then remembered the rotating trick, which operates just as if
you are turning over in bed. I started to turn, and recognized
that my physical was not "turning" with me. I moved slowly,
and after a moment I was "face down," or in direct opposition
to the placement of my physical body. The moment I reached
this 180° position (out of phase, opposite polarity?), there
was a hole. That's the only way to describe it. To my senses,
it seemed to be a hole in a wall which was about two feet
thick and stretched endlessly in all directions (in the vertical
plane).
The periphery of the hole was just precisely the shape of
my physical body. I touched the wall, and it felt smooth and
hard. The edges of the hole were relatively rough. (All this
touching done with the non-physical hands.) Beyond-through
the hole—was nothing but blackness. It was not the blackness
of a dark room, but a feeling of infinite distance and space, as
if I were looking through a window into distant space. I felt
that if my vision were good enough I could probably see
nearby stars and planets. My impression, therefore, was of
deep, outer space, beyond the solar system, far in an
incredible distance.
I moved cautiously through the hole, holding onto its
sides, and poked my head through carefully. Nothing. Nothing
but blackness. No people, nothing material. I ducked back in
hurriedly because of the utter strangeness. I rotated back
180°, felt myself merge with the physical, and sat up. It was
broad daylight, just as when I had left what seemed a few
minutes before. Lapsed time: one hour, five minutes!..
Robert A. Monroe
Journeys Out of the Body (1971)
…This was a most unusual and vivid experience, and I
don't know if I want any more like it. I went to bed late, very
tired, around two in the morning. The vibrations came in
promptly without induction, and I decided to "do something"
in spite of the need for rest. (Maybe this is rest.) After moving
out easily, and visiting several places in quick sequence, and
remembering the rest need, I attempted to get back to the
physical. I thought of my body lying in bed, and almost
immediately, I was lying in bed. But I quickly realized