Having lots of trouble with thoughts

[AstralCody]

Hello

It seems everytime I go down to Phase I cannot clear my head of thoughts. I can get my body very relaxed. In fact I lose a lot of feeling in almost my whole body within a very short time. It's not paralysis but it feels good. I also got the spinning feeling pretty fast. My only problem is I am having racing thoughts. Thoughts of what I am going to do later... Thoughts of the past. Thoughts of pretty much anything. I catch myself and try and focus on the darkness in front of me and "observe" rather then think too much about things. But... Within a short time I am back to thinking of things. My thoughts race so much. It is VERY hard for me to just "Not think" if you will.

Does anybody have any tips on how to quiet the mind? I actually aborted my phase earlier because it got too frustrating.

[Xanth]

That's why I consider learning to meditate as "building your foundation" for learning to do stuff like projection.

If you can't focus your mind, you won't be able to do this. 

Learn to focus your mind.  Then learn to hold that focus for extended periods of time.
There are really no tips on how to do this... it just takes plenty of practice.  When you lose focus, gently guide your focus back to whatever it was you were focusing upon.
As time goes on, you'll have to guide it back less and less. 

[Lionheart]

 First off you don't need a quiet mind to Phase. But if you feel you do, I read a post by Stookie here recently, where Stookie says to ask yourself whenever a thought comes into your mind, "What's my next thought going to be?" For some reason I find this works great. Phasing has to do with turning your focus on your physical body off, not turning your mind off. This is why visualzation helps here so much.
Good Luck and Safe Travels!  

[AstralCody]

This is why I love the pulse! Already got two replies and I just made this topic, and replied off my mobile so I'm.not always on the computer. Thank you xanth and lionheart. I just miss projecting so much. I was on a roll at one point... I'll get there again I know it... Just got to keep at it.

[Xanth]

This is why I love the pulse! Already got two replies and I just made this topic, and replied off my mobile so I'm.not always on the computer. Thank you xanth and lionheart. I just miss projecting so much. I was on a roll at one point... I'll get there again I know it... Just got to keep at it.

You're very welcome, AstralCody. 

Just hang in there, you'll be back to experiencing the larger reality in no time.
From time to time it seems to be harder than others.

I could entirely be because of a personal situation.  Ya just never know... but never give up. 

[AstralCody]

You're very welcome, AstralCody.  

Just hang in there, you'll be back to experiencing the larger reality in no time.
From time to time it seems to be harder than others.

I could entirely be because of a personal situation.  Ya just never know... but never give up.  

Hey thanks Xanth.

I do think it involves stress and other things like that. As a anxiety sufferer since I was seven years old it kinda puts a toll on my body after while. I never experienced anything like the astral. (Although in my really clear OBE's it's always the real time zone.) Everything is so peaceful. I ran into a few things that weren't but they didn't last but two seconds. I saw a wolf looking thing with red eyes and it growled at me and I just walked away and it never bothered me again.

Other than that I float around and the most interesting thing is. There is no anxiety when I get out of body. So it's like an escape for me. Perhaps I need to learn how to control it in the physical before my projections will start again. Who knows... But giving up definitely isn't an option. ESPECIALLY since I know it is indeed a real phenomena I am up during most of the night because of it so I am watching a Tom Campbell video. I really like his stuff.

[Bedeekin]

This is what I have been watching tonight....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRar8IOwic8&feature=relmfu

Its about 7 hours long... but it's one of the best of his lectures.

[AstralCody]

This is what I have been watching tonight....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRar8IOwic8&feature=relmfu

Its about 7 hours long... but it's one of the best of his lectures.

Hey Bedeekin! This is actually the exact one that I am watching. Very good stuff here.

[Mini stapler]

Interrupt the line of thought, acknowledge it, and visually see it in front of you and then slide it off to the side and away from your mind and get back to the quiet. That's the one I use.

Visualize an empty rice bowl - I hate this one, it seriously makes me hungry but I've seen it suggested in so many places it's gotta be worth a try.

I got an idea you could try, which I did myself & feel had a brilliant effect on me, I have no idea if this a load of rubbish & just my imagination though. Pick a situation that makes you unconformable, & practice keeping an empty mind or focusing on one thought while you are in that situation.

For instance, I had a phobia of water, mainly being under it, I couldn't put my nose under water without majorly panicking & instantly jumping out. So when I was learning to meditate, I thought if I can hold a clear mind or focus whilst under water even for just 30 - 40 seconds, the last place I would want to be, the place that causes me the most amount of anxiety, I could definitely do it a lot better when I feel comfortable and relaxed... Obviously I could only do it in short stints due to the pesky issue of having to breath, but I'd practice doing it consistently & clearing my mind became a lot easier to do. I practice this in elevators as well... If the elevator was the only way up, I wouldn't go, I'd skip what ever it was I needed to do just to avoid the elevator, now it just makes slightly uneasy.

Maybe it's B.S & really had no more of an effect than my normal practice, but either way I got over a couple stupid phobias

[todd421757]

Try moving your awareness to the center of your skull. It will help eliminate some of the mental chatter.

Mental chatter usually brings your awareness to the level of your throat region even though the mental chatter is silent.

Focusing on your breathing brings your awareness even lower to the region of your chest or abdomen.

So don't focus on your breathing and don't let the mental chatter win. Both of these will bring your awareness too low.

Keep pulling your awareness to the exact center of skull and hold it there as much as possible.

[Xanth]

Try moving your awareness to the center of your skull. It will help eliminate some of the mental chatter.

Mental chatter usually brings your awareness to the level of your throat region even though the mental chatter is silent.

Focusing on your breathing brings your awareness even lower to the region of your chest or abdomen.

So don't focus on your breathing and don't let the mental chatter win. Both of these will bring your awareness too low.

Keep pulling your awareness to the exact center of skull and hold it there as much as possible.

You do realize that saying "move your awareness to the center of your skull" is entirely and completely a subjective statement, right?

That might be how *you* interpret whatever it is you're experiencing when you think you're doing that... but I can guarantee that nobody else will know what or how to do that, because it's your interpretation.

You have to attempt to come up with a less subjective way to describe what you're suggesting people try.  It's too confusing otherwise... and that confusion is going to frustrate people.

[todd421757]

A quote from Frank

"Once you can get to the stage where your eyes are crossed and they are comfortable in that position, this should put your focal point of awareness somewhere about in the middle of your head. (Well, provided you can do this without all the usual mind-chatter, in which case your focal point of awareness will remain about the throat region)."

This sounds very similar to what I suggested.

[AstralCody]

I tried the breathing technique last night. Focusing on your breathing and it worked somewhat but still was difficult. Like Tom says though you can't become Beethoven after a day of playing the piano. (Maybe he said month) Same idea... I am gonna keep trying to find what worksfor me but not give up if it doesn't work first time.

It's like I got this little voice in my head just chatting away. I am doing good at catching myself when it happens but I remember to just toss the thoughts aside very gently. I also remember to not expect anything. Just become one. Quiet the mind.

We will see what happens tonight, thank you everybody for your suggestions! After all there are so many different ways to meditate it's ridiculous. Another one I may try is focusing on my heartbeat and that is it. I'll find something.

[Xanth]

A quote from Frank

"Once you can get to the stage where your eyes are crossed and they are comfortable in that position, this should put your focal point of awareness somewhere about in the middle of your head. (Well, provided you can do this without all the usual mind-chatter, in which case your focal point of awareness will remain about the throat region)."

This sounds very similar to what I suggested.

And that is just as subjective.

[personalreality]

I use a technique (used it today actually) where I visualize myself above a river of black water flowing off into the distance.  as my racing thoughts come i let them drop in the river and flow away. 

sometimes it takes a few seconds, sometimes a few minutes.  but it always works.

the advice about building a foundation is extremely appropriate as well.

in the past, an adept wasn't even allowed to attempt projection until they had mastered many other skills, most importantly, various forms of meditation.  meditate for 10 minutes twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.  everyone can find an extra 20 minutes a day to sit silently for a little bit.  keep doing it and it will GREATLY improve your ability to focus.

[P5ynergy]

I personally can astral project thinking about anything i want.

The main thing is that I dont start "thinking" about not trying to think or thinking about clearing my head or trying to focus on things. I guess more I try the more I fail. Thats when It goes wrong for me.

I guess I do prefer waking APs where my mind is so clear or dazed and delta waved that It never crosses my mind to start clearing my mind etc.

Do struggle with daytime APs because I do think too much about the whole mind blank crap.

[personalreality]

@PSynergy

You're right.  The harder you try, the worse it gets.

That's an old adage around here..."you're trying to hard"