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I'm getting pretty good at distinguishing trance states lately. I can feel when I'm in or near the state where I'll hear non-physical voices, and even 'aim' at it if I try. Same goes for imagery, which can last for several seconds at a time and I can usually control to a certain extent.

But I'm not sure whether the sounds & images are things to aim for, or distractions to get past. They're a useful signpost that tells me exactly how deep a trance I've reached, certainly, but they're not 'full' trance - I still have a fair awareness of my body.

So, would people recommend I pay them my full attention & even aim to make them happen, or ignore them completely and just try to get past them?

Was flicking through a fantasy book recently, and the wizards were throwing fireballs and changing shape and leveling mountains as they do in stories.

It made me wonder: Which of the magic powers beloved by fantasy stories do you believe ARE fantasy, and which do you believe can actually be done?

Here's a list of popular powers, give each a "yea" or "nay" according to your belief:

Flight/levitation
Weather control
Prescience
Change of appearance (changing into someONE else)
Change of shape (changing into someTHING else)
Curses (Causing bad things to happen)
Charming (Causing good things to happen)
Extended/eternal life
Pyrokinesis (fireballs etc)
Mind-reading
*wave* "These aren't the droids you're looking for" (Mind control)

Some recent observations I've made about how we think, based on meditation experiences.

Firstly: The ability to think in words is one of the most important cornerstones of rational thought, and one of the major differences between humans and animals.

Secondly: Thinking in words is profoundly unnatural and is a cornerstone of some of the difficulties I've had with meditation.

My reasoning:

The brain evolved (or was created, whatever you prefer ) with the ability to think. Thoughts, however, pre-date speech. Brains were not designed to think in words. They were designed to think with what they had: "Pure" thought, thought expressed in images. This is why at the fundamental level, brains work with imagery. We dream in pictures, not words. The subconscious works with imagery.

This is why, when you meditate, you have to silence the mind. The surface level of the mind thinks in words. The rest, however, works in pictures. In order to reach a deeper level of thought, we have to stop thinking in words. You can't pick up TV signals with a radio, you can't reach deeper states of mind while thinking in words.

This is also why we can watch trance imagery for quite some time before suddenly realising it's happening: images don't suddenly start appearing, with a "Ta-da!" type surprise that makes us instantly notice them. We are ALWAYS thinking in imagery, every moment of the day. Meditation just lets us gradually sink down to a level where we can become aware of that imagery. Trance images never start happening, we just slowly become aware of something that never stops happening.

It's this division that words create in our mind that makes for the great separation between our surface, conscious mind, and the deeper levels of the subconscious. By thinking in words, we wall ourselves off from the rest of the mind, drastically reducing the amount of 'input' the deeper levels of the mind can supply.

Perhaps this is why dreams are both so important, and so confusing. In dreams, the 'literal' consciousness is given direct access to the 'visual' subconscious, re-establishing a link that we have accidentally spent a lifetime eroding. But because we don't use imagery to think consciously any more, we don't understand the communication that's taking place. The literal consciousness sees only the image, with no way to 'translate' it into meaningful information. It's like our eyes see a DVD as a shiny silver disc, while a DVD player 'sees' the same disc as a wealth of information capable of generating hours of audio and visual information. Same object, but vastly more meaning when you can 'interpret' the information held within that object.

I tried an experiment earlier. Ordinarily, when daydreaming, I do it in words. I'm not very good at holding mental images in my mind's eye, but writing is a hobby of mine. I fantasize in words. Mental images arise in response, but they're incidental and not too noticeable.

So this time, I tried daydreaming WITHOUT any words. I tried to do it all with 'pure' thought and imagery. The difference was very noticeable: There was a far greater emotional response to the wordless fantasy than I would expect from thinking about the same scenario with words. Why? Because I was thinking in a 'language' that my entire mind could understand, instead of using a layer of abstraction by thinking literally.

So, in conclusion: To be able to communicate with levels of our own mind deeper than surface thoughts, we need to do it in the universal language of imagery. Words only get in the way.

Discuss!

I've noticed a pattern in my meditation which is starting to really get on my nerves.

The trend is that I mediate (almost) every day, and gradually get better and better at it. Then I acheive 'the next level' and for a few days I get the thrill of being able to do something that I could only dream of just a few days ago.

And then it's like a switch is thrown, and suddenly not only am I unable to do that new thing, I can barely even manage to meditate at all. And I have to spend a week or two just trying to reclaim the simple ability to enter a trance, never mind trying to improve upon my skills.

This has happened time and time again - from when I first noticed I was consitently entering trance, to when I consistently was getting imagery during trance, right up to last week when I was able to induce and control the imagery to a certain extent.

And then by Friday, I couldn't even reach light trance, and only today have I managed to even see imagery. It'll be several more days, I expect, before I'm again able to call up imagery and start working on controlling it.

Does this happen to anybody else?

Recently, I've finally started getting somewhere with imagery during meditation: I can will imagery to appear, and explore it while fully lucid, altho it tends to be a bit vague and short-lived.

But I've noticed that the imagery that appears is almost always an indoor scene, and typically corridors, stairways, or small rooms. Very rarely is it outdoors, and the one occasion this week when it WAS, I was following a road, which made it more of a corridor without walls, if you see what I mean. And it ended as soon as I went off the road, I might add.

I remember RB, when discussing WILDs, saying that aiming for indoor scenes like a shopping mall seemed to be the most effective. My spontaneous trance  imagery seems to be bearing this out.

I'm just curious as to why this should be the case? Why am I always indoors or on a path? Is it just because I spend more time indoors than out, or is there more to it than that?

I'm curious as to where people think that the spirits that populate the Planes actually come from.

I've come across various theories, such as:

- In a similar way to physical reproduction, spirits are created by other spirits

- All spiritual beings started out physical and have just evolved/devolved since the end of their physical life

- They didn't come from anywhere, they've always existed.

- "Like attracts like" doesn't just create Planes, but spirits as well. For instance, if a multitude of dreams of, say, a field full of sheep are attracted together, the dream-fields will merge to make a very stable field, and the dream-sheep will merge to become genuine live astral sheep.

- When a Plane is created, living beings 'evolve' within it, and give rise to indigenous intelligent spirits.

Those are some of the possibilities I've come across. So I'd just like to know what the opinions are. Where do you think non-physical entities come from?

There have been a few discussions lately about that old chestnut "OOBEs are just vivid dreams". Nothing new there, but it got me wondering. . .

If you concluded, based on all available information/experience/etc that OOBEs really WERE just vivid lucid dreams: Would you loose interest in having them?

I can't say I would. When I look at the various things I have on my "wish list", it mostly doesn't matter at all whether it's "all in your head" or a genuine other-realms experience.

When OOB, you can fly. You can enter the worlds contained in interesting pictures. You can even enter worlds of fantasy. You can have amazing experiences. You can create anything you imagine. You can heal and improve yourself. None of these would suffer if it were all down to dreams and the placebo effect. You'd still have experienced it.

Just a thought. Mostly, when cynics play the "Just a dream" card, we try to trump it with "No it isn't", which tends to lead to a long and pointless argument.

If they instead met with "So what?" they'd give up and go away a lot faster

Not the most serious thread I've ever started. But some say that when lots of people believe a being exists, their belief creates it on the Astral.

So, since thousands, maybe millions, of kids believe in Santa Claus, does that mean he actually exists astrally, and could be met by APers?

Hopefully a simple question:

A few times, when meditating, I've entered a state where my body feels immensely swollen and expanded. I feel VERY heavy, and it seems a very familiar sensation, even tho I don't remember having ever experienced it before.

I have no difficulty at all in moving.Mentally, I feel completely awake and alert.

So, the question: What state IS this?

In Astral Dynamics, RB recommends a good way of inducing/deepening trance states by visualising yourself sinking downwards.

It's never worked for me as a trance inducer. I can never seem to induce any kind of "feels like I'm sinking" sensations.

But the last couple of times I've been meditating and had imagery start, I've been able to alter the imagery so I was going downhill - first I was going along a road, which I willed to become a downhill slope, and second I was in some woods and created a path to go down.

Both times, but especially when walking down the steep path, I felt noticeable trance-deepening sensations.

So, whilst it appears that sinking visualisations DO increase trance levels, I've got to be in a fairly deep meditative state already to make use of them.

Anyone else had this? Alternatively, anyone else know any good ways of inducing the sinking feeling without having to be in a trance already?

Just before you read my answers, I'll add that all of projections to date have been into the RTZ (Real Time Zone).

a) I make the conscious intention to project by setting a trigger memory to remind me when I am asleep, I will incubate this intention for the days leading up to an attempt and strengthen it with affirmations and reality checks.

b) Equally as Lucid if not more so than in the awakened physical state, and definitely more sensitive to the environment around me.

c) At the moment for what feels like between 10 and 20 seconds, it may not sound very long but I savour every moment!

d) Movement is the greatest obstacle for me at the moment, when I exit the body I don't possess the bodily dimensions that I have here in the physical world, I feel I am about the size of a tennis ball, when I try to move I tend to swerve or 'slide' in one direction as if I were sliding on ice.
I'd like to discover and travel further a field but at the moment I'm still getting used to my Astral legs .... or the lack of them!!

You might want to define at what point an entity stops being a spirit and starts being a deity if you want meaningful answers to that one. . .

I don't think anyone actually knows the answer to that one. We can only guess.

there is only one rule - there are no rules
of course if you metapsychically go to the gym and start insulting someone's mother you have to face the consequences, you could have predicted them ...
it's just life, only with broader perspectives
karma is not astral police or magic force, it's pure cause and effect

[from a projection]

Hey Astralspinner,

I don't think this is accurate!  Although, this is really a very cool idea. On a larger scale (conceptual) if I could do the transformation 'thing' I would redesign my body on the astral plane into its younger age and slip it over my declining body and rejuvinate myself. Then,I'd do the same for my wife and then I'd go into the underground market and sell my trade to those willing to pay and make a fortune!!!!

quote:Originally posted by astralspinner

There's an article on the main Pulse website about doing magic from a projection: Right here

The writer wanted a new car, so she overlaid an astral image of a new car over her current, unreliable old car. Hey presto, a new car turned up.

So it's evidently possible to do magic from a projection to make things happen in the physical. I'm just curious to know if other people use different methods to do magic from a projection, or if everyone just uses imagery?

If so, how do you choose the site to place the image? For instance, the author of that article wanted to replace her car, so she placed a new car image on her old car. If someone without a car wanted one, where would they place that image?

The real difference between an OBE and a lucid dream is whether you're fully aware of how you got there and if your dream personality matches your physical world personality. If your awareness of yourself is identical to what it is in the physical world, then it's an OBE.

For instance if you separate from your body with complete awareness of your own identity, yet have no astral sight then it's still an OBE. The only thing that matters is your self-awareness. It really has very little to do with how vivid the colors are or if you are able to feel textures and so forth with complete realism.

If you're only aware that you're in a dream/projection, but you aren't fully aware of the process of how you got there or what your name is, then it's a lucid dream.

Exactly 1 partner, instead of 0 or more than 1. Condoms. Unwanted pregnancy. Mom and dad. You are thinking too physically.

If its possible to reproduce after death, it would be purely a mental creation.

Some members of astralpulse have posted that they created autonomous thought-forms that have fought negs.

You might try to focus in on the spinal bounce technique as it might stimulate energetic activity in that area,  but then it depends on what is causing your backache.  You could have a clear energy channel thru that area and still be stuck with the backache.  
good luck.

I know almost nothing about wands/staves but, isn't the important part at the tip?  Like a gem/crystal at the tip of a staff...  I heard many people use crystals...

I just wanted to point out that, normaly, the energy is naturaly always in movement...  Maybe have a look at http://www.the-tao.com/images/micro_points_cwr.gif.

It is generally accepted that the vibrations are a symptom of projection. As such, they are not an end in themselves. I think it was Tisha who once said they can feel like sitting on a very unbalanced spin-dryer revolving at top speed. Then again, at the other end of the scale, people have perceived them as a mild kind of buzzing sensation.

Yours,
Frank

i often get the same feeling. I also get it while I am motional or watching an emotional programme on the telly.

Ia

The only way to fly in astral is to actually believe you can fly, and use your mind to get off the ground. You must believe with no doubt at your mind. I had a few experiances where I was flying really high, and then I questioned my success. As soon as that thought of possible failure crossed my mind I started to fall. The more I resisted the faster I was falling. So have faith, and don't give up, that's my advice.

Good luck

I have found that Gateway 1 Intro to Focus 10 extremly helpful. Makes gettng into the mind awake/body asleep state pretty easy. If you read Franks post in "Gateway Experience" in this fourm, he outlines the process he goes thru to get to focus 10. It was very helpful since I downloaded it from Kazza, and had no idea of what to expect. Thank you Frank for providing that outline. I have had good luck with Advanced Focus 10 with the REBAL. Your Resonant Energy Ballon is very good for getting you aware of your "energy bubble", and combined with NEW, it makes you buzz pretty srongly.

I also have a question regarding the Astral Planes, and Focus Levels/ Afterlife? All the same thing? Just different ways to describe it?

aaron

aaron