in February 1979, I had taken a flight from Atlanta GA to Dallas Texas to visit my parents for the first time in their new home.  they had moved there because of a job transfer. dad picked me up at the airport and we drove for almost an hour to get to the house.  when we finally arrived I was exhausted.  mom greeted us at the door, and I hugged her and asked her if she minded if I laid down for a quick nap, and then we could visit.  she said okay and dad led me to the guest room.  we were each carrying one of my suitcases, and we both set them down at the foot of the bed. dad then left the room and I pulled only the bedspread back, stepped out of my sneakers, turned off the bedside lamp, and laid down on the bed with my back facing the door. 

the next thing I remember I was on floating upward and away.  my back was rounded and my legs were dangling. I kept moving up and away until I realized what was happening and then I became stationary in that position.  it felt like a good portion of my rounded back was already through the ceiling.  for a few seconds I just hung there looking around the room, looking at all the knik knaks on the dresser and into a half bathroom that I had not noticed was there when I came in.  I could see all the decorative hand towels my mother had placed by the sink.  then I remember thinking, wow, how am I doing this?  this is cool.  then I looked down and saw my body.  I was laying on my side and I could see that I was breathing.  I then had a feeling of confusion, and for a second I remember thinking that maybe I was dying, but I wasn't really afraid. then I looked over at the doorway.  there was  a figure there. from where I was on the ceiling I was getting a side view of this entity. it was wearing a  hooded cloak. the cloak was dark brown and was made of a course burlap type material.  I could not see even the side view of the entity's face, only the hood of the cloak.  it was simply standing there, still.  I became very frightened and began to look frantically back and forth between my sleeping body on the bed and the entity, screaming wake up, wake up! over and over again. I felt very helpless, not knowing if the entity was there to harm my body or not.  at that point I felt as if I was sucked very hard back into my body with a lot of force. I immediately awoke and turned over to look at the doorway....there was nothing there. 

I got up, shaken. and went into the kitchen where my parents were sitting at the table having coffee.  I said "mom, did you hear me making any noises or yelling while I was sleeping?" she said no and asked me why.  I told her that I thought I had had a bad dream and I was screaming and yelling in the dream. she just looked at me kind of funny and told me I was just tired from the trip. 

a few years later I heard about other people who had floated above their bodies and I am now sure that I did in fact leave my body.  I do not know if the entity was friend or foe.  someone once told me that I may have been in a different dimension and that the figure knew I was out of my body and was there to try to get into my body.  I don't know if that is true or not. 

so that is what happened to me in 1979.  as I said earlier I have had 2 other out of body experiences since then.  if anyone would care to hear about those, I would be happy to share them as well.  I would like to know why this happens to me every so often and what it means. so if anyone would care to comment or has any knowledge about these kinds of things, feel free to contact me.

thank you

lee v.

Any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?     No      

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No      

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No      

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           I felt very alert and conscious of what was happening.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   no it felt very real.  at first I thought it might have been a dream because I was young and had never heard of leaving ones body.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     Yes     I was floating above my body looking down on it while I was asleep.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            at first I was having fun until I saw the figure in the doorway.  I was not sure if it was there to harm me or not.  I became very fearful when I realized that I could not wake my body up.

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?           no sounds

LOCATION DESCRIPTION:  Did you recognize any familiar locations or any locations from familiar religious teachings or encounter any locations inhabited by incredible or amazing creatures?            Uncertain      I had never been to my parents new house before and was only in the bedroom where I went to sleep for a minute before I laid down.  while I was up on the ceiling I saw all the things around the room and into a guest bath that I didn't even know was there when I laid down.

Did you see a light?           No      

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes     a dark cloaked figure. in brown burlap material.  the material kind of looked like what we see a monk from the middle ages wear, but the cloak and hood itself was constructed in the style of the grim reaper.  I have never seen anyone like that before.  as far as communication,  the figure just stood there looking straight ahead.  I was getting a side view from where I was on the ceiling.  I never saw the face.  it never moved or looked towards me.

Did you experiment while out of the body or in another, altered state? No      

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Yes     I saw those hand towels by the sink in that bathroom and how they were placed while I was on the ceiling, they were just like that when I looked in that bathroom later.  when I laid down I did not even know there was a guest bath connected to that room.

Did you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they different?          Yes     I actually felt pretty good. I was in awe that I was up there. I think I remember feeling like I was light and airy, or maybe weightless.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   No      

Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?    No      

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?             No response            it felt as though my rounded back was already partially through the ceiling but when I realized I was up there then I stopped moving beyond the ceiling and just stayed up there looking down on the room and my sleeping body. I think that I would have floated onward and upward right out through the roof of the house if I had not realized what was happening to me.

Did you become aware of future events?       No      

Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?       Uncertain            when I saw the entity in the doorway I was afraid it would harm my body laying on the bed.  I felt very separated. I was screaming at my body to wake up because I could see from up where I was, that my body was still sleeping. I do not think I made a conscious decision to try to get back in.  once I saw the figure, I was frantic, my main concern was to wake my body up so it could run or get away from the dark figure.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?         No      

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     it made me think that there is more to life than what we are living here on the plane, although I do not know what else it is.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Uncertain      as I said, I think that there is more to life than just what we see in our daily life now.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I did not tell anyone for a few years because I had decided that it was a bad dream.  then I heard about others with similar experiences. a few people I told thought it was just a dream and some thought it was something paranormal.

What emotions did you experience following your experience?  right after I was shaken up.  the fear I felt of the dark figure scared me.  after I caulked it up to a bad dream it didn't frighten me anymore.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      best part was being in a floating hovering state.  worst  fear of the dark figure.  I was terrified of it.  mostly because I did not and still do not know what it was or what if anything it intended to do.

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        no

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         Uncertain      I have left my body 2 other times but neither event was anything like this one I have described.  nor were the other 2 alike.

Did the questions asked and information you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?               Yes    

Please offer any suggestions you may have to improve this questionnaire.    I really cannot think of anything else.