An important feature of NDE is to distinguish between a near death experience and an out of body experience. Many people ask whether these two are the same thing? The answer is both Yes and No! An out of body experience is described by people as the sensation of separating from their bodies and being able to watch themselves and events from above. This can occur in a number of different situations ranging from severe illness to intense pain, and has also been described by people who have been in a deeply relaxed state. One of the circumstances in which the out of body experience has also been described is by people who have come close to death, when it makes up one of the many features of the broader near death experience. The NDE usually, although not always occurs when somebody is more critically ill and closer to death.