How close am I to an AP?

[Gbob]

Basically around 2 years ago I used to practice AP but stopped due to not having enough time etc. I have recently taken it back up again and have a few questions...

I can achieve the vibrational state quite easily either by imagining myself floating or falling. However after the intense vibrations and heart beating and bright colorful flashes there comes a point where everything just stops. I then relax and try again but the vibrations don't come back. And then I give up. This experience has happened to me so many times that I'm not convinced that it's a problem of being too excited or scared of the vibrations.

Why does this happen? I can normally achieve the vibrations in around 10 minutes if I focus hard but then I lose it. Am I close to an AP or am I somehow deluding myself? Also can a full body exit be achieved in around 15 minutes?

Thank you for your help.

[Xanth]

What do you usually do once you get to the vibrational phase?

[Gbob]

What do you usually do once you get to the vibrational phase?

Erm I try to amplify the vibrations until I go all dizzy and feel like I'm swirling around. And then I try using one of the exit techniques like rope. Sometimes the vibrations can still continue but nothing happens afterwards.

I'm not convinced that I am close to an AP cos everytime I get to that stage nothing happens.

*Plus I get distracted by the saliva in my mouth lol. Sometimes I dribble (ok not a great site to see). If I move my physical body e.g. close my mouth a bit whilst trying to project does that automcatically take me out of the trance state? Or can I still continue to AP?

[Xanth]

Are you in the Trance state when you get your vibe and when you're attempting your 'exit technique'?
You can't separate unless you're in the Trance State (mind awake/body asleep).
That could be your issue.

[Gbob]

Are you in the Trance state when you get your vibe and when you're attempting your 'exit technique'?
You can't separate unless you're in the Trance State (mind awake/body asleep).
That could be your issue.

Hmm how do you actually know when you're in the trance state? I just automatically assumed that if I get the vibrations I'm in the trance state. All I know is that my body feels heavier...does that qualify?

I normally practice trying to project for about 20 minutes in total, anymore than that I lose concentration. Is that enough time to enter a trance state?

[Alfera]

Erm I try to amplify the vibrations until I go all dizzy and feel like I'm swirling around. And then I try using one of the exit techniques like rope. Sometimes the vibrations can still continue but nothing happens afterwards.

I'm not convinced that I am close to an AP cos everytime I get to that stage nothing happens.

*Plus I get distracted by the saliva in my mouth lol. Sometimes I dribble (ok not a great site to see). If I move my physical body e.g. close my mouth a bit whilst trying to project does that automcatically take me out of the trance state? Or can I still continue to AP?

no it wont take you out of the trance state and you can still continue but when you want to close your mouth if you dont close your mouth you will get distracted you will start to think about your mouth these thoughts and the feeling will take you out of the trance state (thats what happened to me)

there are no hard rules for ap , closing your mouth is fine
if you cant feel completely relaxed without closing your mouth in trance you can do it
you can gulp too
dribbling from mouth might take you out of trance state (thats what happened to me)

[Gbob]

no it wont take you out of the trance state and you can still continue but when you want to close your mouth if you dont close your mouth you will get distracted you will start to think about your mouth these thoughts and the feeling will take you out of the trance state (thats what happened to me)

there are no hard rules for ap , closing your mouth is fine
if you cant feel completely relaxed without closing your mouth in trance you can do it
you can gulp too
dribbling from mouth might take you out of trance state (thats what happened to me)

How long do you normally take to AP?

[Xanth]

Hmm how do you actually know when you're in the trance state? I just automatically assumed that if I get the vibrations I'm in the trance state. All I know is that my body feels heavier...does that qualify?

How do you know when you're asleep?  
When you're in a deep enough ("enough" being your body is asleep), you'll know.

A "heavier" feeling tells me that you're just brushing the edge of a light trance.  Which is fine for meditating, but unless your physical body is fully asleep, you won't be able to project.

I normally practice trying to project for about 20 minutes in total, anymore than that I lose concentration. Is that enough time to enter a trance state?

Good practitioners should be able to do it in 20 minutes, I'd say fairly easily.  For myself, it can be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour.  LOL
If I was you, I'd probably work on that 'losing concentration' thing though.  Don't give yourself a set time limit as that's a major limiting and self-destructive thing... you should technically be able to meditate for however long you need to.

[Alfera]

How long do you normally take to AP?

i want to tell you how i project im new too its been 8 months
i try to sleep at 4pm or 5pm (trying to sleep at times when normally I dont increased my chance to have lucid dream)
i first sleep (sometimes i have lucid dream sometimes nothing or just a dream) and when i wake up i feel dizzy but relaxed
immediately after i try to ap but not using any techniques i just keep laying down and I try not to fall asleep again
sometimes a different feeling comes (i cant describe it) and i say thats it (i still feel my body) i dont force anything to happen i just let it come feeling grows stronger(it takes 1 second) and in 3 seconds i feel like something threw me into the air then (when it happens i dont feel my body anymore)
i start to see i sometimes see the room i sleep in and sometimes i dont understand what i see (blurry) (almost every time i see the room i try to ap in)(i tested it when i try to ap in different rooms i see the room that i sleep in)(and lights change too when i turn lights off or on to test)
it lasts about 3-4 seconds then im back but it gets better 3-4 seconds now but maybe after a month maybe 1 minute

and staying awake till 4-5 am increased my chance to have sleep paralysis

[Gbob]

A "heavier" feeling tells me that you're just brushing the edge of a light trance.  Which is fine for meditating, but unless your physical body is fully asleep, you won't be able to project.

Ohh so shall I just keep trying to go into a deeper and deeper trance state? Will I ultimately just get thrown out of my body when the time comes or something like that?

For reaching a deeper trance state do I continue trying to think about nothing? Is that what you do?

[CFTraveler]

Ohh so shall I just keep trying to go into a deeper and deeper trance state? Will I ultimately just get thrown out of my body when the time comes or something like that?

For reaching a deeper trance state do I continue trying to think about nothing? Is that what you do?

There are meditations that are designed to make your trance deeper, but first you have to cultivate relaxation.  I'm sure that there are trance methods in the Techniques thread- they may be in the permanent topics, you'll have to search around.
ps. To me 'thinking about nothing' (or emptiness meditation) is a good technique to use after you're fairly deep into the trance.  If you are not in trance already, chances are that you'll get too focused on 'not thinking' and then get frustrated when the thoughts pop up.  Unless you're an accomplished meditator, I don't recommend you 'only' do this.

[Xanth]

Ohh so shall I just keep trying to go into a deeper and deeper trance state? Will I ultimately just get thrown out of my body when the time comes or something like that?

Well, I don't think you'll get 'thrown out' of your body... but you'll definitely *know* when you've shifted to the trance state and from there *shifted* to your etheric body.

For reaching a deeper trance state do I continue trying to think about nothing? Is that what you do?

What CFT said.
She's very knowledgeable and very eloquent with her words. 

[Gbob]

There are meditations that are designed to make your trance deeper, but first you have to cultivate relaxation.  I'm sure that there are trance methods in the Techniques thread- they may be in the permanent topics, you'll have to search around.
ps. To me 'thinking about nothing' (or emptiness meditation) is a good technique to use after you're fairly deep into the trance.  If you are not in trance already, chances are that you'll get too focused on 'not thinking' and then get frustrated when the thoughts pop up.  Unless you're an accomplished meditator, I don't recommend you 'only' do this.

Ok I tried meditating for around 40/50 minutes around half an hour ago. I got to the stage where I couldn't really feel my body and wasn't aware of it. Is this near a deep trance?

I will definitely check those methods out. I've come to the conclusion that I'm rather impatient in seeing results. So say if I meditated everyday for around 20/30 minutes for 2 weeks, would this help in anyway towards Aping?

[Xanth]

There's an old proverb/story/anecdote that your question reminds me of...

A student came to his martial arts master and asked him, "Master, how long must I train to become as good as you?"
The master replied, "20 years..."
The student then asked, "Well, what if I trained twice as hard everyday... how long then?"
The master replied, "30 years..."
The student, frusterated with the answer asked, "What if I trained *REALLY* hard, every night and every day?  How long then?!"
The master replied, "40 years..."
The student, very confused with his masters answers asked, "Master, why is it when the harder and the more I train, the longer the time gets?"
The master replies, "When both your eyes are focused on the goal, you have no eyes with which to see the path."

[Gbob]

There's an old proverb/story/anecdote that your question reminds me of...

A student came to his martial arts master and asked him, "Master, how long must I train to become as good as you?"
The master replied, "20 years..."
The student then asked, "Well, what if I trained twice as hard everyday... how long then?"
The master replied, "30 years..."
The student, frusterated with the answer asked, "What if I trained *REALLY* hard, every night and every day?  How long then?!"
The master replied, "40 years..."
The student, very confused with his masters answers asked, "Master, why is it when the harder and the more I train, the longer the time gets?"
The master replies, "When both your eyes are focused on the goal, you have no eyes with which to see the path."

Lol that sounded exactly like me! It's just in life, if I really want something I will work that much harder to achieve what I want. But with AP it's different. And it's fustrating at times...

'Patience is a grump'... that's my quote 

[Xanth]

Lol that sounded exactly like me! It's just in life, if I really want something I will work that much harder to achieve what I want. But with AP it's different. And it's fustrating at times...

'Patience is a grump'... that's my quote 

I like that quote. 

[Gbob]

I like that quote. 

'grump' wasn't the actual word I used hehe