It can happen in a multitude of ways yet always occurs seamlessly and painlessly. It’s probably the most profound, confusing, and utterly mind-blowing experience we can have while on this planet. As a professor and clinician in the field of psychology, I’ve had the pleasure of hearing hundreds of ways this has happened to people and each time, I’m thrilled and exhilarated to hear it again. I’m thrilled because it allows me to relive my own personal experiences, which have occurred in several different ways. Each time, it has left me with a certainty that one can only know through direct experience. This experience is that of leaving one’s own body and feeling the true essence of who we really are, separate from the physical body. The great mystery of life is set free.

Upon leaving the body, we become pure consciousness in an unbridled and uninhibited way. We feel as though there is no weight or substance to that which we are, yet we know we exist in this new form. I am still me. I am completely aware, and certainly more aware than ever. I still exist but with more alertness and clarity than can ever be imagined. I can see far beyond what is in front of me, yet seeing is also a multi-sensory sensation. I also hear with clarity, sounds so beautiful I feel them through my entire being. In fact, every sensation is beyond comprehension and certainly too much for a physical brain and body to absorb. It’s only upon release from the body that the full harmony of multisensory capabilities can truly be felt.

Communication is telepathic and instantaneous. The minute I ask a question in my mind, the answer is superimposed onto the question. I know the answer, the instant I ask it. I can ask anything I wish to know; all knowledge is there about the past and the future I have yet to experience. Asking questions is not so much my concern because the sensation of being out of the physical body is so incredible I just want to be there. In that very moment, I want to be there and nowhere else.

So how does this incredible experience come about to reveal the secret to life within the human body? One way is through Near-Death-Experiences, because when the body dies for some period of time, the release of the life-force is allowed to occur. This can happen in accidents, through surgery, profound illness, or in any other way life as we know it ceases to function. One woman was struck by lightning twice within an hour, and was released from her body on both occasions. A man finds himself standing behind the surgeon performing surgery on his body during by-pass. In another instance, a woman watches her body from the ceiling as a result of an anaphylactic reaction. There are many ways by which the life-force within the body can easily release and be free.

In other instances the body does not die but rather, is under conditions that allow a similar experience. Extreme pain or profound illness can cause the life-force to release. One woman reports being in hospital with extreme pain when suddenly the pain ceases as she watches her body from above the bed. She describes her experience as blissful and her body is not part of the experience at all. Emotional pain through traumatic events can also result in the separation of the body and its life-force. The life-force releases to a place of complete peace and utter joy; it’s free from the sensation of pain of any kind.

Many others report having a similar sensation induced by drugs. One young man finds himself floating over his body at the ceiling watching his drug-induced body below him. Others report having journeys through realms that teach them the purpose of life, with instructions for how to change in order to live more fulfilling lives. Similarly, deep meditation and lucid dreaming can also leave the body in one place while the essence of life is in another. These states have been used by people all over the planet to discover new realms and learn about life itself.

So it doesn’t really matter how it happens or when. For some people it’s a one-time, life changing experience. For others, they have multiple occurrences with multiple lessons learned. It does, however, seem there are several important factors when it occurs. Firstly, it’s more real than anything the physical body can experience. Being released from the body allows for sensations to be experienced beyond what the five senses can possibly allow. Secondly, it’s unforgettable. Even if we try to forget the experience and go back to the physical world as we see it, the secret has been let out and can never be completely erased from memory. Thirdly, this is not an intellectual pursuit which can be known with the brain/mind. It’s a voyage, an experience beyond anything we can know or understand until it happens directly to us. When it happens to you, you’re forever changed. Lastly (but not exhaustively), when in communication or in the presence of others who have also had the experience, we feel at home. We feel a kindred tie, familiarity, and a bond because once again, we feel the true essence of the life we really are.