Experience description:

I got into bed beside my sleeping wife..  I am an insomniac and I was without a doubt not sleeping.  As a matter of fact, I was wide awake when I felt something viscous and elastic being steadily but gently pulling from around my solar plexus and upwards to the ceiling at a little more than a 45 degree angle.  I have never experienced anything like this before or since, and it was a real, wakeful experience, not imagination or a twilight dream.  At first I felt like an automatic wonder, and then the thought that if my soul completely exited me it might mean that I'm dead, and this frightened me, and I panicked and called my wife.  The experience ceased right before or as she touched me.  Right away she could tell by my tone of voice that I fully awake and that I had just truly experienced a very strange event.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain      It is not so much hard to express, but your questions limit me in in expressing the event.  For example, it was frightening after I wondered if I might die if my soul completely left my body, but before that I felt a amazement, a wonder, but then I felt fear.  After the experience, after the fear subsided, I again and have since felt an amazement of this experience.  It was very strange but wonderful experience, and I now, as a matter of fact, immediately after the experience, regretted succumbing to my fear and calling for my wife.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Uncertain      As described above, I feared if the event continued, if my soul or spirit or whatever completely left my body, it might mean my death.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    I was at a high level of consciousness throughout the entire event.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness?    Normal consciousness and alertness

            I was at a high level of consciousness throughout the entire event.

Did your vision differ in any way from your normal, everyday vision (in any aspect, such as clarity, field of vision, colors, brightness, depth perception degree of solidness/transparency of objects, etc.)?  Uncertain      In a way it did, for it seemed that I not only sensed the angle of my "souls ascent, but also somehow saw the angle, though I'm not sure if sight was through my eyes.  This is hard to explain.  And your question number eleven is does not allow for my experience, because I'm sure that some part of me was stretching outside of my body, and would have continued completely outside of my body if I had not panicked and called for my wife, so my accurate answer for question eleven would be that their was without a doubt a partial OBE.

Did your hearing differ in any way from your normal, everyday hearing (in any aspect, such as clarity, ability to recognize source of sound, pitch, loudness, etc.)?
            No      

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     No

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Amazement at first, then fear, then afterwards amazement and wonder.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?          No      

Did you see a light?           No       But as stated above, I saw something being pulled from my body, but it was not like seeing with my eyes.

Did you meet or see any other beings?           No      

Did you experience a review of past events in your life?    No      

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          No      

Did you see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or dimensions?           No           

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   No      

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?     No      

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? No      

Did you become aware of future events?       No           

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience?     No      

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I shared it with my wife right away.  Later that night I told my best friend of the experience.  Both believed me--I guess because there is a conviction when one is recounting a true event.  I've told no one since.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?    Yes     I've read many books on NDE and was aware of this web site prior to this experience.  I feel that this prior knowledge of such matters somehow opened up some channel in my mind or soul that allowed the event.

How did you view the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:            Experience was definitely real    I have stated this before.  I had just gotten in bed when the experience began.  I am an insomniac and was wide awake.  After I got frightened and called my wife and the event stopped, she stated that she could tell I was awake and had not been dreaming.  She stated that she knew I was telling the truth.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?    I felt my soul leaving my body.  It freaked me out,  but I regret I did not see the experience through.  I don't know if it will ever happen again before death.  I hope it does, and that I don't "chicken out" next time.  I did not expect or will the event.  It just happened of its own, soon after I got into bed.  I was fully awake, I wish to state again.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:            Experience was definitely real            This is getting redundant and this point.  It was as real as anything I have ever experienced in my life.  I felt my soul being elastically pulled from my body, from around the solar plexus region.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?           Yes     From reading about NDEs and life reviews, I think my relationships were already in a state of change, but this experience made it even more so.

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?            Uncertain      As with relationships, this mystical experience certainly strengthened my belief that consciousness may exist outside the physical body.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No      

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        I think I covered it.

Did the questions asked and information you provided so far accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?         No       Your questions did not include a partial or aborted separation of body and soul like I experienced.  Some part of my soul differently stretched outside of my body and upwards at a little more than a 45 degree angle, and I am sure my consciousness would have followed if I had not panicked and called my wife.  My eyes were wide open throughout the whole event.  I did not call my wife from my sleep.  I was wide awake the whole time.

Are there any other questions we could ask to help you communicate your experience?   As stated above, the partial OBE was not included in your questions.