DID IT WORK FOR ME?

Charlotte Haigh attempts an out-of-body experience.

Arriving at the College of Psychic Studies for Jade Shaw’s sold-out OBE workshop, I’m sceptical. It’s not that I doubt OBES exist, but I feel you either have that sort of brain or you don’t. And I put my own bunch of neurons in the latter category. After sharing her own experience of OBES, Shaw explains it’s unlikely that we’ll have an OBE today, but promises that we’ll leave with techniques we can practise. She encourages us to set up some astral projection intentions and we discuss what we hope to achieve if we have an OBE. I say that I want to find solutions to questions I have about my path in life. Shaw then teaches us ‘exit techniques’ we can use to leave our bodies. First is ‘the rollout’. We roll from side to side on yoga mats, then use muscle relaxation and breathing techniques to take us into a state of deep relaxation. Shaw tells us to summon that sense of rolling in our minds until we might roll out of our bodies entirely. I don’t get close to that sense, but I do emerge feeling more chilled out than I have felt in months. Next, we do a ‘spiralling’ technique. As before, Shaw takes us into deep relaxation, then encourages us to imagine that we’re spiralling out of our bodies. This time, I nod off completely and I’m not the only one, judging by the gentle snores around the room. Others say they began to feel a pulling in certain parts of their bodies, which Shaw confirms is a good sign. One of her tips is to practise the techniques for five minutes after four to six hours of sleep, then head back to bed, awake but dopey. I leave the workshop with my scepticism blown away by Shaw’s approach and inspired to practise. I hope having my own OBE is only a matter of time.