit and miss for the newbie.
*Waking state induction requires the ability to recognize that you have woken up and at that very moment remembering not to move, roll over, scratch an itch or open the eyes... or even to start listening to the noises around you. It takes a bit of practice but it is a very successful way of entering the State.
His thoughts here affirm the importance of the REM state to induce the OOBE. REM is a part of his first method (why there is the non-REM "pre-sleep"), is the state in a dream, and is the state in the early morning waking method.
What he says is consistent with the idea that dreams-lucid dreams-OOBEs exist on a continuum. Using his #2 method, by becoming self-aware in a dream one can transition the experience to an OOBE.
These three ways seem consistent with other writers. Another writer, Michael Raduga, lists the same:
There are three primary types of techniques that make it possible to enter the phase: direct, indirect and dream consciousness.
Direct techniques – entry into the phase without any prior sleep, after excessive physical movement upon awakening, or having been awake for at least five minutes.
Indirect techniques – entry into the phase within five minutes of awakening from sleep of any duration - provided there has been minimal physical movement.
Dream consciousness – entry into the phase through becoming consciously aware while a dream episode is happening.
Michael Raduga is a very interesting person. He seems to hold classes to teach the OOBE to students in Russia, and writes from a long list of case studies and experiments. He is a consummate "pragmatist" and does not pay much attention to "theory." He writes some unique thoughts based on his histories:
For 90% of the population, [direct] techniques are the most difficult
This explains why my Inner Director is not telling me to meditate. Based on this, a meditation induced OOBE is the most difficult for one with no OOB experience.
It has been clearly proven within the School’s student body that novice practitioners do not benefit from beginning a training regimen with direct techniques. This is because direct techniques require a thorough understanding and masterful application of indirect techniques in order to be effective.
This affirms a thought I made above, that the need for an accidental "first" OOBE was required.
The incorrect notion that the phase state is extremely difficult to enter is due to the fact that people are more often drawn to the more difficult direct techniques. It is always better to approach direct techniques only after becoming expert in the use of indirect techniques.
Raduga advises using the "early morning waking" method mentioned earlier by Benjamin, and then transitioning to other techniques.
the direct method will account for about 15% of all experiences, the indirect method 50% (half of those being immediate separations upon awakening, and the other half using the techniques), while the remaining third of experiences will be had thanks to dream consciousness.
Here he lists the percentage for each induction method for the experienced OOB experiencer. So, this should be what is experienced for one familiar with the OOBE.
After many experiments with his OOB school, Raduga has devised a method which he claims is extremely effective at letting anyone have an OOBE.
1. Sleep 6 hours then wake up with an alarm clock
2. Go back to sleep and have the intention to awaken motionless and with the eyes closed, and with the intent to separate on awakening
3. On awakening, attempt to separate by simply sitting up, rolling out, or trying to levitate
4. If separation fails, attempt four cycles of separation techniques like rotating, wiggling, swimming, or rubbing the hands
Raduga claims great success at getting even those with no OOB experience to separate with his method. I will give his approach a try.
Raduga says one should practice deepening techniques if one separates:
Sensory experiences within a fully realized phase experience are as realistic as those in everyday reality. In almost one-half of all cases, practitioners observe that reality-based surroundings pale in comparison to the vibrant detail and color of the phase space. To this end, after entering the phase, a practitioner must perform deepening techniques to enhance and solidify the degree and quality of phase reality.
These techniques consist of simply using each of the five senses while in "phase," to amplify their clarity.
Having said all this, I have some concerns with Michael Raduga, which I find perplexing.
During my first years of practicing out-of-body travel, I was sure that my soul was actually leaving my body and that I was therefore immortal.
Raduga goes back and forth with these very agnostic statements. He is certainly nothing like Monroe in this regard. In one part of his book it seems like he is affirming that consciousness can exist independently of the body, and in another part he seems to say it can't.
Raduga's agnosticism is just very strange to me, as this is the central question of human existence. Is it possible to survive the death of the body? There could not be a larger question than this to answer. The levity with which he, who has had OOB experiences his whole life, fails to want an answer to this question, I cannot comprehend.
But after undertaking endless experiments, it turned out that my “soul” was not travelling through the physical world at all, but throughout something else entirely.
It seems this may be the source of his foundering, which is a consistent experience of OOB practitioners. Generally, when visiting the physical world they find it is different in some way. Or, they struggle to be able to interact with or influence the physical world consistently. But, I find it strange that this would be a source of uncertainty for him.
he [Robert Monroe] understood the phase more as an actual exit of the mind from the body, which is why the term “out-of-body experience” (OBE) was introduced.
the large influence of mysticism on Monroe’s work and views cannot be ignored. (...) The majority of phenomena described in the book have not been verified in practice. The only attempt at conducting a full-fledged scientific experiment proving that the mind left the body was unsuccessful
I am not sure if this is correct. From what I have read over the years, there were many failed experiments at the Monroe Institute at OOBE-to-physical world verification, but there were also successful affirmations made in some of the experiments that could not be attributed to accident.
[the OOBE] is often referred to under different names as the highest possible human achievement in various religious and mystical movements (yoga, Buddhism, etc.).
He has some knowledge of religion and mysticism.
It is also often considered to be the same state that people experience when dying. In many Eastern practices and religions, like Buddhism for example, where the main goal is to stop the cycle of reincarnation through remaining conscious while dying, it is believed that conscious dying can only be accomplished through ability to enter the phase, which would be a form of training for the moment of death and remaining conscious during it.
He demonstrates knowledge of the OOBE's importance for Buddhism here, though refuses to subscribe to a belief himself.
One consistent thread in the book is Raduga's disparaging attitude toward mysticism.
Despite a large serving of esotericism, [Sylvan] Muldoon’s books, (especially the first one) contain a lot of helpful, practical information
the notions of “out-of-body experience” and “astral projection” have already lost their mystical halo,
I prefer to give the benefit of the doubt, and based on what Raduga says I have to assume that most of his experience with "mysticism" is through nonsense writers. Based on the writers sampled in his reading list at the end, this seems to be the case. Throughout his entire book he does not have a single mention of a real mystic, like John of the Cross, or any other great writer on these topics, like Plato. So, it is likely he is uneducated on religious or philosophical thinkers. I just have to rebuke his negative view here, as every great mystic I am familiar with is the summit of reason and practicality.
