Observations placeholder
Rogo, D Scott - Leaving the Body – Heat, atonia and the fear of not getting back into the body
Identifier
023119
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
David Scott Rogo - Leaving the Body: A Complete Guide to Astral Projection
During my own first OBEs, l was frightened by the paralysis that often accompanied the releases, by the way my body felt burning hot while I tried to induce them, by the way my heart raced when I returned to the body, and by some other minor side effects. But as I grew more accustomed to the OB state, these experiences receded to the background.
Either they no longer manifested when I underwent the OBE, or I simply did not notice them any longer. It is my own retrospective feeling that many of these side effects are actually caused by the mind's (and body's) resistance to the experience; they may not be inherent to the experience.
It is now fairly well known that any procedure that places the mind in a new relationship to the body will have certain side effects for a limited number of people. Even simple meditation can be unpleasant at first. Some individuals go through a period of unpleasant body sensations, tics, and anxiety when they begin meditation. This is not common, but it is perfectly normal. This "settling down" phase usually ceases in time.
Zen students are even warned that they may go through a period of unpleasant mental imagery as they begin meditation practices. They are advised to simply ignore the images, which will no doubt go away in time. The OBE may be no different in this respect. The mind and body may react unpleasantly at first, but there is no real reason to believe that these side effects are in any way harmful. In my own case, they totally ceased during the first year of my experimentation.
Of course, one of the most common questions about the experience is whether someone can get "locked" out of the body while mind traveling. The answer seems to be no. All of the great astral projectors of the past experimented with prolonging the out-of-body state. Most deliberately attempted to remain out of the body even after they intuitively felt that it was time to return. In just about every instance, they found themselves returning to the body involuntarily. It would seem that the body and mind have their own regulations about how long an OBE can last - rules that even willful volition cannot override.