Zero assist guide to OBE's

[Ray1990]

If the rational explanation helps, call it a controlled dream state.

Box breathing works as an exercise to train the mind to be still and focus, the mind will want to wonder and you will forget to focus on breathing.  Eventually you start catching your mind when it wonders allowing you to focus.  One side effect is falling asleep, the other is being able to summon intense focus. With practice!

The relaxation exercise is to make you aware of your body, every part of it.  You also become aware of how it changes while falling asleep.

You learn the state changes and then you can control them.  The mind and the body is dumb, it can be tricked.  Smile and you are happy.  Breathe quickly if you want anxiety...

BUT, here's the thing, OBE's doesn't just happen while people "sleep". An NDE would be an extreme case and so is a heightened emotional state, such as grief or terror.

Mine are always before sleep. I'll enter a super relaxed state and start seeing myself in bed. I'm fully conscious but also fully relaxed. I usually just check out something in the bedroom in super high definition wondering if this is actually a perception or my mind's imagination creating details that are much greater than my senses would normally allow...

Yeah, I ain't sleeping and I have my doubts I'm imagining it, I'm not that imaginative usually.

I try to look at it from multiple angles. OBEs are definitely more than just dreaming, it's far too easy to point at mental illnesses too although I do like to understand things from that clinical pov since the psychology can easily tie into philosophy and "far out" beyond.

I've seen the connotations surrounding OBEs and related stuff send people a bit crazy though. I'm far from an expert on this but I would say there's the possibility of experiences creeping into everyday life in the form of psychosis, schizophrenia or even things like Alice in Wonderland syndrome. I couldn't say if it's a consequence of the experience or a continuation/development of an undiscovered psychological issue. It's probably the latter but I honestly don't know.

At the least it's escapism, that's usually a good and healthy thing now and then. It could be a much more too but the most important thing to me is it's natural and everyone can do it.