I decided to start a log here, so initially am copying and pasting from a former post I did on another forum since it explains my method. All comments welcome.
I do a version of the body asleep/mind awake technique (an adaption of the Munroe technique - greatly simplified). My success is still in the infantile stages, but it is a process that works for me, at least for now.
Since we all go to the body freeze state (paralysis) when we are asleep each night and then move on from there in consciousness to the astral plane during dream time, the trick of this technique is to fool the body into thinking you are asleep in order to experience it lucidly.... (as I see it, and have read elsewhere). If I stay perfectly still for a long time, long enough to get to the body numb stage, (along with sleep-like breathing and getting to the theta state).....AND if I'm tired enough, I have been able to float out. So far this is not under my control, ie I don't roll out etc. What I'm assuming is happening is that the consciousness is actually on its way to the dream zone as in normal sleep. (Dream zone is a term used by author Kurt Leland who has mapped the inner planes extensively through years of lucid experience.)
Arriving on the astral plane in a lucid state (using this method) is my goal, but so far I haven't gotten past the float (transit) stage. I would agree that any fear prevents the process, but I also think that it's important not to let the body know you are awake by directing the experience in any way (for this particular method) - but I'm still playing with this. I'll report on how I do.
Other than using this process I have gotten out of the body on several occasions (more or less spontaneously) to fly around what 'looks' like the physical plane, in my astral body. This success has been limited by my inexperience but I am quite happy to have these practice sessions. So far during OBEs I haven't been able to have interactions with other beings, am off my myself, and NOT very lucid. I certainly don't scoff at anything I can accomplish however, as each time I get out I get to practice trying to stay calm, and remembering to get lucid. {I also work to become lucid 'during' dreams - which is how Leland does it, and this is WAY cool when it happens, but very rare for me so far.}
Back in February of this year I had my first OBE using this method. I remained perfectly still and maintained the body numb stage for at least 2 hours (this is not sleep paralysis by the way) and I eventually started to leave through my feet. I don't go into the vibrational state, but this may be because of the stage of learning I am at. I have felt the beginnings of, or a soft form of, the vibrational state and have also heard the rushing wind-like sound, but not very loudly if at all. Anyway, I floated out like a log on my back. Once out, instead of travelling feet first to wherever it was I was headed, I was rotated 180 degrees and began to move foward head first (still on my back). I had no control over this rotation and was surprised when it happened. I moved along in a sort of tunnel. When the speed increased I could feel the wind going past me. As usual with my OBEs I became very excited and in this case really wanting this experience to get past the motion stage and into the astral plane and to have a lucid experience there (no matter what form it might take - for now), but I cut it short by trying to direct it. In this case both excitement and wanting to travel faster sent me immediately back to my body. Drats....as I see it the body caught on that I wasn't asleep before I got past this transitional state and into dream zone.
I'm past having any fear of this, and also beyond wanting to just experience the etheric body (the light body that can't get further away from the physical than 10 feet or so). It's the astral body that I want to be in and to eventually become proficient in utilizing the astral body 'senses' (read Kurt Leland) to gain full access to the astral plane. 'Full' access (as opposed to limited access) takes training and spiritual mastery of the astral body - which is essentially mastery of the emotions. Following that comes master of the thoughts.
The various bodies and planes are discussed extensively by Leland, and also by Seth to some extent, and by Annie Besant (who coined the body level terms) in early Theosophical writings. Each plane requires a body equivalent.... that is, you use your astral body to travel the astral plane, the mental body to travel the mental plane, the causal body for the causal plane etc. and each body has its own unique set of sensing tools (activated chakras perhaps) that allow you to 'experience' and interact on that plane.
The etheric body is the lowest body and is essentially a double of the physical (as is well explained by William Buhlman). The etheric has its value on the physical plane, and although you can move your consciousness fully into the etheric body you can't go anywhere in it. The astral body allows travel and you also use this body during most dreams. During an OBE that's the one you need to master first if you want experience beyond the Real Time Zone (RTZ) and into the 'astral proper' as Frank calls it.
Cool stuff me thinks.
I do a version of the body asleep/mind awake technique (an adaption of the Munroe technique - greatly simplified). My success is still in the infantile stages, but it is a process that works for me, at least for now.
Since we all go to the body freeze state (paralysis) when we are asleep each night and then move on from there in consciousness to the astral plane during dream time, the trick of this technique is to fool the body into thinking you are asleep in order to experience it lucidly.... (as I see it, and have read elsewhere). If I stay perfectly still for a long time, long enough to get to the body numb stage, (along with sleep-like breathing and getting to the theta state).....AND if I'm tired enough, I have been able to float out. So far this is not under my control, ie I don't roll out etc. What I'm assuming is happening is that the consciousness is actually on its way to the dream zone as in normal sleep. (Dream zone is a term used by author Kurt Leland who has mapped the inner planes extensively through years of lucid experience.)
Arriving on the astral plane in a lucid state (using this method) is my goal, but so far I haven't gotten past the float (transit) stage. I would agree that any fear prevents the process, but I also think that it's important not to let the body know you are awake by directing the experience in any way (for this particular method) - but I'm still playing with this. I'll report on how I do.
Other than using this process I have gotten out of the body on several occasions (more or less spontaneously) to fly around what 'looks' like the physical plane, in my astral body. This success has been limited by my inexperience but I am quite happy to have these practice sessions. So far during OBEs I haven't been able to have interactions with other beings, am off my myself, and NOT very lucid. I certainly don't scoff at anything I can accomplish however, as each time I get out I get to practice trying to stay calm, and remembering to get lucid. {I also work to become lucid 'during' dreams - which is how Leland does it, and this is WAY cool when it happens, but very rare for me so far.}
Back in February of this year I had my first OBE using this method. I remained perfectly still and maintained the body numb stage for at least 2 hours (this is not sleep paralysis by the way) and I eventually started to leave through my feet. I don't go into the vibrational state, but this may be because of the stage of learning I am at. I have felt the beginnings of, or a soft form of, the vibrational state and have also heard the rushing wind-like sound, but not very loudly if at all. Anyway, I floated out like a log on my back. Once out, instead of travelling feet first to wherever it was I was headed, I was rotated 180 degrees and began to move foward head first (still on my back). I had no control over this rotation and was surprised when it happened. I moved along in a sort of tunnel. When the speed increased I could feel the wind going past me. As usual with my OBEs I became very excited and in this case really wanting this experience to get past the motion stage and into the astral plane and to have a lucid experience there (no matter what form it might take - for now), but I cut it short by trying to direct it. In this case both excitement and wanting to travel faster sent me immediately back to my body. Drats....as I see it the body caught on that I wasn't asleep before I got past this transitional state and into dream zone.
I'm past having any fear of this, and also beyond wanting to just experience the etheric body (the light body that can't get further away from the physical than 10 feet or so). It's the astral body that I want to be in and to eventually become proficient in utilizing the astral body 'senses' (read Kurt Leland) to gain full access to the astral plane. 'Full' access (as opposed to limited access) takes training and spiritual mastery of the astral body - which is essentially mastery of the emotions. Following that comes master of the thoughts.
The various bodies and planes are discussed extensively by Leland, and also by Seth to some extent, and by Annie Besant (who coined the body level terms) in early Theosophical writings. Each plane requires a body equivalent.... that is, you use your astral body to travel the astral plane, the mental body to travel the mental plane, the causal body for the causal plane etc. and each body has its own unique set of sensing tools (activated chakras perhaps) that allow you to 'experience' and interact on that plane.
The etheric body is the lowest body and is essentially a double of the physical (as is well explained by William Buhlman). The etheric has its value on the physical plane, and although you can move your consciousness fully into the etheric body you can't go anywhere in it. The astral body allows travel and you also use this body during most dreams. During an OBE that's the one you need to master first if you want experience beyond the Real Time Zone (RTZ) and into the 'astral proper' as Frank calls it.
Cool stuff me thinks.
