Confused/Terrified...yet, strangely fascinated

[Danni]

I am not sure if this was LD or a OBE because I was more than scared out of my wits and wanting to wake up REALLY, really bad...this is something I will never forget...
    Sometime during last fall, I went to sleep (duh) and I opened my eyes to see my bedroom light on and my body paralyzed, unable to move any part of my body. Oddly, my head was bent complete up looking over my body with my chin tucked into neck, I remember very distinctly staring at my doorway with my poster next to it and thinking 'what the hell?!' but my lips weren't moving and my body wasn't listening to my commands.  At some point, I figured out that I was asleep because I could feel my body breathing normal and tossing and turning while being conscious with my 'other' body in my 'other' room.
    Alas, the part that really made the experience as creepy as hell and terrifying till all get out was that there was a deep muttering in the back of my mind that made my eyes droopy and my body numb. I was fighting it with all my power because the voice was like whispering in my ear, even though I could not see it, to say something. It was demanding me and more than certain to say "I worship Satan.". It kept repeating it like a mantra as my mouth parted and my voice croaked. "I..." each syllable was forced out of me and I strangled to maintain control "worship...", by that point it was screaming, 'Satan! Satan!', I was yelling over it in my head I clamped my mouth shut and refused to say the last part. I kept saying 'god' in my head, ignoring the voice.
     It was like a power struggle over my body.
     Somehow I managed to wake up, my room was dark and my body was down flat. That was a dream, I convinced myself. But, even though I was calm somewhere in my mind, my body was shaking as I fought to keep down my tears as I kept repeating, "I worship god." Over and over again. I wouldn't sleep for days after that and when I did, I didn't sleep in my own room for about a month. Even when I did, it was liking being six with the boogie monster hiding under my bed and dead people watching me while I sleep.
       So people tell me, should I try to astral projection after an experience like that, because I am not sure and would love some advice.

[Tee1234]

I am not sure if this was LD or a OBE because I was more than scared out of my wits and wanting to wake up REALLY, really bad...this is something I will never forget...
    Sometime during last fall, I went to sleep (duh) and I opened my eyes to see my bedroom light on and my body paralyzed, unable to move any part of my body. Oddly, my head was bent complete up looking over my body with my chin tucked into neck, I remember very distinctly staring at my doorway with my poster next to it and thinking 'what the hell?!' but my lips weren't moving and my body wasn't listening to my commands.  At some point, I figured out that I was asleep because I could feel my body breathing normal and tossing and turning while being conscious with my 'other' body in my 'other' room.
    Alas, the part that really made the experience as creepy as hell and terrifying till all get out was that there was a deep muttering in the back of my mind that made my eyes droopy and my body numb. I was fighting it with all my power because the voice was like whispering in my ear, even though I could not see it, to say something. It was demanding me and more than certain to say "I worship Satan.". It kept repeating it like a mantra as my mouth parted and my voice croaked. "I..." each syllable was forced out of me and I strangled to maintain control "worship...", by that point it was screaming, 'Satan! Satan!', I was yelling over it in my head I clamped my mouth shut and refused to say the last part. I kept saying 'god' in my head, ignoring the voice.
     It was like a power struggle over my body.
     Somehow I managed to wake up, my room was dark and my body was down flat. That was a dream, I convinced myself. But, even though I was calm somewhere in my mind, my body was shaking as I fought to keep down my tears as I kept repeating, "I worship god." Over and over again. I wouldn't sleep for days after that and when I did, I didn't sleep in my own room for about a month. Even when I did, it was liking being six with the boogie monster hiding under my bed and dead people watching me while I sleep.
       So people tell me, should I try to astral projection after an experience like that, because I am not sure and would love some advice.

This was brought on by sleep paralysis. When you find yourself in this state you have to remain calm and be fearless or you can manifest some pretty wild sht. If you plan on learning how to project chances are your gonna encounter stuff like this from time to time, even after you got it down pat. I AP just about every night and at least once or twice a month during the seperation I slip up and encounter some pretty scary stuff that would make most people pee their pants. Once ya realize that there's really NOTHING to fear and ya get a couple experiences under your belt you wont think twice about these bad experiences. Your the one in control and you have more power than you think.

One things for sure though, you werent battling this presence for your body. You were battling paralysis mixed with fear and things you created cause of it. You couldnt move cause you were paralyzed. If you had more experience at it you could have closed your eyes and exited your body. Fear will only end in canceling your chance of projection and leaving you with a experience like this. Its a obstacle that has to be beaten. Keep the passion for wanting to do it and lose the fear and all will be good.

[Pauli2]

It was the Dweller.

[Danni]

The Dweller? I looked up some stuff for it but didn't really get it....can you please explain?

[NoY]

sometimes with early projectors the act of focusing away from there body can create a thoughtform
and when in sleep paralysis the thought form can be a scary one

its not a real person its the sum of your fears and excitement, its very common at the start of your
journey

:NoY:

[Danni]

oh, okay.....so to successfully project do i have to push away my fears and relax?

[Pauli2]

I don't think so, just face it, and don't fight it.

[Danni]

why not fight it?....i dont want something in my head telling me to worship satan....cant i like just dispell it away or something?

[Seeleyj13]

Very scary experience! it gave me chills to read. Glad you stayed strong on your faith. When I first started projecting I one time heard a deep terrifying voice say "Do exactly as I say" and then my body shocked into paralysis. this freaked me out but I kept going. I now project alot. DON'T think about the voice or else your mind will bring it back. The voice was probably coming from your thoughts "not saying you worship satan in the back of your mind" or maybe there was an evil spirit in the room with you (unlikely). The dweller is the best explanation. Keep going, you can conquer this.

[Xanth]

why not fight it?....i dont want something in my head telling me to worship satan....cant i like just dispell it away or something?

Fighting is hardly ever a solution, not in the physical, not in the non-physical.

If this thing is telling you to worship satan, I think you need to look within to answer that question.
Next time you're out and you encounter this, as was suggested to you, face it and ask.  It's not exactly going to hurt you... you can also choose to ignore it.  YOU have all the power here.

[Tee1234]

oh, okay.....so to successfully project do i have to push away my fears and relax?

Yes, exactly.
Once you enter that state, you are able to manifest things even if its unintended. So if you start to get scared chances are you will see or hear, or sometimes both -experience something scary. Many times when im about to exit Ive gotten scared and experienced this.

Sometimes Ive been hit or touched. I remember one time on a night that I was having trouble going to sleep I finally got relaxed and started drifting off to this state and I felt something whack me on the head and yell "WAKE UP"! That was a unique experience though, cause not often do I feel as if ive been touched or hit, but it has happened. But way more often than that I have seen some scary stuff. While being paralyzed ive seen a ladies head floating around the room laughing , some wicked looking creatures crawling on my bed and even a man lying in the bed with me holding me down.

Its nothing though. I believe I brought this upon myself. I created it from fear. These experiences are enough to make ya quit for the night but nothing more. I believe I created these things just as if I was in the astral and I made myself fly instead of walk, or make a plant turn into a tree etc...

Ya just have to understand that its you doing it. Your not being targeted by an entity. Even though its exciting, for some reason there is a fear factor there when it happens, just know your safe and cant be harmed, your the one in control.

[Seeleyj13]

I couldn't agree more with Tee. He put it perfectly. I once heard a voice whisper "tell me what happens when you fall asleep" right before I heard intense noises and felt crazy vibrations. (this happened in my second projection). the voice was mine from when i was a child. It was very fascinating. You create these things. That doesn't mean your subconscious wants you to worship satan. It's all strange and fascinating. Just if it happens again proceed with the projection and do not fear. You'll be fine

[Danni]

Wow, is alll i can say....thats a lot to take in....ill keep this in mind when i do tht....

[human_eraser]

I am not sure if this was LD or a OBE because I was more than scared out of my wits and wanting to wake up REALLY, really bad...this is something I will never forget...
    Sometime during last fall, I went to sleep (duh) and I opened my eyes to see my bedroom light on and my body paralyzed, unable to move any part of my body.

Just wanted to say that when I enter SP for some reason lights in my house are magnified. A small light can light up the whole room. I don't why this happens or if it's just a coincidence. I just wanted to say that.

Oddly, my head was bent complete up looking over my body with my chin tucked into neck, I remember very distinctly staring at my doorway with my poster next to it and thinking 'what the hell?!' but my lips weren't moving and my body wasn't listening to my commands.  At some point, I figured out that I was asleep because I could feel my body breathing normal and tossing and turning while being conscious with my 'other' body in my 'other' room.

I've sat up before  while SP and saw my astral hands. They disappeared after I saw them. It sounds like you were partially out-of-body.
   

Alas, the part that really made the experience as creepy as hell and terrifying till all get out was that there was a deep muttering in the back of my mind that made my eyes droopy and my body numb. I was fighting it with all my power because the voice was like whispering in my ear, even though I could not see it, to say something. It was demanding me and more than certain to say "I worship Satan.". It kept repeating it like a mantra as my mouth parted and my voice croaked. "I..." each syllable was forced out of me and I strangled to maintain control "worship...", by that point it was screaming, 'Satan! Satan!', I was yelling over it in my head I clamped my mouth shut and refused to say the last part. I kept saying 'god' in my head, ignoring the voice.
It was like a power struggle over my body.

Classic case of SP. That voice came from your mind. The first SP I had there was an hallucination of an "angel of death" in my room while saying "do not be afraid" in a scary voice. Was there a static like sound also? Because that is also common with auditory hallucinations.
     

Somehow I managed to wake up, my room was dark and my body was down flat. That was a dream, I convinced myself. But, even though I was calm somewhere in my mind, my body was shaking as I fought to keep down my tears as I kept repeating, "I worship god." Over and over again. I wouldn't sleep for days after that and when I did, I didn't sleep in my own room for about a month. Even when I did, it was liking being six with the boogie monster hiding under my bed and dead people watching me while I sleep.

Chill out! The best way to not have SP is to NOT sleep on your back. I know it can be scary, as I would not sleep again with the shirt I wore when I had the SP episode until recently.
       

So people tell me, should I try to astral projection after an experience like that, because I am not sure and would love some advice.

Yes! However, I'm not a fan of exiting through SP. It usually causes negative experiences because it is not controlled. Exiting through a trance state (It's different from SP) or phasing is better.

And whoever made the remark about the dweller (I like to call him guardian of the threshold) he isn't evil. He is basically reflected on your karma when you "meet" him. And I don't think you met him/it, it was just a normal hallucination associated with SP. I met the guardian on my first OBE ever on the front lawn of my house. As an electrical storm. On Wikipedia it says it is a "guardian that stands before the supersensible world, in order to deny entrance to those who are not truly capable of entering." You have to recognize and forgive your wrongdoings.

At least that's what I believe.

[Summerlander]

I am not sure if this was LD or a OBE because I was more than scared out of my wits and wanting to wake up REALLY, really bad...this is something I will never forget...

LD or OOBE? In here, they are merely different ways in which you enter the Phase state:
www.obe4u.com

The Phase = OOBE/AP/LD
 

Sometime during last fall, I went to sleep (duh) and I opened my eyes to see my bedroom light on and my body paralyzed, unable to move any part of my body. Oddly, my head was bent complete up looking over my body with my chin tucked into neck, I remember very distinctly staring at my doorway with my poster next to it and thinking 'what the hell?!' but my lips weren't moving and my body wasn't listening to my commands.

You didn't really have your eyes open. It was a SP hallucination and quite similar to the false awakening phenomenon here, although you noticed something peculiar about the experience straight away.  

At some point, I figured out that I was asleep because I could feel my body breathing normal and tossing and turning while being conscious with my 'other' body in my 'other' room. Alas, the part that really made the experience as creepy as hell and terrifying till all get out was that there was a deep muttering in the back of my mind that made my eyes droopy and my body numb. I was fighting it with all my power because the voice was like whispering in my ear, even though I could not see it, to say something. It was demanding me and more than certain to say "I worship Satan.".

It was yourself...your active mind constantly generating thoughts. It's hard to fight or hush this activity. The fear is what turned it into something frightening, like feedback. Imagination is spontaneous in that state. You can literally observe your imagination in the making as though you're a 'bystander' who has nothing to do with it, and, like in dreams, totally convince yourself of its reality. Tell me something...the whispers only became coherent after a while, right?

It kept repeating it like a mantra as my mouth parted and my voice croaked. "I..." each syllable was forced out of me and I strangled to maintain control "worship...", by that point it was screaming, 'Satan! Satan!', I was yelling over it in my head I clamped my mouth shut and refused to say the last part. I kept saying 'god' in my head, ignoring the voice.

Frightening SP experience. An interesting one too! Now you can see where all these superstitious beliefs and folklore myths of Djinns and incubi whispering in people's ears and imps sunbathing on your chest come from. People are funny! They fear demons and yet they tell children at a certain age that the tooth fairy and Santa aren't real.
   

It was like a power struggle over my body.

It was LIKE! That's right! But was it really?
   

Somehow I managed to wake up, my room was dark and my body was down flat. That was a dream, I convinced myself. But, even though I was calm somewhere in my mind, my body was shaking as I fought to keep down my tears as I kept repeating, "I worship god."

Children go through a phase of nightmares because they don't have the same grasp about the world that adults have and thus FEAR many things. Here's a question: do you worship God because you are scared of going to hell?

So people tell me, should I try to astral projection after an experience like that, because I am not sure and would love some advice.

Of course! You should project because it's fun, you can have awesome experiences and it can be productive too! Don't let fear get you down! I'm an avid OOBE-practitioner (for 3 years now). I used to be scared of seemingly sentient beings who came to attack me too. In fact, I think I was having OOBEs from the age of three or something. These snow-skinned men used to attack me. Then I discovered OOBEs and faced some nasties too...

One day I stopped running as I realised that, despite their unpleasantries and 'torture' inflicted upon me in the Phase state (OOBE/AP/LD), they weren't really harming me in any way. It then dawned on me the possibility that my psyche was merely trying to make me face my fears with these nightmarish manifestations. I stopped running when I see scary things. Now I face them unafraid and deny them an 'actual' existence in my mind to the point of rendering them powerless, transmuting them into something more desirable, or reducing them to nothing.

Eversince I have had more pleasant experiences in the Phase and the beings I meet, although bizarre at times, are generally well-behaved.

Please consider the possibility of what I'm saying here. I have pretty much arrived at the conclusion that demons have no actual existence but a subjective one - hence the saying "face your inner demons". Just get rid of your fears and know that nothing can harm you in that state. Here's a Buddha quote: "Fear not what might become of you...here lies wisdom and liberation". I urge you to consider my proposal as a possible solution because it worked for me, even if you think it goes against your beliefs.

SP can be a scary affair, but, while some believe the malicious presences to be objectively real, others regard them as nothing but hallucinations caused by unusual activity in certain brain areas such as the thalamus and the temporal lobes.

Remember...the mind has the power to do anything it wants in the Phase. All you have to do is believe...

[Danni]

So, in other words if I stay calm and level headed, I might be able to successfully OBE?

[Summerlander]

Just don't worry.

This is what I do:


GETTING PRIMED FOR INDUCTION:

Wake up earlier than usual and keep active during the day. Have a nap or sleep in the evening when you are tired. Preferably, the nap or sleep should be dreamless. For example, you can nap for two hours in the evening and then stay awake for an hour and a half before induction, OR, you can go to bed late and sleep to wake up between 4am and 6am to induce. This doesn't have to be followed strictly but it may serve as an initial guide.


INDUCTION:


Relax:

Lie down comfortably and close your eyes. Your eyes are to remain closed throughout the induction. Relax as deeply as you can and take your time. Be patient and don't rush it. Make sure that you are not disturbed. There are many books about the various effective techniques you can use to acquire a deeply relaxed state, but, because you have biologically primed yourself for the experience, it should be fairly easy for you to do so without having to read up on it.


Focus on something:

It could be a mantra or a familiar object (the latter does not have to be visualised to perfection). Do this as you sense that you are drifting off to sleep or when your mind starts to wander. Keep bringing your mind back to focus whenever it gets 'lost'. Keep still and relaxed and do not fall asleep! Whatever you focus on may start to take a life of its own as you relax deeper and deeper. Focus on your 'something' until you reach the hypnogogic state.


The Hypnagogic State:

This is the state between waking and sleeping. You will know that you have reached this state once its imagery or potential dreams begin to invade your point of focus. Being aware in this state is already an achievement. Prolong this state by passively watching its imagery, and then, slowly begin to clear your mind until you see nothing but blackness. When this happens you have gone beyond the hypnagogic state and are still conscious.


Sleep Paralysis / Vibrational State:

Remain still and relaxed. Let go of any worries relating to the physical body. The trick is to let your body 'switch off' as your mind is still very much aware of itself. This may involve resisting any urges to move or scratch itches. Your body will start to feel extremely heavy  and there may come a point where you will be aware of not being able to move it. Remain relaxed nonetheless and don't panic. The perceptions of vibrations may or may not ensue. If they don't develop, then the sensation of slipping and falling is experienced which may lead to an apparent separation from the physical body or a hypnic jerk. The vibrational state can be mild or strong. It can vary from mild tingling, warmth, and the sensation of low voltage electricity flowing through the body. Strange sounds are reported during this stage. We know that the ear converts sound waves into signals that the brain can interpret through the firing of neurons. The Tensor Timpani muscle in the ear can serve to dampen external sound and may cause rumbling as it spasmodically vibrates during the state of sleep paralysis. The perception of vibrations could be the feedback one may get from neurons rapidly polarising and depolarising but this is only speculation. The 'radio effect' during sleep paralysis, where I have experienced many auditory hallucinations with shifting or sudden musicals intervals, could be due to the possibility that the pineal gland may act as a receptor of electromagnetic signals at this point. We can only speculate this to be the function of calcite crystals found in the gland which appear to be piezoelectric in nature. The sensation of paralysis alone may occur when cells at the pons send inhibitory signals to the motor neurons in the spinal cord eventuating muscle atonia which is necessary to prevent individuals from acting out their dreams. So what are these sounds in sleep paralysis? It can be characterised by hissing that seems to pulse in your head, sparks, thunder-like sounds, rumbling, wind, electronic sounds, a person moaning (I have likened it to a woman giving birth), ocean waves, something like a train running, a helicopter etc. - people tend to describe the same thing in different ways but the state itself can vary too. It tends to peak before it gradually fades. Vibrations are strange but remain calm and don't overanalyse what is happening to you. Just act as a beholder or go with the flow. The level of sleep paralysis seems to determine the mode or type of experience you'll get or at least they appear to fit in with the classifications I've come up with according to certain distinctions I've made. Still, I couldn't be 100% sure.


Separation:

You can try partial separation first as practice before attempting full separation. Partial separation is optional. There are many ways of achieving a successful disassociation from the body. Here's a couple of examples:

- Imagine that the ceiling above you is a huge magnet that counteracts gravity and pulls you upwards. Alternatively, imagine yourself being catapulted or cannon-balled out of body.
- You can slowly roll over and out of the body. Do this subtly and as though you are moving physically but without using muscles. It is best to start by rolling over from the head and the rest of the body will follow. If there is a perceived resistance, be forceful. This movement is not imagined, it is done with intent. Once you have succeeded, you will realise that you have moved incorporeally.


What happens next?

Once you are out, explore! Do not get overexcited and have no fear or doubt. Stay out for as long as you can and don't worry about getting back because you always do in the end. A variety of experiences are open to interpretation. From inter-dimensional travel, space exploration, alien encounters, meeting strange spiritual entities, visiting the living and the dead, time travel etc. etc. Remember: whatever the nature of your experience and however profound it may be for you, try to look at it from a viewpoint free of preconceived ideas. For instance, seeing a luminous being who starts singing the most beautiful melody you have ever heard does not mean that you have just met an angel. Consider all perspectives. Record your experiences in a journal. Feel free to carry out experiments of your own to try and determine the nature of your experiences for yourself.


Mode 1 OOBE:

Your awareness seemingly remains in the physical realm, or what could be interpreted as an accurate simulation of the waking world upon separation, and, therefore, is able to see the physical body (autoscopy experienced). There is, of course, the possibility that one never really leaves the body as the experience could be an illusion created by the brain, and that, while dreams and imagination could be a product of abundant activity in the right hemisphere of the brain, Mode 1 OOBEs would be a product of the left hemisphere and hence the reason why they are 'more true to life' so to speak. Experiences conducted with split-brain individuals where dreaming is concerned seemingly strengthen the feasibility of such explanation as their dreaming was found to be unimaginative and often tied to reality. On the other hand, perhaps consciousness is capable of  acquiring a viewpoint outside the physical body as the mind may extend beyond it. In Mode 1 OOBEs, sometimes the colours of the physical world will appear duller, as if the world is being observed through a faint mist, and other times the colours will be clear. Vision can be hard to describe here, almost mixed with a feel of the environment and appears somewhat different to vision in the waking state. You can obtain information in the physical realm which was previously unknown to you, or information of events which at the time you couldn't possibly have known about through your physical body. This statement, of course, has to be taken as conjecture if one considers the nature of coincidences and cryptomnesia. Nevertheless, in this type of experience you are usually a floating point of consciousness and movement seems constant and gradual as though one moves through 'frames of space' or "mouse-trails". At times, the experiencer may consciously or unconsciously manifest a transparent or shadowy body. One can phase into a more metaphysical type of experience from here. In other words, from Mode 1 you can shift into the realm of thoughts.


Mode 2 OOBE:

You may find yourself in what appears to be an inaccurate emulation of the real world. Familiar objects may be out of place or absent, sometimes unfamiliar objects are seen, and other structural anomalies may be observed. This can be referred to as the metaphysical realm where dreamland and anything that the imagination can conceive can manifest. You can visualise an environment of your choosing as everything appears to be representations of thought, or even visit what appears to be the worlds of others, the latter being that which you believe you have not imagined. The environment can seem extremely real, sometimes displaying a crisp and bright hyper-real quality that outshines our waking reality. Some experiences here seem to indicate that one is also capable of perceiving what's on the minds of people who are awake, thus this type of experience would enable telepathy if the experiencer peruses the minds of the visited. One may also perceive an inaccurate replica of what the person is doing in actuality because, even as we think during the day, we are constantly projecting thought forms in that frequency as the theory goes. Mode 2 is easier to achieve than Mode 1. My experiences suggest so as well as indicating that there is a whole other reality or more appropriately, perhaps, more to reality than meets the eye.


Why "Mode"?

Mode 1 and Mode 2 are distinctions made from having experienced the Phase over a period of time. Mode 1 isn't necessarily a projection into the physical realm as such experience could still be simulated regardless of whether it's connected to, or a direct 'translation' of, physical reality. Likewise, Mode 2 isn't necessarily always a projection to the metaphysical realm, but, perhaps more appropriately, the experience of that which is apparently not here. The application of the word "Mode" here is appropriate because of its implication that something is experienced in a certain way and  subject to change. The word is also used to describe a pattern of vibration of an oscillating system and goes hand in hand with the theory that the Phase is brought about by quantum fluctuations influenced by whatever it is that we really are. This is not to be taken as gospel as much as the statement that nobody knows what the Phase state is apart from the fact that it's a label and a property of consciousness.