This is sounding too much like the matrix.
So you ... plug-in, battle to the death, and plug-out again  .
Sounds funny though.
The astral pulse island would be like a meeting point for dragonball z fans!

I'd love to get in a dragonball z-style fight with someone in the astral.  I think that would be hilarious.

A month or so ago, I took a nap in the afternoon.  It ended with a false awakening and sleep paralysis.  In retrospect, it was mildly humourous.  I saw my brother sneaking into my room, preparing to violently awaken me (he has done this in the past).  But because of my sleep paralysis, I could do nothing to preemptively wake up.  Then it occurred to me that if he tried to awaken me and I was stuck in sleep paralysis, he might panic and think I've died.  Anyway, I finally woke up proper (or have I?) and he wasn't even in my room.  I read that sleep paralysis is often experienced with hypnagogic hallucinations.

Because of the extremely dynamic characteristics of the astral "environment", it can be difficult to describe.  It may exist as one plane (like the physical), or as many.  For instance, try locating to a place in the astral and then at a later date returning to that exact location.  You probably won't be able to.  I can't really explain why.

As to reality of astral forms...  Some of the things you encounter are definitely real in that they independently act and do not depend on the thoughts or imagination of another being.  But a lot of astral "wildlife" is created by your (or someone else's) subconscious.

as for rolling out, simply imagine yourself indeed rolling away from your body.  i start by swinging back and forth to get some momentum and then just roll off my bed.

Like most people, my first OBE was quite limited.  I didn't know how to do very much (I still don't, but I know a little bit more) and all I ended up doing was walking around my bedroom.

There are skills which one necessarily develops with OBE.  Some of them are easier to develop than others.

For example:

Subconscious control - Reality fluctuations in the RTZ are a pain sometimes, and controlling their presence is the skill
Flying - Since we don't usually fly in physical existence, this skill must be developed.

There are many others, but there doesn't seem to be anywhere devoted to the teaching of these skills.  Personally, I have trouble flying.  I can jump maybe 30 feet into the air, but I always seem to come back down.  I just can't seem to shake the gravity habit.

So I want this thread to exist as a place where people can ask questions and post tutorials for OoB skills.

Starting off, does anyone have any tips for flying? 

(move this thread if you have to, please don't lock it though)

bump for an explanation of that ^.

For what's it worth, every religion has its ups and downs.

Christianity - motivated a LOT of education and learning in the Middle Ages, but is currently the source of a lot of racism from the Religious Right

Buddhism - promotes spirituality, but preaches karma and a lack of individuality (nirvana)

Islam - Teaches humbleness and charity, but misinterpretations of the Koran inspire terrorists

In my opinion, it's just easier to avoid association with these groups.  Unfortunately, I can't really say much about other religions because my understanding of them is limited.

have you had luck moving pens?  i had a little success rolling pens, but nothing bigger.

i just wanted to point out that the physical time at which you projected hardly matters when you are in an astral plane.  You could be meeting with someone who hasn't even projected yet, and won't project for years.  Or it could have been someone years ago.  Astral time isn't even close to synchronized with physical time.

I don't think it would be possible to find him unless you actually knew him.  I've tried to project to famous people before, but I don't know them so it didn't work.

My first few lucid dreams (long before I even knew what they were), I woke myself up in excitement.  Now I don't have a problem because I don't get that excited.  I do thoroughly enjoy my lucid dreams (I had 3 or 4 last night, that was great fun), but I it's not like "Holy crap!  I'm dreaming!!!!!!

I don't think my astral projections have had any impact on my political stance.  I'm a little more centred now then I was but that's because I understand the nature of reality better.

Well, if you can experience itching, you're still too focused in the physical.  Then paying attention to itches will only reinforce their existence and presence in your awareness.  I find that if I imagine scratching an itch, it will subside.  But you should try this perhaps after two or three sleep cycles.  This will provide you with a better start.  You probably won't even feel itching.

As for the tunnel, I'm not sure what to make of it.  In Astral Dynamics, Robert Bruce describes a multi-coloured tunnel which provides him access to astral planes.  I have experienced physical and astral vision at the same time (the physical vision "surrounded" the astral vision) when I forcefully tried to reenter my body.  This was comparable to a tunnel effect. 

Anyways, the itch seems to be your only problem, so try the advice I gave.  Or maybe you just need some Gold Bond.

The Eastern philosophies are in harmony with the quantum physics. So that means they are right. But if I want to follow the path back to my origin as described in Our Ultimate Reality book, which I am halfway through, what more books do I want do read? Will Hindusim, Buddhism and Taoism give me answers or does The Astral Pulse have all the advice gathered from around the world and put together in books for man to seek their path through?

you're looking at this all wrong.  spiritual development isn't a straight path that you walk once.  it has many forks in the road and you must travel the same roads many times until you understand.  meaning, no religion gives the most spiritual growth.  every religion exists to provide different experiences for you and your probable selves.  what religious text you decide to read will depend on which seems right to you.  but in the end you will understand all of them and see their individual flaws.

mrloki speaks the truth.  if you want a projection aid, there are plenty of things you can use for free.  but projection is an inherent ability and paying for something that may or may not help seems foolish.