Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to step outside your physical body and explore realms beyond the material world? For over three decades, Robert Peterson has been pioneering the exploration of out-of-body experiences (OBEs), developing a systematic approach that has helped countless individuals achieve conscious separation from their physical form.
With 35+ years of personal OBE practice, a library of over 175 books on the subject, and two published works under his belt, Peterson has distilled his extensive knowledge into a practical, step-by-step method that anyone can learn. His technique, generously shared on his website, offers a roadmap for those ready to embark on this extraordinary journey of consciousness.
Step 1: Programming Your Subconscious Mind
Before attempting any OBE, Peterson emphasizes the crucial importance of getting your subconscious mind aligned with your conscious intentions. This foundational step often determines the difference between success and failure.
[Also see: How to Start Stral Projecting Safely]
Create Mental Pathways: Use hypnosis or daily affirmations to communicate your OBE goals to your subconscious. The most effective times for these affirmations are just before sleep and immediately upon waking, when your mind is most receptive to suggestion.
Immerse Yourself in the Subject: Surround yourself with OBE-related content. Read books, watch documentaries, and listen to music that evokes the sensation of floating or flying. This constant exposure helps normalize the concept in your subconscious mind.
Visualization Practice: Perhaps most importantly, spend time regularly imagining yourself having an OBE. Picture yourself floating above your body, flying through space, or exploring distant locations. This mental rehearsal creates neural pathways that support the actual experience.
Set Clear Intentions: Before attempting an OBE, decide exactly what you want to accomplish once you’re out of body. Whether it’s visiting a loved one, exploring a specific location, or simply experiencing the sensation of flight, having a clear agenda prevents confusion and provides direction during the experience.
Maintain a Dream Journal: Record all your dreams, including any spontaneous OBEs or lucid dreams. This practice enhances your awareness of altered states of consciousness and helps you recognize patterns in your experiences.
Step 2: Optimizing Your Physical Environment
Creating the right conditions for an OBE is essential for success. Peterson’s recommendations focus on timing, environment, and physical preparation.
Choose Morning Hours: Practice around 10:00 AM when you’re naturally alert and well-rested. Avoid practicing before bedtime or when tired, as your body will automatically shift toward sleep rather than maintaining the conscious awareness necessary for OBEs.
Eliminate All Distractions: Use earplugs or noise-canceling headphones if needed. Turn off phones, remove time pressures, and ensure pets won’t interrupt your session. The mind needs complete freedom from external concerns.
Choose Your Location Wisely: While Peterson has had most of his OBEs from his own bed, he recommends using a couch or comfortable chair when possible. Beds are strongly associated with sleep, which can work against maintaining conscious awareness during the process.
Stay Substance-Free: Avoid drugs and alcohol, which diminish the mental clarity and focus essential for successful OBE attempts.
Step 3: Achieving Deep Physical Relaxation
The third step involves releasing all physical tension and creating a state where your body feels virtually nonexistent.
Systematic Muscle Relaxation: Work through your entire body from head to toe, consciously relaxing each muscle group. Take your time with this process, as thorough relaxation is crucial for what comes next.
Reach Body Detachment: The goal is to achieve such deep relaxation that you can no longer feel your physical form. You should be able to “forget” your body exists entirely. This detachment creates the necessary conditions for consciousness to separate from its physical anchor.
Step 4: Entering the Focused Trance State
With your body deeply relaxed, your mind must achieve a specific state of focused stillness.
Cultivate Light Trance: Aim for a state similar to staring off into space—aware but deeply absorbed. Your consciousness should narrow to a single point of focus while maintaining passive observation.
Achieve Mental Stillness: All wandering thoughts must cease. Your mind should become completely quiet and still, creating space for the subtle phenomena that will follow.
Maintain Passive Awareness: Resist the urge to force anything. Simply observe whatever arises with complete receptivity and single-minded focus.
Step 5: Walking the Edge of Consciousness
This delicate phase requires balancing on the threshold between waking and sleeping—perhaps the most challenging aspect of Peterson’s method.
Approach the Sleep Border: Get as close to sleep as possible without losing consciousness. Most people fail at OBEs because they don’t approach this border closely enough. The key is maintaining awareness while your body believes it’s falling asleep.
Handle Physical Distractions: If itches arise (common when consciousness is highly focused), scratch quickly and immediately return to your focused state. When truly approaching sleep, these sensations typically disappear.
Experience Hypnagogic Phenomena: As you near the sleep state, you’ll likely encounter hypnagogic imagery—visual scenes, moving objects, or auditory experiences like voices or sounds. These are normal sleep-onset phenomena that usually go unnoticed.
Don’t Get Pulled In: The critical mistake is engaging with these images or sounds. Maintain your role as passive observer without getting drawn into the content, which would pull you into full sleep.
Step 6: Initiating the Exit Sequence
This final step transforms passive observation into active separation from the physical body.
Visualize a Dynamic Object: Create or take control of a hypnagogic object, such as Peterson’s preferred octahedron (two pyramids joined at their bases). Keep this object in constant motion—spinning objects are easier to maintain than stationary ones.
Create Momentum: Swing the object back and forth while it spins, increasing the intensity of movement. Imagine gravitational forces between you and the object, with the pull growing stronger as it approaches.
Sync Your Astral Movement: Simultaneously, imagine your consciousness or astral body swaying like liquid within your physical form, moving opposite to your visualized object’s motion. This creates a resonance that builds toward separation.
Allow the Pull-Out: When sufficient momentum builds, remain completely passive and let the object pull you straight out of your body.
What to Expect During Exit
The moment of separation often involves intense sensations that can be startling for beginners.
The Vibrational State: You’ll likely feel a sudden “zap” followed by intense, electric-like vibrations throughout your body. These can feel quite intense and even frightening initially, but they’re completely normal.
Subconscious Resistance: Your mind may deploy “scare tactics”—authoritative voices telling you to wake up, warnings of emergencies, or frightening imagery. These are simply your subconscious testing your readiness. Ignore them completely and maintain your calm, passive state.
Altered Perception: Don’t be concerned if your vision seems different or absent initially. This normalizes once you move away from your physical body.
Completing the Separation
When vibrations reach peak intensity, simply attempt to stand up, roll out, or sit up. If you’re truly in an OBE state, your astral body will move while your physical body remains motionless.
The key is gaining distance from your physical form—at least 15 feet according to Peterson, though this varies by individual. Once you’ve moved beyond this “cord activity range,” you can open your astral eyes and begin exploring with complete freedom.
Your Journey Begins
Robert Peterson’s method represents decades of refinement and practical experience. While achieving your first conscious OBE may take time and practice, following these six steps systematically gives you the best foundation for success.
Remember that persistence and patience are essential. Each attempt, even unsuccessful ones, builds the neural pathways and subconscious programming necessary for eventual success. With dedication to Peterson’s proven approach, you’ll be well on your way to experiencing the profound wonder of conscious out-of-body exploration.
For additional resources and insights, visit Peterson’s website at Robertpeterson.org, where he continues sharing his knowledge with aspiring astral travelers worldwide.
