Try to "passively" observe all of these "Sign posts".

 They are perfectly normal and one of the first things you MUST confront when entering this practice.

 Good Luck and Safe Travels! 

 

yes, but how to release certain fears that are imprinted within our human nature? Time to activate my alien DNA 

Check out Gregg Braden in a youtube video search,

 He has some great ways to do just that.

 I listened to 4 hours of his videos yesterday, I particularly liked these two.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svW4bgKJTL8

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XawWu6DDO1I

 Here's his free pdf on the Power of Prayer : http://www.scribd.com/doc/134416001/Secrets-of-the-Lost-Mode-of-Prayer

  I still have to analyze it.

It sounds to me like you have done a great job of that already! 

 I posted this in a recent LD thread created by Lightbeam and felt it suited this thread as well.

 I have found out myself lately that Retrievals are not necessarily achieved completely in one night.

 When I first started having them, they were solved quickly. One night's LD or one Phase Session was all it took.

 Now I am experiencing them, but it takes several nights to "fix" or "find" a solution to said problem.

 I am currently on night 12 of a very challenging one myself.

 At first I had to bear witness to the entire problem. After viewing it for days on end, I was then ALLOWED to interact with it.

 I am patient, so I will do what I must to see this through.

 The more you learn, the more you find you are being challenged even further.

 Hmm, that sounds just like it is in this Physical Reality as well. Figure that, lol! 

 I have found out myself lately that Retrievals are not necessarily achieved completely in one night.

 When I first started having them, they were solved quickly. One night's LD or one Phase Session was all it took.

 Now I am experiencing them, but it takes several nights to "fix" or "find" a solution to said problem.

 I am currently on night 12 of a very challenging one myself.

 At first I had to bear witness to the entire problem. After viewing it for days on end, I was then ALLOWED to interact with it.

 I am patient, so I will do what I must to see this through.

 The more you learn, the more you find you are being challenged even further.

 Hmm, that sounds just like it is in this Physical Reality as well. Figure that, lol! 

 Szaxx was right, as usual!   

 I call this the "Lessons" Dream. I have many like this whereas even though I have complete awareness, I find I cannot change the circumstances.

 This is a Dream with a lesson that must not be missed or altered.

 If you didn't get whatever the lesson was, it shall come back again soon.   

 This will help you.

 http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_permanent_astral_topics/focus_10_mind_awakebody_asleep-t24783.0.html

 Many of the question you have pertaining the Astral can be found in the "Stickies" that we have on this Forum.

 They are very informative. 

I haven't recently been trying but I'm about to start and I was wondering if I should change my approach to it now

Possibly this is your reason! 

 If you don't stay active, neither will it. 

I'm watching this post with interest as I also wake into SP then keep going back into it over and over again. I can never get any further. All I get is blackness and the thoughts of not being able to breathe and fast heart rate. It doesn't matter how much research I do, my mind always goes blank when I wake to SP as fear takes over. Any help?

Invite the feeling. SUURRENDER to and ALLOW it to occur.

 This is your first official "fear test" and if you can't confront it head on, it will be your last as well.

 Just know that you project every night, but aren't consciously aware of it.

 The only thing that has changed is that now you are consciously aware of the process.

 Here's a previous post that's based on my experience with a "Black Hole". You can find many more posts by other members by searching "Black Hole" in the upper right hand corner search engine.

  Last night I had a NPR experience from a Dream State that I would like to share here. It really drives the "point of view" scenario home.
 I become aware of a pyramidal 3 prong set of lightning bolts. There is absolutely nothing in front of it but darkness. Behind it are star clusters, planets, different kinds of nebulae, etc. These 3 electrical bolts are wildly sparking in space, when they finally hit together, they create anew. I see also that this "mechanism" is moving forward. I can see 360 degrees with just a simple intent. There is no turning of my head or anything. This phenomenon seems to be creating either our or another universe. It's almost like it is a reverse black hole. Where a black hole devours everything, this phenomenon creates everything. I also ponder if this might be what is on the other side of a black hole. That one creates and one devours, just like some kind of cosmic recycling device. This gives new meaning to the "hands of creation" saying.  
 Forgive me for my rather vague deception here, some things are just too amazing to put into simple words.

Taking the time to notice the little things is one of the greatest lessons that I have learned from OOBE. In the same way that we gain our awareness in a dream by noticing something that is odd, we can do this as well in our waking life and be just as amazed.

Will wonders ever cease? I hope not.

 

 This is for people that are currently using a Light/Sound machine.

 Experiment, Explore, have fun with it.

 Don't just sit there and wait for the light/sound to do all the work.

 I just completed a session on my Laxman. It was the "Deep Relax" program.

 At first I let the lights and sound do it's thing for about 5 minutes, so I could lose my physical focus.

 I was watching the lights in front of me, then I decided to separate them.

 So, I used my Astral hands and separated them like a curtain.

 That opened up to some kind of strange tunnel visual. I then kept doing this over and over again.

 The more I did, the wider the tunnel was opening and I could finally peer into it.

 What did I see? Try it and see what you do.

 The machines sole purpose is to get you into a relaxed state. It does this by changing frequencies, Which lets you go deeper and deeper.
 
 But you shouldn't just be melting in it. You should use this opportunity to explore.

 See what you can see, try new things, mess around with the lights using your mind.

 Be creative.

 Then you will start to see how fun these machines can really be.

 One again the more effort you put in, the bigger the reward will be.

 Post here about some of the experiments you are doing or have done as well.

 I'd love to try them too.

 Thank You!   

All these books on the topic should be taken as a "guideline" or "blueprint", but they are not written in stone.

 By using many of these different techniques, you can formulate one that works for you.

 Because in the end, it's YOU that are attempting it.   

 I would say by keep doing what led you to find out about all the other stuff you have discovered already! 

Does this mean, Lionheart, that phasing can be attempted at any time of the day? Even if one isn't sleepy?

Yes!