Explorations in Consciousness - Book Release

[Major Tom]

Hi Stookie,

A digital version might happen in the future, perhaps a year from now, but nothing firm on that yet. 

Hope you enjoy the paper book!

Best wishes,
MT

[Kuroth]

Just ordered from Amazon..  Cant wait to read it..  MT I read your 6 step method and I really like it..  Going to start trying it out.. 

[Pauli2]

My review is here.

[Xanth]

I bought Fred's book a few weeks ago, getting to the end of it very soon so I figured I'd add something here.

Explorations in Consciousness is, quite simply, *THE* best book I've ever read on Projection.
He asks all the tough questions... and makes you, the reader, actually think about them too!

I highly suggest reading it.

[Bedeekin]

What does he say about 'the nature of the infamous vibrations that precede the exit' mentioned in the Amazon book review?

[Xanth]

He accounts for them as one of many interpretations of "energy sensations".

Other interpretations being: perceptions of heat, heaviness, light effects, colours, voices, buzzing, bells and more.

[its_all_bad]

He accounts for them as one of many interpretations of "energy sensations".

Other interpretations being: perceptions of heat, heaviness, light effects, colours, voices, buzzing, bells and more.

Vessen Hopkins takes the view that these are in fact sensations caused by an outside energy source. Is that correct?

Lion, you like to use his method occasionally, don't you?

I have never personally attributed the sensations to an energy source externally or otherwise. But I guess, that it does take energy from our caloric intake to fuel the sensations, no matter how you look at it. It would be nice to objectively verify an external energy source to help initiate an OOBE.

I don't personally need it verified but it could help open more minds to the idea of having OOBEs which is what I believe would precipitate a new era in our modern thinking. Then out the door with so much ignorance, the archenemy of mankind.

[Lionheart]

Vessen Hopkins takes the view that these are in fact sensations caused by an outside energy source. Is that correct?

Lion, you like to use his method occasionally, don't you?

Yes and yes, as I have stated here many times I use quite a few different techniques.

 This one works well for me.

 The only one I don't care for is the systematic process of climbing out of the body, piece by piece.

 That doesn't mean it is bad or wrong or anything like that. It works for MANY people, I just don't care for it personally.

 I like to kind of go with my mood at the time. 

 Trial and error is my classroom! 

[Xanth]

Vessen Hopkins takes the view that these are in fact sensations caused by an outside energy source. Is that correct?

I don't believe that's quite what he's saying here.
I think he's saying that what people interpret as being the vibrations is simply just that... their interpretation of what they're experiencing, and is one of many different ways that one can/may interpret "energy sensations".

If he has the time, let me ask Fred to pop in here.  I'm sure he could explain things (as he sees it), much better than I can.  LoL

[Major Tom]

Hi all,

Thanks for the interest.

As far as I have been tell, vibrations, and "energy sensations" in general, have an internal bodily origin - at least at its source. Further downstream, it can translate into more complex experiences.

I don't think it's a neural phenomenon, however, but instead, far more mechanical, revolving around pressure pulses through the veins, bone tissue, and softer tissues, ultimately originating from the heart muscle - the thing that makes the most noise in your body.

It's not entirely a rejection of esoteric accounts, as I think it might be interesting to match the physiological pathways of least resistance with those of the chakras and energy pathways of eastern traditions, but I have found throughout several experiments that there is a physical explanation for them, or at least that there is a physical counterpart for these sensations.

It remains pretty magical, no matter how you look at it, and it continues to blow my mind.

Fred 

[Bedeekin]

So... all or any research I have conducted into neurological reasons for the vibrations is completely redundant? 

http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_15_1_terrillon.pdf

This actually describes the vibrations using a neurones... not 'brain neurones' but localised nerve neurones belonging to striated muscle groups that are affected by Atonia.

Hope it helps... obviously you need a bit of knowledge about neurones to understand it but this is the simplest paper I could find.

Obviously this only describes the physical modalities... not the nonphysical effects/reasons etc.

[Major Tom]

Hi Bedeekin,

No, not redundant at all in my opinion. It does a good of job in relation to atonia, which is very relevant to OBEs, but less so when it comes to explaining "energy sensations", or all the hypnagogic phenomena.

It falls short as an explanation, also because of those with quadraplegia experiencing vibrations and so forth, which is part of why I would tend to favor a more mechanical explanation along the lines of the late physicist Isaac Bentov and his work on kundalini phemomena.

It's very interesting literature, and it meshes with my experience of these sensations being pressure pulses travelling through the body, which become apparant under extreme relaxation and atonia (which is the part where the neurological explanation are relevant). The pulses bounce all over the place, at varying frequencies, eventually reaching the inner skull, which is why they are rarely at the same beat as the heart itself.  

This is actually something you can test out for yourself from a first person persective (as opposed to the neurological explanation) which I know tends to be your approach to begin with. More detail is my book.

Best wishes,
MT

[Bedeekin]

Actually you know... the mechanism I am talking about are mechanical. They are staccato pulses of sensation (or electrical impulses) caused by neurone (nerve neurone not brain neurone) depolarisation. The slowing down of information TO the brain.

[enlightnd]

Just received this book in mail! look forward to reading it.