In her OBE, Blackmore went down a tunnel of trees toward a light, floated on the ceiling and observed her body below, saw a silver cord connecting her floating astral body, floated out of the building around Oxford and then over England, and finally across the Atlantic to New York.

After hovering around New York, Blackmore floated back to her room in Oxford where she became very small and entered her body’s toes. Then she grew very big, as big as a planet at first, and then she filled the solar system and finally she became as large as the universe.

Blackmore attributes her experience to peculiar brain processes such as might cause “neuronal disinhibition in the visual cortex,” which is her explanation for hallucinations and NDEs.

One explanation of the OBE is that consciousness is a separate entity from the body (dualism) and can exist without the body and the body without it. The disembodied consciousness can ‘see,’ ‘hear,’ ‘feel,’ ‘taste’ and ‘smell’. Some speculate that 'mind', 'spirit', or 'consciousness' can operate over vast distances and perceive objects by some mysterious power not yet discovered. Others think that they are due to brain states triggered by disease or stress.

If minds were leaving bodies, one would expect that there would be minds out of their bodies everywhere. You’d think that there’d be a mix-up occasionally and one or two souls or astral bodies would come back to the wrong physical bodies, or at least get their silver cords tangled up. One would expect some minds to get lost and never find their way back to their bodies. There should be at least a few mindless bodies wandering or lying around, abandoned by their souls as unnecessary baggage. There should also be a few confused souls who don’t know who they are because they’re in the wrong bodies.

My suspicion is that the neuroscientists are on the right track, and that someday we will understand the pathology of the OBE. That is not to say that these experiences are not real. For example, one of my students has been having OBEs since she was seven. She's now 19 and says she has six or more OBEs a year. They only occur at night when she is in bed and they are all spontaneous. Even though she was, and remains, frightened by these experiences (because she fears she is dying and will not return to her body), she told me she used to think everybody had them. She's been to heaven and has seen Jesus and her guardian angels (she says we all have two). They were very large and dressed in white, though Jesus wore a purple sash. She told me she's very spiritual and suffers from migraines but has never seen a doctor about them because her family doesn't believe one should go to a doctor unless one is at death's door. Does her mind leave her body? Or is her brain playing tricks on her? I strongly suspect the latter, but even if it were discovered that she has a brain abnormality that is causing both her migraines and her OBEs, it is still theoretically possible that her mind leaves her body and that her experiences are not hallucinations. I suppose it is also theoretically possible that her experiences are paranormal. Maybe she's getting telepathic messages from her mother, who is very spiritual, too. Either way, these experiences seem to define her existence.

Everyone experiences anger at sometime or another - there's just no way to avoid it! Being angry in certain situations is not only completely natural but also necessary. It is our instinctive fight-or-flight reaction kicking in, our internal signal that we're in danger somehow - whether it's our pride, heart or physical well-being on the line. Anger can help us recognize fear, frustration or threat and sends our body a clear message to take action and deal with these issues. Most of us feel uncomfortable with the intense emotion of anger, whether we're the one fuming or we're dealing with someone else who's angry. Despite its nasty reputation, though, anger is not a bad emotion in itself. It is the individual reactions to anger that determine how helpful or harmful it becomes.

Anger is actually a product of the perceptions of an event, not the event itself. For example, if you feel that someone's comment was meant to criticize you, you will react to that perception. In reality, however, the event (the comment) may not have been intended to hurt you - it's all in the eye of the beholder. Along the same vein, anger is separate from the reactions it might prompt. You feel the emotion, but whether you snap back at the person or laugh it off is your choice. Like any emotion, it is an internal state and does not dictate what you do as a consequence. One misconception is that anger goes hand in hand with aggression. In fact, the two work on very different levels - anger is a feeling, while aggression is a behavior. A person can be very angry but not aggressive, while another individual can be aggressive without even being angry (though this is much less likely).

Anger was once considered a sin or form of madness. In more recent times, Darwinian and Freudian theories gave rise to a ventilationist approach that views the expression of anger as a healthy release. Despite the popular idea that this venting (punching a pillow, screaming, etc.) reduces anger, there has been no scientific basis for the supposed cathartic effect. In reality, venting only increases hostility and feelings of anger (according to studies done by psychologists Brad J. Bushman, Ph.D., Angela D. Stack, of Iowa State University, and Roy F. Baumeister, Ph.D., of Case Western Reserve University). With new research about ways of dealing with this touchy emotion, we can begin to identify our own personal style of coping with anger and work on developing a more productive approach.

ARIES : Drinking style Impulsive Aries people like to party and sometime sdon't know when to call it a night. Their competitive streak makes them prone to closing-time shot contests. They're sloppy, fun drunks, and they get mighty flirty after a couple tipples. Getting Aries people drunk I sa good way to get what you want out of them, should other methods fail. Aries can become bellicose when blotto, but they will assume that whatever happened should be forgiven (if not forgotten) by sunrise. They can be counted on to do the same for you -- so long as you haven't gone and done anything really horrible to them last night, you sneaky Gemini.

TAURUS Drinking style Taurus prefers to drink at a leisurely pace, aiming for a mellow glow rather than a full-on zonk. Since a truly intoxicated Taurus is a one-person stampede, the kind of bull-in-a-china-shop inebriate who spills red wine on white carpets and tells fart jokes to employers, the preference for wining and dining (or Bud and buddies) to body shots and barfing is quite fortunate for the rest of us. This is not to say thatthe Bull is by any means a teetotaler -- god, no. A squiffy Taurus will get, er, gregarious (full of loud mouth soup, some would say) and is extremely amusing to drag to a karaoke bar when intoxicated.

GEMINI Drinking style Gemini's can drink without changing their behavior much-- they're so naturally chatty and short-attention-spanned that it's just hard to tell sometimes. They can amaze you by conversing with finesse and allusion, then doing something to belie an extremely advanced state of intoxication, like puking in your shoe. Gemini's possess the magic ability to flirt successfully (and uninfuriatingly, which is very tricky) with several people at once. They like to order different cocktails every round -- repetition is boring -- and may create a theme (like yellow drinks: beer, sauvignon blanc and limoncello) for their own amusement.

CANCER Drinking style Cancer is a comfort drinker -- and an extra wine with dinner or an after-work beer or six can be extra comforting, can't it, Cancer darling? Like fellow water signs Scorpio and Pisces, Crabs must guard against lushery. Cancers are brilliant at ferreting out secret parties and insinuating themselves on VIP lists -- and, in true Hollywood style, Cancers are never really drunk; instead, they get "tired and emotional" (read: weepy when lubricated). But there's nothing better than swapping stories (and spit) over a few bottles of inky red wine with your favorite Cancer. Even your second-favorite Cancer will do. The sign also rules the flavor vanilla, and you'd be adored if you served up a vanilla vodka and soda.

LEO Drinking style Leo likes to drink and dance -- they're often fabulous dancers, and usually pretty good drinkers as well, losing their commanding dignity and turning kittenish. Of course, they're quite aware they're darling -Leos will be Leos, after all. They generally know their limit, probably because they loathe losing self-control. When they get over-refreshed, expect flirting to ensue -- and perhaps not with the one what rung them. But Leo's not the type to break rules even when drunk, so just try to ignore it (try harder, Cancer) and expects a sheepish (and hung over) Lion to make it up to you the next day.

VIRGO Drinking style Cerebral Virgos are compelled to impose order onto their bender. Their famously fussy quest for purity could lead to drinking less than other signs, sure --but it could also lead to drinking booze neat, to sucking down organic wine or just to brand loyalty. They rarely get fully shellacked -- but, oh, when they do! Virgo's controlled by the intellect, but there's an unbridled beast lurking within, and they let it loose when walloped. It's dead sexy (and surprisingly unsloppy). As one Virgo friend used to declare, "I'm going to drink myself into a low-level of intelligence tonight." A toast to the sub genius IQ!

LIBRA Drinking style "I'm jusht a social drinker," slurs Libra, "it's jusht that I'm so damn social?" Libra loves nothing more than to party, mingle and relate to everyone. Whether dipped in favor of Good Libra (with Insta-Frienddevice set to "on") or heavier on the Evil Libra side (they are little instigators when bored), the Scales can really work a room. Charming as they are, Libras are notoriously lacking in self-control, however, which can get them into all sorts of trouble --including wearing their wobbly boots waaaay too early in the evening, flirting with every man/woman in the roomor even blacking out the night's events entirely. Oops!

SCORPIO Drinking style Don't ever tell Scorpios they've had enough, for they'll smirk at you and quietly but intentionally keep tippling till they're hog-whimpering drunk, out of 100-proof spite. Scorpios like to drink, and screw you if you have a problem with that. Most of them seethe sauce as something to savor in itself, and not asa personality-altering tool -- though if depressed, self-loathing Scorps seek total obliteration. But generally, they're fascinating drinking pals, brilliant conversationalists and dizzying flirts. They also remember everything -- especially what you did when you were blitzed. Only drink with a Scorpio who likes you.

SAGITTARIUS Drinking style In vino veritas -- and, for Sagittarius, in booze blurtiness: When buttered, they'll spill all your secrets and many of their own. Tactlessness aside, Sagittarius is just plain fun to drink with. This is a sign of serious partying (what else would you expect from the sign of Sinatra, Keith Richards, the Bush twins and Anna Nicole Smith?). They're the people who chat up everyone in the room, then persuade the entire crowd to travel somewhere else -- like a nightclub, or a playground, or Cancun. Good-natured hijinks are sure to ensue (including a high possibility of loopy groping; spontaneous Sag is a brilliant booty call).

CAPRICORN Drinking style Capricorn is usually described as practical, steadfast, money-hungry and status-thirsty -- no wonder they get left off the astrological cocktail-party list. But this is the sign of David Bowie and Annie Lennox, not to mention Elvis. Capricorn is the true rock star: independent, powerful and seriously charismatic, not too eager to please. And if they make money being themselves, who're you to quibble? But just like most rock stars, they're either totally on or totally off, and they generally need a little social lubricant to loosen up and enjoy the after party, especially if they can hookup with a cute groupie.

AQUARIUS Drinking style Aquarius and drinking don't go together that well(except for water, that is). They have an innate tendency toward know-it-allism, and if they get an idea while sizzled, they're more stubborn than a stain or a stone. If they're throwing a party or organizing an outing, however, they're too preoccupied with their duties to get combative -- and they make perfectly charming drunks in that case. Fortunately, they're usually capital drink-nursers. They also make the best designated drivers (if you can get them before they start raising their wrist):Aquarius is fascinated by drunk people and capable of holding interesting conversations with soused strangers while sober.

PISCES Drinking style If you're a Pisces, you've probably already heard that you share a sign and an addictive personality --with Liz Taylor, Lisa Minnelli and Kurt Cobain. Not only do Pisces like to lose themselves in the dreamy, out-there feeling that only hooch can give, but they build up a mighty tolerance fast. Who needs an expensive date like that? On the other hand, they're fabulously enchanting partners, whether in conversation or in crime. With the right Pisces, you can start out sharing a pitcher of margaritas and windup in bed together for days. The phrase "addictive personality" can be read two ways, you know. ...