Out-of-Body Dreams Are Not Unusual

Dear Cynthia: Reading your column brings to mind a dream I have been having, off and on, for 15 years.

As I am drifting off to sleep, I begin to leave my body. The sensation scares me so much that I try to open my eyes. When I do force my eyes open, it seems like I am looking down at myself from the ceiling.

Then I snap back into myself with such a jolt that I wake up with a racing heart, breathing hard and sweating profusely.

It is very hard to describe what it feels like before I am able to open my eyes. The world looks scary, kind of like the atmosphere in a horror film, dark and dreary. Several times I felt like I would fly out of the window before I finally was able to get my eyes open.

The dreams are much more sporadic now that I am older. But they are no less frightening.

SANDI

San Diego

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Dear Reader: The dream phenomenon that you describe is not as unusual as it may seem. Many people report that they have experienced similar out-of-body perspectives and believe that they actually do, at times, leave their bodies while asleep. This is quite common in children and also is experienced by some patients under anesthesia.

The theory is that the spirit can separate from the body while the body is at rest. The purpose of this out-of-body travel may be escape from the confines of the physical body, or the spirit may travel, visit with other spirits, and acquire some new knowledge or inspiration.

I am told that if you can learn to relax and enjoy the feeling while in this state, you can explore many wonderful things and they will not be dark and dreary but, rather, bright and beautiful. (The darkness may be at least partly fear.)

Many people who claim to have had such experiences say that they stayed close to their bodies, hovering near the ceiling. In any case, you need not fear flying out of the window, or getting lost while in this state. Your spirit is attached to your body (some say by a silvery cord), and you always will return to your body before or as you wake up.

So perhaps you can change your attitude and actually learn to enjoy these nocturnal flights. Many people would love the chance to experience what you do.

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Fax your dreams to Cynthia Richmond at (213) 237-0732 or e-mail them to [email protected]. Please include your hometown and a daytime phone number. “In Your Dreams” appears every Tuesday and should be read for entertainment purposes only.