I had an involuntary out-of-body experience at the age of fourteen. On retrospect, I believe that it was the result of at least three different factors. First of all, I'd already made an attempt to induce an out-of-body experience during a lucid dream the previous night. Secondly, I had gone ice skating that day, which left me with a persistent feeling of motion. Finally, it was the first night for me to take a new sleeping pill, due to the fact that my water bed had recently broke, forcing me to sleep on a couch.

As I attempted to fall asleep, I became paralyzed. I heard a humming sound and felt my head vibrating. The sound and vibrations gradually became more intense, until they were unbearable. Eventually, I fell into a series of hazy nightmares. I dreamed that was trapped in the space between the two couches; my mother was preventing me from getting out. After that, I was helping my father in the kitchen, when he suddenly stabbed me with a knife and began laughing maniacally. Everything started getting dark, and the laugh got deeper. It sounded like the THX intro in reverse, eventually becoming a low rumble. Finally, everything went black.

All of a sudden, I woke up feeling refreshed. Something compelled me to get off the couch, but my body didn't go with me. At first, I thought that I was having another lucid dream, but I quickly realized that my experience was real. In fact, it seemed more real than any other experience I've ever had. I willed myself to float up through the ceiling and into the sky. Despite the fact that it was nighttime, I could make out details with amazing clarity. After that, I willed myself to leave this world. Suddenly, I was in an otherworldly environment. I stood on a beach, dotted with strange buildings. Above me was a starry sky with several unfamiliar planets. I noticed people walking and flying around, but before I could do anything else, I returned to my body.