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My criteria for personally identifying my own non-ordinary states of consciousness as OBE's is admittedly pretty stringent:  waking induced, conscious exit projections.  I'm usually awake during projections or unsuccessful projections (by which I mean experiencing exit sensations with no ultimate OBE), so those are the events I can most confidently call an OBE or attempted OBE.  I have also experienced projection attempts while sleeping (i.e., as I become lucid in a dream I usually attempt to project and may in fact feel that I've floated out of my body, without, however, leaving the dream).  There have been other, more nebulous experiences in which I vividly dream that I am projecting.  While these may be unsuccessful projections, I tend to think of them simply as dreams.

I view all of these experiences as falling on a continuum of consciousness.  There may, in fact, be no really clear dividing line between them.  Other states of consciousness (aside from waking!) that I like to explore include dreams, hypnagogic states (including what I call lucid hypnagogia and directed lucid hypnagogia), light trance states, and active imagination techniques.

All of this is just by way of background.  I've become increasingly aware lately that in my occasional OBE's I seem to be dreaming while I'm out of body.  Or at least there is a powerful overlay of dream imagery when I am out of body.  Anomalies (like people who shouldn't be there!) in the RTZ seem to me to be projections of unconscious content.  I think Robert Bruce says the same thing, but I know some other writers think that they are observers or helpers.  There is, or course, the possibility that anomalies in the RTZ are due to my mind's attempts to make sense of nonphysical realities ~ in other words, that I'm interpreting nonphysical dimensions in physical terms and making mistakes along the way.  But I wonder if it might not be due to the fact that while we are out of body, we may in fact be dreaming.  Why shouldn't our nonphysical counterpart dream if the busy consciousness that "resides" in our physical body is capable of dreaming?  I know this may be a controversial theory to those who are sure that everything they experience in the astral realms and so forth is objectively "real" (that is, a nonphysical experience on an objective par with a physical body/material world experience).  Certainly, many out-of-body experiences have that kind of objective reality.  But I can't help but think that many others may be subjective experiences of dream states while out of body.  Please understand that I'm not saying, "I dreamt I went out of body" but instead "I went out of body and then I dreamt ..."

This is just an idea I'm exploring and it is not intended to dismiss or demean out-of-body experiences.  Sorry for the length of this post, but I wanted to set the stage for what might be a controversial theory.

So ~ what do you think?

I wonder if anyone has experienced exit sensations (vibrations, numbness, etc.) during bodywork.  I experienced this intensely during acupuncture, and later during massage therapy.  I had no idea what was occurring at the time and was terrified.  The acupuncturist said she could feel "chi energy racing through my body."  Sadly enough I learned to "control" this energies long before I discovered they might be related to the out-of-body experience.  I have since experienced OBE's with identical effects.  Has anyone else experienced this or used bodywork techniques to develop out-of-body experiences?

These exercises really take me back nearly 20 years to when I was doing vision therapy with an optometrist to try to save my faltering vision.  Drawing these images together into one image is "diplopia awareness" (as an old optometrist friend liked to call it when we did weird vision exercises with candles at the tail-end of dinner parties & freaked out all of our friends!).  How much these exercises do for coordinating the left-and-right hemispheres of the brain is an open question, but it does a lot for helping the two eyes to work together in tandem.  It also helps to differentiate between left & right (a problem for many of us with these vision difficulties)  If you can't perform the exercises, don't be worried that your brain isn't cooperating ~ it may be a difficulty with your eye muscles and the ability of your eyes to work together.  (Hey, if I can do it, as poorly as I see, you can.  It's just a matter of practice.)

Exercises like this ~ quite apart from their utility as vision therapy ~ remind us that what we think we see isn't necessarily what's there ~ and what's there isn't necessarily what we see!

It is perhaps most helpful to view Monroe's discussion of the "I/There" (and much else in his work), or Moen's descriptions of his "disk," as metaphors used to express as nearly as possible their visionary experiences - and not as exact transcriptions of the experiences themselves.  This is not to lessen their reality or their credibility.  But human language itself is very limited when it comes to describing transcendent reality, and visionaries have always relied upon metaphor and myth to express themselves - and their followers, alas!, have interpreted them literally!  Monroe comes across as more pragmatic and scientific than mystic and uses his own unique "jargon," but he is nonetheless a visionary.

I note a lot of similarity between Monroe's experiences (especially in his last book) and the visionary myths of the ancient gnostic writers.  The gnostics spoke of traveling through numbered spheres in their journey from the World to the multi-dimensional reality they called the Pleroma - equivalent to Monroe's Focus levels and his notion of going "Home."  While the ancient gnostics spoke of freeing the divine spark trapped in matter, Monroe speaks of the energy body or energy double and the necessity of freeing oneself from addiction to the Earth Life System.  The gnostic is challenged by threatening "archons" in passing through the spheres and must know how to respond to them - similar to Monroe's descriptions of his being "tested" by his guides.  (Anyway, Monroe always sounds like a wise old gnostic to me when he exhorts his readers not to rely on mere belief, but to attain personal knowledge based on personal experience.)

One of the most interesting aspects of the gnostic idea of 'salvation' – by which they meant simply leaving this World and the round of reincarnation to return to their true Home - is the idea of the Restoration of the Pleroma - each particle of divine light that is freed from matter contributes to the eventual gathering-in of all of the light in the multi-dimensional realm of the Pleroma (thus, pursuing one's 'salvation' by this means is never just a personal or selfish matter).  The teaching of the restoration of the Pleroma is, of course, reminiscent of Monroe's "I/There" with the gathering-in of all the individualities that have gone to make it up - also similar to what Moen expresses as his "disk."

I see these similarities as pointing to an underlying objective reality that has been experienced by each of these visionaries and expressed in the language and images each of them finds most appropriate.  One is not true and the others false.  And each of us, if we continue in our non-physical explorations, will have our own experiences and express them, hopefully, in our own individual ways.  The experiences of those who precede us must be viewed as inspirations to us on our own paths, and not as literal prescriptions.

Mark:  It's been a long time since I've used Wave 1 (I've been playing with Waves 5 & 6 for a long time now).  I'm only just beginning to really understand how limiting our expectations are in these matters.  Reread your post.  I'm not being critical here, but I find what you say to be so much like my experiences (until recently) with the TMI Gateway tapes.  You say you're not "successful."  "No positive outcome."  "Nothing has happened."  Monroe was very careful NOT to tell you what you should expect or give you any indicators of how to evaluate your "success" or "failure."  I'm only just beginning to learn (5 years after first experimenting with the tapes) that what we think of as "failure" or "nothing" may be a very important step in our process.  Lately I've experienced no imagery, for example.  Just a blank screen.  Do you know how many meditators work for years for the Holy Grail of "a blank screen"??  My advice (offered most humbly and with a lot of empathy for your situation) ~ is ~ to use whatever comes up.  View it as you would a dream.  It's a given.  It means something.  It's leading you somewhere.  I think you're doing great.  Just keep at it!

The topic of "3D blackness" interests me immensely since I find myself able to perceive it with incredible ease.  Except that it's a "3D grainy greyness."  I've done a lot of work with vision therapy (eye exercises, etc.) and have very poor vision.  As I go into my relaxtion state (generally using the Monroe Institute focus levels since they work so well), I feel my physical eyes "working."  Something you learn in vision therapy is that the physical eye is easily tricked.  (Something you also learn in advertising!)  If you picture a scene at a distance (a ship crossing the horizon, say), the eye muscles relax as if you were actually looking at a distance.  Imaginatively pick up something and look at it close up (a seashell, say) and the eye muscles contract.  So you will indeed (in answer to Maya) get a different "feel" depending on where you are fixing your focus.  The state of tension, tiredness, etc., of the physical eyes will also affect this.  A deeper, richer blackness can be achieved by doing simple physical vision relaxing exercises before beginning meditation.

Of course, what we are trying to do is to see "nonphysically."  However, in my experience, as I am going into a relaxation/trance state, the physical aspects of vision are very prominent at first, and I try to learn to use them.  I may do some physical vision relaxing exercises before beginning meditation work.  If I sense physical eye tension, I will "look" at a distance (with closed eyes) to relax.

I've discovered a new "technique" to become aware of the 3D blackness.  It's there ~ we just need to learn to become aware of it.  Have you ever seen the wonderful film footage of Pablo Picasso painting on glass with white paint?  Marvelous, effortless movement, free flowing designs.  I relax into as much "blackness" as I can get.  Then I imagine an invisible wall of glass at a comfortable distance.  (Wonderful! Imagining something invisible!)  Then I imagine someone painting scribbles across the wall of glass.  No images, pictures, etc. ~ just scribbles.  It's very relaxing, of course.  But you also begin to get the sense of "in front of the glass," "the glass with scribbles," and "behind the glass" because you can see them all.  YOu have a sense of depth and 3-dimensionality.  I then mentally and visually remove the glass and the scribbles and find myself in a 3D black "space."  This takes only a minute or so.  If anyone else tries the technique, I'd love to know how it goes.

I too sometimes experience the "goosebumps" feeling although I know it's not that cold in the room.  For one thing, when the physical body relaxes, the body temperature can drop a bit causing you to feel cold.  It doesn't hurt to have an extra blanket handy.  Sometimes when the feeling is quite extreme, I suspect it's due to energy movement in my phys.bod. but this is just a theory at this point.

As to the sudden movements you experience, it may be because you've momentarily drifted out of phase with your phys.bod. and are slipping back in, or more likely it is due to energy movement within the body as you relax.

These are all good signs!  Recognize them, acknowledge them, and try to remain relaxed.  (Easy for you say, right?)

I have found that the key to the requisite physical relaxation and dealing with an overly busy "mind" is really just practice.  No magic, just practice.

Best wishes,
Do

As you are meditating or falling asleep (or waking up, for that matter), if you hear voices that are having a conversation from which you are excluded (except as an eavesdropper!) and/or hear your own name called out, you should be aware that these are typical signs of having entered the hypnagogic state (or hypnapompic if you're awakening rather falling asleep).  Simply acknowledge them for what they are and realize that you are dropping into a deeper state of relaxation and that the physical is loosening its hold on you.  In other words, acknowledge and welcome those signs while not trying to cling to them.  Use them to relax further and move further from the physical.

For me, "placing intent" takes place before I going into a relaxed or trance state.  I'm letting my left brain do something useful and formulate clearly what I need or want.  Then I carry that over into the relaxation process by means of an affirmation, and finally I just trust that it is carried within my breathing pattern or whatever to continue "in full force" as I relax further.  

When I get "no result" I've discovered that I have not formulated clearly enough for myself what my intent really is.  My vagueness carries over into the astral.  Or there is some hesitancy on my part that I need to deal with.  There's no such thing as "failure," viwed this way, but only an opportunity to learn.

If out of body experiences were simple, everyone would be doing it, right?  (Actually, I suspect it is simple, but we are so acclimated to physical "reality" that we've lost our skills.)

That, in fact, is the point I want to make.  You need to develop your skills and this takes time.  Directing and placing your intent; understanding why exactly you want to do this and what you expect; and being willing to explore and experience whatever comes up in the process are all important aspects of your practice.  Not to mention carrying your other-reality awareness over into daytime activities.

If you're attentive (and fortunate!), you will discover along the path that there are many different and subtle aspects to consciousness to be explored.  And while a waking-consciousness out-of-body experience may be the Holy Grail for all us, you can gain enormously by experiencing all these aspects of consciousness along the way.

Hope this helps.

I think most of us experience that inner "chatter." (I prefer that term rather than inner "voice" which seems to me to be something else entirely.)  As I'm meditating or going into one of the Focus states, when I become aware of the "chatter," rather than becoming frustrated or trying to shut it up, I simply acknowledge it and allow it to fade away.  It's back in no time, of course!  So I do the same thing again.  As you go more & more deeply into a meditative/relaxed state, however, that voice gets fainter and fainter.  It may be talking, but I'm definitely not listening.  So you may want to exercise patience until that state is reached.  With practice, it can be done.

I agree with Gandalf heartily when he says that most negative entities encountered while OB are personal projections (I'm paraphrasing here).  Although it's cold comfort when confronted with a terrifying situation OB, the fact is that it may be 'designed' for us to confront a deep-seated fear or a 'split-off' part of our personality that needs to be integrated.  This is what I'd consider first when trying to understand my own experience of "negs" when out-of-body.  Of course, as Gandalf says, when encountering negs that may not be personal projections, like attracts like.

That said, I truly feel that evil exists and it is not merely the "absence of good."  I think that we put ourselves in great jeopardy, whether in or out of body (probably more when in our bodies than when out) when we are not willing to accept this.  Forewarned is forearmed in this case.  Gandalf writes:

quote: "I can well imagine some sorry case whereby someone dies but has no knowledge of higher astral realms and so is determined to remain attached to the earth... perhaps by feeding off emotional energy they can generate more etheric energy to keep them grounded here... they are driven by fear themselves as they have no knowledge of the higher realms, they think this is it.. so they will go to any lengths to stop themselves 'fading out' (although they will actually be fading 'up' but they wouldn't know this and would fear it)"

I think this is an important understanding for us to have.  It surely is one of the prime reasons to explore out-of-body and in other nonphysical states of consciousness now so that we are able ultimately to transcend the physical-based realms (both physical life as we know it while living and the physical-based astral dimensions).

Why don't you check out the Monroe Institute's tape/CD collection under the category "Metamusic."  If you go into the online catalogue, you can listen to snippets of the music as well as reading about the uses of particular selections.  www.monroeinstitute.com.  I think you're likely to find some selections that resonate with you.  All contain the "Hemi-Synch" technology developed by Robert Monroe to facilitate particular states of consciousness.  In any case, some of the music is quite wonderful.  (And this from someone who is more comfortable with 16th century liturgical music or the "stylus phantansticus" of the 17th century than anything else!)

The notion of meeting up at a pre-determined place is tantilizing.  And while we all presumably know what Stonehenge is, I wonder if it elicits the emotional pull necessary to draw everyone to it.  Some OBE writers say that one can be more easily drawn toward a person than a place.  (I don't agree with that necessarily, since I tend to be more drawn to places than people in full waking consciousness!)  Nonetheless, this tendency to "pull" toward people rather than places could be a problem for people who attempt to "go" to Stonehenge.

Writing your dreams is of enormous importance in many ways.  It will not be detrimental to your OBE work and will in fact aid it.  By doing so, you're giving your unconcious the message that "somebody is listening"!  It gives you practice in remembering non-physical "events."  And the images that occur in dreams (both lucid and non-lucid) and those that appear in out-of-body experiences are related in subtle ways that you will be able to explore.  I keep a cheap "Radio Shack" (how cheap can you get?) tape recorder by my bed.  I find it easier to record the dream verbally immediately upon awakening.  You'll get a lot more detail and sometimes just the sound of your voice will give you hints as to the emotional impact of the dream.  Also useful for recording OBE's.  Then transcribe the dream into your dream/vision/obe/journal in the morning, noting associations, etc.  It's invaluable.

By the way, you're fortunate to recall so many dreams.  

I'm "highly schizoid" and "highly schizotypal."  What a relief.  Everything else was pretty moderate and normal ~ now that worries me.  The cultural bias in this test is immediately apparent.  "They genuinely prefer to be alone and do not secretly wish for popularity. They tend to seek jobs that require little social contact."  I'm not sure I see what's wrong with this.  Tying oneself up in "the world" is good thing???

Us "schizoidal" types (bless us!) have "odd forms of thinking and perceiving . . ." and "[t]heir speech is often over elaborate and difficult to follow."  I'm a published poet and I must admit I've heard that comment many times.

Now those moderate and normal items ~ gotta work on them!!  Thanks for the test.  I love it.  It reminds me that giving a wide berth to the medical/psychiatric estab. is a good thing.  (Oops!  getting paranoid there, no?)