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I have been practicing and studying all kinds of different OBE and meditation techniques for about the last year, to no great success worth mentioning. One problem that I continuously encounter (other than that "stuck" problem in the dreams forum, which BTW, I still need help w/please!) is that I begin to have anxiety attacks when I get really "close".
I assume I'm close anyway, I go through breathing exercises, go through the energizing of my chakras, count backwards, count forwards, imagine being surrounded by white light, all kinds of things. I have a very active and unconcentrated mind so I have to do several combined techniques to keep from just thinking away into the chaotic madness of my mind, but I am good enough that I can put my entire body to "sleep", completely numb and weightless feeling, with a loud intense humming and vibrating feeling in my head and ears, tingling in certain areas at certain times or when i have certain thoughts...and then I start getting anxious. I try to use every exit technique I can think of, and none ever work! I feel like I'm going to combust or explode or freak out or suffocate or something...and I start having an attack, which of course, leads to my breaking concentration and moving, and I then I lay on my side and proceed to fall asleep immediately.
I know that forcing the experience to happen only causes more problems...but what from reading this can you tell me. Am I doing something obvious wrong? Have I missed something in my reading? When I first came upon the astral information some 13 months ago and began to try to have an OBE, I actually got closer than I ever do now a few times. At one point I even felt the intense whole body vibrating and yet another time I heard a loud pop and "saw" myself in a stairwell, began to float off the ground, and awoke out of excitement. Since then...nothing! Again, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I am hoping that some of you will be able to help me with my problem, but first I will give you a little background on myself. I have been reading, researching and practicing all things metaphysical; astral projection, NDE, OBE, magick, meditation, lucid dreaming, shamanism, etc. for the past year, however I have not yet been successful at any of the practices I attempt.
My question is, quite frequently I find myself to be "stuck" in what seems to me a plane between planes, not fully awake and yet not asleep either. I can usually see through partially open eyes (I assume they must be open since I can clearly see the room around me) but I have vivid hallucinations, hear noises, sometimes voices, see all kinds of things, sometimes forms and shapes from my real surroundings morph into cartoon characters and monsters, sometimes I see people...it varies from experience to experience. The most extreme being truly strange and intense to the fullest extent you could imagine...sometimes rather terrifying, sometimes rather um...how shall I say this, sexual?! However the one thing remains typical throughout all accounts is my feeling "stuck", not being able to awaken myself, becoming quite distraught and at times internally frantic, feeling ripped or forced upon finally awakening or becoming "unstuck" and feeling a terrible pain, like a head ache, for several minutes afterward. There have been times when family members have entered the room unaware that I was not asleep, and I have desperately tried to call to them to no avail, no sound escapes my lips and I am completely paralyzed in my position.
This "phenomenon"(for the lack of a better term) happens mostly when I attempt to sleep during the day time, often if I have overslept simply for the sake of sleeping, or any time I attempt to sleep in my great great grandparents "haunted" house. Sometimes I am perfectly aware that I am "stuck" and make a consious effort to become "unstuck", other times I just "exist" in this strange dream like fantasy world unaware of anything at all until I have awoken. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Hope I was clear enough.

I recently left another forum where I was constantly bombarded with this type of conversation. (yawn) I just wanted you to know K(can't remember the rest of your name right now) guy, that I completely agree with you, and will be looking forward to speaking with you in the future. I have a lot of very strong opinions about Christianity and am very interested to know why someone would stay on this site simply to "correct" the "mistakes" made by others when taking part in these types of conversations. I'm sure that they will be telling us "the intentions" of God soon as well, as so many do. Keep up the good work man! But don't let the close minded bring out the worst in you, I often find that happens to me when I get in these conversations. It's just so exhausting listening to all of the Churchianity that people throw around. I do hope "we" as a general society grow out of this 2,000 year old childish understanding of Divinity soon. It's so unfair to the Creator of all existence to impose our supremely childish and limited human views on it's existence. (sigh)

I just received this book in the mail today and I am absolutely reeling having only read the first few chapters. The authors background is based in physics and she gives a truly invaluable explanation of our western view of reality and the universe. (although rather technical and possibly difficult for some)The book is in a text book format, and has questions and exercises in each chapter. I can't wait to continue my reading and I hope that this will spark an interest for others as well.  
Oh and the subject of the book is using, understanding and perceiving the human energy field or aura for healing. It's nice because it's less metaphysical, or shall I say "new age" than a lot of books I've read recently and it clearly and scientifically states it's case, if that makes any sense.