As a natural empath, I have found I can turn it off

1. Be denying I'm actually doing anything abnormal (tell myself I'm NOT actually using my ability)
2. By refusing to focus on it (keep your mind occupied with work, your friendships, etc.)

I'll admit, my problem's not quite as dramatic as yours, but there's my two points.

I gave it a shot, but no luck. I'm not entirely convinced whether or not it's for real.

Probly have more luck with that if you start your own thread so it's more visible, Tongo.

Wow, I feel like I just made a giant leap, then, cuz I haven't really had any definite projection progress since about January. Thanks for the encouragement!

Any tips on what to do and expect at that point? As far as I know, that's the farthest I've ever made it while conscious.

Bear in mind that you are not seeing with your physical eyes. So physical light is irrelevant.

Hm... for some reason it didn't occur to me that staying awake would help with projection.

But yes, you probably know if there's something that you're worried about and you let it occupy your mind, it is harder to fall asleep. Also, physical activity would help. If all else fails, sudden change in temperature will do the trick (splashing yourself with cold water or sticking your head out the window on a cold/rainy day, for instance).

When I get them, I found it helps to focus intently on them.

I personally don't find Monroe's suggestions that helpful compared to other sources, but that might just be me.

Just last night I had a dream (big deal, right? =P). It ended as I watched a clock with its hands spinning wildly. As I reached wakefulness, there was a deafening ringing/rushing in my ears.

Do you know how you can get that rushing sound in your ears if you yawn sometimes? It was like that, but amplified by a LOT.

Anyone experienced that before? It seemed familiar, like I'd experienced it as a child, so I thought it might be linked with projection/phasing.

Come to think of it, yes.

There was a girl I fancied for a while. I actually activated the telepathic link while awake, then while I slept I had a dream that she told me she was with another guy.

I didn't say anything about it (figured it wasn't real), but it turned out she was, which I had no physical evidence of until a couple months after the telepathic message. Only thing was, he was from a different city than what she had said in the dream.

But I write that off to my mind getting the interpretation (from reality to my perception) wrong, since I think similarly of the city he's from and where she-in-the-dream said he was from.

I'm a writer. I think most writers (and probably other creative types) will identify with me when I say that there are times when I'm writing when it becomes almost automatic. It's sort of like psychokinesis where you tune out everything but the object you're concentrating on (in my case, the story). Then other times I'll be sitting at the computer and the words will barely come at all. Think there's a connection here with other more "paranormal" abilities?

From what I hear, the best way to get settled outside your body is to get away from it. Leave the room and probably the building. Your senses should become sharper and your separation will stabilize.

Let's start at the beginning. We all have physical bodies. We also all have something that moves our bodies. We also have something that is responsible for responding to stimuli, making judgments, and expressing those judgments (beautiful, good, bad, ugly, etc.). That's an elementary summary of human composition.

Now what part do you want to label the soul? Some use the term to cover any non-physical part of a human being. Others believe it's only the part that makes judgments (the consciousness). Then there's the spirit. Is it different? Is it connected?

I've given up using the word "soul" or "spirit" because I think they carry too many inappropriate connotations.

Possibly. I'm more inclined (being something of a skeptic) to think you actually weren't as disconnected as you thought and you just have really good powers of envisioning what you want. Just remember: the journey is more important than the destination. Absorb everything you can at the point you are. The next step will come.

I sort of do the opposite. When I'm focusing on something (taking an important test, for example), my mind will actually wander. I'll be doing the work fine and I don't have any problem focusing, but I'll actually start daydreaming simultaneously. Don't know why.

There does seem to be a tendency that way in my personal experience, but it's not very consistent or predictable, so I can't really say for sure. But I've thought the same.