When I was about 11-13 years old, I had a short lived fling with
some New Age thinking. Read Linda Goodman's Star Signs and Sun
Signs. Had all sorts of practice sessions in various new age
techniques including out of body experiences, lucid dreaming,
etc.
This was between 1983-85.
Well, I was successful in lucid dreaming. [I still do it - it's
not hard] but I *also* got good at having OOBE.
You can travel, see yourself flying. Neat stuff. You're
half-awake / half-asleep. It's a total blast.
I didn't REALLY believe in it, but I was giving it a shot to see
what worked and what didn't.
Long story short, it's a neat trick. I feel bad for people who
have the experience UNPREPARED. I also did it awake and meeting
yourself _is_ a strange experience but it's like one of those
Jedi Mind tricks; as long as you know you're still there where
you are, and what you see isn't you, you're alright.
Right now, I can look up and see myself looking back and me if I
chose, wherever I choose. It's imagination. I have lots of it.
[I also can read Auras. Is there anything REALLY there? Who
knows, but it's easy to convince people. I can see it, but I
know it's most likely a mind-trick.
If I had a scammy personality, I'd make money at it but I just
do it for my own amusement when I'm bored.
You can see your own too. Look into a mirror, about two feet
behind you and two feet up.
Before you know it, you just might see colors around you.
It works on other people as well, animals, trees, whatever. I'm
sure it ties into some fascinating gaps in our cognitive systems
and it's easier for some people than others.