Hey so i have just started doing NEW and i feel like i'm not doing it quite right. I am at the point where i'm doing full-body circuit stuff. It talks in Astral Dynamics about the strong energy-movement sensations you're supposed to feel, but i can hardly feel anything. I can feel a slight tingling but that's it. For the whole-body circuit thing you're supposed to be using the "sponge" method of tactile-imaging, right? What exactly are you supposed to be visualizing and feeling? And i can never seem to get into a good rhythm when i do it. how long is one circuit supposed to take?
And also, honestly, is it really that import for OBE's? I mean Robert Bruce is the only person i've ever heard of that thinks energy work is a prerequisite for OBE.
thanks for your time everyone!
-Ben
I personally had never done any type of energy work prior to having an OBE, but everyone is different. I understand that RB believes that one requires large amounts of energy to successfully retain consciousness for exit and re-entry, so to speak. However, I am not convinced of that myself. His methods may help, but perhaps not because of the energy you are raising, but instead as a result of the focus and attention you learn to maintain while practicing his methods.
My personal opinion is that awareness and consciousness are linked to all heightened senses/experiences (whether they be etheric, astral or other). If that is correct, then any exercises that help you maintain awareness/concentration on one item while also using your imagination to enhance the concentration helps to achieve the goal. NEW usess concentration and imagery focused solely on energy. But I think its the concentration and imagery that increase your ability to OBE, not necessarily the energy. The same concept of concentration/imagery is used in phasing to achieve astral projection. I think energy is involved and certainly exists on many levels and planes, but I do not believe it is a precursor to reaching altered states.
Just my two cents on the topic!
My experience of energy work is it's not so much the perceived energy which allows one to OBE, but the focussing inwards with intent. To clarify, any task which sees attention removed from the physical and focuses the mind with intent to OBE will achieve results over time.
Energy work itself stimulates memory of tactile sensation, and with anything, repeated focus on certain sensations will see them produced more easily (this can be seen by focusing on retinal fatigue, over time the imprint happens much quicker until it is instantaneous). This allows the sensation of energy to be focused and directed in the body. This in itself can be a great tool to OBE as when you get proficient at recreating these sensations, they can take attention away from the body very quickly.
There are other methods which could be used to, many people favour 'visual' visualisations – adding in other sensations to reinforce the visualisation and take awareness further from the physical.
With anything, some people will probably strongly disagree with me :).
Hello,
In my personal experience, NEW (or perhaps a different energy body development system like tai chi or yoga), is very useful in developing any psychic ability, including astral projection. The sensations get tremendously powerful when start to work with the primary energy centers.
In order for NEW to be effective there must be no kind of visual imagery. You must focus solely on Tactile Imaging. Don't visualize the energy going up your legs etc. The goal is to focus your awareness on a certain part your body then move it. When you do this you will be moving energy will it.
QuoteBen987 wrote:
For the whole-body circuit thing you're supposed to be using the "sponge" method of tactile-imaging, right? What exactly are you supposed to be visualizing and feeling?
Don't visualize anything, just image that an actual sponge is going up your leg and concentrate solely on the *feel* of it. Don't visualize an actual sponge going up your leg. If you don't know what it *feels* like for a wet sponge to move up your legs then get a sponge and swipe some warm water up your leg a few times. Then try to mentally recreate the sensation. The same goes for every other application of NEW. You should check out these explanatory videos from RB:
http://www.astraldynamics.com/tutorials/?BoardID=18 (http://www.astraldynamics.com/tutorials/?BoardID=18)
The NEW tutorial in Astral Dynamics is fine but there is a more extensive and free NEW tutorial on Robert's site. He included in AD only the bare minimum required to use the system, since AD is mainly about Astral Projection. Here's a link:
http://www.astraldynamics.com/tutorials/?BoardID=6 (http://www.astraldynamics.com/tutorials/?BoardID=6)
If you haven't got the hang of TI yet and haven't experienced some energy movement sensations then go back to basics. Master the stimulation of the smaller energy centers in the feet and hands. Once you get a good feel for this and can do it easily then move up to the Full Body Circuit.
Lastly, I've found that "The Five Tibetan Rites" greatly increase energy movement sensations when doing NEW, indicating a more active energy body. Check a version of them here:
http://www.mkprojects.com/pf_TibetanRites.htm (http://www.mkprojects.com/pf_TibetanRites.htm)
I hope this helps,
Just trust a bit more yourself. I remember I had the same troubles at the very beginning, and I finally found out it was a matter of "forcing" things.
First off be relaxed. Even if you don't follow Mr Bruce's instructions step by step don't worry. Just investigate with your energy bodies.
Even now, after a year of practicing (not completely regular one, anyway) I have but a little sensation on the first movements, but after some tries it alls start to move pleasantly.
Visualize in the first stages if you feel it valuable to help you, but visualization becomes a problem in the more advanced exercises. For example, when you combine breathing with energy ascension it's nearly impossible to raise it in one single breath (unless you have a huge lungs) if you try to follow it visually. In this case you should just feel it, even more, believing it is going upwards.
The best tip is to be confident, not to hurry and to use different tricks so your mind gets freer as you improve the technique.
Bye.
Hello all,
QuoteEven if you don't follow Mr Bruce's instructions step by step don't worry. Just investigate with your energy bodies.
Agreed, I didn't follow RB's instructions to the letter by far. I actually started working with the main chakras 2 weeks into NEW.
QuoteVisualize in the first stages if you feel it valuable to help you, but visualization becomes a problem in the more advanced exercises.
I strongly disagree with this. It is very important that you make a conscious effort not to visualize. Let me explain why.
Awareness is focused mainly on your eyes and your hands, with some obvious exceptions like people who are born blind (those who loose sight afterwards still picture things visually). There are many techniques out there for manipulating energy but the most effective tool for moving energy inside your body is by focusing on the sense of touch and not on sight.
Let's say that you start doing a toe stimulation exercise. Instinctively, a lot of people start by picturing their foot or looking at it, then trying to imagine where the little energy centers are; is this what you do Ben987? You then proceed to picture the imaginary finger moving in a circle around a specific center etc. If you do this, you are depositing your attention, at least partially, on your visual imagination. Visual imagination is less effective than tactile imagination for moving energy in your body. The goal is to deposit most of your awareness/attention in the *feel* of a finger moving around de desired toe center. Like I said b4, if you can't do this, then do it physically then try to reproduce from memory the *feel* of it.
A lot of people subconsciously look towards the area where they are focusing behind their closed eyelids. This is a difficult habit to break but it's worth the effort; this was a problem I had.
So basically, just try to shift as much of your attention as possible into imagining the sense of touch. If you haven't felt good energy sensations, and are already up to full body circuit, this is a good indicator that you have not been complete successful at doing the above. While I agree that you certainly don't need to follow RB's instruction to the letter on this, it is absolutely necessary that you master this if you are going to be successful with NEW. Tactile Imaging is the bread and butter of energy manipulation, after you master then you can play around with the other exercises at your leisure.
True, Tactile Imagining is powerful, but what works for one won't work for another and vice versa.
It's the simple matter of being able to maintain focus on one specific area (like Novice stated) with all your concentration. How you do so may vary, some people find Tactle Imagining is easier to use when it comes to this but your not limited to that. Try and do things out of the box and see what works for YOU and you alone.
Awareness leads energy, so wherever you awareness goes, your energy follows. So if you focus on a specific point that just so happens to hold a energy center, energy will be circulated there. Just so long as you have good concentration and a good sharp mind.
Moving awareness is easy once you are able to focus. You are somewhat aware of your entire body at once actually. What your doing is learning on to pinpoint a specific spot. It's easy once you get the hang of it. Think of , you get hurt in a certian part of your body and you try to concentrate on something else to ease the pain or you can feel the warmness of a flame when your hands are close to it, and can easily become aware of that feeling.
All and all, just keep pratices and remember, keep your mind strong and always do what works for YOU. You don't always have to go "by the book".
Truly hope you succeed at this.