Help with maintaining OBE/AP status

[Spite]

Ok this is my problem, recently I've been doing my regular OBE practice, and after each practice I take a nap and actually end up lifting out of my body, but I can't maintain that status for long.
Today, for instance, I lifted out after practice and rolled off my bed next to my body. I started to get up then was sucked back in. Happy that I actually acheived OBE status, I settled down and got back into the vibrations then lifted out again. This time I floated towards a pole in my room and grabbed it so I wouldn't get sucked back in. To my surprise it worked for a little bit, as soon as I let go of the pole I started moving towards a door outside and right as I got towards the door I felt a pull and the next thing I know i'm again in the blackness of my thoughts. Then again still happy that I can achieve OBE status, I settle down then feel for the vibrations, as they come I decided to lift out a different way, to my surprise I got out with barely an trouble and I started moving to another destination, upstairs then outside. I moved very slowly upstairs and almost got outside and then bam got sucked back in and this time I lost the trance.
This has been happening to me recently, where I can get out but I can only stay out for a limited time and during that time I really can't concentrate on anything because I keep getting pulled back to my body.
I would like to ask for some insight on this problem, it seems I am there but I lack something that can keep my body from pulling me back.

I'm sooo close, please help

Spite

[Jeff_Mash]

This happens to the best of us....and there is sometimes no avoiding it.  At least, not without some mental training and focus.

One thing that has always worked for me is to take a few deep, slow breaths while you already find yourself in a projected state.  For whatever reason, this seems to strengthen the lucidity, make your body feel a little bit lighter, and allow you to soak up the experience better.

This has helped me many, many times to prolong the projection.  Give that a try the next time you're out and tell me how it works.  The key, of course, is remembering to do it!  Many times, you will find yourself projecting and completely forget to do this breathing exercise, because you'll be too busy fighting to stay out!  Kind of a catch 22.

[GorillaBait]

I'm not sure whether or not you do regular energy work, such as Robert Bruce's NEW Energy Ways method, but projecting takes lots of energy (chi, though there are supposedly many different types), and doing these energy exercises will increase the amounts of energy your body can channel, it's very comparable to lifting weights and running to increase your physical strength:  this increases your spiritual strength.  You simply might be running out of energy, using most of it up in the initial projection.

If I were you, I would practice three things, depending on where you think your weaknesses are:  meditation, body relaxation, and energy work.  All three are related, because the more you meditate the easier it is to feel and raise and circulate energy, and the more you clear your energy passages the easier it is to relax (I've noticed that areas which feel tense regularly tend to have energy blockages, or simply need physical exercise more), and the more you relax the easier both energy work and meditation become.

G'luck with it all.

[Spite]

Thanks for the responses, I've been thinking heavily on this matter and I came up with just about the same ideas you guys have. I wanted to make sure I wouldn't forget so I thought of this way that will hopefully remind me.
I'm writing down a list of things to remember, i've structured this list as a keyword that I am going to repeat while in trance and when I project. Hopefully this works and gives me enough time to actually think and enjoy the obe state.

Once again thanks for the responses, I'll leave a message later with results when I achieve them.

Spite