When I was just starting out, I was so determined. Looking back perhaps a little obsessed but why not? To realize that this life we lead right now at this very moment is not real at least in my definition of real. I just couldnt believe that right now my very actions are and are not really happening. I dont know how to explain to you but it changed the very way I think, and live in this world. At first I didnt believe that I could "peek" into the next life Ill be leading or afterlife. I thought that these people were just having some really wicked dreams. After years of trying and determination I found out that it was true. My mind is very active so it took a while to quiet all the noise to even attempt to project. There were tons of hurdles. First I didnt believe in it so attempting to do something you think is impossible is a hard hurdle to overcome. After a while of finding ways to relax enough I started to get sensations or electricity passing through me and hearing buzzing sounds.
  I went onto the boards and dove into the books I bought and seen that these people too  were experiences those sensations. By then I was really excited I was on my way. Then one day I laid down and got all the familiar sensations I was getting used to then I heard this loud roaring sound it got louder and louder. It sounded louder than a freight train heading right torwards me, scared me enough to make me jump about a foot or so out of my bed without a thought. Fear was just one more hurdle. So youll see as you overcome one problem another pops up it may take a while but youll get passed it then another and another etc.. Much like computer errors you fix a software problem then another pops up to take its place, trial and error is the only way to go about projection. You can learn some things from others but you cant learn everything you need to, everyones experiences may differ. After all we are all different people and beings and our origins may differ. Youll see what I mean in a while =-)

My post probably sounded more critical than I wanted it to. Way before I could project consciously or lucid dream my grandmother died. That very night or the next I had a dream and out of no where she walks up to me and was trying to tell me something which seemed to be important to her. Like she was trying to get me to listen so I look up at her and half of her face is rotting off and it scared the crap out of me and I woke up. The interesting thing is that my conscious mind or whatever recognized that my grandmother was dead and therefore the rotting of half her face. So I believe that yes when you are sleeping even if you arent even really lucid people can try to contact you. Maybe even reach you but depending on your state of consciousness, can reach you or at least have you recognize that they wanted to reach you. So you dreams may overlap the impression or message what have you.

I have to say it was well written. I know everyones experiences are different so keep this in mind, Im only speaking from my experiences. I had a problem about how you said a few things. One example is when you said "Lucid dreamers or Projectors". They are not the same things. Its almost as if you believe an astral projection is the same thing as a lucid dream and from my experience they are not. In a lucid dream sure you are conscious, sometimes not so conscious. The degree of consciousness in a lucid dream can vary. For instance in one lucid dream you might say well this dream is beginning to suck, yet you do not realize that you can actually change the dream. So you realize you are dreaming but do not realize you have control over it. Other times you can competely control or redesign a dream or the settings and add people to it. In a projection or obe though in my experience it is akin to being "super conscious" of course you can lose consciousness and be pulled back to the body and A.) youll wake up or B.) start a dream.  Like I said though each has his/her own experiences and their ideas and theories have to be based off that, but my experiences show that these two things (Ld's and obe/ap's) are two entirely different things.

Really you dont want to take shortcuts. Sometimes you may get lucky and project but practicing the right way is the only way to assure that sooner or later youll be able to achieve obe's at least once in every 4 or so tries. That being said though there are a few things that could help someone if they wanted to experiment. I believe audiostrobes (as long as gotten from a reputable place) could help in the trance aspect. Theres also this herb called calea Ive used in tea form from time to time. Calea is a shrub that had some studies done on its effects on sleep (Mainly giving lucid dreams).  The first few times I used it I recalled my dreams easier. They seemed to be more clear to me, and the last few times I had full blown lucid dreams out of no where. Keep in mind though that Ive been practicing things like projection, and lucid dreams for years with a lot of success because of all the practice I put into it. So for someone who hasnt put the time and practice into it its possible that these things I suggest might not even help. Hard to tell. Good luck. Regards,
                                 T.L.

Its possible, not a bad idea. Once again though this is assuming the energy at work is emf, it could be a combination of magnetism and something else who the heck knows for sure. I had an idea though Ive been trying to do on my own for some time. I keep forgetting then Ill get a spontaneous obe and kick myself in the a$% later for forgetting about setting it up. Anyway I remember a long time ago researchers went a long way to disprove evp's and there was one idea out there that what evps were our thoughts. That perhaps it was the recorder who affected the tape with their mind. So they held recording sessions where people would try to "plant" sounds, voices on tapes using their minds and with some amount of success. Once again though replicating something doesnt prove the idea replicated is any less real. Anyway the experiment: Leave a tape recorder recording, digital would be better for longer recording times, and then go about producing an obe. Once out go up to the tape recorder and try to figure out how to get your voice to be recorded. The times I did have it set up and I did get out I was able to try for a few moments at a time upon re-entering I listened to the tape and heard faint sounds, and some fluctuation of white noise, I amplified it and could hear talking and sounds but unless I heard my voice loud and clear or at least decently I cant use it as proof to myself that I did in fact do it. Anyway I just thought someone else might be interested in trying that out. Fun times. Regards,
                                                                                                   T.L.

Yes neurologists in a different country were able to replicate obe symptons in patients by stimulating a portions of their brains with a small amount of emp. Thats real Ive seen some of the papers on it. But just because it can be replicated doesnt mean its not real. There are a lot of things that can be duplicated in other ways but it doesnt make them any less real. Regards,
                                                                             T.L.

I just recently came back and Im still reading up on everything regarding API. Its a good project and great idea, hopefully there are still a lot of people thinking of it. For something like this to work it needs to be on the minds of at least a few people constantly. Anyway Im going to read up more on everything and then hopefully find some time to get some projection attempts in and go see for myself and report back. I just recently had a daughter come into my life so its hard to find time for myself. Well Ill be around. Regards,
                                                                                                                                        T.L.

     Wow I really feel sorry for the children of closed minded people. I kind of understand that, when I was a child and wanted to rent a certain game that my oldest brother didnt want he would tell my mother it was a "Satanic" game and she wouldnt allow me to rent it and would let my oldest brother pick out a game. Now imagine a 15 year old instictively knows that an adult can be manipulated easily into doing things by using religion as a tool to do that. That is what had me question religion in the first place. Im glad I did though. What I found out on my own is that religion is just a belief, and that if you are a believer in a way you are sort of punished. What I mean is you end up in what Robert Monroe called a belief system territory. From my own experience people who are religious cant get passed these territories and kind of just get sucked into it. Im very curious if anyone religious has ever made it to what robert monroe called Focus 27 (reception area) where most of those I met were of the non-religious kind.
    Dont get me wrong I dont look down on those who are religious because each are entitled to their belief I just want to help them out here, its kind of like being stuck in a false reality being in a belief system that kind of draws you in automatically if you have that belief instead of going to a place that helps make the transition to death easier (focus 27). Im commenting on a thread that is years old so Im not sure if anyone will even read this, but if you are religious do not get angry with me. Im just trying to help and I sympathize with people when they are being punished by their parents because their parents are weak minded. Once again no offense. I hope that these workshops have helped you guys in your quest and good luck in your future endeavors. Regards,
                                                                         T.L.

Im sorry I havent been on in a while that was a good question. I never seen dreams as a trap, but I like the way you put it. I just looked at dreams as kind of a buffer zone between your conscious mind and the subconscious and I used lucid dreams as a way to communicate with my subconscious, like a forum for my subconscious to speak to me. I dont know if you should look at it as a program meant to enslave you though. Dreams can be controlled and so can dreamscapes/mindscapes whatever you choose to call them. For instance once you became conscious in your dream you could have done away completely with that dream and thought of another place youd like to see and instantly be there, you can add people, things, whatever you choose. This would be a dream soley created by you. So dreamscapes really can be a place to work anything out youd like such as fears, desires, adventures. Why frown upon them you know what I mean? Once again I should stress there is a huge difference between dreams/lucid dreams/obe's. Well not maybe huuuuge but the person will know once they have an obe and see the difference between these other states. Im sorry I answered this 2 years too late. I lost contact with this site for a while, sidetracked by life so to speak. I promise though Ill be around a lot more for anyone who would like to chat just message me. Regards,
                                                       T.L.

I believe sylvan muldoon brought up leaving the second body also, From my experiences the secnod exit is automatic. Of course it all depends on where you want to go, let say for instance I say I want to go to destination b and its not exactly a physical or near physical place mid shift it happens. If you dont pay attention you wouldnt notice, so perhaps lots leave their second body and just dont notice. Regards,
                T.L.

Yes mad as you said it would be a good way for writers to come up with ideas for stories. I can personally tell you that it will work perfectly for that. What I used it for was  oil paintings. In the environment I would say I want to see a painting and it would appear before me, I would sit there in the environment and study the painting until I knew it perfectly in and out, then I would end the experience and then start the real painting from memory. What happens here is that you are consciously claiming your intent and your subconscious does the actual creating. Its like walking, you consciously express your intent to walk (while physically awake) and your subconscious is what actually makes you walk.
Yes you could of created clothes in your lucid dream. You can have complete control, you can get rid of things or people or you can create them. I would say what you had was a lucid dream, one step up from that is what I call environments. There are a few differences I probably mentioned in the article. One huge difference is the senses feel more real than real, and I was able to read and write. I didnt enter an already active dream, there were no people or scenerios playing out it was just an empty place that could be in physical existence, for example a movie theatre,library,office,park nothing outrageous something that looks completely physically real.
Anyway you sound like you came far pretty quickly so no doubt you will be able to master this in no time given practice. I have a suggestion for people that cant seem to not fall asleep. This idea is nothing new mind you but here it is... when you lay down to project hold up one of your arms with your elbow supported on the bed, dont let your arm fall. Lay there and try to project with your arm up. If you do begin to fall asleep your arm will begin to sway or fall and that will force your consciousness to stay awake. Doing this will keep you conscious longer and will force it deep within the hypnagogic state given time and having your mind clear. Now two things can happen, once you are sure you can put your arm down and not fall asleep put it down and try to get deeper until you get into an experience, or you may be on the brink of sleep and slip into it and your arm will fall waking up your consciousness and when you try to put your arm up you may realize you cant and are paralyzed either is good.
I can project easily from paralysis some think when you are paralyzed you are already projecting (like robert bruce mentions in his book) where I am concerned this hasnt been the case, paralysis lets me know its time to leave.
Keep up the practice guys and good luck,
                                                        T.L.  (retroactive)

No, I didnt write them down as it was hapenning. I read many articles and books on dreams and other supposedly unconscious states and most authorities said that you can not read words in dreams or other states. So I wanted to test that out, so I created a pencil in pen in the environment and wrote a few things and it came out perfectly as in waking life. The words didnt shift or change, and they were normal as they are now when physically awake.

Yes I believe you could apply these ideals to an already initiated lucid dream, you can tailor these methods to your specific needs. Yes lucid dreams and projections are two very different things. Yes these two states offer many different options. Projections you are only limited to what you want to do wit them.  Lucid dreams are very limited, some cant even maintain a lucid dream very long because their consciousness fluctuates in a way that awakes them, more mental control can usually rectify this problem. Heres the thing in my articles I use the term lucid dreams for what I now call environments. Its sort of a internal projection, what I mean by that is its not a lucid dream and it still yet differs from a regular projection as well.
The difference between what I call an environment and lucid dream is first off in a lucid dream you become conscious in an already on going dream, and scenerios are already playing out. In what I call an environment there is nothing going on the only thing there is the scene you end up at lets say you end up in a building or a room for me when I get there the place will be completely empty no noises, no people and no objects until I create them. Another difference is you have absolute control over everything you can create people,things, places the state itself seems limitless.
Heres an example I had an idea for the next time I would induce an environment that I would hold the intention of creating a painting. So I said I want to see a painting once I was there and one appeared I was able to sit there in that state and observe and study that painting for what seemed to be about 15 minutes. I made note of everything about the painting. I snapped myself out of the state got up and started to paint it from memory.
I painted it to the exact image I seen when I was in the state.  So in short lucid dreams, projections and what I call environments all seem to be three very different things and they all feel very different. One would have to experience it to know just how much they differ in feelings, sensations, and limitations.  Yes once in the nrem (no rapid eyemovement) state of sleep if you arrived there consciously of course you can induce either an ld, or projection or what I call the environments. It might be possible that what I call environments is actually a wake initiated lucid dream, but if  wilds are anything like ld's then I would say that this is not the case, because the environments were more real than real to me just like projections except with minor differences, once huge difference is I could read and write when I was in what I call the environments.
Perhaps I could be entering my own psyche, but with as much control I have in there I wouldnt know I would think my subconscious would surface anytime it felt like but as I said that was definitely not the case. When I created people, and things there I know it was my subconscious doing the design but it wouldnt until I consciously commanded it to. The control is amazing. Practice and get there so you can see exactly what I mean. Being able to get to nrem consciously has so much potential I dont even know where to start on that subject. All I have to say is you will only be limited to what you can come up with, and not to mention you will be doing something most sleep "specialists" and authorities says is impossible,  and as I proved to myself it is not. Dont just take my word for it experience it yourself, its a very freeing feeling.
Regards,
           T.L.

Very good description of the sounds impact on the body, thats exactly how it feels. Not everybody feels it of course so when I explain to people they have absolutely no clue what I am talking about, but from the perfect description you gave you know exactly what I am talking about. It all depends on how far you go and how fast, sometimes I can get to that stage very fast so projection or whatever else I am trying to attain doesnt come for a little while, other times this stage immediately proceeds projection.
Essentially its very very close, just to be conscious of the sound impact means you will succeed if you try. As I said most people or want-to-be projectors wont even perceive this stage consciously. I guess most have to realize that in order to project you have to have some kind of mental control, which is why meditation helps so much. Yes you could project from meditation, I should say while you are meditating. In fact it will spontaneously happen if you go really deep, whether you would like to or not.  Regards,
                    T.L.

At the time I get the shocking feeling I approach it the same. I wait till I know I am consciously stable enough to go even deeper and I slowly lower myself in. Dont let the flash of light hinder you at all, if you start to think "What was that?" or things similar to that you will start raising yourself up out of the altered state. Just stay relaxed and calm, and most importantly dont let your mind wander. If you get that far to get that shocking feeling you are very close indeed. Keep at it and you will have it no doubt. Regards,
                          T.L.