My Near Death and Astral Projection Experiences: Looking for Answers

At the age of 25 I had a near death experience (NDE). I had been very sick for a long time with un-diagnosed Addison’s disease. Two weeks prior to the NDE I had a very vivid dream. There was a single tree in a field of grass with wildflowers strewn here and there, it was a very beautiful. Standing in the center of the field was a woman with her arms outreached to me. When I woke up the dream felt like a premonition, I knew I was going to die.

The NDE occurred in the ICU at 12:05 pm. When I woke up there was at least 20 people standing around me, machines everywhere and a nurse putting oxygen mask on my face, it was very hectic. Before anyone told me what happened, I already knew. There was no bright tunnel, no white light and no one waiting to meet me, I don’t recall seeing anything visually at all. What I was left with was a feeling of utter peace, one that I had never felt before and have not felt since. Wherever I had been I now I was not alone. I had always been afraid of dying and my NDE changed that. I am no longer afraid of death; the process of dying is the scary part.

Since childhood I've had very vivid and lucid dreams. Even had a few out of body experiences (OBE) prior to the NDE, but nothing like what I have experienced after it. I have OBE’s at least once a week, often at least 2 or 3 in one day.
Astral Projection is quite fun as well as very spiritual experience for me, so why not look a little deeper and see if there are connections between Astral Projection and Near Death Experiences.

There are 15 classic traits of a NDE, such as an unpleasant sound, tunnel, bright light and a sense of peace. The NDE scale has 16 elements:

NDE Scale

Time speeds up or slows down.
Thought-processes speed up.
A return of scenes from the past.
A sudden insight, or understanding.
A feeling of peace or pleasantness.
A feeling of happiness, or joy.
A sense of harmony or unity with the universe.
Confrontation with a brilliant light.
The senses feel more vivid.
An awareness of things going on elsewhere, as if by extrasensory perception (ESP).
Experiencing scenes from the future.
A feeling of being separated from the body.
Experiencing a different, unearthly world.
Encountering a mystical being or presence, or hearing an unidentifiable voice.
Seeing deceased or religious spirits.
Coming to a border, or point of no return.

Kenneth Ring divided NDE in to a five-stage continuum

Peace
Body separation
Entering darkness
Seeing the light
Entering the light

He stated that 60% experienced stage 1 (feelings of peace and contentment), but only 10% experienced stage 5 ("entering the light").

So now I have a better understanding with a guide, my NDE feels validated. That may sound a little silly but its reassuring to know what I felt and went trough would be called a classic case. My gut tells me that whatever happened during my NDE caused my ability to astral project. I’m not able AP at will, meaning lying down with the intention to do it. When my body starts vibrating, sometimes to the point of pain, I know I'm ready good to go.

So what is the difference between an out of body experience and astral projection anyway?

"Out of body" experiences (OBE's) are personal experiences
during which people feel as if they are perceiving the physical
world from a location outside of their physical bodies.

source

Astral projection is a paranormal interpretation of out-of-body experiences that assumes the existence of one or more non-physical planes of existence and an associated body beyond the physical. Commonly such planes are called astral, etheric, or spiritual. Astral projection is often experienced as the spirit or astral body leaving the physical body to travel in the spirit world or astral plane

source


The traits, characteristics and classifications of a NDE can transfer over to Astral Projection. When I AP there is a sense of leaving the body, experiencing a different world, meeting different entities, time feeling different and so on. I now see and feel that NDE and Astral Projection are related. Its my belief that when one astral projects your soul leaves the body. Every time I have an AP experience is assures me that there is more to life after we die, that this world is not all there is, that we are eternal beings.

Thank you for sharing your personal experiences with us. I only had one out of body experience as a teenager many years ago. It proves that we are far more than just a pysical body.

Though I have never had a near death experience, I do believe in them. Like you, I am not afraid of dying, just the physical process of dying.

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy

After years...decades of practice....I equate OBE's, lucid dreaming, Astral Travel and NDE's much the same. There are differences, but are subtle. I liken all of them to each other.

A decent read on some of the science:
www.livescience.com...
An academic discussion: Tis a bit cut and dry, but interesting. They differentiate between different kinds of oobes.

I have had the experience while deeply meditating for 2 hours. The typical rising up from my seated body occurred, and the freedom was exciting. However I was immediately filled with the fear of "can I get back?" So I have yet to venture in these realms, but plan on trying this again. I have had success with lucid dreaming and the details and settings are so real I began a journal. The journal began shaping my dream and it became a continued theme. Fascinating indeed, but I digress..

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Every time I have an AP experience is assures me that there is more to life after we die, that this world is not all there is, that we are eternal beings.

Me too, and I will take all the hope I can get these days.

This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.
Embrace this moment. Remember. we are eternal.
all this pain is an illusion.

Maynard

reply to post by Night Star


It definitely does. It's nice to know that this isn't it, there's so much more.

I tend to have them during afternoon naps quite often. Last Sunday I feel asleep around 3 pm. My body started vibrating and what sounded like extreme wind was rushing through my ears, so I pushed up and out. My husband was working on a drawing and I watched what he was doing for a bit. When I woke up he was where I saw him when I was AP and he was working on a drawing.

I also find meditation helps encourage the chance an OBE happening.

reply to post by mysterioustranger


They seem to be related through the pineal gland and '___' too. It's really interesting stuff.

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


Thanks for sharing too. I love hearing other peoples stories and experiences. Meditation and journaling help me too. I'll check that video out too.

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy


I'm by no means an Expert on NDE's nor do I have ever experienced one. Just by the 'mainstream' stories regarding a NDE, it sounds like you might no have had one. It reminded me of a story and old fisherman once told me, when he fell off his boat and almost drowned. He panicked and fought as long as he could, but he came to a point where he just couldn't do anything anymore. So he kind of made a deal with his situation and immediately felt a warmth, peace and he said it was like being bedded in cotton.. But he wasn't dead nor did he feel like he's leaving.. A fellow fisherman rescued him from what would have been his death.

In regards of your OBE's, is it like you're in a dream state, or are you like a 'ghost' in real life? (seeing what is happening next door etc.)

reply to post by Hellas


Trust me, I had one. There was a difibulater used to resuscitate me as CPR was not working. 60% of people who have had a NDE only experience stage 1: a feeling of utter peace. The feelings I had regarding death and what happened to me during that time were different then the ones prior.

In regards to the OBE/AP I wasn't dreaming.

I appreciate your opinions and ideas but I know what happened to me and the experiences I've had. Unless someone themselves has experienced an OBE/AP it can be hard to understand and easy to brush off as dreaming.

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy


I'm a little confused. I was genuinely asking you about your OBE's etc. not undermining what ever you have said prior.

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy

Yes. Once, a long time ago a had a very bad blow to the back of my head....years later....I had another where my skull was crushed in back: I "saw" stars both times...( and more, bu thats another story.)

As I developed meditationing, I found "projecting" easy for me. And to this day, it takes me seconds and not minutes to go "out". A blessing or a curse, Im not sure which. But in my life....oveall its been beneficial. (And I can go, see, visit anyone anywhere, and in any-time-past-present-or-future). But, off the point here.

So in many ways....these are all very close in traveling, projecting, OBEs and NDE's and lucid dreaming. I cant explain it all....but the governing mecanism in them all appears to me to be the sme. (And yes...I agree with you some about the pineal gland).

Good luck and safe "travels" to you. And remember to always walk in the light wherever you go...and dont stumble in the darkness. Negativity and evil are very real here and "over-there".
Best MS

reply to post by Hellas


With the OBE's it starts with vibrations, a sound that resembles wind and sleep paralysis, it's like the mind is awake but the body is asleep. That's when I can get out. I usually roll out and fall on the floor and can see my body lying on the bed or couch. It feels real. Sometimes, when I fall asleep in a weird position and my eyes are really pressed in to the pillow, I am not able to see during the OBE. Other times what I'm seeing during OBE is slightly different.

Once I had an OBE and wanted to run to my husbands work, a block from my house, to see what they were doing so I could verify this is real. I live on the second floor and jumped off the balcony on to the street, it was as if the ground was coming to me. Part of the wall on the balcony was missing that is there in real life. I ran down the street and as I was almost to his work I came back in to my body.

It's the coolest feeling ever.

I misunderstood what you were asking and I apologize. Did not get enough sleep last night because of the missing airplane.

reply to post by mysterioustranger


Thanks for sharing and safe travels to you as well

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy


Thank you that sounds like fun

I'm still struggeling though to grasp the whole concept. I have had sleep paralysis and lucid dreams for years when I was younger.

But to actually leave my body sounds crazy. Plus it might be somewhat dangerous when you say you jumped of your balcony.. I hope you will never confuse Reality with an OBE

Do you 'meet' anybody else also in an OBE? Or maybe spirit if you will?

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy


Your welcome! See you perhaps on the other side......

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy


I don't see any difference really between the terms "Astral Projection" or "OBE". If I had to make my own, I'd say that astral projection is where the person consciously tries (as in "I practice astral projection on a nightly basis"), and the out of body experience is the result (conscious or unconscious) of that. Lucid dreaming is similar, with the main difference being that you are aware in your dreams, which means technically, you are still in your body. Finally, an NDE to me seems like a "controlled" OBE, where you are aware, probably outside of the body, but you are on a "leash" so to speak; you can interact with the environment, but you are limited to the area that you were placed in.

For me, I practice nightly (found that listening to music on a low volume helps), and am usually rewarded with an experience once every couple weeks. My first conscious experience was what eliminated my original fear of the dying process (Imagine, 11 years old and I wasn't afraid of death; most people at my age back then never even thought they they would also pass on at some point in their lives).

It's definitely fun, and doesn't seem to impact my sleep schedule - And there's so much to explore & experience there. I still have yet to find anyone I know hovering around though.

-fossilera

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy


Thank you for posting this it is a very interesting read.

I have had my own personal experience with NDE but mine had caused me to believe that there wasn't a life after death.

I was in labour and after 16 hours things were going downhill. I was hooked up to the gas (nitrous oxide?) and suddenly came out of my body. I was floating above the room looking down at myself, my husband and midwife on the maternity suites bathroom floor. I could hear everything they were saying but everything seemed to happen in slow motion. I started to experience my own birth and I could see my mum birthing me and then her mum birthing her (strange hallucinations I know) I suddenly flew through a dark tunnel with a small light at the other end. I was going so fast hearing a voice say "go into the light"

Then all of a sudden I felt like i had fallen and then had woken up and returned to the maternity suite floor. I was completely lucid and remember a wave of emotions coming over me that I had just experienced a kind of religious experience.

But the thing that really caused me to question it all was that I wasn't dying- at least I don't think I was. I was really depressed for a long time afterwards because I felt that it was all just a hallucination and perhaps it is only a hallucination that people naturally go through when they die - nothing more

reply to post by Kalixi


It is partly hallucination. Doesn't the brain release '___'
at the moment of death?
Also as soon as the brain stops receiving oxygen, it begins to die. I fear most people who are resucusitated aren't all there when they come back. You know, because of the brain damage.

reply to post by fossilera


Thanks for sharing, can't imagine not being afraid of death at that age!

reply to post by Kalixi


Glad you survived! That sounds like a very scary experience. Thanks for sharing.