Please, take a part in the research! 30 questions for 1000 practitioners. If you find some interesting correlations, report them to obe4u@obe4u.com. For automatic calculations use the sheet ‘Stat table’

Download http://obe4u.com/files/stat1000_2013_en_by_oobe_research_center.xls

The last 6 months we were focused on the movie ‘The Phase’. Next studies are coming soon.

THE PHASE (2013, 33 minutes)

It’s an astounding coincidence: in the absolute majority of accounts of the supernatural, be they biblical miracles or paranormal phenomena, the protagonist had been falling asleep or waking up at the crucial moment. As a result, there is something out there that has forever altered human history and culture – something we know nothing about.

What are they keeping from us? Who stunted human development and who has something to gain from that? What’s hidden inside each and every one of us – and what does it hold for the future?

THE PHASE on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsE4mdB1-t4

Screenshots: http://obe4u.com/files/the_phase_doc_pics.zip

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Prove or deny assumption regarding to superiority of Sensory-Motor Visualization technique (SMV

PARTICIPANTS

211 participants in 16 groups of trainee from different locations of CIS such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Tomsk, Omsk, Ufa, Samara, Kazan (Russian federation), and Kyiv (Ukraine). All groups were mixed by gender and age.

METHODS

Comparison of the effectiveness of sensory-motor visualization along with other techniques. Checked at awaking in the pre-negotiated loops of different techniques with the obligatory of sensory-motor visualization.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

Statistics used for analyses:

* provided by the 8 teachers

* collected on 16 hand-on seminar

* based on 211 unique tests

* within 3 months

Sensory-motor visualization compared with techniques combined in following groups:

* imaging movements (mixed) such as swimmer, running etc techniques,

* rotation (mixed) and rolling up techniques,

* diferent listening technoques,

* visualization (mixed) techniques,

* images observing techniques,

* separation and phantom wiggling techniques,

* direct sleeping techniques.

The share of the sensory-motor visualization inside of 10 comparision groups was 19%. It visually represented in the following diagram:

ERRORS

Share of some techniques in the number of cycles was greater than that in other techniques in the data obtained from teachers. Different levels of teachers training and thy ability and quality of techniques explanation could bring some accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to expectations, the sensory-motor visualization was not the best but not the worst in compare with other techniques. In spite of its combination of three techniques, it is equally manifested itself, along with others. These data will likely show the overall picture but not an objective reflection of the situation.

In repeat of experiment and in the development of other similar experiments a special attention should by pay to:

* methodology comparison

* comparison criteria definition

* clear task formulation

Sergey Buryak

Experimental Education Department

OOBE Research Center

“For the first time, we can not only collect and analyze near-death experiences, but also deliberately reproduce them. This achievement casts doubt on many earlier theories regarding the nature of this phenomenon.”

(This is a preliminary report. The full report will be published after all the experiments related to this study have been completed)

REM sleep: A Cause of Near-Death Experiences

By Michael Raduga, founder and head of the OOBE Research Center.

Abstract

Study Objectives

Prove the implication of REM sleep in the occurrence of NDEs by artificially reproducing near-death experiences during REM sleep.

Participants

3 groups of 10-20 volunteers in Los Angeles (United States), Moscow (Russian Federation), and Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation), as well as several dozen lucid dreaming and out-of-body experience practitioners in a remote group.

Methods

1 – Artificially reproduce near-death experiences during REM sleep using indirect techniques for achieving out-of-body experiences as a form of conscious (i.e. “lucid”) dreaming.

2 – Undertake a comparative analysis of near-death experiences artificially reproduced during REM sleep with a database of spontaneous near-death experiences.

Measurements and Results

20 volunteers in no mortal danger were able to experience a flight through a tunnel using techniques for achieving out-of-body experiences and lucid dreams. A comparative analysis demonstrated full consistency with spontaneous near-death experiences, with the only difference being the cause of the events.

Conclusions

REM sleep can implicated in near-death experiences, as experiment subjects in that very physiological state succeeded in artificially reproducing said experiences in great detail.

Key Indexing Terms: REM sleep; near-death experience; NDE; dream; lucid dream; lucid dreaming; out-of-body experience; OOBE.

Introduction

When near-death experience accounts are compared to those of out-of-body travel, two common denominators are observed: self-awareness and out-of-body perception. It may be that the two types of experience only differ in terms of what causes them and what plotlines the imagery follows. This has led some researchers to posit that in at least some cases, the near-death experience and out-of-body travel phenomena may be identical in nature. Notably, Stephen LaBerge (1985) lends this theory his support. The implication was nearly the same in a study by Kevin Nelson (2010) that demonstrated that the probability of having a near-death experience is many times higher for people who have deep, pronounced REM sleep that often even lingers on after the mind has awoken from sleep. Meanwhile, lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences are identical in nature (LaBerge, Levitan , 1991); both occur directly in REM sleep (LaBerge, Levitan, Brylowski, Dement, 1988).

The aim of this study was to demonstrate in an experiment that REM sleep can be directly implicated in near-death experiences at clinical death. To this end, the controllable form of out-of-body experience that occurs in REM sleep (LaBerge, Levitan, Brylowski, Dement, 1988) was selected to serve as a platform for reproducing near-death experiences to the last detail. In order to achieve more measurable results, the set objective was to repeatedly and most faithfully reproduce one of the most typical near-death experience narratives:  flying through a tunnel towards the light.

Methods

1. Reproduce the Near-Death Experience of a Flight through a Tunnel

All volunteers were instructed to perform certain procedures during morning awakenings in order to reproduce the near-death experience of flying towards the light at the end of a tunnel.

The method of cycling indirect techniques developed by Raduga M. (2011) was employed in order for test subjects to achieve a lucid dream within the shortest frame of time. The method consists in attempting to separate from the body immediately upon awakening. If unsuccessful, the subject then alternates special techniques for 3 to 5 seconds over the course of a minute. If some technique begins to yield results, then the subject keeps with it, intensifies the sensations, and once again tries to separate from the body. Experienced practitioners could use different methods to induce the right state (Raduga, 2011).

If a volunteer was able to experience the sensation of separating from the body, he or she was to try to see a tunnel with a light at the end. The volunteer was then to fall into that tunnel and try to fly up to the light, concentrating all the while on what awaited him or her at the end, be it deceased relatives, angels, or God.

Flight through a tunnel towards the light was chosen as the near-death experience to be reproduced due to widespread and well-known reports of its occurrence at clinical death. This flight-through-a-tunnel narrative also has specific indicia that can be used as benchmarks for faithfully reproducing the experience.

2. Compare Reproduced Near-Death Experiences with Spontaneous Ones

Flights through a tunnel towards the light achieved during the experiment were compared with a database of more than 2,900 spontaneous near-death experiences collected by the Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) (Archived NDEs, 2012).

The comparison between experiment volunteers’ experiences and accounts from the database of real near-death experiences was based on indicia common to both phenomena and playing a key role in them: out-of-body perception, self-awareness, flight through a tunnel, a feeling of euphoria or joy, light at the end of the tunnel, and deceased relatives or other beings at the end of the tunnel.

Results

1. Reproduce the Near-Death Experience of a Flight through a Tunnel

A total of 20 volunteers partially or fully succeeded in reproducing a flight through a tunnel towards the light during REM-stage sleep. 6 were able to do so while falling asleep, 4 by becoming conscious while dreaming, and 10 upon awakening. Becoming conscious (or “lucid”) while dreaming was a side effect of employing indirect techniques. States of conscious awareness (i.e. “lucidity”) while dreaming were also used to achieve flight towards the light at the end of a tunnel, as both classic “lucid” or conscious dreams and out-of-body experiences occur during REM sleep.

Every experiment volunteer’s account exhibited the three primary indicia of the near-death experience of flying through a tunnel: the sensation of being out-of-body, full conscious awareness of events, and visual contact with a tunnel.

As is the case with spontaneous near-death experiences, each experiment participant’s narrative of the flight through the tunnel was unique. It’s possible that uniqueness of experience is a fourth indicium of near-death experiences. If so, it’s one that the experiment successfully tracked. This uniqueness of experience applies not only to the external appearance of the tunnel and the flight through it, but also to what the test subjects encountered when they reached the light. The longer test subjects stayed in the tunnel, the more unique their experiences were.

2. Compare Reproduced NDEs with Spontaneous Ones

Comparison of 20 reproduced NDEs with 37 spontaneous NDEs is presented in table 1. The comparison is made on 37 different patterns that can be found in reproduced and spontaneous NDEs both.

Discussion

Based on test subject accounts, typical near-death experiences were successfully replicated during REM sleep. The experiment reproduced the primary indicia of such experiences: out-of-body sensations, full conscious awareness of events, and flight through a tunnel. However, the artificially reproduced near-death experiences differed from their spontaneous counterparts on three counts, none related to what the subjects felt: 1) no cessation of vital functions was observed 2) the out-of-body experience was achieved deliberately 3) the experiment subjects looked for the tunnel on their own initiative – they didn’t fall into it spontaneously.

As an example, cardiac arrest and cessation of breathing do not mean that brain activity has stopped that very instant (Hazim, Winnerkvist, Miller, Iliopoulos, Reardon, Espada, Baldwin, 1998). Thus, it cannot be ruled out that brief REM sleep continues on over the first few seconds after death (Nelson, 2010). This especially applies to situations where anesthesia has been used, as it can quickly bring about REM sleep before the onset of clinical death. Essentially, this experiment can be seen as having mimicked the state of a person under anesthesia via the use of subwaking states.

Assuming that such near-death experiences indeed take place during REM sleep, spontaneous out-of-body travel and flight through a tunnel could be ascribed to the expectation of experiencing them. For example, a person begins to realize that he is near death, and starts expecting an imminent exit from the body and flight through a tunnel, as he has heard many stories to that effect. If he has remained conscious despite a lapse into REM-sleep induced by anesthesia or organ failure, his expectation will now project onto his subjective reality. In this case, the projection is less deliberate and conscious than it was in the experiment. However, it is identical in nature.

Indeed, remaining conscious while in REM sleep can explain the variance of the tunnel’s appearance and sensations in it during near-death experiences, including the substantial differences among narratives regarding what happens upon reaching the light. As a matter of fact, in the above case near-death experiences are a type of lucid or conscious dream, in which what is expected is what is projected (LaBerge, 1985). People have only a vague idea of what they are “supposed” to see: an exit from the body, a tunnel, and a light at the end. However, they usually don’t know the precise details of what awaits them: “What kind of tunnel, exactly?” “What exactly happens once I reach the light?” And so on. They experience the indicia common to the stories known to them, but the details of the experience are unique for each individual. As a result, 37 different patterns of NDEs’ plots were found in real NDEs while making comparison of it with simulated ones.

The experiment’s results also fully explain those “near-death” experiences that occur under no threat to life and limb – which actually comprise a big part of “near-death” experience reports (Archived NDEs, 2012).

Conclusion

The experiment demonstrated that REM sleep may indeed help explain at least a portion of near-death experiences. This is vouched for by the ability to artificially reproduce the near-death experience using techniques for achieving out-of-body experience, itself only being possible during REM sleep. In terms of sensation, experiences thus achieved differ in no way from spontaneous near-death ones at clinical death, and specifically – flights through a tunnel towards the light.

References

Archived NDEs. (2012). Retrieved March 1, 2012, from http://www.nderf.org/archives_main.htm

Hazim J., HJ., Winnerkvist A., Miller CC. 3rd, Iliopoulos DC, Reardon MJ, Espada R., Baldwin JC. (1998). Effect of extended cross-clamp time during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, New Orleans, LA, Jan 26–28, 1998

LaBerge S. (1985). Lucid Dreaming. New York: Ballantine

LaBerge S., Levitan L., Brylowski A., Dement W. (1988). “Out-of-body” experiences occurring during REM sleep. Sleep Research, 17: 115

LaBerge S., Levitan  L. (1991). Other Worlds: Out-of-Body Experiences and Lucid Dreams. NightLight newsletter 3(2-3)

Nelson K. (2010). The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain. The United States; Dutton Adult

Raduga M. (2011). School of Out-of-Body Travel. A Practical Guidebook. Los Angeles: Lulu Enterprises Inc.

Appendices

(Mass Alien Abduction Experiment)

(Lucid Dreaming: A Cause of Religious Visions in the Bible)

35 volunteers were asked to perform a test in the phase involving pinching the nose to the point where the airways are completely blocked. They would then have to try to breathe through it and report their results. The aim of the experiment was to see how often the pinched nose reality check works in the phase when a practitioner knows he is in it.

Out of the 35 volunteers, 25 managed to enter the phase and accomplish results that differed from one another. Out of the 25 accomplished volunteers, 19 (76%) were able to paradoxically breathe through a pinched nose, while the remaining 6 (24%) failed to do so and experienced impairment of respiration (but not so acute as to the point of suffocating).

Already, the results apparently show that the pinched nose reality check is fairly reliable – especially when the practitioner is aware of being in the phase. Whether the other 9 volunteers out of 35 that are yet to report back results can make a significant difference to this conclusion remains to be seen. It is worth mentioning that a minority of volunteers that failed to breathe through a pinched nose were, at first, unsure whether they were awake or in the phase at the time. Subsequently, they fouled or fell asleep and realised that they had been in the phase indeed.

Likewise, a particular volunteer that knew she was in the phase and yet was unable to breathe through the pinched nose, was subsequently able to do so after reminding herself that it is all a “dream”. It is a fair statement, however, to say that the majority knew they were in the phase and were able to breathe while carrying out the reality check.

To add to our understanding, according to comments from volunteers, it appears that when the phase is deep, it can be hard to breathe through the pinched nose at the beginning as one often has to consciously force such experience. Perhaps, a deep phase reminds us of the sensation of being awake in the real world, which, in turn, could subconsciously equate the idea of breathing through a pinched nose as an impossibility. Hence, the restriction of performing what is known to be impossible becomes reality in the phase.

In the majority of cases, however, phasers will feel their nose being pinched but can still breathe through it. Hissing noises like that of a balloon being deflated or air coming out of a punctured tyre can sometimes be experienced. Other unusual sensations include air coming out of one’s ears or a breeze is felt.

Finally, it is still worth considering the following factor when applying the pinched nose reality check in the phase state: the stronger the doubt that one is in the phase, the less reliable the pinched nose method becomes.  This is because, in cases of real doubt, it is very likely to produce the same result as in reality.  In order to make this reality check more efficient, practitioners should always be open to the possibility that they are in the phase no matter how realistic their sensations might be.

Arlindo Batista

Phase Managing Department

OOBE Research Center

“Some might say that we have found God or discovered something about His nature. However, we only conducted this experiment in order to prove that the subject of our research can be found in ancient sources like the Bible. This has no bearing on religion itself. However, one may conjecture how wide an impact this phenomenon has had on all human culture and history”

(This is a preliminary report. The full report will be published after all the experiments related to this study have been completed)

By Michael Raduga, founder and head of the OOBE Research Center.

Abstract

Study Objectives

The goal of the study is to substantiate mention of lucid dreaming in the Bible.

Participants

30 volunteers, most without prior lucid dreaming experience (though some had had spontaneous experiences in the past).

Methods

1 – Reproduce a biblical angel encounter as described in 1 Kings 19:4-6 in an experimental setting using the indirect method for achieving lucid dreams.

2 – Calculate the statistical probability of spontaneously experiencing the events described in 1 Kings 19:4-6.

3 – Compare 1 Kings 19:4-6 as well as three other biblical passages with 620 first-time lucid dreaming experience accounts related by modern practitioners in terms of primary and common indicia.

Measurements and Results

15 volunteers were able to reproduce the angel encounter described in 1 Kings 19:4-6 either in part or in full. Statistics show that experiences similar to just the aforementioned biblical account alone will occur spontaneously at least once in the lifetime of one person in 5 thousand. When four biblical accounts are compared with first-time spontaneous lucid dreams, it is observed that the same situations and indicia repeat: the state of awakening or falling asleep, vibrations being felt, sleep paralysis, fear, and full conscious awareness.

Conclusions

It can be asserted with a high degree of confidence that the majority of biblical events occurring at the threshold of sleep were the products of spontaneous lucid dreams (false awakenings).

Key Indexing Terms: dream, lucid dream, lucid dreaming, bible, religious vision.

Introduction

The goal of the study was to substantiate mention of the lucid dreaming phenomenon in a number of Bible passages. The hyper-realistically of lucid dreaming experiences when they occur just before or after sleep served as the impetus for the study (Raduga, 2011). After spontaneously entering a lucid dream, a person often has no way of realizing that everything occurring is not a real experience in the physical world (LaBerge, 1985). This phenomenon has a chance to be the reason of some religious visions in the Bible.

Methods

1. Mass recreation of Prophet Elijah’s angel encounter in the Bible:

30 volunteers (19 males/11 females), most without prior lucid dreaming experience (though some had had spontaneous experiences in the past), were instructed to perform certain procedures during morning awakenings in order to replicate the biblical account 1 Kings 19:4-6. Almost 100 volunteers initially reported to participate in the experiment (UCLA, the US city of Los Angeles, California), but most of them resigned due to fear, religious objections, or other concerns. 30 volunteers include 6 experienced practitioners participating remotely comprised the control group.

The method of cycling indirect techniques developed by the OOBE Research Center over 2007-2011 was employed in order for test subjects to achieve a lucid dream within the shortest frame of time (Raduga, 2011). The method consists in attempting to separate from the body immediately upon awakening. If unsuccessful, the subject then alternates special techniques for 3 to 5 seconds over the course of a minute. If some technique begins to yield results, then the subject should keep with it, intensify the sensations, and once again try to separate from the body.

If a volunteer or practitioner was able to experience the sensation of separating from the body, they were to try to find an angel in their bedroom, and then eat something in order to exactly reproduce 1 Kings 19:4-6 in the Bible (it happened to the prophet Elijah on the way to Beersheba in Judah):

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I [am] not better than my fathers.

5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise [and] eat.

6 And he looked, and, behold, [there was] a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

This biblical event was chosen from among a multitude of passages relating experiences akin to lucid dreaming due to its straightforwardness and relatively detailed description. Using available techniques, anything could have been reproduced – be it a vision of God, an encounter with an angel, or any other event (Raduga, 2011; LaBerge, 1985). But in terms of verifiable results, angels were the ideal choice as Western culture provides a relatively well-established image for them (wings, white robes, halos, etc).

In order to replicate the biblical account as faithfully as possible, participants were instructed that if they experienced spontaneous lucid dreams when sleeping, they were to recall the physical body, become present in it, and then experience separation from the body.

Separation from the body usually seems like a completely ordinary movement, as if it were made with the physical body (Raduga, 2011). The practitioner simply stands up, rolls out, or levitates as if he were doing so in reality. It’s easily possible in the proper moment upon awakenings and it is the reason of false awakenings (Raduga, 2011).

2. Calculation of the statistical likelihood of the event described in 1 Kings 19:4-6 occurring

The approximate odds of the average person encountering an angel as in 1 Kings 19:4-6 were calculated using both independently gathered statistical data (Raduga, 2011) and that of other sources (UNFPA, 2011; McEvedy, Jones, 1978). The first step was to obtain the percentage of the total population that has experienced lucid dreams. This data was then further processed to yield the statistical likelihood of experiencing separation from the body and seeing an angel.

3. Comparison of biblical phenomena with first-time lucid dreaming experiences

Four of the most clear-cut and detailed biblical descriptions of what are suspected to be spontaneous and unrecognized lucid dreams were selected: 1 Kings 19:4-6, Samuel 3:2-6, Job 4:12-16, and Genesis 15:12. Those passages were then compared with 620 first-time lucid dreaming accounts collected on aing.ru that belongs to the OOBE Research Center (2011). The comparison was based on common events and indicia: falling asleep or waking up, sleep paralysis, fear, noises, vibrations, the presence of animate objects, etc.

The four selected biblical passages do not relate dreaming. Rather, the protagonists in them are in a state of full conscious awareness. The large number of bible passages detailing visions that occurred during dreams – as is explicitly indicated in the passages themselves – were not taken into account.

Results

1. Mass recreation of Prophet Elijah’s angel encounter in the Bible:

24 of 30 volunteers were able to achieve one or more lucid dreams over the course of 4 weekends (November 11 through December 11, 2011) (Table 1). 15 of those were able to reproduce the angel encounter described in 1 Kings 19:4-6 either in part or in full (Table 2).

Indicators of success in reproducing Elijah’s biblical encounter with an angel (1 Kings 19:4-6) comprised the following: full conscious awareness, awakening/falling asleep, separation from the body, visual contact with an angel, and consuming food. Six subjects were able to complete the task in full (Table 2).

Another 9 participants were able to complete the experiment’s task partially, but still see an angel in one form or another while in a fully conscious state. However, in some cases the angels did not take on a traditional appearance (e.g. wearing white and having wings), although the participants nevertheless identified them as angels (Table 2).

Over its extensive didactic and analytical experience, the OOBE Research Center has developed indicators and procedures for distinguishing real experiences from fabrication and fantasy. No dubious responses were included in the statistics.

2. Calculation of the statistical likelihood of the event described in 1 Kings 19:4-6 occurring

Assuming that Elijah’s encounter with an angel (1 Kings 19:4-6) actually took place during an unrecognized lucid dream (in the form of a false awakening), the probability of having the same experience can be calculated on the basis of the primary indicia contained in that bible passage.

According to the outcome obtained (Table 3), around 12,540 people alive at the time of the biblical event of 1 Kings 19:4-6 would have had an experience similar to it, and 1,463,000 people alive at present (in December 2011) have encountered angels in identical circumstances. In other words, the odds of a person experiencing a false awakening and seeing an angel are 1 in 5,000. And this is despite quite a large number of stringent conditions having to be met. If similar biblical phenomena were to be analyzed in the same way, it might be found that their odds of occurrence are dozens or even hundreds of times higher.

The weakest link in the calculation is the likelihood of seeing angels out of all possible animate objects that may be encountered during spontaneous lucid dreaming experiences, as there is no confirmed data regarding its probability. The calculation uses the approximate minimum percentage of experiences featuring angels, and so the actual probability might vary by several multiples in either direction. The resultant number of people likely to have the experience is nevertheless massive. It may also be postulated that the more religious one is and the more one expects angels (whether consciously or unconsciously), the higher the odds of seeing them. This was partially proven by the experiment’s deliberate contact with angels: volunteers had wanted to see angels, and indeed saw them – though not every time.

If it were taken into consideration that many people experience both lucid dreaming and out-of-body experiences several times – or even many times – over the course of their lives (Gackenbach, 1984), then the actual odds of seeing angels would be even greater. The probability of seeing an angel could conceivably be at least double that of our calculations. Moreover, those calculations do not account for the superficial and shallow forms of lucid dreaming, out-of-body experiences, and other similar phenomena. Nearly everyone encounters these phenomena in such mild forms, and quite often at that (e.g. false awakenings, unreal movement and sounds upon awakening, half-conscious dreams, etc).

3. Comparison of biblical events with lucid dreaming experiences

Typical indicia of an unrecognized lucid dream include: thoughts before falling asleep match subsequent events, awakening before an unusual event, conscious awareness, and falling asleep before an unusual event.

The Bible, 1 Kings 19:4-6:

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I [am] not better than my fathers.

5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise [and] eat.

6 And he looked, and, behold, [there was] a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

For comparison, here is an account related by a modern practitioner (First-Time Lucid Dreaming Accounts, 2011):

…I was somewhere between 8 and 10 years old. The alarm clock went off, I was having a hard time getting out of bed. I thought for a few moments about how it was time to go to school… Then I got up out of bed, already wide awake, and went to the bathroom… All of the sudden mom came into the room and asked me to wake up and go to school… And this happened more than once…

Typical indicia of an unrecognized lucid dream include: thoughts before falling asleep match subsequent events, beginning to fall asleep, the presence of conscious awareness, and hearing voices:

The Bible, Samuel 3:2-6:

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli [was] laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, [that] he could not see;

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God [was], and Samuel was laid down [to sleep];

4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here [am] I.

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou didst call me.  And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

For comparison, here is an account related by a modern practitioner (First-Time Lucid Dreaming Accounts, 2011):

…Literally just seconds before I fell asleep, it was as if someone was calling me… Please note that I was not yet asleep. At first it was a normal “voice”… then it got bossier, and then it started ordering me about.  And then it was as if something was pulling me into the bed…

Typical indicia of an unrecognized lucid dream include: beginning to fall asleep, the presence of conscious awareness, fear, vibrations, and hearing voices:

The Bible, Job 4:12-16:

12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.

15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

16 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image [was] before mine eyes, [there was] silence, and I heard a voice, [saying],

For comparison, here is an account related by a modern practitioner (First-Time Lucid Dreaming Accounts, 2011):

…There was a sharp crack, and the feeling of falling down. Someone’s unintelligible whisper in my right ear changed into a scream, which died down for a second, only to blast in again from all sides. I was panicking in mortal fear…

Typical indicia of an unrecognized lucid dream include: beginning to fall asleep, the presence of conscious awareness, fear, and hearing voices:

The Bible, Genesis 15:12:

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

For comparison, here is an account related by a modern practitioner (First-Time Lucid Dreaming Accounts, 2011):

…I was being awoken by an acute fright that had begun while I was dreaming… A wild terror suddenly overcame me. Something started to make a lot of noise in the distance…

Discussion

It is important to point out the fact that biblical accounts of having visions while in subwaking states are not only reproducible and statistically likely to have occurred, but also contain no detail inconsistent with lucid dreaming. That is, not a single feature of 1 Kings 19:4-6, Samuel 3:2-6, Job 4:12-16, or Genesis 15:12 would differentiate those events from spontaneous or deliberate lucid dreams. The full agreement of common indicia points to a high degree of probability that spontaneous lucid dreams lie at the root of those encounters, as well as many others in the Bible.

If a biblical figure had been in a sitting or reclining position before and after having a religious vision, then it can be asserted with a high degree of confidence that a spontaneous, unrecognized lucid dream had taken place. When a lucid dream occurs just before or after sleep, realism of perception is often indistinguishable from that of everyday waking life (Raduga, 2011). Meanwhile, the content of the lucid dream is tightly interwoven with the physical world. This can all easily lead to a mystifying experience. The same can be assumed not only for other biblical visions, but also for any unusual and realistic experiences that begin and end while in a relaxed physical posture.

Considering that the approximate odds of an average person experiencing something similar to 1 Kings 19:4-6 are 1 in 5,000, it may be confidently postulated that such events have happened to a multitude of people over the past millennia, including the Old Testament era. Depending on levels of awareness and general interests, such an experience could have been interpreted in a whole variety of ways. Undoubtedly, religious people could have interpreted such experiences as bona fide validation of their beliefs, with this subsequently finding expression in texts like the Bible.

The prophet Elijah, often mentioned in the Bible and the Koran, is one of the most significant figures in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Nevertheless, this study has shown that he may have encountered the phenomenon of lucid dreaming, which also served as the cause of some of the religious experiences in his life. Judging from it all, the same can be said for some other biblical figures.

Conclusion

Even the complex vision described in 1 Kings 19:4-6 was reproduced with relative ease by people without prior lucid dreaming experience. No substantive differences separate that biblical event from what was experienced by experiment participants. The experiment, statistic results, and comparison of experiences make it possible to conclude that the Bible indeed mentions the phenomenon of lucid dreaming on many occasions. Meanwhile, the subject matter of the lucid dreams was determined by general interests or thoughts before falling asleep, and not external stimuli. A comprehensive investigation of this possibly found no fact indicating that this was not the case. Indeed, nearly every indication and fact supports this conclusion.

 References

Blackmore, Susan J. (1982). Beyond the Body: an Investigation of Out-of-the-Body Experiences. Portsmouth: Heinemann

First-Time Lucid Dreaming Accounts (2011). Retrieved December 21, 2011, from http://aing.ru/for/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=507

Gackenbach, J. I. (1984). An estimate of lucid dreaming incidence. Lucidity Letter

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Appendices

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(Mass Alien Abduction Experiment)

(NDE Simulating Experiment)

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 The study shows that 30% of people experience fear during the first phase experience (OBE+lucid dreaming). There is no big gender difference (women 31% / men 29%). If people thought that their souls really leave their bodies, they have twice more chances to experience fear (rise from 23% to 47%). If people aren’t familiar with the phenomenon, they have almost twice more chances to get fear too (rise from 28% to 47%; only for spontaneous first experiences). If people do not see alive beings in the phase, they have on 55% more chances for fear (rise from 23% to 36%).

The study is based on statistic information from 771 people/1-74 yo/spontaneous and intentional phases (accuracy for all data is 85-90%).

(Source of data)

Michael Raduga

OOBE Research Center

The study is based on statistic information from 771 people/1-74 yo/spontaneous and intentional phases. Accuracy for all data is 85-90% (lucid dreaming + out-of-body experience).

(Source of data)

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The study shows that chances to get the first spontaneous phase experience (OBE/LD) grow during summers for men and during winters for women.

The same data show that men and women make first successfull attempts to achieve the phase state during the same unique seasons (winter and summer).

For women (all/spont/intent):

Winter 35/34/34%;

Spring 20/22/19%;

Summer 25/25/26%;

Fall 20/19/21%;

 For men (all/spont/intent):

Winter 24/23/26%;

Spring 20/23/18%;

Summer 33/34/30%;

Fall 23/20/26%;

The study is based on statistic information from 542 people/1-74 yo/spontaneous and intentional phases (accuracy for all data is 85-90%).

(Source of data)

Michael Raduga

OOBE Research Center

November 30, 2011