I Exist Outside It
Move
I decided to return to the present. Not dramatically. Just a quiet decision to try a new meditation technique and see what happens.
See
One of the 112 techniques from Vigyan Bhairav Tantra — I don’t remember the number — talks about living outside the body. We limit ourselves to our physical being. The moment you accept you are energy, not confined to the body but present everywhere — the feeling shifts.
Seated. Eyes closed. One context held in mind — I am not the body.
A sudden relaxation. A blackness. My mind somewhere away from my body. The body light, fresh, like a feather. Permeable in the space around it. The boundaries between physical and air dissolving.
I ended in less than ten minutes. Returned. And felt a relaxed body waiting. hi
Reflect
Am I in chronic stress without knowing it? Is stress my constant — only the source changing through the day?
That question didn’t leave me. This trigger led me to do some research and find more evidence and facts.
And again I headed in the direction of seeking knowledge outside.
It is in me. It was always in my experience.
Ones who need validation:
Read further, only if it interests you.
"I had a realization of being in constant stress. Not because I felt it. Not because someone told me. But because of a new meditation routine I tried.
One of the 112 techniques from Vigyan Bhairav Tantra — I don't remember the number — talks about living outside the body. The way I relate to it is this: we limit ourselves to our physical being. Our body is all we know ourselves to be. The moment you accept you are energy, you are soul, not limited by the body but present everywhere — the feeling shifts. The perspective shifts.
The routine is best practiced seated, eyes closed. Holding just one context in mind — I am not the body. I exist outside it.
In that stillness, I experienced a sudden relaxation. A blackness. My mind somewhere away from my body. The body so light, so fresh — like a feather. Permeable in the space around it. The boundaries between physical and air dissolving.
I ended the routine in less than ten minutes. Returned. And felt a relaxed body waiting for me.
Then the realization kicked in.
Am I in chronic stress without knowing it? Am I someone for whom stress is constant — only the source changing through the day?"
That question led me to research. To find evidence. To find out if what I felt had a name:
Mental Distancing: Research suggests that adopting an "out-of-body" perspective—such as referring to oneself as "you" rather than "I"—can significantly reduce anxiety and negative thoughts. This shift creates a mental distance that allows you to view internal events objectively, rather than being at the "center" of the anxiety.
Decentering: This is a core mechanism in mindfulness where individuals view thoughts and feelings as temporary events rather than accurate reflections of reality. By identifying as "energy" or "soul" rather than the body, you effectively "unlink" your awareness from physical tension and reactivity, a process shown to reduce negative reactions to repetitive thoughts
Expansion of Consciousness: In the context of Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs), practitioners describe this not as literally leaving the body, but as expanding consciousness beyond it. This shift is noted for helping individuals transform fears and gain new perspectives on their problems.2. The Experience: Dissolving Boundaries and "Blackness"Your description of "boundaries between physical and air dissolving" and experiencing a "blackness" mirrors specific meditative states documented in neuroscience.
Loss of Spatial Borders: Skilled meditators often report experiences where the body seems to merge with space, resulting in a lack of spatial borders and an "infinite expansion of space".
The 3D Default Space: The "blackness" you experienced relates to what researchers term the "internal 3D default space." This is a subconscious, intrapersonal space that we typically do not detect, but which can be experienced as a "transcendental and borderless space" or a "dark space" when the eyes are closed during deep meditation,.
Mind Awake, Body Asleep: Your sensation of the mind being "away" while the body remained relaxed aligns with the "mind awake, body asleep" state, a level of deep relaxation where awareness is maintained on the cusp of sleep.3. The Realization: Habituation and the Hidden Cost of StressYour question—"Am I in chronic stress without knowing it?"—touches on the physiological phenomenon of habituation and allostatic load.
Habituation: The body’s stress response (HPA axis) is designed for short-term adaptation. However, repeated exposure to stress leads to "habituation," where the system adapts to a higher baseline of stress hormones (like cortisol). This can make a high-stress state feel "normal" until a contrast is introduced.
Allostatic Load: Chronic stress carries a "hidden cost" known as allostatic load. The body remains in a constant state of alertness to maintain stability, which often goes unnoticed because it becomes the default mode of functioning.
Parasympathetic Shift: The "relaxed body waiting for you" signifies a shift from a sympathetic (fight or flight) state to a parasympathetic dominant state. Meditation practices cultivate this shift, characterized by cardio-respiratory synchronization and deep physiological rest, which contrasts sharply with the stress response you likely carry in your daily life.
Further Reading
- Chronic stress - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chronic_stress
- On decentering: https://rdw.rowan.edu/csm_facpub
- How to Have an Out of Body Experience to Support Your Wellbeing: (Referenced from Sloan Magazine excerpts)
- Manage Stress by Creating an Out-of-body Experience | Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-narcissus-in-all-of-us/201405/manage-stress-creating-out-body-experience
- Meditation experiences, self, and boundaries of consciousness: http://medcraveonline.com
- Stress and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cden.2024.07.003
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