What does the Bible say about OOBE?
In my research for this blog, I recently ran across a TV interview with a Christian pastor who was asked about OOBEs. I found his reply quite interesting in the way he separated what he considered to be “of God” and what was not.
He began by referring to several books of the Bible like Isaiah, Ezekiel and John’s Revelations. He spoke about the visions that these prophets had had and the fact that they seemed to have been in an out-of-body state when they received this information.
He referred more than once to the Revelations which is, of course, a visionary tale of epic proportions. But since there is no specific reference in the book to John’s state of “being”, so to speak, we can only assume that he was definitely in some sort of altered state of consciousness or awareness. In other words, he was in a special state of mind that allowed him to receive this information.
What is the Difference between an OOBE and Astral Travel?
The pastor went on to clearly state that those visionary states recounted in the Bible were out of body experiences. However, he just as clearly stated that those had nothing to do with astral projections.
When asked by the interviewer how to tell whether these experiences were “of God” or not, he replied that if it was a true OOBE then God would be present, and there would be angels as well. Any other experience would then, by default, not be “of God”.
This opens the very personal discussion of what God is and how we recognize when God is present in our lives, either in the body or out.
The Gateway Experience and God
This question will be on the minds of many people who are using The Gateway Experience for the first time. Anytime we begin to experience things that are outside our normal frame of reference, we want answers and want to understand what exactly we are doing. This is a natural, healthy reaction to exploration.
Robert A. Monroe, who probably had more experience with OOBEs than anyone else in recent history said that he often got the following question when people would begin either the in-house Gateway Voyage, or the at-home version, The Gateway Experience:
“Is God appearing when I ”see” a flood of light during an exercise?”
His answer was that perception of light indicates that your potential for non-physical awareness is developing. He went on to say that many “explorers’ will explain that phenomenon to themselves in religious terms. The Buddhist will “see” Buddah; the Moslem, Allah; and the Christian, Christ. He finished by saying that he, and his organization, did not endorse any particular interpretation or meaning, but that they encouraged each person to find their own.
So, I’d like to ask our readers, and especially those of you who have experience with The Gateway Experience, to answer this question for our other readers:
Are the OOBE experiences you have had “of God”, or not?
David Mathis
This is a loaded question. God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. People will see what they see based on subjective interpretation. Some may call it god. In fact no person can ever truly know another persons interpretation of anything including the bible.
An OOBE seems to be a shift in awareness or focus into an alternate data stream. Some may see a light and call it god and some might see a light and simply call it a light. Some may even question what the light is.
I feel like the more evolved beings don’t limit themselves to belief. Instead they use open minded skepticism in every situation creating probabilities based on current data rather than limiting absolutes.
I feel like the key here is to be completely content in never knowing.
admin
David, what a delightful comment! In today’s internet, we get tons of totally irrelevant ones just looking for links!.
Yes, it was a loaded questions, of sorts. Of course, the biggest part of this has to do with one’s interpretation of the idea of God. And you are absolutely right, in my eyes, that if we can get beyond the limitations of belief, which are often very dogmatic, we can begin to expand our consciousness and allow it to open up areas we are not normally aware of.
As to never knowing: it is like the idea of perfection. If you are perfect, there is no room for further evolution, which in my opinion means death, at least of the spiritual. Not knowing is a truly great place to be also since it means something exciting, like making known an unknown, can happen to us!
J.Paris
The words, “of God” and “sacrilege”, were formed and used by humans to instill a polarized mindset.
I’ve had discussions on the subject of God and OBE’s with many people in my work. Some, open-minded while others, hard-core believers. Yet, their curiosity about OBE, is the same: pastors, rabbis, priests, and religious leaders of sorts, who heard about OBE’s from members in their congregation, or perhaps having OBE’s themselves..
I like the fact that religious leaders can change their minds and adapt, least they find themselves alone in their cathedrals. OBE’s did not just happen to a few people a few years back. Rather, it got openly discussed which gave OBERs relief in knowing, they are not alone.
Experiencers do not judge OBE as godly or ungodly. They are too engrossed in their own exploration. They are adventurers, researchers, and voyagers in consciousness, if you will. They are acutely aware that their model of reality is changed from what it used to be. Their perspective of space and time is shifted and relish their new found freedom and state of beingness. Whether they are new in the experience, or old timers, they have joined a collective movement towards a brave new world.
If God is everything and everything is God, regardless of anyone’s opinion, this concept frees us all and in that, a greater self responsibility.
Carma Klenke
Ok, I’m not a religious freak, I can’t quote the Bible but I can find scripture that gives way to a freer mind set. Try reading the Old Testament book of Joel, Chapter 2 verse 28 :
“” And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions:””
That pretty well explains it to me.
admin
Thanks for the insightful comment Carma. I believe all the old sacred texts tell us that we are greater than we think we are. The ability to reach higher levels of consciousness, no matter how we do it, should be something we all have the ability to do and to use for the betterment of all concerned.
Visions and prophesies have always played a role in history and always will.