Out-of-Body Experiences: How to Have Them and What to Expect [Paperback]

Robert Peterson (Author), Charles Tart (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

Imagine the wonder of leaving your body to travel to places and realms you have only dreamed of. Out of Body Experiences is the book to teach you how to leave your body and what to expect when you do it. A simple step-by-step manual and "flight guide" the author talks not only about his own experiences, but what you may encounter when you leave the body. For the first time, out-of-body experiences are accessible to anyone who cares to try.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Out of Body Experiences could be summed up in Robert Peterson's own words: it's "what the books didn't tell me." Many people have tried to have out of body experiences (OBEs) and are discouraged when things don't go exactly as the books suggest they should. Peterson assures readers that anyone can have an OBE, and relates the difficulties and discoveries in his personal quest for them. His anecdotal, reassuring approach makes the whole experience seem much more accessible than do other books on the subject, which tend to read like textbooks. Peterson also addresses odd and potentially startling aspects of the OBE that the more technical books neglect to mention. Out of Body Experiences is a casual, friendly approach to astral travel that should be the first book anyone attempting an OBE reads, and should be high on the reading list of anyone who has tried unsuccessfully to leave his body.

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571740570
• ISBN-13: 978-1571740571
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

127 of 129 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Down To Earth Kind Of Guy Writing About The Incredible., July 27, 2000

By 

Sphere "cch128" (Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out-of-Body Experiences: How to Have Them and What to Expect (Paperback)

I have read various books on "Out of Body Experiences" and how to manuals for many years, but few can match this books ability to make the incredible understandable in down to earth style and language. The author comes across very clearly as a regular kind of person, like the rest of us. His writing style makes the unusual an easy read. He shares his own first hand knowledge and experience, not re-cooked information from other books. This is the real thing, I have read too many books about books, or books about others ideas and experiences that this first hand account of these realities is a wonderful breath of fresh air for me. His techniques of how to attain an OBE have suggestions that I have never seen anywhere else. He appears to be a very practical kind of person with his feet firmly on the ground but able to see beyond the sky. If your looking for an OBE book, this is the one you want. I have had a couple of unplanned OBE's and they are as real as real can be, but to do it by the power of your own will is the trick. Once you have had your own OBE there is no question as to this being a reality. Once you have had one you will easily be able to tell the difference between lucid dreams and OBE's, they are distinctly different. I had two unplanned OBE's, but I want to be able to have OBE's at will. This is what I bought this book for. I am just starting with his suggestions on how to consciously transition into an out of body experience, it takes work, but I believe this book has the best and most varied information about many different techniques which can work for most people. I am pleased that this book has a total lack of "New Age" dogma, a welcome change. After reading this book it is obvious that this guy loves science and has that kind of mind, but yet he shows you things that our science is just now scratching the surface on, things that our culture has hardly begun to understand. I AM Chris

73 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars essential OOBE book, June 20, 2002

By 

John (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out-of-Body Experiences: How to Have Them and What to Expect (Paperback)

Here is a person who is interested in sharing how he accomplished OOBE in a practical and down to earth manner where everybody can understand. His main focus is to teach others how to do it not to make money. This book was on the web before it was even published!!!

He talks about his experiences in short stories which is easily digested and with each chapter he has exercises that you can do to have OOBE. He writes not only how to have OOBE but as the title of the book implies "what to expect" when you do have them so you will be prepared and not totally off guard.

For example, he talks about the silver cord and how things are a little different in the astral than in the physical. The last chapter of the book has a detailed method of getting out of the body.

However, I wish he wrote about some of the struggles that he had and how long it took for him to have some of his OOBE. I think it is important to have people understand that for most people it will take time and effort and dedication. And by reading about some of his failures, readers won't be too discoruaged when they don't have OOBE as soon as they want. Instead they will say, "Hey, he had difficulties too and still accomplished OOBE. I'm like him and if he did it, I can do it too!"

Again, I would highly recommend this book for anybody who is interested in having OOBE. It is easy to understand and doesn't have the esoteric "mumbo jumbo" that are found in some of the other books.

As always, there are what is considered 'essential books' in any subject matter. I feel that this book ranks with the essential books in the field of OOBE. Some of the other essential books, in my opinion are, Journey Out of the Body by Robert Monroe, Adventures Out of the Body by William Buhlman, Astral Dynamics by Robert Bruce and Rick Stack's book(I can't remember the title). There are more but these are from more recent times and may be easier to understand and read than some of the older books.

It's important to have good books to read(this is one of them) so that your subconscious is saturated with the subject so that it knows that you are serious about having OOBEs. Good luck in having OOBEs and remember not to get discouraged and keep at it.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Personal experience is best, February 17, 2002

By 

Snorkledorf (Japan) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Out-of-Body Experiences: How to Have Them and What to Expect (Paperback)

This is the book that really started me down the path that my life currently appears to be taking - I owe the author a debt of gratitude.

Peterson explains his experiences with OOB states (and other interesting effects on his life) in a very straightforward manner. No jargon to wade through, no assumptions to be swallowed (other than "gee it'd be cool to wander around outside my body"), and no apparent agenda other than a clear desire to let people know what he's figured out about the subject.

Some books tend to leap into esoteric explanations of (as an arbitrary example) "the seven spheres of astral existence" or the like, without much of a solid attempt to back up their assertions. A "believe me, because I know lots" attitude. Peterson's book instead carefully walks you through his own experiences, allowing the reader to see how he figured out some things, and how others still don't make sense. In other words, it sounds just like how you'd expect an honest guy trying to report some totally weird experiences would sound.

Everything he writes about in the book comes from his reported personal experience. When dealing with a subject as unconventional as OOBs, it really helps to be shown a clear picture of the exact process the author went through, from first experience, through explorations, side effects, up to the point where it's become enough a part of the author's life to begin sharing what he knows. And basically that's what we get here, along with quite a lot of specific techniques for skewing the scales in favor of getting some results of your own.

Highly recommended!