Was This a Lucid Dream or OBE?
What happens when you dream that you have an out of body experience? Did you actually have it?
Rebecca says: According to people who frequently experience out of body phenomena, there are telltale signs to distinguish an OBE from a dream:
- Were you lucid dreaming when it began?
- Did you feel your awareness transition out of your body?
- Did your vision change when you were out of body?
- Did your surroundings look real or dream-like?
Once in a dream, I was lying down on my living room couch and suddenly floated out of body. I thought at the time it was an out of body experience. But then I reasoned that my friend was standing in the room - and he was definitely not there in reality. So it occurred to me that I was dreaming, and I became lucid and realized it was nothing paranormal after all...
Some people believe that all dreams are actually OBEs in the astral realm, a theoretical dimension that overlays the physical realm. Erin Pavlina gave a particularly good explanation of this theory in our Lucid Dreaming Interview.
A more scientific perspective contests that OBEs and astral projection experiences are actually different types of lucid dreams, so bear this in mind too when you're exploring out of body. See if you can find ways to verify your experience if it really is happening in the physical world.
Return to Lucid Dreaming FAQ
About the author
Rebecca Turner is a science writer, illustrator, explorer of consciousness - and founder of World of Lucid Dreaming. She is currently studying for a biology degree in Auckland and blogging at her site Science Me.
The Anatomy of a Dreaming Supplement
A lot has happened in the last 5 months. But how did we go from business as usual to changing the face of the entire lucid dreaming supplements industry? It’s a story that I think will interest you – and you might even learn a thing or two in the process. When I was first taken on-board as Chief Lucidity Officer in 2016, one of the first things I was tasked with was taking a good look at our operations and giving things a bit of an overhaul.
9 Reasons Why Everyone Should Lucid Dream
To lucid dream is to examine an intensely heightened state of self awareness, with all the senses activated - a uniquely human experience. What's more, lucid dreaming offers profound benefits that touch all of us, no matter our culture, beliefs or life circumstances. Ultimately, I think all of these benefits put together could play a serious role in advancing the human race.
How to remember your dreams
To lucid dream, I recommend being able to remember at least one vivid dream per night. That will boost your self awareness in dreams (making lucidity more likely) and also means you can actually remember your lucid dreams. Which is nice. Here are four detailed tips on how to remember your dreams more frequently. And if you don't think you dream at all - trust me, you almost certainly do. It takes an extraordinarily rare sleep disorder to deprive someone of dream sleep.
What Do Lucid Dreams Feel Like?
Years ago, before I had my first lucid dream, I had a very specific idea about what a lucid dream would feel like. I thought it would be intense and magical and a little bit spooky. This turned out to be a pretty accurate representation. Becoming aware in the dreamstate is like entering another world. One where physical laws can be manipulated (there is no spoon, Neo) and your fantasies can come true in an instant. There's definitely something magical about that - and it's as if the lucid dream world is a living, breathing organism that can react to your very thoughts.
How to have amazing lucid dreams
Experts agree that everyone is capable of having lucid dreams. Dreaming itself is a normal function of the mind. We all dream every night, even if we don't remember. And we all achieve conscious awareness while awake every single day. So what does it mean to combine these states? Why, the amazing ability to have conscious - or lucid - dreams. Sounds simple, doesn't it? So why do I keep hearing from people who say they can't achieve their first lucid dream?
Mugwort: Dream Sage of the Chumash Indians
It is estimated that these wise and wily Indians have been using mugwort in their healing and ritual practices for 13,000 years, where it is known as the ‘dream sage’. They use the herb to promote good dreams, which they consider an essential aspect of normal human functioning! But that’s not all...
