Journeys Out of the Body

«In the spring of 1958 I was living a reasonably normal life with a reasonably normal family. Because we appreciated nature and quiet, ours was a country environment. The only unorthodox activity was my experimentation with techniques of data learning during sleep—with myself as the chief subj» — fecha el comienzo y lo enmarca en un experimento previo de aprendizaje durante el sueño

«a beam or ray seemed to come out of the sky to the north at about a 30° angle from the horizon. It was like being struck by a warm light» — el primer episodio, en su propio relato

«I still don’t know what the word “astral” means. Thus I prefer to stick to the terms “Second Body” and “Second State.”» — rechaza el término «astral» y elige su propia nomenclatura

«This type of literature, which still flourishes, depicts an astral world composed of many levels or planes, which is where people go when they “die.”» — cómo describe la literatura astral que declina usar

«there evolved what seemed to be three Second State environments. The first of these was identified as Locale I, for lack of a better nomenclature» — la tripartición de los entornos, presentada como provisional

«Locale I is the most believable. It consists of people and places that actually do exist in the material, well-known world at the very moment of the experiment» — la definición de Locale I

«The best introduction to Locale II is to suggest a room with a sign over the door saying, “Please Check All Physical Concepts Here» — cómo introduce Locale II

«It is certain to produce emotional effects as it steps solidly upon what we have accepted as reality. Furthermore, many of our religious doctrines» — y la advertencia que le pone delante

«The Second Body is basically not of this physical world. To apply it to visits to George’s house or other physical destinations is like asking a diver to swim down to the ocean bed without scuba gear or pressure suit» — la analogía del buzo para explicar los límites del Segundo Cuerpo

«the scientist today can conceive far more easily of the possibility of the area here labeled Locale III than that of Locale II. Why? Because it fits his latest discoveries in physics, small bits of evidence he has uncovered in his experiments with matter bombardment, accelerators, cyclotrons, etc» — por qué considera Locale III más aceptable para un físico que Locale II

«The best way to get acquainted with Locale III is to take the significant experiments leading up to it directly from the notes» — y cómo elige presentarlo: por las notas, no por la teoría

«The autosuggestion hallucination factor is negative. I expected to find Dr. Bradshaw in bed in the house, but did not do so and was puzzled by the inconsistency» — cómo razona su propia prueba: consigna que el resultado contradijo lo que esperaba

«Identical reports with conditions of actual events: (1) Location of Dr. Bradshaw and his wife. (2) Position of the two relative to each other» — y qué cuenta como coincidencia verificable

«there seem to be built-in directional senses if their use can be mastered. The “if” is the catch» — los sentidos direccionales, con su condición

«you “think” of the person at the end of your destination—never a place, but a person—and use the method prescribed» — la regla de navegación: se piensa en una PERSONA, nunca en un lugar

«It is: Like attracts Like. I didn’t realize there was such a rule that acted so specifically. It had been to me nothing more or less than an abstraction. Project this outward, and you begin to appreciate the infinite variations found in Locale II» — la ley que dice haber aprendido, y su alcance

«essentially the message that religion and philosophy have been attempting to convey throughout the ages, although perhaps less bluntly and often distorted» — cómo relaciona esa ley con lo que religión y filosofía habrían intentado decir

«I asked them what year it was, but they didn’t seem to understand (no time concept in the superconscious?» — registra que sus interlocutores no entienden la pregunta por el año, y anota la hipótesis entre interrogantes

«Again I noticed the strange rubbery elasticity of this other body. I could stand in the middle of the room and reach out to touch the wall some eight feet away» — la elasticidad del Segundo Cuerpo, descrita por su alcance

«Then I kept pushing my hand outward, and suddenly the texture of the wall was against my hand. Just by pushing out, my arm had stretched t» — y cómo dice que el brazo se estira; el corte trunca la frase

«I got out of the physical by the “log roll” process, then started across the room. Something seemed to be holding me back. It was like trying to walk slowly in water, pulling with arms and legs and getting nowhere» — nombra el «log roll» como método de salida, y la resistencia que encontró

«I was in the charged Faraday cage (copper screen mesh, above ground, D.C. charge 50kv» — el experimento con la jaula de Faraday, con sus especificaciones

«I attempted to move through the cage. I got out of the physical OK, then I seemed to be entangled in a large bag made of flexible wire. The bag gave when I pushed against it, but I couldn’t go through it» — y su resultado: no pudo atravesarla

«What was it that pulled me back so definitely? The “cord” I have since read of?» — sobre el cordón: NO lo observa, lo pregunta — y dice haber leído de él DESPUÉS

«Thought-action synchronicity. Whereas in the physical state action follows thought, here they are one and the same. There is no mechanical translation of thought into action» — el principio que adjudica al Segundo Estado: pensamiento y acción son lo mismo

«One gradually appreciates the existence of thought as a force in itself rather than as a trigger or catalyst. It is primarily an emotional thought force, which is gradually molded into coherent action. It is the thought of movement that creates the action» — y qué concluye de ahí sobre la naturaleza del pensamiento

«This is the barrier of blind, unreasoning fear. Given only small impetus, it turns to panic, and then to terror» — nombra el obstáculo central de su método

«If you consciously pass the fear barrier, you will have passed a milestone in your investigation» — y qué adjudica a superarlo

«Once you have achieved Condition A—the ability to hold calmly in the borderland state indefinitely with your mind on an exclusive thought—you are ready for the next step» — define la Condición A del método

«Condition B is» — y la B, por contraste; el corte de página trunca la frase

«This factor is thought control. In the state of vibration, you are apparently subject to every thought, both willful and involuntary, that crosses your mind. Thus you must be as close to “no thought” or “single thought” (concentration) as possible» — el control del pensamiento como requisito de la separación

«If one stray idea passes through your mind, you respond instantly» — y por qué: en ese estado toda idea suelta se ejecuta

«The first unexplained effect was the cramp or constriction, as reported earlier. Several weeks later, this was followed by the sensation of a “ray” from the north, with resultant catalepsy» — la secuencia de efectos que reconstruye a posteriori

«This sensory impression was later discovered to be reported consistently in the experiences of spiritualists, occultists, and others in the late nineteenth century» — reconoce que su sensación clave ya estaba descrita por espiritistas y ocultistas del XIX

«The primary needs of these evolving life forms are met through development of the psi force» — la jerarquía de fuerzas que propone, con la psi arriba

«Transmission and» — y el rasgo que le atribuye a la comunicación psi

«Any acknowledgment of the existence of the Second Body immediately demands the question mankind has pondered since the day he learned to think: Do we live on? Is there life beyond the grave? Our religions say believe, have faith. This is not quite enough for the syllogistic thinker who seeks valid premises that are clear-cut, leading to an inescapable conclusion.» — abre la cuestión de la supervivencia como consecuencia obligada de lo anterior: admitir el Segundo Cuerpo exige preguntar si se sigue viviendo. Y sitúa su desacuerdo con la religión en el terreno del método, no del contenido — la fe no le basta al que busca premisas nítidas que lleven a una conclusión ineludible

«All I can do is be as reportorial and objective as one can be in a basically subjective experience. Perhaps my premises will be valid to you as you read them.» — el límite que él mismo pone a todo el capítulo, y que conviene no perder al citarlo: lo único que puede hacer es ser tan reporteril y objetivo como se puede ser en una experiencia básicamente subjetiva, y deja al lector decidir si las premisas le resultan válidas

«First, you have to accept the possibility, remote as it may be to your experience, that you can act, think, and exist without the restriction of a physical body.» — la carta que le escribe al Dr. Gordon, moribundo de cáncer, formula el requisito de entrada de toda su técnica: aceptar la posibilidad —por remota que resulte a la experiencia propia— de actuar, pensar y existir sin la restricción de un cuerpo físico

«I still am not sure that she realized my letter could be construed as suggested training for death.» — consigna, sin adornarlo, lo que la carta era en realidad: no está seguro de que la esposa de Gordon advirtiera que podía leerse como entrenamiento para morir. La señora la leyó al enfermo una y otra vez, y él anota que las relecturas las pidió el propio Gordon, no ella

«the OOBE is generally extremely joyful to those who have it. I would make a rough estimate that between 90 and 95 per cent of the people who have this experience are very glad it occurred and find it joyful» — Charles Tart, en el prólogo, sobre la reacción de quienes lo experimentan

«Considering the importance of the idea of the soul to most of our religions, and the importance of religion in people’s lives, it seems incredible that science could have swept this problem under the rug so easily» — y su objeción a la ciencia, en el mismo prólogo

«Dr. Tart states that the EEG shows definite unusual and unique tracings during time of activity» — el dato instrumental que Monroe atribuye a Tart

«Mr. Monroe was able to produce two brief OOBEs. He awoke almost immediately after the first OOBE had ended, and estimated that it had lasted eight to ten seconds» — del registro de laboratorio de Tart

«His blood pressure showed a sudden drop, a steady low lasting eight seconds, and a sudden resurgence to normal» — y la medición fisiológica que lo acompaña

«Robert Monroe presented himself to us at the Topeka Veterans Administration Hospital Research Department so that we could learn more about the relationships between his personality and his out-of-the-body experiences. The primary goal of our investigation was an in-depth “psychological evaluation.” Monroe was highly co-operative and open during the intensive interviewing and batteries of different psychological tests which were aimed at examining the depths of his unconscious mind, his value structures, his fantasy life, and the humanistic or self-actualizing aspects of his mind.» — el psiquiatra Stuart W. Twemlow, jefe de investigación del Hospital de Veteranos de Topeka, describe el encargo con que Monroe se presentó ante ellos: una evaluación psicológica a fondo de la relación entre su personalidad y sus experiencias fuera del cuerpo

«Monroe, a sixtyyear-old businessman, had a relatively solid orthodox “southern” upbringing, although certain features of his life indicate that he was an unusual person from a very early age with unevenly developed intellectual and emotional abilities, and an unusually mature sense of person and independence. He reports that his first out-of-the-body experience occurred during his adult years, another point of difference, since in our work we have found that many people associate to out-of-the-body or similar experiences during their childhood. First experiences are often associated with severe physical illness, childbirth, various drugs (including anesthetics), or extreme states perceived as a psychological or physical threat to the person. Robert Monroe appeared not to be suffering from any severe physical illnesses at the time he had his first out-of-the-body experience. He was, however, at age forty-two, in the midst of mid-life adjustments and changes. It should also be noted that as a child he had severe scarlet fever, an illness that is associated with a high temperature. From his own account he was quite ill, although his mother, a physician, was able to look after him outside the hospital. In addition, later in his life Monroe has had some evidence of arteriosclerotic narrowing of the blood vessels to his brain, which could create a state of low» — Twemlow marca en qué se aparta el caso de los demás que ha visto —la primera experiencia le llegó en la adultez y no en la infancia, y sin enfermedad grave de por medio— y a la vez consigna sin suavizarlos los dos factores médicos que sí podrían pesar: la escarlatina con fiebre alta de la niñez, y un estrechamiento arterioesclerótico de los vasos cerebrales capaz de producir una baja oxigenación que se sabe precipita esta clase de experiencias

«The way in which Monroe utilizes his experiences is what is unusual. If we were to have such experiences most of us would be extremely frightened, and attempt to avoid them.» — el psiquiatra sitúa la singularidad no en las experiencias sino en el uso que Monroe hace de ellas: la mayoría, dice, se asustaría e intentaría evitarlas

«These include a tendency to feel socially isolated and different from others at quite an early age, often seeing the world itself as somewhat alien. This relative isolation is combined with a tendency to be autonomous, and yet also to be a leader, quite aggressive and danger-seeking.» — Twemlow enumera los rasgos que su equipo halla en las personas capaces de estas experiencias y que Monroe presenta: aislamiento social temprano y sensación de ser distinto, con el mundo percibido como algo ajeno, junto a autonomía, capacidad de liderazgo, agresividad y búsqueda de peligro

«Test examinations of his attitudes to death indicated that, compared with a normal population, Monroe’s anxiety and fear of death is very low.» — el resultado que Twemlow contrasta con la literatura del campo: frente a la población normal, la ansiedad y el miedo a la muerte de Monroe son muy bajos. Y objeta con eso la lectura corriente — algunos estudios cargan el acento en la NEGACIÓN de la muerte, y el análisis profundo de las pruebas no muestra en él temor a una muerte inminente ni intento de negarla

«Most striking was his slow rate of breathing and his intensive depth of relaxation. His breathing was shallow and he had periods in which he would not breathe at all, and then would take a few gulping breaths.» — lo observado en el experimento psicofisiológico de treinta minutos: respiración lenta y superficial, relajación de una profundidad intensa, con periodos en que no respiraba en absoluto y luego tomaba unas pocas bocanadas

«Dr. Jones and I simultaneously had the impression of a heatwave-like distortion of Monroe’s upper body while the lower part of his body was clearly in focus to us.» — el dato que los dos observadores registran a la vez y por separado: una distorsión como de onda de calor en la mitad superior del cuerpo de Monroe, mientras la inferior se veía nítida. Twemlow lo consigna como impresión simultánea de dos personas, no como medición

«From a technical point of view, while out of the body, Monroe’s GSR level showed an arousal of approximately 150 microvolts and was marked by a total absence of either specific or nonspecific responses once the experiment began, even when the technician actually touched his body to adjust the electrode placements. This is most unusual, as the GSR is highly sensitive to such interferences.» — la anomalía instrumental, dicha con su patrón de comparación: durante el estado, la respuesta galvánica de la piel no registró reacción alguna, específica ni inespecífica, ni siquiera cuando el técnico le tocó el cuerpo para ajustar los electrodos — y la GSR es muy sensible a esas interferencias

«A computer analysis of Monroe’s brain waves demonstrated that most of his brain energy was in the four to five (Theta) frequency range, with nothing at all above ten cycles per second.» — el análisis por computadora del electroencefalograma: casi toda la energía cerebral en la banda theta de cuatro a cinco ciclos, y nada por encima de diez

«Essentially, this brief experiment showed that Monroe was able during a state he defined as out-of-the-body to focus his brain energy into a narrow frequency band and to produce visible distortions of his body, observed by two people independently under low-illumination conditions.» — el resumen que el propio Twemlow hace de lo que el experimento mostró, acotado a eso y no más: durante un estado que Monroe definió como fuera del cuerpo, pudo concentrar su energía cerebral en una banda estrecha y producir distorsiones visibles de su cuerpo, observadas por dos personas de manera independiente y con poca iluminación

«It is almost as if energy is rampant and not under the full control of either the experimenter or the subject.» — la explicación que ofrece para los fallos técnicos recurrentes del instrumental en esta clase de experimentos —Monroe había movido las agujas de voltímetros sensibles pasando la mano por encima— y la deja como impresión: es casi como si la energía anduviera suelta y fuera del control tanto del experimentador como del sujeto