Hello, I want to discuss the link between OBE's and mental illness. My father is Schizophrenic and recently I got into regular contact with him. We got into a discussion recently about OBE's and I've come to find out where this ability came from. Let me elaborate a little more, OBE's started happening to me spontaneously a couple years ago. Before that I had strange experiences through dreams, or now what I would call possible OBE's but I didn't know what it was at the time. Now, my dad has been a chronic paranoid Schizophrenic for 22 years and recently stopped drinking which is why I decided to make contact with him. He talks about strange things, some in which I recognize from my own readings, others just seem like mindless blabber. He's very interested in the metaphysical and believes that he has battled demons and aliens. He reads a LOT on the occult, magic, and Egyptian and Hindu mythology. I've noticed a link between my dad's experiences with mine, along with our beliefs even though we have not maintained steady contact over the years. I decided to bluntly ask him after he was talking about going into outer space, "When you have these experiences are you saying that you travel out of body?" In which he responded yes. So basically his delusions could be described as being like out of body experiences. He also told me he gave me a genie, or a jinn so to speak. He told me he uses magic to summon his genie using a spell. He said it to me, but it was long and I didn't quite catch all of it but he said something about a middle pillar and to read about it. Does anyone have any thoughts on this subject? I'm interested to read about other people's views.