William Buhlman - The Secret of the Soul

Using Out-of-Body Experiences to Understand Our True Nature

The Secret of the Soul

William Buhlman

To my wife, Susan,
and all those who seek the truth of our existence

Contents

Meetings and Messages Beyond the Body

Childhood Out-of-Body Experiences

Combat- and Trauma-Induced Experiences

Transformational Experiences

The Thought-Responsive Universe

Extraterrestrial Contact and Abduction

A Brief History of Out-of-Body Experiences

A New Vision of Death and Dying

The Direct Path to the Soul

The Art and Practice of Out-of-Body Exploration

Overcoming Challenges that Confront the Out-of-Body Explorer

The Courage to Be a Spiritual Explorer

Survey Results

Out-of-Body Experience Survey

Observations and Insights Obtained from Out-of-Body Exploration

MARIE CARLSON

T oday many of us are awakening to the realization that we possess the natural ability to separate from our bodies and have a profound spiritual experience. When we examine the core of all religions and spiritual paths, we find a common theme of revelations and experiences beyond the physical body. No matter what we believe or dont believe, we will eventually separate from the chrysalis of our flesh in order to experience our spiritual essence. There is simply no escaping the fact that our consciousness must transcend the limits of the body in order to have an authentic spiritual experience. Eventually we must master the ability to explore beyond our dense limits, for transcending these limits is at the very heart of our spiritual evolution. This is why out-of-body exploration and the information we derive from it are so important to all of us. This is the true purpose of this book.

A UTHORS N OTE: The experiences recorded here have been edited for content and clarity. The names and locations of the participants have been changed to preserve their privacy. Many of the common elements and recurring themes of these experiences are explored from various perspectives throughout this book.

Out-of-body experiences are the most common paranormal experience known.

D R. M ELVIN M ORSE, T RANSFORMED BY THE L IGHT

S ince the publication of my first book, Adventures Beyond the Body, in 1996, I have conducted an ongoing international survey of out-of-body experiences. To date, I have received over sixteen thousand responses from over thirty countries, making this the largest survey of its kind ever conducted. The number of participants alone makes the survey significant, and some of its most enlightening results are the multitude of compelling testimonies from people all over the worldpeople just like you and me.

One of the primary goals of the survey was to gather information about the commonly reported phenomena associated with the out-of-body experience, or OBE. My intention was to examine the reported vibrations, sounds, and sensations that occur immediately before, during, and after an OBE; today these phenomena are widely referred to as the vibrational state. Information and insights obtained from this survey are presented throughout this book.

One of the most surprising by-products of the survey was the large number of letters I received from parents struggling to understand the panic attacks and paralysis that their children experienced during sleep. I believe that children by their very nature are less conditioned by their physical surroundings and are more open to spontaneous out-of-body experiences than are adults. They consistently report a high incidence of the vibrations, sounds, and phenomena associated with the vibrational state; many experience these on a recurring basis.

I was also surprised by the early age at which children reported having their first out-of-body experience: The first reported journey occurred at an average age of four to twelve. In addition, the number of out-of-body experiences appears to decline dramatically during the early teen years. This may be due to the intense physical indoctrination and conditioning, so inherent in our society, that teenagers undergo. Often children are educated in our modern culture to identify completely with their physical bodies instead of being taught that they are unlimited spiritual beings free to explore beyond their physical surroundings. Clearly, there is much more to be learned regarding the link between children and out-of-body experiences, and research in this area may one day yield exciting answers to the true nature of the soul.

The survey results also provide evidence of a connection between OBEs and near-death and after-death experiences, as well as between OBEs and extraterrestrial contact and abduction experiences. Further research into the OBE phenomenon may shed light on those mysterious events as well. Are they connected, and if so, how? It is my hope that this book will begin to answer these questions.

The key to understanding some of these mysteries may be the vibrational statethe universal prelude to out-of-body states of consciousness and spiritual experiences. In a sense, this state is natures way of preparing us for the ultimate adventure beyond the confines of the physical body. Throughout human history yogis, saints, and mystics have referred to sounds and vibrations as important elements of their spiritual experiences. It is my belief that they were describing various vibrational-state phenomena.

Research tells us that the vibrational state is a normal occurrence that can be self-initiated and expanded into a fully conscious out-of-body experience. When we become experienced and effective at responding to the vibrational state, we are one step closer to personal and spiritual empowerment. It is now clear that the out-of-body experience is an important if not essential ally in our spiritual exploration. The more knowledge we obtain about these experiences, the better prepared we will be to explore beyond our physical limits and discover our true spiritual essence.

There is so much to learn, so much to discover. The answers lie somewhere beyond the boundaries of what most of us have come to think of as everyday reality. This book is for those of us who desire to take that brave first step into the unknown, beyond the boundaries of physical reality. This book is for those of us who are ready to unlock the secret of the soul.

Meetings and Messages Beyond the Body

I couldnt believe it when I saw him. He was healthy and energetic, full of life. This was the father I rememberednot the thin, frail man who had lain for weeks in a hospital bed.

B ARB G., N EW Y ORK, N EW Y ORK

O ne of the most amazing out-of-body experiences is a fully conscious meeting with a loved one who has passed on. This personal contact can provide startling insight into our spiritual natures and the unseen dimensions around us, and a powerful verification of our own immortality. It also provides an excellent opportunity for us to reunite and communicate with a friend or loved one whom we feared lost to us forever. It is common for people to report personal encounters with departed loved ones during out-of-body and near-death experiences. What I have found especially interesting is the diversity of these meetings. The reported contact can take almost any form: a child, a recently passed wife or husband, a cloud or sphere of intelligence, or a gentle grandparent. Sometimes the contact is with someone known; at other times it may be with someone who appears as a guide or teacher.

In the OBE survey I conducted, 24 percent of the respondents experiences involved contact with a departed loved one. In addition, 22 percent of the respondents saw or felt the presence of a nonphysical being. Increasing evidence suggests that most contact is with individuals we have known at some point in our past. Often spirits are attracted to us because there is a connection to our soul group, a past life, or because there is an emotional or spiritual relationship that we are unaware of.