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of accumulated research, and demonstrate why we cannot afford to keep thinking of this natural, universal, long-acknowledged phe- nomenon as odd or extreme. All readers are encouraged, however, not to believe in anything they read here but to experiment, have their own experiences and confirm for themselves the leading-edge relative truth expressed in this article. his (autobiographical) novel Louis Lambert, and the creator of spiritism, Frenchman Allan Kardec. Other key figures who made significant contributions towards giving some credibility to the OOBE as a real event were Apollonius of Tyana, Antonio of Padua and Padre Pio. Sennen — ek — elem See this article. The subtle bodies From this historical perspective, the most telling conclusion to be History of the out-of-body experience drawn from studies and personal accounts of the OOBE is that The out-of-body experience, also commonly known as the OOBE uman beings are more than just their physical bodies. When one or astral travel, is as natural as sleeping and breathing. During experiences a lucid OOBE, one has irrefutable evidence that the OOBEs, the consciousness (oneself, one's soul or spirit) acts inde- hysical body is merely a temporary "house" through which one's pendently of the physical body in a nonphysical (or extraphysical) consciousness or awareness manifests in the physical dimension. dimension. Sometimes this is experienced with some awareness of For what occurs during the OOBE (which usually takes place what is actually occurring, but usually this is not the case—meaning —_ when the physical body is either in an altered state of consciousness that the individual also has no recall of the experience. or asleep) is a separation of the nonphysical (or extraphysical) body References to the OOBE are evidenced throughout human rom the physical body. If the individual has awareness during the history. Across cultures, socioeconomic strata, genders, languages, experience, he sees that his self-awareness resides in the nationalities, religions, civilisations and the ages, from the most extraphysical body, not in the physical body. The most concrete ancient tribal societies to the modern societies of the 21st century, personal evidence of this is when an individual gains lucidity human beings have recorded the departure and subsequent return of outside the body and witnesses his physical body sleeping on the a subtle body from the physical body with a remarkably high ed. This commonly occurs during the near-death experience degree of consistency in describing the many different (NDE), when the departure of the extraphysical body is forced characteristics of the phenomenon. through the critical physical condition of the individual. Thousands Early evidence of the OOBE appeared in ancient Egypt between — of documented reports of accident victims and cardiac arrest 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. The Egyptian priests were aware of the atients, among others, attest to this phenomenon known as self- existence of the astral body; they called it the Ka. References tothe _bilocation. OOBE later appeared in ancient Greece through the writings of a Similarly, it is widely reported and acknowledged that the extra- number of philosophers including Plato and Herodotus. Cases of hysical body is connected to the physical body by a retractable conscious projections are also well documented in the Bible, for energy field, known as the silver cord. The silver cord acts like a example in Ezekiel III:14; the Apocalypse of John 1:10-11 and 4:2; ___ set of reins on the extraphysical body, preventing it from getting and in the Epistles of Paul of Tarsus, e.g., II Corinthians 12:2. lost in extraphysical realms or failing to return to the physical body. During the Middle Ages, due to the repressive influence of the The silver cord acts as an energetic intermediary between the two Inquisition, the OOBE was studied and practised in secret within vehicles of manifestation (the physical and the extraphysical bod- esoteric and occult movements. Information gathered was not ies) and is broken only at the time of biological death, at which made available to the general population. This need for secrecy point the extraphysical body (housing the consciousness) departs to contributed to the fabrication of various myths and untruths about _ begin a new period between physical lives (the intermissive period). the dangers of astral travel that persist today. The silver cord is sometimes referred to as one's bioenergy or In the 18th and 19th centuries, a number of pioneers in this field energetic body (as it is known when the individual is in the physical of study had a great impact on society with the publishing of vari- _—_ waking state). In fact, this energetic body is the connection point ous works. Chief among them were the Swedish philosopher through which the fields of energy generated by the chakras inside Emanuel Swedenborg, the French novelist Honoré de Balzac, with the human body flow back and forth to the nonphysical body. This constant (usually unconscious) exchange of energy is responsible for main- taining the necessary functioning of the body and for keeping it alive, both when the indi- vidual is in the waking state and when he or she is outside the body. This energetic con- nection similarly enables the nonphysical body to travel far from the physical base. Bioenergy: a key component of OOBEs Bioenergy is one of many terms used to describe the field of energy that emanates from and encompasses every living being. It is also known as vital energy, chi, aura, prana and life force. A natural element, bioenergy is present in all human processes and interactions. What most people don't realise is that it's also a significant resource that is within our capacity to control. There are innumerable benefits to History of the out-of-body experience The out-of-body experience, also commonly known as the OOBE or astral travel, is as natural as sleeping and breathing. During OOBEs, the consciousness (oneself, one's soul or spirit) acts inde- pendently of the physical body in a nonphysical (or extraphysical) dimension. Sometimes this is experienced with some awareness of what is actually occurring, but usually this is not the case—meaning that the individual also has no recall of the experience. References to the OOBE are evidenced throughout human history. Across cultures, socioeconomic strata, genders, languages, nationalities, religions, civilisations and the ages, from the most ancient tribal societies to the modern societies of the 21st century, human beings have recorded the departure and subsequent return of a subtle body from the physical body with a remarkably high degree of consistency in describing the many different characteristics of the phenomenon. Early evidence of the OOBE appeared in ancient Egypt between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. The Egyptian priests were aware of the existence of the astral body; they called it the Ka. References to the OOBE later appeared in ancient Greece through the writings of a number of philosophers including Plato and Herodotus. Cases of conscious projections are also well documented in the Bible, for example in Ezekiel III:14; the Apocalypse of John 1:10-11 and 4:2; and in the Epistles of Paul of Tarsus, e.g., II Corinthians 12:2. During the Middle Ages, due to the repressive influence of the Inquisition, the OOBE was studied and practised in secret within esoteric and occult movements. Information gathered was not made available to the general population. This need for secrecy contributed to the fabrication of various myths and untruths about the dangers of astral travel that persist today. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a number of pioneers in this field of study had a great impact on society with the publishing of vari- ous works. Chief among them were the Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg, the French novelist Honoré de Balzac, with 54 = NEXUS APRIL — MAY 2004 www.nexusmagazine.com