Do we actually "leave" our bodies during sleep?

Question

I was just reading the responses to today's question about dreams, and it instantly brought up a question of my own. Do we actually leave our bodies during sleep? The dreams I have are so vivid and so life-like. I dream of people I have never seen before, yet they know my name without me telling them. How is that possible?

Answer 1

No. You are your body. Your brain/mind and your body are all a part of the same system.

Here's what happens...When we sleep, the body and perception systems are shut down, but the brain stem continues to fire and the cortex remains active. The thoughts that have been most active during waking hours—perceptions, experiences, thoughts and feelings, processed consciously or unconsciously—are still “peaked” and they associate with other images already linked in your cortex. In other words, the brain references this content, but not in a rational way, not using input from the external real world as in waking hours. So the story connectedness isn’t like everyday experience, but rather a strange flow from one image to the next. Therefore, dreams aren’t magical messages to guide our life, but sequences of associated images taken from everyday experiences - thoughts and feelings that matter a lot to us during our waking life. So it’s a mistake to apply one-size-fits-all symbols, such as Freudian meanings or standard “dreammoods” formulas. All you need to do is think about what kind of imagery it is and how it relates to your daily life.

So your dream experience is actually a real experience, a mental one, with major differences from your experiences while awake.

Answer 2

Our sub-conscience tends to take over once asleep. With no true ties to bodily limit's, it's free to do as it pleases. Physicaly we are still within our bodies. Mentaly we can be anywhere, at any given time. So what's reality? For the time you are dreaming, and those vivid life-like expression are into play. THAT is your reality. So I'd say, yes. In a metaphysical sense, we do leave our bodies.

Answer 3

Sleep and near death experiences all occur WITHIN your brain. They have done tests in hospitals when people claimed to rise above their bodies. They asked them what the flashing sign on top of the cabinets said... and not one single person had any idea.

Answer 4

Your dreams come from your subconscious and you should know your name. Although I often would like to leave myself, no you don't leave your body, if you ever do you will not have to ask, you will know.

Answer 5

Watch the suffering of a dog, your mind will be blowed, you will realize the emptiness of achievements.
There is a desire in us to be good, we easily forget our wisdom, we fall in illusion.
The dog suffers, we make efforts to achieve; but what is that habit of hesitating in us? Are we not wanting to achieve moderately, rather than greatly?
We are slave of desires. We should be friend of desires. (i.e. we should be desire! Don't be the Self)

Answer 6

sometimes your soul slips out of you and when it comes back in you you can feel it.
it feels like it is crushing you flat.man it almost hurts.

Answer 7

you may be frightened but is people from your past life, you don't leave your body they come in!!

Answer 8

only dreamers dream,..

Answer 9

NO.