The stories below are from people having out-of-body experiences. These are their true stories from William Buhlman’s book, The Secret of the Soul: Using Out-of-Body Experiences to Understand Our True Nature. William Buhlman is well known for his ability to teach people to have profound out-of-body experiences. In his book, Buhlman presents his research of over 16,000 survey responses from over thirty countries, making this the most extensive study of OBEs ever conducted. A small sample of these survey responses are presented here.
Contact with Spiritual Beings
William Buhlman states the following about contact with spiritual beings during OBEs:
“Radiant beings can manifest themselves in many different forms. A spiritual being can assume any form it deems necessary to achieve its mission or convey a message. They often reveal themselves as non-threatening outer forms to reduce our fears of the encounter, as in the following transformational experience.” — William Buhlman
Below, Keith from Cleveland describes the influence he received from a spiritual being during his OBE.
“About five years ago, I had been living a pretty hard life but surviving. I had an experience one night where I left my body. A huge angel met me as I was looking at my body, passed out in bed. The angel escorts me to a cemetery. I see my brother’s headstone. There is a funeral service in progress, and I notice that my whole family is there: my wife, kids, and parents. They are all very upset, and I can’t understand why. The angel tells me it is my funeral.“I immediately feel all the pain my family is experiencing. The angel shows me how my parents felt when my brother died and asked me if I want to do that to them again. It was real. I still remember to this day every moment, and every emotion involved. From that day on, I have had complete sobriety, have become a vegetarian, have dropped all my ties with old acquaintances, and have been bathed in a wonderful wall of loving light. God spoke to me that day, and since then, my life has been one good thing after another. I have so much to be thankful for. I feel I am truly blessed.” —KEVIN H., CLEVELAND, OHIO
William Buhlman states the following about this OBE:
“Kevin’s experience of watching his own funeral provided him with a powerful wake-up call. He needed a message of this magnitude to get him to change his lifestyle. One of the benefits inherent in out-of-body travel is that the participant is far more conscious during the experience. If Kevin had experienced this as a dream, it would not have had the same impact on him.
“It appears that the traditional concept of angels with wings is rapidly being replaced by a broader vision. Out-of-body explorers often report radiant angelic presences as powerful guide-like beings without the traditional wings. Many now believe that wings may have symbolized angels’ immense interdimensional capabilities and freedom. It is now known that non-physical travel is achieved by the power of focused will. Spiritual contact can take many forms and often involves advice or assistance.” —William Buhlman
Advice From Spiritual Beings During an OBE
Below, Darla from Charleston describes encountering spiritual beings during her OBE:
“In adulthood, I have had more than twenty out-of-body experiences. All of them were spontaneous. These experiences would start with physical paralysis, then followed by a loud roar in my ears, and intense fear; then, all would become quiet as I moved out through the solar plexus region of my body. During one experience, there was a glowing female presence with me. She expressed concern about my physical body. I was very thin at the time. She encouraged me to look at what I was doing to my physical vehicle.” —DARLA F., CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Higher-Dimensional Experiences
Below, Janet from London describes her experience with higher dimensional beings during her OBE:
“Higher-dimensional experiences are generally perceived to be non-form based and less physical in nature. They are often described as a spiritual mind-meld without form or substance. There is a feeling of intense movement, and I struggle to stay calm. I am fully conscious, like a globe of pure awareness without arms or legs, yet I can move and see in ways I don’t understand… I am fully conscious, like a globe of pure awareness without arms or legs, yet I can move and see in ways I don’t understand. I can see all around me and sense the presence of someone approaching me. For some reason, I am attracted to this being. I somehow sense and feel their warm and inviting thoughts…
“I can see all around me and sense the presence of someone approaching me. For some reason, I am attracted to this being. I somehow sense and feel their warm and inviting thoughts. As we move closer to one another, I have an overwhelming need to touch and merge with this being. We seem to melt into one another. Our minds or spirits connect in ways I can’t even begin to describe in words. My entire mind and spirit are immersed in endless currents and levels of love. I surrender even more and feel my entire being explode with joy. I am one!” — JANET M., LONDON, ENGLAND
William Buhlman states the following about this OBE:
“Janet’s strong statement, ‘I am one,’ indicates that she may have had a reunification experience with a higher aspect of her spiritual essence. Of course, only the participant in the experience can determine the true nature of it. I believe that it’s important to be open-minded to the unlimited potential that out-of-body exploration offers. We must remember that our minds are attempting to interpret ethereal experiences that are occurring beyond time, space, and form-based concepts. After decades of examination, I believe that many of these experiences are reunifying our multidimensional nature.” —William Buhlman
Piercing the Veil
William Buhlman states that:
“We need to be open and receptive to spiritual contact and information. Self-initiated out-of-body exploration provides a highly effective method for breaking through the veil or energy barrier between the physical and nonphysical dimensions. This is particularly true in the case of a loved one who has passed over. Today many people practice out-of-body exploration methods to meet and communicate with their loved ones. Be aware that spiritual contact can occur at any time during an out-of-body experience and is often not requested or expected.” — William Buhlman
Shared Out-of-Body Experiences
Below, George from Massachusetts describes his shared out-of-body experience:
“One time when I was about seven or eight, I told my mom in the morning, “I had the weirdest dream last night: Dad and I went flying. My mom stopped whatever she was doing and said, “Wait, what did you just say?” She looked so frozen. It turns out that my dad had had the same dream! I still remember holding hands with him and going right out their bedroom window into the night. He remembers the same thing. The difference was that in his dream, HIS father was flying with us, too. I had never met him because he died when my dad was young. They were really close.” — GEORGE S., FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
Your Body Can Pass Through Solid Material During an OBE
Below, Lou from Seattle describes passing through solid material during his out-of-body experience:
“ I was asleep one night when I woke up and thought I sure would like a glass of water, so I got up, walked to the sink. I went to grab a cup and turn the water on at the same time. Then I suddenly noticed that my hands went right through both objects. I think somewhere in my mind; I thought I missed what I was grabbing for because I kept trying to grab it. I noticed my hands go right through it. I didn’t freak out. I went back to bed and laid down and felt a strange jerk back into my body, like a loud click.” — LOU R., SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Controlling Movement During OBEs
“I was in the clouds on a merry-go-round with several of my childhood friends. In another OBE, I stood with my school friends in front of three doorways. I knew that I could choose any one of those doorways and take my friends along the journey. The doors had views with far-off horizons. I would choose one, and off we would go.” — TABITHA K., COLUMBUS, OHIO
William Buhlman states the following about this OBE:
“Tabitha’s experience shows freedom of movement that is suggestive of a spiritually developed individual. In general, as we conquer our internal fears, our spiritual freedom becomes more evident in our experiences.” —William Buhlman
Another Shared Out-of-Body Experience
“In 1989, my husband and I were in a rented flat in Santa Barbara. It was about midnight. I was asleep, but I had gone out of the body because my husband was snoring. My spirit was in the living-room area, on the couch. I was very aware that I was lying down and was perceiving the entire room. I then watched as a child came right through the wall. It was a boy about one and a half years old, and he came right to me. He was so excited to see me, he came running over and put his hands straight up in the air and then on my stomach. Only thing was, his hands went straight through me. We were both in our ethereal-body form. I shot right back to my body in the next room and sat up in bed. What a rush!“The next morning as we were leaving, so were the people who had rented the place next to us. Out came a woman, a man, and their year-and-a-half-old son. My mouth dropped open; his eyes lit up, and he squealed with delight. What an experience. The innocence of a child in another dimension. Children obviously go out of body far more than we adults are aware of.” —D. D., via E-MAIL
William Buhlman states the following about this OBE:
“As parents, our challenge is to become aware of the spiritual benefits and obstacles our children can experience during their spontaneous out-of-body adventures. The more knowledgeable we become, the more we will be able to assist our children in moving beyond fear and into enlightenment, and the more we will learn to accept and embrace the unlimited potential that out-of-body journeys offer both our children and us.” — William Buhlman
Out-of-Body Experiences During Combat
“A mortar round exploded near me, and the next thing I knew I was floating above my body watching the chaos around me.” JIM M., VIETNAM VETERAN
William Buhlman states the following about this OBE:
“Over the years, I have heard numerous reports of out-of-body experiences caused by the blast from explosives and the terrible trauma of war. We now know that the explosion of a shell or bomb creates a shock wave powerful enough to literally force the subtle spiritual or astral form out of the physical body. Since we are but temporary inhabitants of our physical body, it’s only natural that this would occur.” —William Buhlman
Here is another story from a soldier who had an OBE after an explosion:
“I was a sergeant stationed at a firebase in the central highlands of Vietnam. During a recon mission, a force of North Vietnamese regulars ambushed my platoon. All hell broke loose, and a mortar exploded near me. I was knocked unconscious. The next thing I knew: I was watching the firefight from another perspective—I was above it! I could see everything happening as my platoon was overrun. I watched in horror as the enemy soldiers stripped the boots and weapons from my dead friends. Then I saw a young Vietnamese soldier pulling the boots off a body, and I recognized that the body was mine.“In a rage, I attacked the soldier with a kick to his head, but my foot went right through his body. I kicked and punched him again and again, and to my amazement, he didn’t even notice. At that point, I watched in disbelief as he stripped my body and then joined his men. Moments later, I was back in my body, and I felt a searing pain.” — TOM B., LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
William Buhlman states the following about this OBE:
“What I find especially interesting is that the sheer intensity of emotion and stress created by life-and-death situations can initiate an out-of-body experience. It’s as if a survival instinct takes over our normal state of being in order to protect our consciousness from harm.” — William Buhlman
OBEs and Fighter Pilots
Out-of-body events happen to fighter pilots when they experience intense G forces during extreme combat maneuvers. Many pilots will lose consciousness during maximum G forces and undergo a brief out-of-body state of consciousness.
The U.S. military has conducted extensive research into this potentially dangerous phenomenon and has officially named the experience “G-lock.”
William Buhlman states the following about G-lock:
“The popular television show Sightings did an entire segment on G-lock-induced OBEs that was titled ‘Simulated Out-of-Body Experiences.’ Several U.S. military pilots participated in an experiment where G-lock was created in a NASA centrifuge. Each interviewed pilot reported that he had passed out and then described a detailed out-of-body state of consciousness.” — William Buhlman
Self-Realization
William Buhlman states the following about self-realization during OBEs:
“At the core of all transcendental and mystical states of consciousness is a shift of awareness away from the physical body and its senses to the formless spiritual essence within us. Many refer to such an experience as self-realization or God-realization. For thousands of years, spiritual masters have taught that the act of withdrawing from the senses is essential in order to consciously experience our spiritual self.” — William Buhlman
Profound Spiritual Experiences
One of the tremendous benefits of out-of-body exploration is the direct approach to spiritual development that it provides.
“My out-of-body experience was in my search for God. I fell asleep but awakened again and felt a light and buzzing sensation. I then looked at my hand and felt it. My hand was real and solid yet without warmth. I left my body and went to a bright white room. I stood at the doorway and said, “Higher Self now!” At first nothing much happened, so I screamed out in my mind, “Higher Self now!” Suddenly I was like a rocket flying through lights and stars. My awareness was stretched across the universe. Words cannot describe any of this, for I was far beyond form and substance. I was suddenly in an incredible ocean of pure living light. Everything was there—all knowledge, all awareness, and all answers. I was part of it all. I didn’t want to ever leave.” — ROBERT J., YORK BEACH, MAINE
Past-Life Revelations
William Buhlman states the following about the effect of OBEs:
“When we explore beyond our physical body, time and space do not exist as we otherwise perceive them. During an out-of-body experience, we are often drawn to the strong energy signature of an unresolved past event that is exerting an influence on our current state of consciousness. All energy seeks balance, so each experience provides the potential for balance and resolution within the person.” — William Buhlman
Below, Tom from Dayton retells his experience as a different person, revealing a past life:
“I occasionally will have a spontaneous out-of-body experience when I’m asleep. This is often shocking to me because the reality is absolute, not dreamlike at all. The most memorable was an OBE that put me in a World War II battle in France. My men and I were pinned down by German machine-gun fire, and two of my closest buddies were killed right next to me. I was so scared that I wet myself. I lost it completely and fought like a madman until I was jolted by an explosion.Instantly everything became real quiet, and I was floating above what was left of my body. This was as real as anything I’ve ever experienced in my life and made me realize that reincarnation is absolutely real.” — TOM G., DAYTON, OHIO
Visiting a Future Spiritual Home
William Buhlman states that:
“Several people have expressed to me that they have visited their future spiritual home. They state that there is a knowledge about the location that is unmistakably familiar.” — William Buhlman
For example:
“When I go out-of-body, I feel very good, exceedingly free and happy. I usually walk through a wall, because I almost always end up someplace that I don’t expect. This time I say to myself, ‘I want to see where I’ll go when I die.’ I am instantly in a gray place and say again, ‘I demand to go to the place where I’ll go when I die.’ This time I am moving inward through grayish-blue clouds, and I experience a sucking feeling like my head is being sucked in. Suddenly I am floating above a place that is totally beautiful. I recognize the place and say, ‘The lake!’“I know that a part of me has been here before. It is large—maybe ten miles to the other side, where there is a low mountain range. The sun is coming. There is a mist above part of the lake, and I am overwhelmed with emotion and joy. I feel at home here. I do not fear death. I’ve returned home.” — CARL L., FARMINGTON, MICHIGAN
Higher-Self Experiences
William Buhlman states, “We possess the inherent ability to direct and control our experiences. The key is to remain calm and exercise our control.” The following is an example:
“This OBE started with a feeling of paralysis and rushing out of my body. I found myself on what I figured was a lower astral plane. I felt heavy like I was floating in molasses, and my vision was blurry as if I was looking through olive oil. I had heard that you can use an OBE to connect with your higher self. After willing this, I immediately felt myself rush upward at an incredible speed. When I stopped, I was in the most beautiful place I had ever been. The first thing I noticed was that I had a glowing, translucent, sparkling body.Then I noticed I was floating over this flat expanse that seemed to go on forever in all directions. The colors were bright and pure, almost like fluid light.” — LESLIE D., VIA E-MAIL
