OBE and Epilepsy

[DonnieDarko]

Dear Robert,

I've been trying to OBE with varying success for about seven years now ... I've had quite some impressive spontaneous conscious exit OBEs over the years, but never been able to induce them by will from the awake state ...

A few weeks ago I suffered a "Grand Mal" epileptic seizure (not during OBE related activity, in fact I was playing chess). I immediately lost consciousness without any pre-sign, cramped my muscles and bit my tonge. When I came to I was just being loaded into an ambulance. I went to a neurologist who conducted an EEG under sleep deprivation, flickering light and hyperventilation. The EEG showed some unusual peaks so she decided to put me on medication (Convulex) as she saw some risk for a second seizure.

Apart from that I fear that the medication might stop my spontaneous OBEs altogether (which I would accept - the main thing for me is to live my physical life with as little health problems as possible and no further seizures - when I'm dead I can still OBE as much as I want ), I'm uncertain if I should continue with any OBE attempts at all. We all know that OBE does some interesting things to our brain waves, the mind-awake, body-asleep state alone is defined by the unusual presence of alpha and theta waves together, and I'm afraid that I might suffer a seizure again by messing around with my own brain waves too much. Obviously this isn't something I want to ask my neurologist (even more so since she's a psychiatrist too ). I'd like to ask you, Robert, about your opinion on this even since I know you're not a doctor - you have counseled so many OBE aficionados, maybe there were some who shared my recent physical condition and successfully continued OBEing?

[Robert Bruce]

G'day,

I do not know if hemi sync may be risky in the sense of possibly triggering seizures. You might like to ask my partner, Bob Felix, as he is an expert on hemi sync and would probably be able to answer that part of your question. Email him on programs @ glidewing.com

But apart from hemi sync, I do not think there is any risk associated with obe attempts. They are, in essence, no more dangerous in a physical neurological sense, than is falling asleep...we we do with ease every night.

So, my suggestion here is to continue your practices and .... see what happens. I really don't think there is any risk here, no more than with sleep or any deep relaxation or meditation practices.

Robert