Experience description:

I was dating a young man at the time who was very open-minded about OBE's and had told me about some experiences he'd had. He once told me he was able to visit his friend 500 miles away, whom he'd never met in real life but just online, and describe what his friend's room looked like. I decided to to see if I could do it myself, so I laid in bed one night and relaxed my body. I took note of the time- it was 9:34 pm.

I started with my toes, tensing them up and then relaxing them. I did this from my toes all the way up to my head. As soon as I was completely relaxed I got little "twitches" in different parts of my muscles. Then I felt really light, like I was floating. I saw the red numbers on my alarm clock, but I did not see myself, I was too scared to look. I floated through the wall and to the backyard where I could hear my mother's wind chimes cling-clanging in the breeze as if I were standing right next to them. I started drifting upward and got a little nervous, so I tried to will my physical eyes open.

It worked and I immediately looked at the alarm clock to see what time it was. 9:38. I knew then that it wasn't a dream. I was a little freaked out by the experience but I also felt very pleasantly about it. I haven't been able to do it willingly since, because the few times I've tried I've fallen asleep before I could. Occasionally now while I am drifting off to sleep I can see my room as if my eyes are wide open.

Any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?     No      

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No      

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No      

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           Alert and aware of surroundings

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Only in the sense that it seemed too wild to be true, but it was very very real.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     Yes     I could not feel the things that were going on in my physical body, like heartbeat, breathing, sounds in my room, the twitching....it all stopped when I left my body

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Calm at first but nervous/scared when the reality set in, but no more nervous/scared than I would have been if I'd been in the backyard alone at night in my physical body.

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?           I could hear the wind chimes, but that's not really an "unusual sound"

LOCATION DESCRIPTION:  Did you recognize any familiar locations or any locations from familiar religious teachings or encounter any locations inhabited by incredible or amazing creatures?    No           

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Uncertain      I heard the wind chimes, but I had no one to confirm that they were chiming that night at that time. All I know is that it was a very windy night.

Did you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they different?          Yes     I could hear more clearly, see more clearly, but I could not smell or touch or taste.

Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?       Yes     I got frightened so I willed my physical eyes opened and when I did I returned to my body

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

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     I became more open minded about OBE's

How has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices? Career choices?       It hasn't

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         No      

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     The one person I told had experienced OBE's himself so he was very excited and understanding.

What emotions did you experience following your experience?  Nervous but calm all at the same time

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      The best part was the sense of freedom I had and peacefulness. The worst part was feeling uncertain and nervous about what was happening and what could happen.

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        I wish I could do it again without falling asleep first. I've had many dreams about it and I wonder if those were dreams or a mix of dreams and reality. In my dreams I am floating off the ground just a few feet, but I can go places at great speeds. Usually in my dreams I'm trying to show someone how I am floating but they can't see it.

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

Did the questions asked and information you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?               Yes    

Please offer any suggestions you may have to improve this questionnaire.    I think noting the time of day, lighting situations (was the area light or dark) and approximate duration of the event would be helpful in your research.