Beyond Body Consciousness

“The body is a sacred garment.”
--Martha Graham

Consciousness is eternal; it is not vanquished with the
destruction of the temporary body.—Bhagavad-Gita

Sometimes we are gifted with extraordinary experiences that rattle our cage. Often, in the midst of the episode, we lack understanding about why our cage needs to be rattled, and how we should respond. But, retrospective contemplation allows us to understand that strange experiences provide opportunities to review, adjust or expand our belief systems. Through the years, I’ve been a compassionate listener for many kindred souls seeking to share their story with an authentic other, who might understand their unusual anecdote, without lengthy explanations or justifications. Often, these stories center around out-of-body experiences.

Sometimes the ‘experiencer’ was pronounced dead, in a hospital, home or ambulance setting. Sometimes, they were very ill. What is interesting is that the individual may or may not have believed in the possibility of out-of-body (OBE) experiences. Yet, it didn’t seem to matter; the experience happened anyway. While there are many points of view regarding these occurrences, ranging from the misfiring of neurons, to theories involving religion or mysticism, I find the debate uninteresting and sometimes disempowering of those familiar with OBE’s. Instead, I want to know how the experience changed them. Of course, my interest is grounded in the fact that I, too, have had an out-of-body experience, offered here—not to convince anyone about anything, but rather to encourage an empowering image that we are not these bodies…we are Soul
-------------------------------------
UCLA, senior year, immediately after finals, prior to physical challenge…many years ago.

A close friend whose school utilized a different system (quarters vs. semesters), was still taking classes in Santa Barbara, California. My new husband was busy working on his doctoral studies, and I needed a break; so I took off alone for a visit with my friend. The visit should have been uneventful; but I had kept late hours during finals, and that, combined with the fast food routine of students, and the stress of my finals, contributed to a depressed immune system. To make matters worse, at the beginning of my visit, I was exposed to someone who was in the contagious stage of the flu.

Where does the phrase, “sick as a dog” originate, and what does it convey? When dogs are sick, are they sicker than human beings? Is there something unique about the way their sickness manifests? Do they display a specific type of behavior replicated by humans who are sick past a certain point? Whatever the answer to these questions, the phrase is an accepted practice for conveying a high level of sickness and misery.

The morning after my exposure to the person with the flu, I awoke feeling tired and weak. My friend was concerned, but had to attend her classes, so I climbed into her bed for a nap. By afternoon, I was fighting body aches, extreme fatigue, fever and malaise. By evening, I had a full blown case of the flu, and I was “sick as a dog.”

My compassionate friend allowed me to remain in her bed, while she carried on with her schedule. When possible, she did everything she could to help me feel better; but, it seemed clear that I had to go through the experience of the flu. Most of the time, she was busy on campus, so my companions were fever , chills, body aches, and the sound of my own moaning. My activities consisted of: eating, sleeping, attending to bodily functions, and meditating. Meditation was my attempt to circumvent the misery and transcend the pain from body aches.

After a day of dancing with my flu companion, I awoke from a feverish nap, and sat up to meditate. I leaned my back against the wall for support, and began a practice that had become part of my daily routine. Everything seemed ordinary enough…until I opened my eyes…

The experience may have been that of opening my eyes, but clearly, the eyes that opened were not my physical eyes. “I” was looking down at my own body in a seated position, resting on the bed, with “my” back propped against the wall. The first thought that occurred was, “Am I dead,?” which was followed by other thoughts, perspectives, moments of non-thought and pure experience. I do not recall how long these moments lasted, because time seemed non-existent. Then, a type of panic set in, and in an instant, I was whisked back into my body. I opened my eyes again, and noticed a more “normal” perspective.

The experience rattled my cage, and I am forever grateful. It changed my life, my perspective, my mind. Never again would I feel comfortable with conventional thinking about the body; and, although I am far from perfect, and am subject to normal human fears and lesser states of consciousness, some part of me understands that this sacred body is a temporary abode, inhabited by a consciousness that is restricted by our beliefs about who we are.

I do not advocate seeking experiences of this type; nor do I believe that everyone requires the exact same phenomena to learn about consciousness. I do believe that each individual receives the necessary experiences designed perfectly for the growth of that particular soul, and that the journey is never-ending. There are many ways for us to reach the same conclusion: that we are more than the body. These may include: intellectual reasoning, hypnagogic experiences, physical trauma, spiritual and religious practices, and others. However we arrive at this knowingness, the implications are far-reaching. For example, some years later, after becoming physically challenged, when I started down the road toward believing that I was a victim, mindfulness about my OBE returned. Somehow, that incident from my earlier life, suggested that there is a greater plan, a greater part of me; and perhaps that part is untouched by the dramas that unfold physically. Perhaps that part is interestedly watching and collecting the experiences, whether through pain, suffering, or joy, learning as it negotiates whatever befalls the physical organism. No matter what the outcome or conclusions, what an interesting thought to pursue!

“Beyond appearances, I rest triumphantly in my affiliation with the Divine, knowing that all is being orchestrated for my Highest Good.”--Carmen Freeman, Wellness Manifesto