Messages

First off, I like the idea of the dream journals in the Dreams forum, but what I think would be cool is more of an OBE journal where dreams are not emphasized, and it's more about the nature of my experiences meditating and exploring consciousness and how I do it. Should I just start an OBE journal thread here?

Oh, just to answer your initial post here. I use a AP Journal and a Dream Journal. Any conscious AP attempts get logged in my AP journal. Any Dream recall goes in the Dream Journal.

I do that because I find that each method of attaining my non local states shows me something completely different from the other. With my AP attempts I first log the time I start and stop, the method of achieving focus and what "tool" did I use, if any.  Did I use earplugs, Binaural Beats/Isochronic tones, a eye mask, etc.. Then I log my adventures and any other results of it like "signposts", etc..

My Dream Journal consists of my Dream recall and then I log what DTs (Dream Triggers) I find in them. My actual Sleep paralysis OBE experiences get logged in my Dream journal because they occur at night during my sleep and are spontaneous just like Dreams are, even though my OBEs have an entirely different awareness level then my Dreams. My OBE awareness is closer to my conscious AP awareness.

I have found though that both lead to entirely different locations or levels per say.

 Excellent SleepyHollow! 

Now you are bringing that Dream memory recall back with you. You can incorporate that request into you night affirmations. Just think aloud that "When I awaken for the day I will have perfect Dream recall and I will write down my experiences in my Dream journal". Don't ask to remember. State it as "did it and done". Do it every night, no skipping.

Then, make sure you write anything your remember in your Dream Journal. In a couple of months you can look back at your notes and maybe you can start to connect the dots and find some commonalities in them. This is the way you get your personal messages. This will also show you possible patterns and uncover new revelations.

It is an intriguing idea that even while we sleep, we are not only shifting our Focus, but that learning and testing still occur in interesting ways, whether we are consciously aware of the fact or not. Monroe and a couple others have mentioned "sleepers class" but this has never been my personal experience (or at least what I remember). This particular experience is probably the closest I am aware of and it is notable that I felt a strong affinity for a few of the participants as if they are classmates or Instructors whom I apparently know on a Non-Physical level.

As it turned out, this was the final dream of the final REM period for the night. So it started as a dream, then became a Lucid dream although I didn't feel as if I ever gained full lucidity until maybe the very end, at which point I awakened; and yet, early on I had sufficient awareness to analyze parts of the situation. It was like two awarenesses were operating simultaneously: Me on a very instinctive level and Me from a third person perspective. As the dream unfolded it was clear to me that the two awarenesses were on course to merge at some point. Unlike my normal dreams I was able to detect a level of detail, complexity and an internal consistency that very clearly indicated this was a learning and testing exercise on probably a few levels at least. There were certain elements that I initially thought were the typical chaotic and nonsensical stuff of dreams but then realized these elements were being manipulated to challenge and disrupt my mindset along with the more obvious exercises of problem-solving that each test demanded. The majority of the time I felt that I was operating on an instinctive or subdued level; possibly the whole exercise was to be worked from this level and my slow increase in lucidity may have reached the point where the exercise was terminated. Like most of my adventures, I'm rarely told when they begin or when they end; or that they're tests in the first place, Lol.

If this was a test, which I definitely believe it was, you would have passed on all levels! 

In the quoted paragraphs above you masterfully described the "cycles" of the Dream process to a "T". First there is the becoming aware viewing as a 3rd person. Then the 3rd person and 1st person begin to emerge as your awareness grows. Now is the test to hold that aware. We could call that the 1st test. Then there is the plot running as normal, nothing feeling out of place. Now you get the "jolt". Something happens that jolts your awareness to higher level. The 2nd test is overcoming this "situation" and staying the course. Once again things begin to calm down, then they begin to peak again in strangeness. Enter the 3rd test. You hold onto your awareness and stabilize the scenario at hand again. Once again the scene hits a apex, then again you are challenged to hold it. This is ultimate test now and is where the "rescripting" begins.

Now amidst those tests there are other quests and adventures that have their own challenges and tests to overcome. In other words "school is in session"!

I can see each new "test" in your Dream description above. There were likely small "click outs and ins" between each test as well. If you think back you seem to see times that your awareness seemed to wane and then grow back strong again. I experience these brief click out and ins because in many of my Dreams I can't see exactly how I got from "scene A" to "B". Meaning, if I am inside a home or building experiencing something, the next moment I am outside but in the same plot. I didn't actually remember walking or moving to that new location. It was like "fade out, fade back in", just like they do in the movies.

Now the whole Dream plot itself is something that is for you to figure out. It's meaning is always of a personal nature.

The chaos in our Dreams is the starting of the "test". Do we hold on, do we abort? This is where the real tests apply.

When I normally lose the whole Dream period is when my awareness has hit it's peak level and I am starting to compare things to my physical life. I find it easier to stay in the Dream when I just act a conscious actor in them and not "overthink" things.

When you can hold your awareness in the Dream you start to really see things clearer. You might actually begin to remember someone in it or some circumstance in it that you have experienced before in another Dream. Pretty soon they might become "regulars" in your Dreams. By logging your Dreams you can go back to your older Journals and compare notes. I have found through this process that I can connect many dots. Enough to show me that we do live parallel lives while Dreaming. I don't think it's during the entire process though. I have found that our first Dreams of the night normally have to do with current events here in this physical realm.

 Come to think of it, you look kind of look like Superman too.  

Yes the feeling of just floating in the 3D darkness is very tranquil. Sometimes that's just what the Doctor ordered.  

[EXPONENTIALLY!]

How have others here noticed meditation practice affecting their dream life and likelihood of experienced lucid dreams or projections??

EXPONENTIALLY!

 Searching through past threads here I found this one created by Szaxx that is very good and fits the current topic of discussion here.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/hypnogogic_commonalities_wanted-t45515.0.html

Do you think that this is "enough" to build a solid basis for astral projections?
If you have some advice it would be great.

Hey Superman! That's the first time I ever said that, lol.  

The key to success is to create and hold a strong non physical focus. There are many ways to do it. There are also many "tools", such as Binaural Beats, Hemi Sync, Isochronic tones, etc. All of them work towards the same goal though.

So yes, that is "enough" to build a solid basis or foundation.

This Forum is loaded with many great ideas. I would start in this Sub Forum first. http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness-b30.0/

The only addition I might suggest is the idea of offering yourself up for SERVICE to others...just the offer to help when needed and able. I have read of that idea in several places and it kind of fits as a possibility when our NP activities suddenly stop for no obvious reason.

I use that one too, but I didn't want to give him a paragraph of affirmations. My extras are to continue towards my goal of being an "invisible helper", to heal others in this realm and lastly to remember what I once knew and unleash my full potential.

This issue, all by itself, is one for a common thread or even a sticky: What are the causes for NP experiences to change, become restricted or stop altogether?

I agree there are a number of reasons why people become blocked. I became blocked for awhile when I began adopting views of others as being the sole truth. Once my consciousness/higher self, etc. figured I knew it all, there was nothing else to see. So, everything stopped. Then I got some weird malady that actually forced me to think anew. In the beginning I saw it as a curse. But now I see it's a blessing in disguise.

...and as you say, it is definitely worthy of a common thread or sticky here. But I feel that in the end our answers are going to be tailor made to fit our own personal circumstances. At least it would give another member here a list to look at it and decide which one "feels" like it's the right one to them personally.

It's the same as with Dreams/AP adventures, etc.. I hear too many times people asking what their Dreams or experiences means to us. For us to help them find an answer. It's their Dream or experience. It doesn't matter what it means to us. It only matters what it means to them. We can be helpful by giving our own opinions though.   

I'll ask my guide for assistance in showing me something I need to learn.

For years now I have used the same affirmation (ritual) each and every night and it hasn't disappointed me yet.

"By my act of will I release my focus over my physical body. PLEASE TAKE ME to your desired destination. SHOW ME what I need to SEE. TEACH ME what I need to LEARN." I visualize those capitalized letters fading into the abyss before my closed eyes.

This works great for me. Try to create your own "script" and use it faithfully. Affirmations are very powerful. I used affirmations years ago in my sales practice and actually many different times in my life in general. They have proved their worth over and over again.

 Congratulations no-leaf! 

I'm hoping you are going to be a regular posting here again. I enjoyed your posts greatly in the past.

I finally learned to give my mind something to work with.  The first thing that worked for me was imagining a jet pack on my back, and a control on each side of my body.  If I pull my right arm, I accelerate with an arc to the right.  If I pull my left arm, I accelerate to the left.  If I pull them both at the same time, I just accelerate straight ahead.

You might have to think of a different trick that works for you, that's just an example.

Jet pack huh. That pretty innovative there no-leaf!  .

I have made it to space before by flying beside a rocket. That gave me the idea to try mirroring another vehicle, such as a plane. When I did that I found myself flying right beside it. All the work was done, so I just enjoyed the sights. It was as you say a way to "trick" myself and it worked.

 Your welcome EV!

 That issue is the delicate balance or relationship of how and when we apply our Attention/Focus/Intent. Sometimes we are required to apply as much Focus as possible and stay engaged or lose the scene altogether; other times we are supposed to back off and passively observe all around us to be open to new stimuli. Figuring out how to determine this is very tricky and the dilemma can occur at any time.

From a Phasing session I personally use my focus to pinpoint things. But once something begins to alter from my focal point, I allow it to blossom, then I just blend into the scenario at hand. Example of this: I create a vision of a tranquil beach scenario. The visual comes and goes, but I bring it back again and again until it's clear. Now that I can see this beach scene clearly, I may notice that there is some kind of action occurring. I allow that "action" to grow as I observe it with an air of curiosity. Then when the time is right I join it or should I say I just blend into it.

It is a balancing act. But like everything else in NP exploration, it gets better with practice.

Where I really have a problem though is when I awaken in a spontaneous SP and either exit or don't. I haven't found the "key" yet to create a successful exit every single time. Sometimes it seems like being too aware hinders the process. I know though that you definitely can't think "here we go". For some reason that instantly kills a projection. At least it does with me. Sometimes I will feel my legs rising, then that's it, end of the experience. Other times, I feel my legs rising, then I am out and shooting down my hallway and out my patio window.

hi lumaza,
One thing I've not mentioned is that even though I've fuly belief and try to have the above I've had occasion when I've felt fear and apprehension with heights even though I have a flown and have full desire to do so again.

You know, I find that strange myself too. In this physical realm here I don't like heights either. But over in the other realms I enjoy them quite a bit. I'm sure it has everything to do with the physical rulesets that have been engrained in our minds here in this current physical realm of existence.

I think that the more consciously aware that we become over there, the more our analytical thinking brain kicks in and reminds us of our physical limits. That's why when we become aware in a LD that we are flying, we tend to lose control of the situation. To rectify that you need to spend more time over there period!

You are keeping yourself open to a number of possible expectations -the environment, recognizing people, asking questions, etc- This is a good and reasonable set of expectations, but I think this is the wrong time to be having them and they are complicating and confusing what the true purpose of this particular process is trying to teach you. In other words, you're getting too far ahead of yourself and this naturally leads to frustration.

This type of learning in the NPR begins almost immediately and continues maybe indefinitely and involves the necessity of having to stop and reassess our present strategy and expectations and how to proceed; it has sure frustrated me at times.

In simplest terms, sometimes the NPR just wants us to focus on and learn the most simple, next single step in front of us and nothing more. And until we do that, the whole process can grind to a halt until we make the right choice.

Once again EV has masterfully explained this process.

When I first began going to the "other realms" regularly consciously aware, I found I "flitted" and jumped around all over the place. So much was happening around me and I tried to make sense of it. The more I tried to make sense of it all the more confusing it actually got. Then I was told over and over again by my Spirit guide, (who just happened to be my deceased brother inlaw), to just relax and "observe".

Once I had finally calmed down I was taught all kinds of unique different things like depth perception, telepathy, etc. But this only happened after I learned to observe now and question it later. In other words I soaked in everything I was told/taught and things that I saw and experienced. Then I went to my Journal, wrote it all down and that way I could see how this info would help me further as I explored more of these new realms again. Many times I ended a session myself, just so I didn't forget anything I was being taught or anything I was experiencing. It can be overwhelming at times.

[Curiosity]

And what else? Or do you think the right mix of thoughts is something else?

Curiosity

A healthy sense of curiosity goes a long way!

 Hello Herbhornist

Just to add to all of the great replies here that you have already received. You could use simple "directions" as a focus target. Once you get good with "feeling" the pull to that direction, you can get deeper into it and have some fun with it. You could experiment with "virtual tug o wars" and things. This is a great exit technique. But it's also a great daily exercise just to get you used to "loosening" up. After awhile you will find that disassociating yourself from your physical body is a piece of cake.

http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/how_exactly_do_you_perform_the_phantom_wiggle_method-t44583.0.html

In my limited experiences in SP and nightmares, I always feel a precense approaching me but never see it. So I always interpreted it to be evil.

...and there lies the problem. In the state of SP any presence period is normally perceived as a threat. That's what really kicks on the natural "fight or flight" impulse. The only way to counter this is to be "in the know" The problem is, there aren't a lot of people that are in the know about this subject in general.

Just listening to the night time Paranormal Radio shows proves this to be true. There are sooooooooooooooooo many times when I hear a caller describe a classic SP episode as some kind of Demonic attack. I then await the show's host to set them straight. But that's not good for business. Fear sells! 

 As usual, very eloquently put EscapeV!
   

Having been through many SP episodes myself, and realizing they are tests of a sort, the internal, almost autonomic 'fight or flight' response is my first conclusion because the images/sensations that challenge us seem either so primal or so individualized to each of us that it seems obvious to me that the material is drawn/extracted from our individual subconscious, each episode in fact tailored to our own predilections for fearful responses.

 Maybe it is a simple, limbic system kind of 'fight or flight' reaction that keeps us centered within our physical body. A second possibility is that it is a direct challenge to our psyche to make the step into the OBE experience or the Non-Physical experience, however you may choose to describe it. This may be a challenge designed by purely inner biological/spiritual/personal forces or it might be imposed by some outside force. I am still undecided on this and am open to the idea that it may be a bit of both.

I believe that our "fear scenarios" are tailor made to challenge us personally. Who better to know what pushes our buttons then ourselves. But, there seems to be a lot of things in common that people are experiencing. Demons and Extraterrestrials seem to top that list. Could it be because of what we are constantly viewing via television and movies, maybe? Our beliefs also are a driving force here. Just look at what occurred with "the Old Hag" syndrome amongst the Hmong men.  

The idea that the SP fear test is just a bio kind of thing, a leftover 'checking mechanism', and why it persists for me, is that I question why veteran experiencers such as Lumaza, others or even myself, still get them from time to time...I mean sometimes they catch me out (and I fail) or I am left thinking, Why did that need to happen? Maybe it is just designed to keep us on our toes...Lol.

My answer to why we are still experiencing this now is that we have chosen to teach and help others learn about the "non local states of consciousness", whether they are by OBE, Phasing or LDs. So, by keeping it fresh in our minds we really understand and have empathy for what new members are experiencing themselves. My SP episodes normally lead to a full exit from my body. I am in the RTZ for a very short time, just long enough to get out my patio window. But then from there I am in another realm. I have tried to slow the "path" down so I can see if it's a interpretation of my RTZ room and home, but I haven't had any luck with that yet. Last night I awoke in SP, my legs felt like they were rising, but then the episode ended. I think I was "too aware" if that's possible.

I have had False Awakenings though and in those I have found reality fluctuations.

But like you, I still haven't come to a final conclusion about what any of this is. Just when I think I am beginning to get a clue, I find out I know nothing and am back to searching again.  

 

Will they ever 'test' me again? Does everybody get a chance to be tested?

I don't know. That's between you and your higher self to decide. I would say though that coming here and trying to learn more about this phenomenon is a step in the right direction.  

Yes, I think everyone get tested. I feel that Sleep Paralysis is likely responsible for almost all of the Demons and Aliens at the end of the bed episodes that you hear so much about. People awaken with the inability to move and then their fear takes over. That's why Forums like this are so valuable. They teach people not only about the phenomenon itself, but how to respond to it when it occurs as well.

 Hello Cantfly and Welcome! 

It sounds like your high self/spirit guide/s gave you 6 months to a year to overcome your fear. But unfortunately you didn't and the experiences stopped when the conclusion was made that you weren't ready to experience the "other realms/non physical realities" consciously aware at that time.

Had you have realized what was happening and seen the SP through, you would have "awoken" to incredible new levels and realms of adventure.

We have all had the "fear tests". But you must overcome them to proceed further. I personally experience SP often and still to this day I am tested. Just last week I became aware during a spontaneous SP episode and saw what looked like a white blob in front of me. This blob morphed into a scary face. I looked at it and laughed inside and thought "Nice try, lol". I then had a full exit from my body and found myself in a RTZ (real time zone) scenario.

Here is a link that explains the entire phenomenon of Sleep Paralysis in great detail.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences/everything_you_could_ever_want_to_know_about_sleep_paralysis-t38734.0.html

 

What do you mean by different awareness level? How many are they? How far can one go?

There are many different levels. Kurt Leland has written books about this. LD's and where they lead you are Kurt's area of study. There's some great info to be found on this subject on his website here.
http://www.kurtleland.com/dream-interpretation/crash-course

I'm not going to have kids or get married because it consumes your life leaving little time for anything else.

Beavis we all came to incarnate in this realm here to experience. Having kids, getting married. etc. Those are all experiences that involve love and every other emotion known to man. Sure they are not always going to be good experiences. But be it good, bad or ugly, they are all experiences. Experiences and what you learned from them are what you take with you when you leave here.

 Proper flying? I don't think there is such a thing, unless of course you are learning to become a Pilot!  

When I have flying experiences I never see my hands or even my body period. Well, that's not entirely true. I have had a couple of instances where I became Lucid in a Dream and saw myself flying ahead of me from a 3rd person point of view. I then took over and kept flying from a 1st person point of view.

Other times when I became aware I was flying it just seemed like I was point of consciousness just enjoying the sights. But these were spontaneous events whereas I was just becoming aware I was already flying. As EscapeVelocity says above though, a strong focused will and intent plus a belief that you can already fly goes a long way here. Even Superman had to practice a time or two before he finally got the hang on it! 

Once a long time ago I had a LD whereas I was in neighborhood where the kids there were showing off their Skateboarding talents. I asked them if they wanted to see something cool and I jumped up to the roof of the home across the street. That completely freaked the kids out and started a whole bunch of trouble for me. I even got chased by the police. That's when I learned it's better not to be conspicuous in some of these other realms. Oh well, another adventure, another lesson learned, lol.

 I find that a strong focused will creates that intent, so does positive daily affirmations.

But my signature here reiterates what EscapeVelocity so eloquently said above "To be successful with Astral Projection/Non Physical Exploration, your will to succeed must be much stronger than your acceptance of failure".

 You could look at this 3 ways here. 1 is like Bluefire said above which is becoming "more loving and altruistic being", as this link says.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7916/5-tips-to-increase-your-energetic-vibrational-frequency.html

2. Would be by working to tune and "entrain" your Brain by altering your Brain waves. This can be achieved by listening to Binaural Beats, Isochronic Tones, etc. Here is a link to some information on that: http://www.finerminds.com/mind-power/brain-waves/

3. We are all energy. Everything on this Earth and even Earth itself has it's own frequency (Schumann Resonance). The Russians have been using frequency to change DNA.  Frequency changes are used in Qigong and all kinds of Energy Healings.
 http://qigonginstitute.org/html/scientificbasis.php

On this link there are a number of videos explaining and teaching you that when you change your frequency, you change your reality.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=changing+your+frequency&qpvt=changing+your+frequency&FORM=VDRE