Well...it’s happened spontaneously (usually interrupts a dream) or when I was practicing self-induction, but both are different and similar in some ways.
When I was purposefully going OOB while meditating it was quite a struggle actually.
First, you are finding that place right before you fall asleep...because you want your mind awake but your body asleep...but you cannot just lie there for hours with you brain fully aware...you have to let your mind slip, but not so far that you fall asleep or that you are awake - basically a trance state.
Binaural beats are helpful with reaching it imho...around 4hz, though supposedly 6.3hz is for going OOB - I had more luck with 4.
Also they help block out everyday noises that distract...but they also block the noises you hear going OOB (I will get to that).
So it takes a while to really find that sweet spot of mind awake, body asleep...you will reach it and for a moment there is always blackness, as if you are shifting gears or changing the channel - like a momentary black out then you are then again aware of where you are and what you are doing.
However...now your body is paralyzed...this is very disconcerting and scary the first few times even if you are expecting it to happen...it’s enough to turn some people off from trying again altogether.
I learned from a young age through with my night terrors how to break out of the paralysis...so the first few times I would kick out my leg and break the trance and process, just because it does catch you off guard even when you know it will happen and you lose perception of your breathing which I won’t lie, is scary.
So I freaked out about that several times (don’t worry there are more things to freak out about to come) and you have to learn to relax and just lie there paralyzed until you are comfortable with it.
Usually though...it’s not just you being paralyzed that you are experiencing, so there are other things to help contribute to breaking your “soft concentration”...too much focus and you lose trance, too little and you just fall asleep.
Once you momentarily black out, are paralyzed, you start to feel the vibrations...you can google many accounts of this online and explanations that people have about what they are, etc.
But they feel like your whole body is vibrating...can be very strong feeling...broke my concentration over and over again as (being in the medical field my whole life) my mind jumps to conclusions like “OMG, I must not be breathing!” (remember you lose perception of this) or “My heart must have stopped!”, and again I would freak out and kick out my leg breaking the paralysis and trance.
It feels like electric tingling....not as harsh as pins and needles...it seems to move in waves through your body...sometimes moving from my core outward (which are more pleasant) and sometimes moving up and down my body (which is more harsh).
There is some debate as to when you are supposed to try and exit your body...some say when the vibrations start, and some say to wait out the vibrations and then go...I’ve had most success with jumping out after they have built up a bit, but not stopped...I’m sure it’s subjective.
As if there wasn’t enough to break your trance, you hear all kinds of noises - loud noises, yelling, crowds of people talking, music, pianos, crashes, loud bangs, explosions, electrical buzzing, deep scary voices speaking in tongues I don’t know, the voices of people you know calling your name.
And it’s positional too...like you could be lying down in the bedroom and hear a loud crash in the kitchen type sounds.
Many times I have heard what sounded like something crashing in another room only to pull out my earbuds and all is quiet and well....then 10 mins later when I get there again, same thing, I’m pulling out my earbuds as I heard my SO calling for me...except she is still sleeping in the BR.
So you also have to learn to ignore the cacophony of noises, which are very distracting, can be startling or sometimes sound downright scary as fuck.
This is where the binaural beats also come in handy, as they help to block out some of the sounds and maintain soft focus.
Then you are ready to jump out!
For me, it’s impossible to jump up out of my gravity chair I have for my back...so when I can literally just leap up and am standing without even moving the chair back to sitting - I know I made it out.
For me...my sight then starts to slowly come into being....like an old TV warming up...the picture is black and then the edges start to get light and then slowly (very slowly sometimes ((yes, this has broken my concentration too haha)), the image emerges and I can see....though often time it looks like I’m peering through some thin linen or silk...the image is different and slightly obscured, but strangely you have almost a 360 degree picture.
It’s greater than the range of our normal eyesight anyhow.
To get out of your body....most suggest to try and log roll out of your body....I’ve never had success with this.
I once flipped over backward like I was doing a backward somersault, but usually I just jump or stand up...I figure, if I’m not really OOB then at least I won’t hurt myself by falling on the floor...lol.
Quite honestly, it’s difficult for me to maintain after that as it’s such an utterly bizarre experience to just stand there, much less do stuff, lol....though on a few occasions I’ve stayed OOB for what seemed like 10 mins or so.
I will have to explain more about the times it happens spontaneously some other time...gonna have to run soon!
Take care!
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