Sleep Paralysis as a Gateway into Out-of-Body Experiences
Posted by Ryan Hurd on October 15, 2010
A lot of my focus on sleep paralysis and its related night visions has been on how to transform fear into curiosity. Then a reader recently commented, “I can’t believe no one’s talking about the out-of-body experiences!” So let’s open the dialogue, because this is one of my favorite aspects of SP/HH, although I make no claims to OBE mastery or the final say on the “reality” of soul travel.
The following is a book excerpt from Sleep paralysis: A guide to hypnagogic hallucinations and visitors of the night. The excerpt includes a couple tactics for inducing OBEs from sleep paralysis, as well as the role that expectation and fear can play in their unfolding.
The experience of being out-of-body has been recounted for thousands of years. Whether you believe that the soul is actually separating from the body or that it is a simulation based on sensations from the brain, out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are highly linked to sleeping and dreaming states.81 Many people start their journeys while lying in bed, and when the experience is over, they wake up safe and sound.
Sleep paralysis is a reliable launching pad to an OBE. The powerful feelings of being crushed, twisted, or pulled along are a good indicator that you can separate your mind (the “I” or the seat of your personal perspective) from these bodily sensations. According to SP expert David Hufford, OBEs are more likely to emerge after SP experiences that last at least 2 minutes.
Here’s an example of an SP-to-OBE I had recently. I was sleep deprived (jetlagged actually) and knew that if I took a nap lying on my back I could probably have a SP. It worked like a charm. Here’s the account:
I hear a rushing sound in my ears; it comes and goes like ocean waves. I focus on my ears so the rushing increases; it comes back in longer and longer durations. Finally, the rushing sensation is constant and I hear a distinct tone as well, like a bell. I try to move but cannot. “I am in sleep paralysis,” I think. I then try to move out of my body. I try to go up but it seems blocked, so I kick myself out to the left and down. It’s an odd sensation; my “me”leaves a part behind. As soon as I’m “out,” everything changes. It is quiet, cool, and dark. I feel like I’m drifting down a stream. I have a small fear arise, and then, I relax into the sensation… it’s very calming. Some lights like stars are overhead. My breathing is slow and deep. After a while, I decide to go back. I wriggle my little toe (which I cannot see because I am still floating down a dark river!) but the focus brings me back. After a few seconds, I can move and I open my eyes.
Note how I calmed my fears, noticed my breath, and finally used the tried-and-true toe wiggle method to wake myself up. With a little practice, these techniques become second nature.
2 Techniques for Inducing OBEs from Sleep Paralysis
Focus on the Belly
This tactic was devised by Jorge Conesa-Sevilla. When you are in SP, focus on your belly. Specifically focus right underneath the navel. Now imagine your body is “rolling up” into that spot. If the feeling of pressure increases just on that spot, but nowhere else, then you are doing it right. When the pressure increases, again use your attention to just “roll” out of your body. You may feel a “pop” as the mind dissociates from body feelings. From here, you can go on to have an out-of-body experience or simply wake up from the dream.
The Sit-Up Trick
This method works for a friend of mine who is an advanced dream adventurer. When he feels he is in SP, he focuses his intention by concentrating on the spot between his eyes, and then, he tries to do a sit-up. Of course, he’s in SP, so he can’t actually sit up. But if the intention is strong enough, rather than waking up, you can “pop” right out of your physical body and float around.
A note concerning fear during OBEs
OBEs are weird. Even veteran explorers of the inner worlds saythat OBEs feel different than the usual dream. They feel more real than real. Sometimes, you may get scared, especially if you start floating off into the sky and have the thought, “What if I never come back?” Like many aspects of conscious dreaming, your beliefs can greatly affect your experience. Sometimes our beliefs can be limiting (“That’s impossible!”), but they can also be grounding (“I trust that I cannot be hurt because I am dreaming”).
Unexamined beliefs are the wild cards: These act as subconscious expectations that can really hijack a conscious dream. Take a moment and reflect on what you believe about out-of-body experiences. Do you believe in a soul? Do you believe in life after death? What about reincarnation? Are you in fear of a final judgment? Is the OBE a trick of the brain, a “virtual reality” owing more to synapses than to souls?
These are the kinds of thoughts that can greatly influence your OBE, negatively or positively. Sometimes, an unexamined belief can actually cause a serious crisis of faith in the middle of these experiences. So, the more you have considered these deep questions, the more comfortable you will be in this profound altered state.
When all else fails, wake up!
Just like a lucid dream or SP proper, you can will yourself to wake up whenever you want during an OBE. Control your breath; control your fear. Also, focusing on one point for a few moments is a good way to disrupt an OBE and lead you closer to snapping back to the “real world,” whatever that means anymore.
Got any other tactics for inducing OBEs from sleep paralysis? Please share below.
Tags:astral travel, out of body experience, paranormal, remote viewing, sleep paralysis, spirit travel
Filed Under: sleep paralysis
I had an SP experience recently, and as I’m not that used to it, it scared the hell out of me. I had fallen asleep with my foster dog Rocky (he’d been very abused, and my home was his last chance – turns out he’s lovely and was just scared at the shelter – we bonded within a few hours of his arrival at my house) asleep in my lap – something unusual for this dog. I was mostly alarmed that I could not move my hands, or that I wanted to and couldn’t? In the dream, I called out to Rocky to help me. Funny, especially, since this little guy has a nerve injury and his back legs are very weak – but he’s scrappy as all get out. A few minutes later, I remember being awake, and Rocky was still snuggled in.
You may have something on the blog about this already, so I will be searching as I ask here:
Do you have any recommended methods for deliberately inducing SP? I’ve tried the SaltCube method once, and it worked beautifully. Every time since then, I haven’t gotten it to work, and just fall asleep.
I’m really looking forward to reading your book, provided that I am ever able to find time to read for pleasure ever again. It’s been difficult lately.
You’ve probably addressed this at some point in your career as a blogger, but is there a propensity in families towards SP, OBE, and lucid dreaming in general? Both of my parents can recall their dreams in vivid detail, have experienced SP, and my dad has had at least one OBE that I know of. He also claims that his grandmother’s spirit appeared to him the morning after she died. On the other hand, my husband’s family never seem to remember their dreams or have experienced anything that could be described as “otherwordly”. Do you think the types of dreams/visions we have and our ability to remember them could at least partially be explained by genetics or is it more to do with the significance we attach to them?
The mind is such a powerful, beautiful thing!!! My SP episodes used to be overwhelmingly terrifying, and now they are unearthly fascinating. I look forward to the next time it happens, thanks to all of the positive vibes and beneficial information I get from this website and your dedication to spreading the SP word. Thanks Ryan!!!
Nice article Ryan.
I’ve had a few obe experiences mostly initiated directly from sleep paralysis, and I find that over thinking my method can really create hurdles for me. A few times, when I have tried rolling or floating out, I have found myself stuck halfway, and I think this is because the process I’m thinking through is not spontaneous enough.
When I get into SP, I try to focus my attention on where I want to be rather than how I’m going to get there. I tend to experience a noticeable consciousness shift and simply stand up and walk away from my bed/body, just as I would normally do in getting up in the morning.
Though doing somersaults to get out of body can be a lot of fun too
)
great comments!
Danielle – don’t worry, SP still scares the hell out of me too… it’s extraordinarily creepy by design.
Bill, I discuss some of these methods in my book but haven’t written about them on the blog yet. I believe the saltcube method is a variation of wake-back-to-bed? I’ll write a post @ this sometime soon — in general, it’s about encouraging REM intrusion, the easiest methods being sleep deprivation, REM deprivation, and various supplements caffeine or galantamine.
Kate, dream researchers believe there is a genetic component to experiencing SP, but the research is pretty paltry. As for lucid dreaming/OBEs/weird dreams in general, I think it does run in families, but this could be the culture of the dreamer as well as something genetic.
Jennifer, so cool that you’ve made the journey from fear to fascination. I’d love to hear more about your experiences, feel free to email them to if you care to share.
Gen, I have felt that stuck feeling too. I find that working with the energy of the dream is the way out (ie — where is the movement clear and easy?), like you said, it’s that spontaneity that makes it possible. I have not personally done too much work with intending to go some place specifically, so your focus method is good info for me. This is the skill of remote viewing that the military has experimented with for decades.. with good results too. Also great to hear about your somersault method!
I´ve been experiencing sleep paralysis since I was a teen. I have it quite often but, no matter how hard I try, I am not able to go further (go beyond it and turn it into a lucid dream)!
I am so happy to find your site. I didn’t realize just how many people experience what I have for years. I just thought I was weird…
I’ve experience SP so many times. It’s always followed by OBEs that range from horrifying to hilarious.
I’ve tried to induce SP, but I’m never successful, I just have to be incredibly tired. When it occurs, it’s as if a freight train in my head and it gets so loud, it’s all I hear. My entire body begins to buzz and vibrate. It seems like the frequency keeps going higher and higher. I’ve done my best to play with these sensations, but it’s such a thing I can’t really describe.
I’d love to find another way to get out of my body. Seems I like to roll out – and fall. That feeling of falling out of bed, or out of my body is very unpleasant. I feel myself hit the nightstand – the ground. But then I am free. And that is the best part.
But falling is preferable to being “pulled out” which happens on occasion. That sensation is always coupled with a “visitor” or feeling that someone(thing) else is with me and the fear level goes sky high.
But those are the times that are the most profound, and I learn and see things I may never have any other way.
When I can get past the fear, which has become much easier over the years, SP and OBEs can be fun, pleasant and rewarding.
Looking forward to reading more on your site. Keep up the good work!
I’m very spiritual, have been for a long time. My house is haunted we believe, by ghosts that are very unfriendly to children. Ive had what I believe to be episodes caused by this, yet mum puts them down to sleep paralysis and vivid nightmares. I have slowly secured off to sleep, woke in a state of lucid dreaming. Partially into this my dream changed and I lost control, faces started rushing at me and a cackling laughter started. I couldn’t breathe and my pupils were fixed and I was so scared, so desperate to get away that I passed out of my body, trough two walls and into my parents bedroom. I’m an insomniac. I’ve also always suffered with horrible nightmares that I can’t remember, and will have spooky conversations with people in my sleep. I also remember thins before they happen, creepy. Any advice?
Claudia,
you seem pretty well-informed. knowing you have Sp doesn’t make it any less easy, does it? I would focus on ways of feeling safer in your house. This could include rituals that feel authentic to you, as well as the possibility of bringing in someone to do a cleansing. Ghosts and creatures from SP may be frightening, but in my view they cannot truly harm you if you remain calm. Try taking the perspective that you can help them – ask them “what do you want?” If they say something like “your soul” etc, then tell them no, or you can choose to wake up out of SP using the various techniques listed here:
http://dreamstudies.org/2010/04/29/9-ways-to-wake-up-from-sleep-paralysis/
Building courage in this stage of sleep is important, and over time you will benefit mightily from this hard work.
My dad died in september 2010, and ever since then my mom has been having OBEs.
In these obe’s my dad comes and holds her and hugs her. She asks him questions and he answers, all but one, she asks him if hes made it heaven yet and he stares at her, he hasnt went yet. She had one last night where he hugged her tight about 6 times and then told her he was going to fix him some cereal. Last week my sister was wide awake and said that the bathroom door which was all the way open slammed shut.
These obe’s could be the spirit of my dad tring to tell us something. regardless, they scare my mom to the point she crys. She moves in wierd ways when she has one, like shes tring to reach out and then she rocks herself awake.
She thinks shes going crazy. What can i do about it.
Hannah,
I’m sorry that your comment got past my radar for so long. I think your mom is doing what she has to: meeting your father in the dreamscape, grieving, and finding comfort. These visitations are part of the process of grief for some people who are prone to sleep disturbance and big dreams. She’s not going crazy, I assure you. Feel free to contact me if you have more to tell since it’s been a few months.
[...] most OBEs are instigated from sleep (I have had dozens of them through my experimentation with sleep paralysis), they can be spontaneously generated as a result of life stresses such as shock, illness, and [...]
Hi
Last night i had what felt like a real terrifying moment not once but twice. When in bed i felt like i was awake but everything was in slow motion, i could hear my own heavy breathing almost like snoring, i felt my duvet covers being pulled away from the bottom right hand corner of my bed, this continued in slow motion, i started to wake and felt real scared because the viosions i experianced were all in my own bedroom. Then i started to doze off again, again i went back to the same kinda dream but this time i felt my body being lifter towards the ceiling of my bedroom, i felt real scared then again i came around woke up with my heart racing. I sat up then after a few moments to settle and calm myself down, i rolled onto my left side and eventually had a normal sleep. This all seemed to happen in the first 2hrs of me being in bed. I’ve in the past had many flying dreams where i have been naked flying around where i live around 4am in the morning and many more where i have revisited places where i stayed as a child flying high in the sky. I find these very interesting and sometimes scary. I’ve asked many people about flying dreams but not met many people who do get them
I dream I can fly. It is so real. Actually, it is more like I can ride the air. I soar all over the place. The beach, country, places I have lived. These are the most vivid and realistic dreams. I wake up and it is hard to believe I was dreaming. I also experience sp. I wonder if they are connected?