I've personally never experienced something like this, but I was wondering: what exactly does this out-of-body experience feel like? Are you still somewhat tethered to your body, or can you go wherever you want with impunity? Is this all a dream, or some kind of subconscious projection? What would be the appropriate thing to do if you woke up and found yourself, literally?

I'm not that knowledgable on the subject. I was just thinking "What would I do if I got up and left my body behind, though I'm still on Earth?", and then I thought "This could be an interesting forum topic".

So, discuss out-of-body experiences, flame me for my ignorance, just don't bring too much religion into this.

I think you meant to say...

Otherwise the thread will be closed

Only when I was nearly killed. It was like watching it happen to someone else. Not literally, more like a feeling of utter detachment from the situation.

I tend to be...slightly detached at times...but nothing out-of-body, like watching it as if I was someone else. I can try to imagine it, but I know I'll never emulate that feeling just by thought.

How exactly does this work on a psychological level? There is some chain of events that trigger this stimulation, right? Any possibility that it's all in the mind? What signals the brain to stop the hallucination?

If it wasn't in the mind, what else would it be? So yes. As for how I don't know, I'm neither a biologist nor psychologist.

Just making sure. I didn't want to say that it takes place in the mind and then have a dozen people come at me saying "Let me tell you why that's BS".

I kind of shut down once when I crashed my dirt-bike, I think your body detaches entirely from any feeling when it thinks your going to die (seeing as there's no point in it firing all the pain receptors if your gonna die).

The power of the human mind to ignore pain is incredible. Why haven't we adapted to use this naturally at our own pleasure? Or why hasn't science unlocked this?

OT, my friend has medically died three times. Two heart transplants and an operation. Heart stopped and everything, and he just popped back minutes later.

Three different times!

Well seeing as our body produces with sensation of pain, it's not surprising that it can suppress it. Without out it we'd be reckless.