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Nice! I dont mind paralysis its alright as long as its accompanied by vibrations. Most of the time i have been paralyzed ive had vibrations go all over like mad. Today afternoon i had a 2 second vibration wave that went zip through my head and was so loud it woke me up from the dream to a full awake state. How can i switch to an OBE if i am in a pralyzed/vibration state? Where do i go from there? Any links you can point me to or suggest a method will be most appreciated. Thanks.

This is where experimentation comes in. Effective techniques for me, which turn a paralysis episode into an OBE include taking deep regular breaths. This seems to increase the vibrations a lot. Next I will usually 'roll out'. This feels like you're physically rolling off the bed, but because you're paralysed, you're not. Using this method, I usually have reduced vision on getting out, but as I move away from my body it comes back (I think this is simply being on the border of an OBE, and movement reinforces the OBE state and so all senses become apparent in the OBE state rather than the physical state). On occasion after rolling out, the OBE feels very faint, like I'm just visualising strongly being out of body rather than truly being OBE. I've found the best way to combat this is to walk/crawl away from your bed and keep focusing on the OBE environment and sensations; this once again reinforces it and develops into a full OBE.
Other similar techniques include using tactile visualisation such as imagining climbing a rope/ladder with your arms. Being in the paralysis state (border of awake/dreams) makes such visualisations easier, and can produce a high level of realism.
Techniques I've personally had little success with are visualisations to either float up or sink out into the OBE. Such visualisations take the form of reproducing the sensations/imagery of being in an elevator moving up or down.

Yeah, research and finding treatments is good. I liked some of Leary's work with finding ways to report inner visual experiences. He enlisted a group of Psychonauts and trained them to identify colors by their frequency. So they didn't use the names of colors, rather, they were able to report the frequency of the colors numerically in a very efficient way in realtime.

Could some of these methods of observation and reporting have potential in helping people who say "there are no words to describe my experience" to communicate the inexplicable to us lowly earthly mud sluggers?

Possibly. But I think it would require a change in our thinking processes. Abstractions fascinate me as they plant ideas below the level of conscious interpretation (and consequently words), such ideas are allowed to grow within a persons own spheres of belief and experience. I think this could be a way of sharing direct experience without losing the detail we see with word translated experience. I have a number of projects in this area.

I wasn't impressed with Kesey. A writer who published a book about going on an extended binge with a party of friends, riding crosscountry on a bus covered in fingerpaintings.

I actually have more respect for Kesey than Leary. Kesey was the author who wrote 'one flew over the cuckoos nest' (written mostly while on psychedelics working in a mental institution – they gave him an understanding of the mental disorders of the patients there). The book detailing the bus journey was written by Tom Wolfe, and was based on what Kesey actually did.
Kesey was a creative. He took all profits from his book, bought a bus (further), and converted it to carry a group of people. The bus was wired up with a lot of stereo and recording equipment – lots of feedback going on, such as microphones outside, under the bus, on top etc feeding back into the equipment, being looped, echoed etc and used as a creative medium to 'rap' against (creative dialogue).
He then painted the bus with a group and took it across country.
His journey was in essence a spiritual one. He saw much of what was going on at the time as being entrenched in the past, trying to relive the past, but with a modern mindset (conflict). He tried to create such things within our own mindset and cultural influences – move it to the modern mindset.
The bus journey was like an experiment into self and reality. They were pushing the boundaries of humanity, being 'out front' (not held back by their social conditioning, not getting hung up or possessed by emotion or intention etc), they were attempting to live in the moment as far as biology would allow (their being a delay in nerve transmission), and perhaps the biggest experiment of all, they were bringing the world into 'their movie'. They shot a movie of the whole trip, but it was more then that, it was a group influencing and creating their own reality. Bringing people into it to get the outcome the group desired. Literally what is talked about here (belief effecting reality), they went out on the road and put it into action.
Through trying to externalise the psychedelic experience (With light and sound devices), what we know as the modern rave/disco/nightclub was born (ala Keseys Acid Tests). Also, much of the direction the hippy movement took was influenced by Kesey. But they were always behind him, he progressed past the point, and they rode the trail he left behind.
Eventually kesey advocated moving beyond LSD, that creative maelstrom being brought into the present through natural means and our own power – this was realised in a 'Graduation Ceremony'. But many of the Heads of the time felt threatened by this as Drugs gave them their status and power, so they really sabotaged this ceremony and consequently cause it to fail.
If you are open minded on such maters, do some research into kesey outside of the mainstream media branded stuff. Also, reading that book by Tom Wolfe (The electric kool-aid acid test), if you look beyond the drug use (a means to an immediate end), you see a lot of deeply spiritual ideas and concepts.
It was so much more than I've described above, but I think I've scracthed the surface of it.

And the gov'mt finding ways to use these substances as weapons? They have to, that's their job.

In that respect, they have (supposidly) attempted to use psychic's remote viewing as a way to spy on the enemy's military capabilities as well.

I think the problem with the Government experimenting with such substances is the way they went about they. At one point, they literally dosed countless random public members with psychedelics, and literally watched them as they thought they were going mad (they didn't know they had been dosed).

this is getting too complicated, I think I'd rather be like the mushroom, just feed me dung and keep me in the dark. 

Sounds like a plan  .

This afternoon while taking a nap I experienced the vibrations multiple times. Each time the vibrations were brought on by getting involved in the same hypnogogic scenario. The scenario involved diving and whales. I seemed to have knowledge of a group who went diving, but their equipment would only let them go a certain depth. While diving, a whale would bite a diver and drag it down below this depth. The whale was only being playful, but the consequences of going below this depth were potentially serious.
This produced concern in me and the vibrations. It was almost like the deeper the whale went, the greater the vibrations.

[very]

Depends on the type and form of the 'shroom. I believe Amanita Muscaria mushrooms are sold all over the internet as items for "collectors" and those can certainly be as potent as the average psilocybin mushroom in my opinion.

Psilocybin is illegal though...but it isn't like you can't find some growing in huge quantities if you are in the right area at the right time.

I'd just like to say the effects of Amanita Muscaria are very different to psilocybin (normal mushrooms). Research these things at  http://www.erowid.org to see the differences.

However, I don't agree with:
"It may also provide a way to study what happens in the brain during intense spiritual experiences, the scientists said."

IMHO, Chemically confusing the brain cell synapse is not the path to "spirituality". For example, what do you think is more productive, taking mushrooms every day, or learning to meditate and having these experiences with a sharp and clear mind?

With that said, mushrooms could be beneficial as a providing a very temporary peek into altered consciousness, and only beneficial if it leads to the practice of meditation for example.

I think the key words above are 'intense spiritual experiences', which are fairly common with psychedelic use but decidedly rare with meditation alone.
While I agree meditation as a long term solution to spiritual progress is best, meditation alone rarely produces moments of rapture and intense spiritual awakening. So as a means to study the brain during these moments, it's pretty useless. Unless you are able to find competent meditators who are willing to be hooked up to machines daily, for years on end (until such an event occurs).
Regardless of our beliefs, we cannot escape the fact that all experience is filtered through a chemical brain (even if you believe the brain is simply an interface for an external mind). So in a sense, all our spiritual experiences are chemical induced. The difference being, psychedelics are an external agent (Although in most cases they are simply a key to certain brain reactions which causes the experience, rather than the cause itself. Such as LSD being removed from the brain before the experience starts).

IMHO, a common trap is to think that these chemicals taken repeatidly will continue to help. The benefit is only a one time deal, and you have to drop it and just get to work on the real deal.

I both agree and disagree with the above. Repeated psychedelic experience might not be effective if taken in the wrong circumstances, but it can produce very long term changes if taken in the correct circumstances with the correct supervision.
If you are interested in this, then look into the experiments done throughout the 50s-60s-70s-80s which utilised psychedelics in roles from psychotherapy, treating alcoholism and drug abuse (with very high recovery rates), removing fear of death from terminally ill patients, to treating medical conditions.
I could find out references for you to look into if you are particularly interested.

Ps. It was Government run psychedelic experience which generally started off the 60s movement. Ken Kesey who was one of the leaders of that movement (with his Merry pranksters) was introduced to psychedelics in such a paid trial.
Also of interest are the experiments the CIA carried out on unsuspecting members of the public, they dosed unsuspecting people visiting brothels and observed them. Although this sounds the stuff of conspiracy theory, details of these experiments were found in Government files through the use of the Freedom of Information Act.

Details of these things can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKULTRA

And a fascinating book on this subject is:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802130623/sr=8-1/qid=1153053358/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-8467581-2547210?ie=UTF8

I had interesting dreams last night.

The first concerned some alien substance. A meteor or something similar fell to earth and a black tar like substance was found within it. It seemed to hold some properties of life, and at first the world was amazed. Soon interest in it was lost with the latest new headline.
I managed to get my hands on this substance, and it seemed through experimentation, we discovered it grew when dissolving organic matter. This research was top secret, but towards the end of the dream some people found out about it and raided the place we were keeping it. One of these people was dissolved by the tar which made it grow to very large proportions.
We tried escaping the facility we used to study it, as the tar seemed to have awareness now and I felt it might be malicious. I ran outside and the tar was stretched above me, it seemed to have what I interpreted to be an evil grin, and I feared I was about to be dissolved too (along with most of the world). The evil grin was misinterpretation on my part, and the tar substance was actually benevolent. Because I was one of the ones who helped it reach this size, it helped bestow powers upon me. At first, being wrapped in the tar (it was white now, like a blanket almost) allowed flight. But as time went on, proximity to it allowed the use of flight without it. Proximity to it must have created change. Other powers came like super strength (no, I haven't seen the new super man movie yet  ) came later, and I remember lifting cars up with one hand and flying about with them.
Also, at one point I became more lucid as I pushed my flying speed as fast as possible.

A later dream saw me taking a class. I had a feel it was like Buddhism, and dealt with meditation. One of my friends told me before we went into the class it was like a 'dirty spiritualism'. Dirty in the sense it got the job done but perhaps not in the most appropriate way.
In class I had to fill a sheet out which involved drawing lines between numbers (which I messed it). I was then given a manual which seemed to deal with all issues of life. It was full of esoteric diagrams and occult symbols. I remember feeling it wasn't really right, and not long after I found myself arguing with one of the instructors. It was like they were regurgitating book material rather than teaching true material.
I guess this place had a bit o a cult feel to it, and I decided to go back to argue some more.

As One, if you feel judgment of "another" for something they do, that is something you might wish to explore within because the one you are judging is yourself.  

Kerri

I don't believe that at all. Perhaps it could be said in some sense, that everything is one, but we are still not the same thing. Even though everything is interconnected, we are different individuals, different souls.

This has nothing to do with all 'being one', but more to do with human behaviour. In short, we judge ourselves by our own prejudices. If we innately judge others for whatever reason, those mechanisms are used to shape our world view, so even if it's not on a conscious level, those views shape our view of ourselves.
If we hold hate for a person, that hate is generated and held internally – and so for every emotion.

I was thinking about how becoming an expert in the astral would make death a less scary concept,

but then I wondered, what would happen if one was out of body and their physical body died? Would they be stranded?

An interesting question, but not one we'll be able to answer for certain - unless it happens to us .

But the fact that people can experience very strong vibrations running up and down the body while fully awake, walking & talking shows it's not related to sleep. How are you seeing this?

Inward

A large part of what defines sleep is brainwave frequency (usually  Theta/Delta). Meditation alone shows one can remain aware in these states, and many EEG experiments have show people can be awake and active while experiencing even Theta brainwaves. Entraining these states through whatever meditative/energy work beliefs you hold will see their occurence even when active. So I wouldn't say such things are unrelated to sleep, as such assumptions go againt the evidence.

I haven't noticed any type of feelings while the roaring is occurring. Basically, the roaring and LD happen almost simultaneously. There was one occasion that the roaring was so loud that it startled me and I woke up.

Now that I'm aware of what's happening, I'll be sure to pay closer attention next time.

I hardly remember anything else once that roaring starts. I know I am rational and logical enough to think, "wow, that's loud, I wonder what's going on."

I do detect a shifting away from the physical at this point. It's as if the physical is on one end of a see-saw and the astral on the other. The roaring occurs at the centre of the see-saw and I mentally slide down the astral side. Any astral voices or other noises seem to come in behind or around the roaring. And I'm aware that at any moment (a bit further down the see-saw) I'll be able to pop out and go off exploring.

Times when I only hear the roaring is usually in the mornings when I've awoken but am on the border of sleep. Usually I find hypnogogics are a lot more 'solid' and then sometimes the roaring starts and I feel the sinking, the hypnogogic increases in realism until I am there. It's a different kind of 'entry' to that I experience with the full vibrations. So was curious if this was similar to what you two experienced too .

Edit: The sinking feels very similar to the onset of sleep paralysis from a waking state. But it seems rather than be stuck in sleep paralysis, I become involved in a hypnogogic experience/AP.

As long as you still have OBE experiences, the vibrations don't particularly matter. I think Selski says she's never felt the full vibrations, and it has never stopped any of her experiences .
It just seems to be one of a range of possible symptoms of the OBE state. I've had experiences where I pass into the AP without feeling vibrations at all. It's simply a transition form my bedroom to a visualisation I am holding. The visualisation becomes more solid while external sensory perception becomes reduced until it vanishes.

Well, I have had some odd sensations which I am not sure are the vibrations or not.

They are completely localized to my hands, and feel like some sort of pulsating-throb, accompanied by a tingling like pins and needles- sort of like when an apendage is going numb (but my hands are not going numb). I do not think my hands actually pulsate, but that is what the apparent nerve activity suggests to me.

Are these the vibrations, and if so, why might they be centralized as such?

Hi Stillwater,

To sound clichéd, you will know when you feel 'The Vibrations'. It's the closest feeling I can imagine to being electrocuted while remaining unharmed. There's not necessarily pain, its just the feeling of tremendous energy passing through you – but on occasion it can feel uncomfortable to the point of being painful.
I'm very interested in 'The Vibrations' and a very similar phenomenon brought about by low dose DMT experiences. Many people describe what to me, sounds exactly like the vibrations. Higher dose DMT experiences actually sound very similar to OBEs too – so it's an area I would love to see researched more.
Perhaps when time and circumstance allow, it might be something I'll research on a personal level.

Edit: Just to add, I've never felt 'the vibrations' in a localised way. They are usually all or nothing. I have experienced localised vibrations though - these usually have the feel of sensory distortion i.e. when meditating, one reaches a state where the body representation becomes less cohesive, so distortions occur - or even hyper awareness of natural body function. Such as feeling blood flow through the hand, but because of the sensory deprived state, it feels pretty powerful.

Whilst I claim to not have the vibrations (apart from once when I requested them), I have had this roaring.  It's all encompassing, but strangely enough it isn't unpleasant.  It's not particularly deafening as such (in volume), but it's massive in its presence (if that makes sense).
Sarah

Since we're on the topic of vibrations, if I may, I'd like to interject some new and strange experiences that have just started occurring.

Up until just recently, I would feel the vibes but never noticed any roaring sounds. Well, now I am beginning to experience the roaring sounds but no vibrations. In fact, when the roaring starts, I seem to slip into a lucid dream state and I will witness jet fighter aircraft circling overhead! This has happened several times back to back and has me wondering if this is a type of evolution for my consciousness.

Out of curiosity, when you hear the roaring sound, do you feel anything else? I ask as when this happens to me, I feel a 'heaviness' which seems centred on/in my head. And then I feel like I sink into myself. I usually seem to sink into an hypnogogic scenario (which is like a lucid dream).

thanks for the suggestion, Darren:

Still Water, i advise reading into the Mind split theory, it's in Roert Bruce's Book Astral Dynamics. It's more than it seems. It doesn't mean we are constantly projecting, it's about memory recall of the projected double and what Robert believes is that a complete copy of the physical conscious in made and put into the double on its projection, your physical conscious remains in your physical body at all times. Not just leaving an empty shell. Just because sometimes you don't recall memory of your projected double out doesn't mean that isn't happening and you are left paralyzed.

Do you really believe 100% of your consciousness in in your physical body anyway?

Something to remark on, though, is that Mr. Bruce is very circumspect in calling his model a theory as well, knowing that there may be other plausible models as well.

Now I am not nearly as authoritative on the subject as Bruce, but I favor another model: that projection is a process of passing our awareness deeper into our own mind. This does NOT mean that projection is merely a dream or a product of the brain, but rather that no travel is necessary to go any place in other planes, which is actually the case according to most. I believe a number of the "senior" members here also hold this opinion.

Rene Descartes may be of help here:

Descartes points out that we can not be sure of the objective existence of the material world: what we experience come entirely from our senses. I DO NOT SEE A BOOK, BUT RATHER I HAVE A VISION OF A BOOK! This much is true, there is no arguing with it, I am afraid- every experience we have with the physical world is merely of some sense perception of it, usually one of the five normal ones. I have sensations of holding a book, of seeing it, of hearing it clamp shut or fall, it smells musty, and if I dare I may sample its fine taste, but I still only have perceptions which only suggest the book exists, not prove it. Perhaps the physcial world is ONLY these perceptions, as we cannot prove it is there, but only that our perceptions suggest it is there, think about it!

Now not to sound authoritative, but most philosophers I have read post- Descartes (and many before) actually agree, and I have not read any good  refutation of this near-truth.

From this, one may see that one does not necessarily need to "travel" to the astral plane, but only shift their awareness to perceptions of it. Since our mind is the only thing we are sure, of, and not the physical, and the astral is not dependant on the pysical by necessity, then in essence our mind IS the world! This does not suggest that our brain makes the mind, but rather that the mind makes the brain! Since there is nothing really to travel away from, it would seem that we are basically traveling inside our own mind, in essence "going deeper". One may equate mind with soul, if that is their choice, as my tendancy is, but soul is a loaded word in some circles.

So you can see that the mind-split theory could be correct, but that there are other possiblities too- namely what I suggest in this case, that we are voyaging in our own mind (body of "God"?), so do not need to go anyplace at all.

Hi Stillwater,

Have you read much about the phasing model of AP? It really amounts to changing the focus of consiousness from the 'physical' world to the astral planes. This can be likened to moving focus inwards. My experiences to date have been inline with this theory. AP being a construct of the imagination with a possible greater reality behind it.

Whilst I claim to not have the vibrations (apart from once when I requested them), I have had this roaring. It's all encompassing, but strangely enough it isn't unpleasant. It's not particularly deafening as such (in volume), but it's massive in its presence (if that makes sense).
Hey, hey, hey! I've had this too. I wondered what it was at the time, but wrote it down diligently. The wavy lines kept changing from being really 'sharp' to smoothing out every so often. It was fascinating watching it.  

Seems I have felt vibrations in one way or another more often than I at first thought.

From my own experience it seems the vibrations are some form of phenomenon which are interpreted within our sphere of experience. Such as whatever it/they are might share more traits with a physical vibrational feeling – so in the majority of cases, it is felt as such. But when it is experienced through other sences, its interpreted in a similar form too – such as a roaring or a visual vibrational phenomenon etc.

It could be likened to a phenomenon noticed by many, that is in the astral, we interpret experiences in terms of our own experience to date. So if something outside of our experience is found, it will perhaps come across as abstract as we try and fit meaning to it.

Also, the vibrations are not actually felt by the body - so if one can experience something which feels tactile, why can't one experience something as a sound too?
I've actually experienced the vibrations visually a few times too. THey looked like static on a untuned tv channel.

Most times I get vibrations I get a tremendous roaring in my ears/head too. It sounds like being at the base of an immense waterfall. This is not a whistle, or tintinus and only occurs when the vibrations are powerfully felt  througout my body. I've never heard such an immense buzzing/roaring sound in waking life - its unique to times in the vibrational state.
If this is not the vibrations, then what is it? Also, why does it only occur when I have vibrations?

When I talk of vibrations I mean the electric/roaring/buzzing in every cell of my being vibrations, not the slow waving ones.

Hey ParanoidAndroid,

Do you mean your head will physically shake?

If this is the one I'm thinking about, a lot of things don't make sense. Firstly, you never see the guy hand the card in and get the cash. Secondly, he won $1700-ish didn't he? Supposedly shops can only pay out up to $500, anything over that you need to go to a centre to collect. Yet this guy supposedly cashed in the card for the full amount at the shop.

I'm pretty sure it showed him cashing the card at a centre, not the shop.

hmm i'll have to check it out, its been a while since I saw this .

When you go to "post reply", at the bottom it has an "add an attatchment" button. Then scroll down again, and you can browse for the picture on your computer and upload it.

Maximum size is 256 KB

I missed that  :redface:.

Here you guys go.  His name is Daniel, I've watched the program twice.. He is just incredible and adorable.  The program was called, Brainman.

http://science.discovery.com/convergence/brainman/videogallery/videogallery.html

Thats the guy! Thanks Nay .

Ps Catmeow, I started to read that mentalism book and my eyes have already been opened . I'd never heard of swami gimmicks before now - very ingenious. It's amazing how simple some tricks really are. I haven't read much yet, but very enlightening so far.

Although it doesn't specifically state OBEs, Kashmir by Led Zeplin (just listen to the words).

All my attempts to enter space seem to meet with problems. Such as once I tried flying to the moon, even at a fast flying speed it didn't seem to get much closer. Eventually I decided to try teleporting there. So I closed my eyes and just moved there. On opening them I found myself in a strange red place (bands of orange, red, brown around me). It almost seemed like I was inside rock.

MisterJingo

Like you, I'm suspicious about the way the author dismisses retinal fatigue in the article I linked to. But I just thought it was a well-written and interesting introduction to the subject.

I agree its well written , I just have a feeling retinal fatigue might play a part – but this is usually discounted by proponents of auras. Something which increases this suspicion is answers given on certain internet forums concerning developing auric sight. It's usually stated in the early stages one only sees transparent auras around objects, which eventually turns into colour auras.
Due to how the eyes work (actually moving around by minute amounts quickly), staring at any object causes retinal fatigue, and due to the eyes minute movements, the outline of the object seems to expand out (which is simply a fatigued areas background changing from the object to around it) which produces a clear looking aura.
To me, I can't see how one could differentiate between this natural action and supernatural action of auras. The argument is usually about the time it takes for retinal fatigue to develop – which counters my own experience.
Please note I'm more questioning certain opinions of developing aura/seeing auras then the whole validity of auras themselves .

Edit: This raises a point. I don't hold scepticism because I believe certain things are impossible. I hold scepticism because for a lot of things taken as paranormal, I see an equally convincing natural explanation (or the possibility of an explanation).

Regarding your theory about aura-seers and synesthesia I think you're suggesting that aura-seers may be synesthetes, who actually experience body-language impressions as colours. This is an amazingly clever idea. Undoubtedly there are individuals who do see auras and this would be a perfect, simple, explanation for what they are experiencing. We all gain huge amounts of information by observing body language and we also know that synesthesia exists, so simply put the two together. Brilliant.

Cutting through my babble, that's exactly what I was suggesting . It just seems to fit for me.
I think people seriously underestimate the amount of information we can gain from body language alone. They seem to interpret body language as large movements such as folded arms, or moving from foot to foot etc. I think even minute movements, such as that of the eyes, or minute facial muscles etc give information. We might not interpret it consciously, but the information is there and can be accessed subconsciously. I also can't discount the possible information transferred by pheromones or other excretions. As small as these things are separately, taken all together, they could provide a rich tapestry of information.

One way to test this of course would be to get an aura-seer to view someone standing behind a wall, and get the aura-seer to describe the aura as it projects over the top of the wall. If it's just body language then he won't see an aura, if it's real aura-vision then presumably he will see the aura although he is unable to see the actual physical person.

Exactly. If we find people who seem to consistently see auras, this theory could be tested. Although strangers should be used, perhaps the aura seer standing in another room and looking through a glass wall/window to discount the possibility of them picking up pheromones etc. And the aura reader should not see any of subjects before the test.

I saw a TV program about a mathematical prodigy who "sees" numbers as colours. he could multiply two LONG numbers together in seconds. The way it worked was that he saw each number as a "colour blob". He concentrated on the two "blobs" and his subconscious mind would then quickly present him with the result "blob". He was then able to transform the "result blob" back into a mult-digit number, which he then reported.

I think I saw this too. Did he have a form of autism which didn't impair his social ability too much? And they created physical representations of these 'blobs'?

That is pretty funny, MisterJingo; I thought the picture was a bit goofy  

I thought this was a real phenomenon for years, so much so that I used it as a citation, lol. I thought I even recalled a reference on the telly, but that might have been to some sort of magnetic anomoly instead.

But you must be right, as the site you posted refers to the site I posted as the source of the disinformation

I actually told people about this because I was so amazed  :redface:. This is before I found out about it being a hoax