magicmac2000,

Something you might want to try (if you haven't) is going back to the 1st track, focus 3. Since it's a lighter state of consciousness, you will have less chance of falling asleep. Then when you do that enough without passing out, move back up to focus 10. I think that getting proficient with these states is more important than an OBE for beginners, such as myself.

Great job of explaining consciousness. I think that a lot of people don't understand "state of awareness" until they actually experience it. Like me, before experiencing a different state of consciousness, all I had to compare it to was the waking, physical state. It's a hard subject to grasp without experience.

So, I don't like rundowns much right now. I try to keep myself from becoming frustrated and allow myself to just relax. I try to stay aware, try to listen intently, but I either can't relax enough or relax too much.

Focus 10 is such a highwire act.

I know what you mean. Lately I've been trying to assess my level of concentration before I lay down. If I'm tired but feel mentally focused, I do my rundown. Sometimes I can picture and feel it perfectly. On days that I'm not so focused, I tend to stick with "noticing" or just what's on the discs. Otherwise I'll just fall asleep. I find that there is no "one thing" that works for me. It totally depends on my mood and concentration level.

I've been trying for 10 years and have only now started to have decent results. And they are still few and far between. If I have to keep trying the rest of my life... oh well. Don't get frustrated (of course quitting smoking can make that tough). Maybe take a week or 2 off and try again. I used to get extremely frustrated and now I realize that it did nothing but hold me back. Keep an open mind on what can happen and don't try to force anything.  

Good Luck! (expecially with that whole Abstinence thing)

It could just be your own fear. You said that you were new to meditation, and your subconscious could be creating this to scare you off. You don't know what to expect and these new sensations can be a shock. I wouldn't automatically think you're being attacked.

Why (or how) did you jump out of bed if you were astral projecting? Your body shouldn't be able to do that without your volition.

I agree with knightlight. You talk as though you're not making progress, but it sounds to me like you had a breakthrough. Keep having more of these experiences and get used to them and the feelings, then AP will become be easier and more frequent.

Good Luck

RJA,

Theosophy is a tough book to grasp, but very thought provoking. "How to know higher worlds" is a great book for Steiner's groundwork. He left a lot of material to dig through.

I'd be curious to hear your views on spiritual growth v. religion.

Personally, I gave up on religion because it seemed to impede my spiritual growth. Not that it was wrong in itself, but
the concepts that were beat into my skull were incorrect with the REAL concepts behind the dogma. One thing that kept me towards the Steiner teachings was that he says over and over not to believe what he says, but to use his information to experience for yourself. You can't have spiritual growth without experience, and religion seems to limit experience, or place it all on the outside instead of in yourself.

RJA:

Are you familiar with the teachings of Rudolph Steiner (or Anthroposophy)? It's kind of a combination of Rosicrucian and Theosophy (he was part of the Theosophy Society but left because they wouldn't recognize the Christ). The majority of my pre-esoteric training comes from this.

I also still hold some christian beliefs, but I wouldn't call myself a Christian. Christianity was created by man as a set of rules and dogma that express the teachings of Christ (sometimes in warped ways). I just go straight to the teachings and forget that other junk. I think that Faith is necessary, but not to be 100% relied upon. Faith should take you into Experience, and I feel that's where many Christians fail. I also believe that Faith is needed in astral projection before Experience of it can take place.

..all of a sudden I was standing in a garden, or maybe a forest clearing, surrounded by all this lush foliage. At this point I was a bit freaked as it was full on 3d and crystal clear and got zapped back to the bed

This happens to me more and more as I do the CD's. I mostly get zapped back because my eyes try to look at it. But little by little I can hold onto it longer. It seems like a different kind of "looking" that you have to get used to. But they always amaze me in how real they are.

As a former Christian, I can say that astral projection and Christianity don't mix well.

Last night I phased into a dimly lit hotel room and stared at a lamp above the bed for about 10 seconds, and when I phased back to my body I could see an after-image of the lamp still in my mind, just like when I look into a real lamp. It's these unexpected things that always trip me out.

TVOS:
Are you talking about "The Eye of the Tiger" song? That would be awesome to project to. I never really thought about making a soundtrack for the experience, but that would be cool. An astral projection mixtape.

Also, that futuristic city sounds neat. I've been having dreams that take place in sci-fi cities like that for the past 15 years. I would love to be able to project to one.

magicmac2000:
2 1/2 weeks ago focus 10 was no problem. I had intense vibrations & pulsing every day for several days. Then it just went away. It hasn't been nearly as intense lately.

Major Tom:
Do you OBE from focus 10, or pretty much shoot for 12 or higher after you get there?

Last night I seemed to skip it and went straight to 12. I was drifting off and suddenly I was lying in a bed in a dimly lit 1970's hotel room. It had dark red wallpaper and there was a old, dirty lamp attached to the wall right above my head giving off a pale yellow light. I laid there looking at it for a little bit, and then I phased back, but was surprised that the lamp left an after image in my mind just like when looking into a real lamp.

That's awesome. Monroe said that cars can represent our body.