There are moments in life that change us so profoundly that we wish everyone would benefit form them. For me, that moment came after completing the Gateway Voyage training, a program that introduced me to the world of out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and gifted me with extraordinary encounters and deep, transformative healing.
When I returned home, I was bursting with stories to share. I told my partner at the time, Ilona, about the mind-bending journeys, the sense of limitless freedom, and the profound healing that felt like a rebirth. I urged her to try it herself, convinced she would find it as life-changing as I had. She was fascinated but also hesitant. As a child, Ilona had experienced involuntary OBEs, and the memories of those unsettling episodes still lingered in her mind.
After many conversations, and a reassuring talk with our trainer, Rolf Nuyts (focus34.com), she decided to take the leap. She enrolled in the Gateway Voyage training, and what unfolded for her was nothing short of astonishing. Like me, she encountered wonders during her journeys, but one experience, in particular, stood out; a moment that intertwined our experiences while she being in Belgium and me in Holland.
One evening, during the training in Belgium, Ilona lay on her side in bed, staring at the wall. Something felt off. The wall’s color wasn’t right. She was puzzled. Then she noticed details that shouldn’t have been there: books neatly stacked on a shelf, a pair of ballet shoes resting nearby. Suddenly, it hit her, she wasn’t in her room in Belgium. She was seeing our bedroom back home in Holland. As the realization dawned, she thought, If I’m seeing our room, then Jeroen must be on the other side of the bed. She turned over, half-expecting to see me there.
Meanwhile, back in Holland, I had just gone to bed. After reading for a while, I turned off the light and settled in. That’s when I felt it, a presence beside me. It wasn’t alarming; it was familiar, comforting. I tuned into the energy and immediately recognized it as Ilona. Smiling to myself, I turned onto my side and reached out, palm facing upward. It was our old habit, the way we used to fall asleep, holding hands. I lay there for a few minutes, savoring the warmth of her presence, until sleep began to pull me under.
A few days later, I received a message from Rolf. “Did you experience anything unusual recently?” he asked. “If so, what happened, and when?” I recounted the details; the day, the approximate time, and the sensation of Ilona’s presence. Rolf then checked with Ilona, and to our amazement, her account matched mine perfectly. She had indeed seen me turn toward her and reach out my hand. It was a moment of synchronicity that left us all in awe.
Many people have experiences where they perceive a place that doesn’t align with their physical surroundings. Often, they dismiss these moments as imagination or dreams. But I believe these are fleeting OBEsgli, mpses into a reality that’s far more profound than we give it credit for.
Even now, I often find myself lying in bed, eyes closed, yet still able to see the room around me. When I open my eyes, everything is dark, and the vision vanishes. It’s a curious thing; seeing more with closed eyes than open. These moments remind me that our perception (or reality itself) is far more fluid than we realize.
Occasionally, I slip into lucid dreams, where I become aware that I’m dreaming. Just the other day, I was driving a large van in a dream and nearly missed a turn. In that instant, I realized, This is a dream. With that awareness, I decided to fly, and instantly, the van soared into the sky. From that moment, the dream transformed into a conscious OBE, a vivid exploration of the limitless realms beyond the physical.
To me, dreaming, daydreaming, lucid dreaming, and even near-death experiences are all part of the same spectrum; variations of the out-of-body state. They remind us that consciousness is not confined to the body; it is vast, limitless, and full of mystery. And sometimes, when we’re ready, it connects us in ways that transcend time and space.
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