Something I have noticed a few times recently is that whenever I close my eyes, I can vaguely perceive or sense in some way my surroundings, even though I cannot physically see them.  This ability is stronger if I try to concentrate or meditate.  For example, I was sitting on a park bench the other day and I closed my eyes and began meditating.  I was able somehow to perceive the fact that there were two trees nearby, how large they were, where they were located in relation to my body, etc.  All with my eyes closed.

Another example of this phenomenon I have experienced is that if I go to bed extremely late, when the sun is coming up outside, I can perceive the fact that it is daytime even if I am in a pitch dark room with my eyes closed and my hand over my eyes to block out any ambient light that might be present.  For some reason, I can sort of "see" the fact that it is light outside, even though no light is coming through my eyelids.  The only explanation I can think of for this is that in some way, I am experiencing "astral vision" while I am inside my body.

I know this sounds strange.  Has anybody else experienced something like this, where you can perceive something that you cannot see physically -- even though you are not having an OBE?

My theory about it is that it could be that consciousness vaguely extends outside the body through the power of the spirit, even while the spirit is in the body, and therefore a person may be able to perceive things without actually seeing them.  Sort of like a sixth sense.

Could just be powers of imagination, but it seems like more than that.  Any thoughts?

Freebird

Freebird,

What you are experiencing is actually
quite common among us OBE'ers. It's called
the Real Time Zone or "seeing through closed
eyelids" by Robert Bruce. What it suggests
is that your awareness is focused in your
etheric body. The etheric body always surrounds
your physical body until death or NDE. The
astral body according to R.B. is an offshoot of
the etheric that can leave the body (OBE) and
return when it's finished. The etheric doesn't
sense the exact physical world, but it's
pretty close. Like objects in the distance
may be misinterpreted as other objects. Also,
I notice I have 20/20 vision with my etheric
where I can't see to well in the physical w/o
glasses.

-mike

I too notice that 'sometimes' I can see through my eyelids and have wondered about it.  Thanks Mike, I wasn't sure what it was. ;-)

Love, Mairlyn ;-)

I have the same perception almost every night when I am getting ready to go to sleep.  I shut my eyes and I can see everything around me, even my dirty clothing on the floor.  Especially clear is my own body, even when it is under covers and it is pitch black in my room.

  Makes a lot of sense.  Especially if...  maybe we experience really through our imaginations more than we realize?  Sounds sort of similar to the whole holographic theory of reality.

 Whats really kool is the Pineal gland, and how it seems to be the physical doorway so to speak to the Chakra of pure perception--6th.  And it seems consistent visualization and meditation techniques really gets that old, usually atrophied gland a'pumping.

 Also, i noticed that the Mummy food diet i recommended here awhile back really seems to stimulate the Pineal gland too.
  Everytime i've eaten it consistently, my dream activity and vividness, and my general sensitivities seem to expand.  I've had a few dreams in which my inner guidance (and during meditation too) said, "hey Numbskull, get cracken on eating that Mummy food, believe me, you'll like it!"

 Interesting that the main ingredient in Mummy foods, contains a lot of the hormone Serotonin--the feel good kinda Oneness hormone that gets silly boosted if someone took something like E pills.  Or interestingly, when Buddha sat for years under a tree meditating to facilitate his awakening, what tree did he sit under...The FIG tree, i wonder what he ate when he was a'hungry?

 Another interesting tid-bit,  the Cayce readings (not him again groan!)  said something like...keep the Pineal gland operating (or active) and you'll never grow old.  

 Well, i'm too young as of yet, but i have a suspicion i'm gonna age muy gracefully, although my fiance had a dream recently that I died at 44 or around there.  Probably emblematical though.

Interesting that others have had similar experiences as I have.  Mike, thanks for your explanation.  20/20 vision in the etheric -- that's impressive!  For me it's much more vague.  Maybe if I practice meditating it will get clearer over time.

Freebird

I don't believe what you are expriencing is the "seeing thru the eyelids" phenomena.

When you see with closed eyes you can actually CLEARLY see.

It happens to me in the morning when I wake up. I move my head around and can see my room and then I open my eyes.

What YOU are experiencing seems to be more like visualisation.

My opinion though. I had to be the devil's advocate
;D

wrote on Apr 17^th, 2005 at 5:36pm:

What YOU are experiencing seems to be more like visualisation. My opinion though. I had to be the devil's advocate ;D

You may be correct, it does seem closer to visualization rather than a literal clear vision through the eyelids.  But it has more of a sense of reality to it than ordinary visualization, because it happens even if I am not trying to visualize.  I think there might be a gray area between visualization and the seeing through the eyelids phenomenon -- maybe you could call it involuntary visualization of one's real surroundings, or something like that.

I have never experienced what you describe, of seeing clearly and distinctly with closed eyes.  Can you do this when fully awake, or only in the hypnogogic state when you are waking up from sleep?

Everything I have experienced and others have shared in this thread seems to go along with my theory that people are not necessarily either "in body" or "out of body" but that there are various degrees in between.  Dreams, imagination, visualization, seeing through closed eyes, etc.  All seem like middle ground states of being partially in the body but with one's awareness partially out of body.

Freebird

Hi Freebird,

No this never happened to me when fully awake. I must add that when I see thru my eyelids it looks somhow diferent. The colors are not exactly the same... there was always more blue in everything. But I definitely was "seeing" and not visualizing.

As for

Quote:

Everything I have experienced and others have shared in this thread seems to go along with my theory that people are not necessarily either "in body" or "out of body" but that there are various degrees in between

I say it's highly probable BUT the problem is when do you consider having "a real vision"  and when do you consider having dreams? We must set an arbitrary line at some point.

In a dream I would say you "see" but when you visualize you don't really see, you just imagine. If pictures start to form and you "loose it"and start day dreaming then for me its like seeing. Though it doesn't mean you are doing more than dreaming...

freebird:Something I have noticed a few times recently is that whenever I close my eyes, I can vaguely perceive or sense in some way my surroundings, even though I cannot physically see them.  This ability is stronger if I try to concentrate or meditate.  For example, I was sitting on a park bench the other day and I closed my eyes and began meditating.  I was able somehow to perceive the fact that there were two trees nearby, how large they were, where they were located in relation to my body, etc.  All with my eyes closed.
______

I've done this a few times and it's fun. I'm in agreement with you that awareness as an energy field is not just located within the physical proximity of the flesh body but that as a person evolves into greater awareness the respective bodies we have all can be seen to encompass and surround objects. could explain psychometry I guess.
how about this, remember the gal that touched Yeshua's robe and got zapped? ha ha. well, his aura was pretty darn big I suspect.
hmm. could also explain Disneyworlds song "it's a small world after all."
and this awareness thing extending outward, would account for mental telepathy. it's like the whole world is inside your head and location is an illusion along with the time it takes to get to that location. on the other side for instance, you "think" your way somewhere, although if you want you can take a magic carpet ride or walk if you create it that way. I don't think there's anything real out there that is not in a state of decay. I think the whole world is right here inside of me, the real world that does not age or decay or change into something unreal or insubstantial. the table on my left exists as an extension of my mind. would explain how to bend a spoon ..hmm. wheres me coffee?
http://images.bravenet.com/common/images/smilies/bigcoffee.gif

I've had a few of those..I've closed my eyes while reading, nearly asleep..when I woke, I realized I had read the rest of the page..with my eyes closed!  Scared me the first time..now its just..fun.

I've seen through my closed eyelids on several occasions.  Mostly it is when I awaken in the morning.  I will awaken and be seeing my room clearly as if with my eyes open.  Then I'll move and it goes away and I realize my eyes are closed AND I still have my sleep mask on!  I wish the experience would last longer and that I'd realize what is going on before I get up to move.  I would think it would be easy to go out of body in this state.

The only other time I could see through my closed eyes was when I was 17 and having dental surgery.  They said I was asleep the whole time... but I was watching and listening to everything!  I felt wide awake the whole time.   I told them exactly what they talked about and what I'd seen.  

What had happened was, I had stopped breathing and they had to keep me on oxygen.  When they were done they brought my mom in, and when they told her I wasn't breathing fully on my own yet she fainted.  When they were finally able to arouse me the first thing I did was ask why my mom fainted because I was fine.  I tried to tell them I was fine the whole time, but of course no one believed me.  How do they explain me knowing what was going on the whole time?  

Does anybody have an opinion on why I would be in that state for such a long time and not leave my body?  Perhaps I did and I don't remember the experience?  Or do you think you have to consciously make the decision to float out and go somewhere?  

Please tell me your opinions because they has always intrigued me.  

Thanks.  Very interesting thread!