Feel Disembodied? Unattached to Your Self?? Existentially A Joke?

1. 72

   lorlie6posted 13 years ago

   This feeling of being 'above' my body is way insane, I'd say...No, it's actually  the sense of unreality-some sort of existential joke, I imagine!
      
   Whatever it is, I have it.
   It's like "Laurel's not Laurel."
   (Or of course, "lorlie's not lorlie")
   
   Having a username doesn't help in my identity search and confusion, as you can imagine.
   
   Comments are welcome from anyone-including doppelgangers!!!

   replyreport
   1. 61

      paradigmsearchposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      A rollercoaster ride, parachute jump, hang gliding, or bungee jumping experience, etc.  will bring you back to Self.

      replyreport
2. 60

   knolyourselfposted 13 years ago

   "This feeling of being 'above' my body is way insane,". I been outside my body for thirty years. Course I report back in every few minutes which makes it practical. You get used to it.

   replyreport
   1. 72

      lorlie6posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      But who, pray tell, do you report to?  And who do you send outside when checking stuff out?  Or do they travel in pairs?

      replyreport
3. 60

   knolyourselfposted 13 years ago

   "But who, pray tell, do you report to?  And who do you send outside when checking stuff out?  Or do they travel in pairs?" Cool. Great questions. I meant I report back to reality. If outside you mean outside reality, it is a spiritual or metaphysical identity that operates in the context of a different reality primarily concerned with the study of knowledge. It is pairs, one outside and one inside reality. The inside one tests theory as proposed abstractly by the outside What's your story?

   replyreport
4. 84

   camloposted 13 years ago

   Lorlie, I've never experienced this.
   
   I never knew 'doppelganger' is used in English.
   
   Actually, I'm not quite sure I fully understand what you're experiencing ...

   replyreport
5. 72

   lorlie6posted 13 years ago

   I'm a bit more than half-serious about this, probably because it's been a part of my life for so long.  I remember back when I was 4 years old, the doctor came to our home-yes, a house-call-because I couldn't stop screaming in the middle of the night.  I was unable to be calmed; night terrors to the 'n'-th degree, I imagine.
   This was in the 50's, and there was really no diagnosis forthcoming-psychology was not terribly popular at the time.
   What I couldn't describe at that age was a feeling of being in some sort of lengthening tunnel, and I kept shrinking.  Alice in Wonderland sort of thing.  I felt that I was disappearing.
   This 'sensation' is spatial, I suppose I can say, and continues to this day in my waking life.  It is a very disturbing feeling and sometimes exhibits itself as a constant inner dialog I have with myself that's sort of an internal commentary on my conscious life.
   God, I hope this makes some sort of sense.
   Since this colors most of my perceptions in life, I went into Philosophy at university-no wonder, huh?

   replyreport
   1. 61

      paradigmsearchposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hi, lorlie.
      
      Actually, my previous post was somewhat serious. The ideas I mentioned are all activities that grab one’s full attention and cause a person to live in the now. This invariably snaps the person’s mind out of the symptoms you described. That’s the good news.
      
      The bad news is that my previous post was wrong. I was under the impression that you were describing the state of mind that we all feel from time to time. That was what my previous post was meant to address. Your subsequent clarifications, however, indicate that these occurrences are more than occasional. I liked Mighty Mom’s post in response to this. The only thing I could think to add to it would be the usual good-nutrition mantra, particularly as to the often-mention B-complex vitamins supplement. And doing some living-in-the-now stuff probably wouldn’t hurt either. Hang in there!

      replyreport
   2. 80

      2besureposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This used to happen to one of the children in the family.  Later we discovered that she had been molested.  She was so clingy with her mom and went into a panic if she woke up an her mom was gone.  Not saying this happened to you, but I have heard of this before with children who were violated.  Being out of the body or making themselves very small in the hope they would disappear and become invisible to protect themselves emotionally.

      replyreport
6. 72

   lorlie6posted 13 years ago

   Paradigmsearch, I do have a sense of humor about this-I'd be insane by now if I didn't!

   replyreport
7. 77

   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Sounds perfectly normal to me. Comes with the territory, if you get my drift. Not to minimize the phenomenon or the disruption it causes you (or any of us). But you are not alone, Lorlie Gal!
   
   I think the question is -- is the experience
   a) always disturbing/frightening/disabling
   b) sometimes one, two, or all three
   c) rarely all three, but sometimes one or two
   d) actually a pretty cool thing that you can use to fuel creativity?
   
   P.S. I sure hope the night terrors are a thing of the past for you!!!

   replyreport
   1. 72

      lorlie6posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hey there, Mom,
      
      I'll pick 'c' AND 'd':
      
      c) rarely all three, but sometimes one or two
      It's always disturbing and frightening, but to a lesser extent, disabling.
      
      d) actually a pretty cool thing that you can use to fuel creativity?
      Now THAT will be my plan for the future, since at times I feel it's my subconscious/muse trying to break through.
      
      Awesome posts, people-thanks!

      replyreport
8. 60

   knolyourselfposted 13 years ago

   "What I couldn't describe at that age was a feeling of being in some sort of lengthening tunnel,". I been down the tunnel and Alice and
   Wonderland always came to my mind as well. I compare it the tunnel of the near-death experience. One of the greatest things that ever happened to me. Never been afraid of death since.
   Was thinking when I get to the end of the tunnel I will know who I truly am. Just as well I didn't get there. If I knew who I truly was I couldn't be anybody else. What fun would that be. Like you from an early age I fought it. Finally I decided to go just go with it. Think have to do that.

   replyreport
9. 77

   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   It's great to see you back in the community!
   xo

   replyreport
10. 66

    Pearldiverposted 13 years ago

    Mate... welcome to astral planing
    Chill... go lie down and relax... doze off (relaxed) and when you wake up, you will be whole again! True.... Try it.

    replyreport
11. 72

    lorlie6posted 13 years ago

    PS-my nutritional habits are far from perfect, so I'll give it some more attention, as well as 'being here now'! 
    Thanks everyone, for your comments on this-I knew I'd find folks that understand-if only marginally!

    replyreport
    1. 72

       lorlie6posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I did not mean that to be as insulting as it appears, really!!
       Weird how some things come out when read...I hope you get what I mean.
       

       replyreport
12. 72

    lorlie6posted 13 years ago

    I've been checking this thing out all day now, and my best term for it is something like this:
    
    My mind begins to split-some of the self is busy speaking and doing things, socially interacting with others.  The other 1/2 withdraws into my 'private' mind and begins carrying on a silent (actually speaking in low tones, thank God) commentary that is continuous through the day.  It never stops!  It is usually, but not always, a negative chatter only I can hear.
    
    Oh, and these 'voices' are not those of God or the Devil, or any such thing.  What I hear is my own voice commenting on the world and its inhabitants.  Hope I've not crossed some line between sanity/insanity!

    replyreport
    1. 59

       recommend1posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I am pretty much in myself most of the time but I experience what you describe just very occasionally and only short periods of time, I find this is usually during stress periods, in a poor situation and can't get out, or when really important things are going wrong.  I kinda welcome it to some extent because it is an escape at the time, but it does not help solve the issue that brings it out.
       
       I determined a long time ago that the answer for me was to ground myself in doing something physical, get out and talk to people about something else etc etc,  or as PD suggested jump off a bridge on the end of a piece of elastic etc.

       replyreport
13. 81

    Rafiniposted 13 years ago

    This sounds very interesting, and similar to something I experienced as a young child.  But, it was only a few times. (not even sure if its the same thing)  It felt similar to what knolyourself describes, except I didn't feel it as a near death experience.  More like on the verge of being whole, complete. 
    
    I don't remember voices but I do remember being in agreement with, or agreeing to, something.  Around the same time I had a dream of walking up an invisible flight of stairs into the clouds, and I swear that summer whenever I was running around (playing outside, and only when I was actually running) it was like I was floating on air.
    
    Maybe you need to come to terms with something about yourself?  just a thought.

    replyreport
14. 60

    knolyourselfposted 13 years ago

    "Hope I've not crossed some line between sanity/insanity!" If you do not believe in a completely
    delusional reality your are not insane.
    "What I hear is my own voice commenting on the world and its inhabitants." Would take it then
    that some conscious you is outside, separate
    and independent the you as the thinking self.
    Is that  right? Kind of like watching yourself that should see but not be heard.

    replyreport
15. 82

    tlpoagueposted 13 years ago

    Hmmm, interesting, it sound to me like you have the makings of some great hubs.

    replyreport
    1. 72

       lorlie6posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Now THAT'S a great idea!

       replyreport
16. 51

    J2477posted 12 years ago

    Hey.. I understand completely what you  mean. I have this ongoing almost every day and just when I think maybe I'm getting used to it.. it gets worse. I've searched for YEARS trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with me. I've never found a solid truth though.. closest I've ever discovered is Depersonalization/De-realization which is also unfortunately incurable and not greatly documented. Sad, but it kind of makes me happy to see that some one else put it down perfectly.. it's hard to put into words. Like.. life is one BAD movie. I have this issue in conjunction with a vicious cycle of Depression. SUCKS! Sorry, I can't be more informative just hold on and try to use your obscure view on the world creatively to turn your problem into a solution I guess. Good luck, I hope the best for you. On a side note.. have you started replying to those narrative voices? Hahaha.. I'm kind of scared to tell anyone that I've begun looking at them as company and kind of replying to myself. It's a trip.. and possibly as close to madness as you can get with out completely going over the edge. Alice in wonderland DOES come to mind.. but, they say insane people don't realize their insane.. so that confuses me further.

    replyreport