Messages

 Lightbeam, you should have led with "Spoiler Alert". Now I don't need to see the Movie, lol!  

It sounded like a lot of fun. I love those "Hero Dreams" and seem to get them quite often. For some reason many of mine seem to surround around Tornadoes. Either before, during or after the Tornado hits. What I was told and shown is that they are "vortexes" of sorts that act as "board wipes". Not only do they bring "destruction", they also create "change". I have found from people that I know that experienced them firsthand, is that on some level, the change seems to work in a very positive direction. They can only see that many years after the fact. The initial blow is total chaos.

["The visuals you imagine at first are used mainly as a gateway to Focus 10. At which point the natural Phasing process is kick-started. Here you switch from perceiving visuals generated as part of an imaginary rundown, to perceiving visuals which begin being played to you as part of the Phasing process.The visuals tend to have a kind of thread which you simply follow. As such they do have the effect of being a kind of gateway to further focus levels. But the key difference is the visuals are actually being played to you, as opposed to you generating them. I've mentioned before about how followers of the Moen-school Focussed Attention methods are taught to make contact with former loved-ones who are resident in an area they call the Afterlife. They do this by first imagining talking to them about some topic they would normally have done, and in a similar situation to which they would have been while Physical.Next they are taught to be on the lookout for anything that comes about that is not on their imaginary script. If they perceive something to that effect, they follow along the thread of it and see where it leads.The visual rundown example I gave in the monster thread follows along similar lines. Where you first choose some kind of metaphysical imagery to suit your tastes. Not something too simple else your mental focus will dissipate and you'll lose all realisation of Self as your body goes to sleep. But not something so complex and detailed you begin to engage in an act of creative visualisation. Which tends to prevent the body from falling asleep.Doing this you start to get instances where suddenly you think, hang on a minute, I never imagined that! Which tends to have the unfortunate effect of zapping you out of it, at first."]

 In another recent thread here, there is a discussion about how to turn those "grainy faded images" that we first get, into a full-blown and vivid scenario. You can read more on that discussion in this thread here:
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences/cant_see_images_anymore_lost_ability_please_give_me_your_opinions-t48194.0.html;msg377047#new

I am re-posting that quote from Frank Kepple here because it describes the visual aspect that my Doorway thread was created to achieve.

"The visuals you imagine at first are used mainly as a gateway to Focus 10. At which point the natural Phasing process is kick-started. Here you switch from perceiving visuals generated as part of an imaginary rundown, to perceiving visuals which begin being played to you as part of the Phasing process.

The visuals tend to have a kind of thread which you simply follow. As such they do have the effect of being a kind of gateway to further focus levels. But the key difference is the visuals are actually being played to you, as opposed to you generating them.

I've mentioned before about how followers of the Moen-school Focussed Attention methods are taught to make contact with former loved-ones who are resident in an area they call the Afterlife. They do this by first imagining talking to them about some topic they would normally have done, and in a similar situation to which they would have been while Physical.

Next they are taught to be on the lookout for anything that comes about that is not on their imaginary script. If they perceive something to that effect, they follow along the thread of it and see where it leads.

The visual rundown example I gave in the monster thread follows along similar lines. Where you first choose some kind of metaphysical imagery to suit your tastes. Not something too simple else your mental focus will dissipate and you'll lose all realisation of Self as your body goes to sleep. But not something so complex and detailed you begin to engage in an act of creative visualisation. Which tends to prevent the body from falling asleep.

Doing this you start to get instances where suddenly you think, hang on a minute, I never imagined that! Which tends to have the unfortunate effect of zapping you out of it, at first."

That quote came from this thread that Frank had made in the past here.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/focusing_inward_and_visualizing-t4192.0.html

[The visuals you imagine at first are used mainly as a gateway to Focus 10. At which point the natural Phasing process is kick-started. Here you switch from perceiving visuals generated as part of an imaginary rundown, to perceiving visuals which begin being played to you as part of the Phasing process.The visuals tend to have a kind of thread which you simply follow. As such they do have the effect of being a kind of gateway to further focus levels. But the key difference is the visuals are actually being played to you, as opposed to you generating them. I've mentioned before about how followers of the Moen-school Focussed Attention methods are taught to make contact with former loved-ones who are resident in an area they call the Afterlife. They do this by first imagining talking to them about some topic they would normally have done, and in a similar situation to which they would have been while Physical.Next they are taught to be on the lookout for anything that comes about that is not on their imaginary script. If they perceive something to that effect, they follow along the thread of it and see where it leads.The visual rundown example I gave in the monster thread follows along similar lines. Where you first choose some kind of metaphysical imagery to suit your tastes. Not something too simple else your mental focus will dissipate and you'll lose all realisation of Self as your body goes to sleep. But not something so complex and detailed you begin to engage in an act of creative visualisation. Which tends to prevent the body from falling asleep.Doing this you start to get instances where suddenly you think, hang on a minute, I never imagined that! Which tends to have the unfortunate effect of zapping you out of it, at first.]

 Here is a great portion of a great post by a former member here that helped many people named Frank Kepple. There is a Sticky here on this Forum that has all of the posts that Frank made. This one though, explains how a simple visualization soon leads to so much more.

"The visuals you imagine at first are used mainly as a gateway to Focus 10. At which point the natural Phasing process is kick-started. Here you switch from perceiving visuals generated as part of an imaginary rundown, to perceiving visuals which begin being played to you as part of the Phasing process.

The visuals tend to have a kind of thread which you simply follow. As such they do have the effect of being a kind of gateway to further focus levels. But the key difference is the visuals are actually being played to you, as opposed to you generating them.

I've mentioned before about how followers of the Moen-school Focussed Attention methods are taught to make contact with former loved-ones who are resident in an area they call the Afterlife. They do this by first imagining talking to them about some topic they would normally have done, and in a similar situation to which they would have been while Physical.

Next they are taught to be on the lookout for anything that comes about that is not on their imaginary script. If they perceive something to that effect, they follow along the thread of it and see where it leads.

The visual rundown example I gave in the monster thread follows along similar lines. Where you first choose some kind of metaphysical imagery to suit your tastes. Not something too simple else your mental focus will dissipate and you'll lose all realisation of Self as your body goes to sleep. But not something so complex and detailed you begin to engage in an act of creative visualisation. Which tends to prevent the body from falling asleep.

Doing this you start to get instances where suddenly you think, hang on a minute, I never imagined that! Which tends to have the unfortunate effect of zapping you out of it, at first.

That post came from this thread that Frank had aided in:
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/focusing_inward_and_visualizing-t4192.0.html

This thread, and all of the responses have been super helpful. I have to assume that the imagery you and lumaza describe are more of a solid, and "real" image that's displayed behind your closed eyes, as opposed to the grainy, and not so solid images of the imagination.

I think this is where people get caught up. Those "grainy, not so solid images" will get more vivid, when you allow them to. How do you do that? You learn to passively observe them and allow your curiosity to take you deeper into them.

I've always been curious about what the difference is between the clarity of those images and why we can't always imagine in 3d or color. My imagination's imagery is quite clear, but it is not "real" in the sense that it is steady and solid on its own (where I become the observer of it, or like it is separate from my effort of maintaining the imagination). But I understand the difference because it is obvious when that shift occurs, usually before going OOB.

In my Doorway thread I use things like color, geometric shapes and yes, even doorways because they are things that we encounter in our waking lives everywhere. Everywhere you turn there is color (unless you are color blind or blind period), there are various items of all basic geometric shapes and every Door leads to a new scene on the other side of it. I used all of these so I could "trick" the mind into creating "mental associations" based on them. Do this simple exercise. Close your eyes and just be aware of the darkness there. Now I want you to cycle your thoughts through the colors red, blue, green and purple. Those 4 should do for now. All I want you to do is think of the words. Don't attempt to visualize anything. Watch what happens now. Did the letters all of a sudden accompany the thought? Did a mental associative image appear? If it did, just observe it. Allow it the freedom to consume your focus. Do you see what I mean now?

I think it is a matter of focus and intention, and that sometimes we need to kickstart that process as lumaza said. I also think that as we age, if we are not continually practicing, it's very easy to become overly dominant by our intellect, or the analyzing and judging mind. We experience the hardships and challenges of life that can make it harder to focus our attention or to "let go" of our materialistic issues and worries. Because ultimately, what we're doing is letting all of that go, and getting lost in our imagination until we become fully immersed in it.

All of that is true. "Letting go" is much easier to say then do. It is "us"/we that get in the way. But that's because all our lives we have been programmed that this physical reality is all there is. Life does that to you. You can experience both and you do in your Dreams. Yet most people aren't even the slightest bit aware of those either.

Oh yes, thanks for reminding me, Lu! I didn't think about using them while doing Tai Chi.

Ok, now I did 5 minutes session holding the rods and I must say that the feel of the energy movements was more enhanced. At one point I became a little more detached of the surroundings that I was about to fall, because my eyes were closed and I lost orientation of where is up and where is down. I think the rods deepen the trance, so I opened my eyes for the rest of the session. Highly recommended to everyone to try with rods. Or maybe even holding crystals.

Your Welcome!  I thought you said in a past post here that you had a set of the Rods.

I get that "detached" feeling often while holding the Rods. I also get that "blast off" sensation. It's quite amazing how they seem to enhance an experience. My first time using them, I got relaxed in my chair, closed my eyes and soon saw that the Rods were emitting light. One of the lights was Silver, the other Golden. They looked like some kind of "Star Wars Light Sabers", lol. Needless to say, i was very impressed and still use them often today. They work wonders with NEW as well.

I brought them along with me to a Quantum Touch seminar/workshop years ago in Minneapolis. After the workshop was over, I approached the Speaker, who I think was named Master Chen. He said he had a set of the Rods as well. But he said he used them for "other things". Unfortunately, he didn't divulge what the "other things" were. One could only guess!

 Lightbeam, you have a set of Egyptian Healing Rods, don't you? If you do, do your dance with those in your hands. It will enhance your experience even more. I did that with a group of 12 people in a circle at a Renaissance Faire in Wichita Kansas years ago. Each person had a turn using the Healing Rods. Many of them had never used, seen or even had any previous knowledge of them. We had a blast. Everyone there had some kind of eye-opening NP experience. Although as we see here on the Astral Pulse, that NP experience was perceived in many different ways.  

That's right I also fully agree that everyday training is essential.

One of the biggest benefits I see in daily practice is that you get to realize and "feel" what it's like in the various brain waves. Each one of the brain waves has a certain distinction to it, whether that distinguish be in depth perception or just the overall feel of it. The more you practice, the more these states become more "natural" to you and because of that, easier to access. This is known as "Brain Entrainment". I find this is where the daily listening of Binaural Beats or Isochronic tones really comes in handy.  It's a great "prime" for the pump. They help you to become familiar with the various brain waves themselves. Pretty soon, you can engage a certain brain wave almost at will!

Youtube is filled with all kinds of good ones. You need headphones to get the effect of Binaural Beats. But, you don't need them for Isochronic tones. Just a 10 minute session a day can do wonders. I normally go for the 30 minute sessions. DJ Vishnu and basically anything by Paul Collier are great for a daily relaxation session, especially before bed! I have a hard time with the "monotone" ones though. I prefer a Bin Beat/Iso Tone with an accompanying musical background.

Here is a link to DjVishnu's Facebook. He has his free Meditation Series there.
https://www.facebook.com/djvishnudotcom

Here is a YouTube link to Paul Collier's playlist. This "MInd Defragment" is a great one to start with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5ox2GzWnJw&list=PL48627FA5F1896833&index=4

This hour long video by Paul will get the visuals going automatically. It has Bird chirps and all kinds of cool things imbedded in it. It does what I created my Doorway technique to do and that's to create "mental associations" almost automatically. That really helps in "disassociating" your focus from your physical body. Which is what Phasing it.
Just close your eyes and "be" there!   Now is when you enter the scene with a little bit of "mental motion" in the forward direction. Don't force it, "allow" it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh7RRFq00Bs

 That must be why I always heard the Teacher saying "Earth to .....,  come in .....!"     The dots being my name.

The really important thing, to me, anyway, is working that muscle and bringing content back with us, not just forgetting, everyday, everyday, everyday. It makes that part of us weak and less apt. Muscles have to be worked to get strong, otherwise they atrophy. Bringing the content from the additional experience fields back with us teaches us to keep that beta-frequency-wave present while in the additional waves. It keeps us primed and ready to receive Data at any time. Including right here, right now. We can merge with the fields. It gets easier and easier the more we do it. A capacity is grown to hold ALL the waves, all at once. Rather than continually separate them. Remember also: the more regularly you bring back content from the fields, the more regularly, along with the standard dream content you will also bring lucid dreams/OBEs. It is not as though these things in themselves ever stop. But rather we who stop,...bringing our experiences back with us into physical space. <--My vote will always be to stop this, and instead bring back all that I can. Everyday, everyday, everyday.

I agree 100%. That is why if you wish continued success, you should be using your nightly mental affirmations upon closing your eyes to fall to sleep, everyday, everyday, everyday. A good practice is to begin that mental affirmation with something that is readying you for physical disassociation. I use "By my act of will I RELEASE my focus over my physical body. Then I follow it up with my intent. I use that every time I do a Phase soak session as well.

 Hello and Welcome back!  

i would say you just need a bit of proactive "kickstarting" to get things back in gear again. Do you have a favorite hobby? What kind of sports do you like? Use a imaginary visual to get the ball rolling around. Example: I don't really care for Basketball, yet "shooting hoops" seems to be what works for me. I just visualize going through the action of tossing the ball, that's already in my hands, outwards into the darkness before my closed eyes. Almost every time I do that, a net suddenly appears. A few more minutes in and now someone is returning the ball to me. Pretty soon there are people and all kinds of things happening. If it begins to morph into something new, I go with it. I allow the scenario the freedom to go where it wishes to. All I did, was start with the simple mental motion of shooting the hoops.
Another one that works really good for me is visualizing a spinning top, like a Child's toy one. I got that idea from Leonardo Dicaprio in the movie "Inception". He utilizes a spinning toy top as his "focus target" and I found it good as well. But with me, i start with it as my target and it quickly takes on a life of it's own. The same thing occurs when I use a "dancing flame" as a focus target. When it does, I passively observe it until it stabilizes into a full-blown scenario that I can now enter into.
Be creative. Utilize a motion based target. A Yo-yo, trampoline, hot air balloon, etc. Even a simple "driving simulation" will soon take on a life of it's own. That is, if you let it! 

My Doorway thread starts with these famous quotes. they are words to live by:
"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
                 Albert Einstein

"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will."
              George Bernard Shaw

"Everything you can imagine is real."
             Pablo Picasso

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only at night."
            Edgar Allan Poe

You're right - that wasn't where I was heading with it but you still bring up interesting points. I agree with everything  you say apart from I would say consciousness runs the show but doesn't control it. I feel it allows all experience to be exactly as it is without bias or preference. I don't think it needs to direct experience a particular way because only thought sees problems in experience and therefore a need to control and resist what is.

I agree! That's why it's so important to be "balanced". Mind, Body and Spirit in at least some form of semblance and sync with one another. A balanced life is a harmonious one as well. That seems to be why we see all the chaos in the World that we see today. The natural order of things and balance is completely thrown off at the moment. The "ship" better get righted soon. Things will continue to get worse if it doesn't. Even the "collective consciousness" seems to be in a state of disarray. That's never a good thing!   Sooner or later balance will be restored. Unfortunately, our most profound lessons seem to come through our most trying times. That seems to be the way we learn. This is the way that "change" occurs.

All my friends, that I consider "in the know", seem to be blocked from their own NP explorations at the moment. Wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too many distractions today.

 I have always seen it in these simple terms. It's all a perfect system. That is, when all "cogs" are in sync with each other.
The Body is the mechanics. (Body)
The Brain is the Interface. (Mind)
Consciousness is the "Orchestrator".  (Spirit)

Each one of these has it's own degree or level of awareness. The Body being the "Puppet" doesn't think. The Brain is the User Interface, so it can only use or utilize the level of "programming " it was given.  Consciousness would then be the "Puppeteer" and would control the show. It's message or direction would still have to passed and given through the Interface and as we see, this is where things can go awry. As the "go between", the Interface also receives input/signals from it's conditioning, teachings, and sometimes "brainwashing" of the physical side or physical ruleset as well.

Does that answer your question? Probably not, lol? But that was the only thought I was aware of after reading your post above!  

Thank you for this different method you dug out for me. I tried it last night, but I kept falling asleep.

That happens to a lot of people, lol. It takes a strong intent to stay awake. That's why I said in the past many times that we shouldn't attempt a OBE from our beds. All our lives we have trained ourselves that "the bed is for sleeping". So, once we lay our heads down, the natural process of sleep commences. You need to alter that program and here lies the problem. You can overdo it too and you don't want that. I learned to be careful what I wished for the hard way. Every time I laid down to fall asleep fall, that keeping my conscious awareness would automatically kick in and take over, whether I wanted it to or not. It led to many sleepless nights! But also taught me what is known a "Tibetan Dream Yoga". What really caused a problem for my sleep process is when I got Trigeminal Neuralgia. Every time I closed the left side of my face, the Trigeminal nerves, would spasm rather violently. After that, that Dream Yoga was a regular occurrence.

I'll keep at it every night from now on to see how it goes. I have some questions about this technique.

1) I've read the comments and didn't see anyone asking about it, what point to focus on should I choose while laying on my sides?
2) I'm not sure I'm doing this right. How do I actually focus on the empty space in front of my eyebrows for example? Should I visualize something? I don't fully understand how this focusing works.

1) This is where "changing your mindset leads to a change in your reality". I used to be concerned with that too. But then I learned that it didn't matter what position my "physical" body was in. In other words, it had nothing to do with my "etheric body". To my current mindset, up was still up/over, down was still down/under, left was still left, right was right. Do you understand what I am saying here? It was as if no matter what position my physical body was n, my etheric body mindset at least was that I was still lying flat on my back, and everything was positioned according to that. It's hard to explain.

2) Robert Monroe used that in his Gateway program. You are supposed to draw a mental line from your head to an area 6 ft in front of you, then pivot or turn that line perpendicular to you. I found that very hard to. Instead of this, I would use a 6pt directional focus. I spoke more about this under my previous name "Lionheart" in the "Phantom Wiggle thread found here:
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/how_exactly_do_you_perform_the_phantom_wiggle_method-t44583.0.html
I practiced this to my own perfection. I still utilize this and Robert Bruce's NEW today. This is what my Doorway process is all about today. Once I could focus on different body parts and hold that focus, I went even further and began engaging "mental motion" into the process.
How do you do that? Well, I found that easiest part of the body that I could really key in on and hold a focus to are my feet. I would start at the heel and work up and down my foot. Then, I would target feeling my big toe and from there I move down the other I got to my pinkie toe. Then I would either cycle back up to the big toe or just switch feet. I was amazed at how much control I had. It got so strong, that I could sense a buzzing in the toes and feet. Today, I can be aware of that sensation at will.

Next, I had to jump the hurdle of falling asleep clicking out or losing consciousness and falling asleep. Boredom and mental inactivity was the cause of that. So, I began being "proactive". Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the darkness there as a Cave/Tunnel, Hallway that could be explored. The darkness was flat at first, but after a few minutes it began to change to show more of a depth to it. I would then "mentally will" my focus forward into it. Almost every time, I would begin to feel motion forward and after a few minutes, I was seeing Hypnogogic Imagery, like if it was cave, I would see the walls of the cave or walls of the hallway/tunnel, I was moving down. I said almost because a few times, the pump needed more priming, so I revert back to a simple "shooting hoops" or watching a "spinning top", imaginary focus. This would always lead to a morphing in the action and all I needed to do at first was to passively aware all of that was occurring with an air of curiosity. I found that our curiosity is a great aid when undergoing a shift in consciousness. This all leads to what is known as "Phasing". Phasing being a shift from here to there while consciously aware the entire time. There are no "bells or whistles" in that process. Meaning, no signposts or exit symptoms. Well, I can't say none at all. Once in a while, it still leads to a full blown OBE, as the letter mean.

That's good for now. I don't want to give you "information overload". The key to this entire process of non-ordinary states of consciousness is being able to hold your focus of or away from your physical body long enough for the natural shift to occur. How you do that is up to you. this Forum has many great tips and techniques that will aid you in doing just that.

Sorry to hear that. Wishing her the best.

Thank You for your kind words.

 Hl24, I was perusing through my Journals from back in 2012 and I came across a link to this thread by a past Member named Todd. I don't know how it didn't get Stickied. Many people used this very simple technique to great results, including myself. I posted a few times in the thread as well under the name "Lionheart", that I used here in the past.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences/a_very_easy_obe_technique_that_needs_some_fine_tuning-t38413.0.html

I am curious about one thing. You say that you are having a hard time having an OBE, yet you are constantly finding yourself in situations where you are aware or have a semblance of awareness in your Dreams. What does the term "Dream" mean to you? If you are sleeping and not "physically", with your current body, experiencing this Dream reality, is that not a non-physical state of being, a "shift in consciousness"? It may be another "mode" of transportation, per se. But you are still experiencing a non-local state of consciousness, just as you do in an OBE. What I have found is that they are all various states of awareness.
When I find myself in another reality, no matter whether that be through an OBE, Phase session or a LD, I explore this new area to find out the purpose for my visit. If you found yourself there, there is always a reason for it. Many times, there are lessons hidden within these areas.

[Did you or anyone else have a similar experience?]

Did you or anyone else have a similar experience?
.

Constantly. I think it is a "test of will"! 

I attempted the very next time to do the candle staring thing again and failed. I did go back to it years later and found success with it though. But I find we are challenged to constantly alter our approach, at least in the beginning we are.

Floriferous and Nameless gave you fantastic replies and I agree with every word they said! Very wise and experienced individuals there!  

Your wife is there all the time. You don't need to have a OBE to talk or even reach her. Just learn to be aware and listen! Ask a question and be aware of the reply. The reply can come to you a number of different ways. I am currently going through a situation where I am about to physically lose my wife as well. She has suffered for way too long and now it's time for that come to an end. You are likely experiencing a lot of emotions right now and those emotions will get in the way of your OBE intents. When the time is right it will happen. You will find yourself in NPR situation where she is there. This normally occurs after the grieving process subsides and now it's time to heal. At the moment, I can only say this from what I have witnessed from countless other people during my life and from my own personal experiences in the NPRs as well.

On the OBE front, practice and patience and perseverance will lead to your success. Stick with one technique for a while though.  Give it a fair chance.

You haven't really said much about what actually occurs when you do attempt to have a OBE. Where do you find that you get "stuck" during the process? Knowing that, we here can help you a bit further. That's what the Astral Pulse Hotline was made to do. Yet it doesn't seem to get used all that often!  

Does anyone know of a any powerful Subliminal cd  or tapes I can check out I have absolutely no ability to control my dreams and if I can find something decent I think it may help me out a lot ?

My go to spot now for things of that nature is Youtube. They have tons of great LD videos for your listening pleasure. I can't really pinpoint just one of them, because I find they all have a relaxing quality. I would definitely look for one that focuses on a Theta or Delta state though. I too use them just before I go to bed. About a half hour of Bin beats/Iso tones does wonders in preparing for the nocturnal adventures.

Another tip, believe it not, saying things like "I have absolutely no ability to control my dreams", is actually programming your mind for failure. Use positive affirmations. Every night when you go to bed mentally say "I am consciously aware in my Dreams/Sleep, KNOWING I am Dreaming/Sleeping. I learn from and REMEMBER my experiences." I put the word Sleep in there along with the word Dream because I used to always use the words Dream or Dreaming. But after countless adventures, I find that I was waking up in a whole different reality and that the word Dream didn't seem to fit anymore. I also add to my nightly affirmation that my physical body is sleeping safe and sound inn my bed.  I find that helps when attempting to get my bearings upon when first becoming aware I am somewhere else. All those little things really aid in mental conditioning.

Immediately upon awakening, write down your last memory. At first, it will be simple themes done in just point form. Little bits. But soon, you will be writing books, lol. That effort, that intent, will pay off in spades! 

It's not that I'm giving it credence, I'm simply trying all I can to push forward and I try not to disregard anything, and test all the methods I come across. It's widely known that there is no one solution for all, it's more like something works for one and something else for the other.

Dave, you are correct. That's why it's good to be read all you can find on the subject at hand. Just reading and improving your knowledge on the OBEs/Phasing, non-local states of consciousness can have profound effects itself. Many people have reported their first OBE or LDS after just listening/watching  a video or even hearing someone on a Radio talk show speaking on the subject. Too much knowledge, at least in the beginning can work against you as well. It confuses you. You will start a technique based on having what is known as a classic OBE, as the letters mean, then all of sudden find that you muddled it up with some other. It's best to find a tried-and-true technique that you will be comfortable with, then stick with it for a period of time. All these techniques are used to get "you" out of the way. The shift you desire is normal. You shift every night when you go to sleep. It's just you aren't aware of it. It's you. we, ourselves that hinder the process during a conscious attempt. The key is to learn how to set the stage, passively observe everything with an air of curiosity and allow what's going to happen to happen. You will know when it's time to become active in the scenario you are experiencing. It's a balancing act of sorts.

My first consciously aware willed and intended experience came as the result of watching a video on "candle staring, then applying what I learned in it. It didn't take long and I had my first sneak peek of what could be. Needless to say, even though it was kind of terrifying, I was hooked. I was sitting in my lazy boy chair, I stared at the flame for about 15 minutes, then blew it out, closed my eyes and just focused on the "imprint" of the flame that was left in my viewing screen. Soon I felt vibrations that went from mild to actual earthquake very quickly. The accompanying sound was so loud, I thought a Helicopter was landing on my roof. Next thing I know, I have a perfect view of my hallway, even though my eyes were still shut. It was surreal. You can find out more about that by using the words "candle staring" in the above search engine.

I'm training every night and I'm also doing gateway once a day but I found that phasing is way more difficult for the beginner, anyway I made myself a modified version like Frank Kepple described.

That's a great way to start. I have read that entire Frank Kepple primer history over 5 times now. not just his Phasing Resource Guide No one technique is set in stone. Gateway is great too. Many of the Members here used that program and other Monroe Institute techniques. Some of the Members here have and still do today frequent the Monroe Institute itself for their actual OBE programs. The techniques found in the Stickies are all "blueprints", but as you say, they can be modified. If you read my Doorway thread, you will see how many times that has been modified by myself over the years. What I call the Doorway process itself is a modification of a number of tried-and-true techniques. I just wanted to simplify it for people here that were looking for more of a common sense, simplified approach to holding a good NP focus. Hence the use of Geometric shapes, colors and motion. Many of the things found within that thread are based on "mental associations".  They kind of trick the mind into playing ball.

As for the pills, I find them strange. They do work but there's a caveat. I get really emotional which I don't mind BUT they don't give me lucid dreams, more vivid and detailed ones. Also, just like with psychedelics, the mind set is a key with them. I'm in a deep grief right now and most of the time I get nightmares when taking them, but I don't care, I'm willing to go through hell to achieve my goal. Which I already did with a megadose of psychedelics, where half of it was a super bad trip. So I'm not scared of anything with a low vibe in the dreams at all, in fact I have them often and it's ok.

Yes, the pills do work. Yes, "psychedelics" do as well. But they don't have "staying power". All they do is aide you in getting that initial "sneak peek". We see Shaman use them often, especially in South America where Ayahuasca and other things of that nature are legal. They use them in "controlled environment" though. You can have like you say, "bad trips". That's because under their influence you lack control. The problem is, you will find yourself locked into whatever hell you may be experiencing, until the drug finally wears down or at least the "peak" period fades away. With a consciously aware session, you can end it at will. Many people report their initial OBEs as being very fast, like mere seconds. It's a real eye opener. But unfortunately, many people will dismiss it as just a Dream or some kind of fluke and never pursue if any further.

Can you point me to some posts with setting the stage you found helpful?

Almost every Sticky you come across on the Astral Pulse will help you in furthering your knowledge on the subject. I would start with the first 6 Sub-Forums. Even the Astral Island Sub-forum has a lot to share. You will find a thread called the "Astral Pulse Hotline" that EscapeVelcocity created a few years back. It's a thread you can go to if you find yourself stuck and need a hand.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences/the_astral_pulse_hotline-t47606.0.html

This Forum at the moment is going through a serious lull in action. When I was new to this practice, there were many active members here helping each other daily. As I have seen of late, almost all Astral Projection Forums and other Forums in general are experiencing a lull at the moment. There are a lot of distractions in our lives today and they seem to be messing with the collective consciousness as a whole. Many people I know, including here on the Astral Pulse are going through trials, tribulations and personal battles of all different natures. I myself am one of them. I used to be more active as well. But for now, the "physical" seems to be where I need to be. My own Phase soak sessions have basically come to screeching halt for the last month now. My Phase soak is a meditative Phasing state of mind that I acquire while lying in my bath water. It has been my own personal go to for quite a while now. I still have very vivid LDs almost night though. So, I haven't lost total contact with the NPRs.  

I'm trying to learn all I can about astral projection and general "abilities". I want to find a teacher/mentor in this area, if at all possible. I also look forward to learning what kind of craziness this universe has to offer!

Greetings!  

I see you have already had your initial "sneak peek" of what could be, and it has left you wanting more. You came to the right place for just that!  

This Forum is loaded with valuable info to aid you reaching your goals. I would start with this Sub-Forum here and the Stickies found within it. They will familiarize you with not only the terminology used here, but also tried and tested techniques to aid you further with your nonphysical explorations. You could also find a Member here that you are comfortable with and PM (Private Message) them to aid you further in your travels. The Moderators/Administrator here are very good sources for that.
 Each one of the Sub-forums you find here has Stickies in it. You can also do a word search of interest in above search engine of the top right-hand side of the page. Here is a great one to start with.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness-b30.0/

 Greetings and Welcome to the Astral Pulse!

After reading your opening here, the first thought that came to my mind was that you were giving far too much credence to external applications. That is evident in this quote of yours here "I haven't been using Galantamine for long but all of my 6 OBE attempts were before it."

Years ago, when I was first new here on the Pulse, I too was looking for the "Magic Pill" or "short cut". I did research into Light Sound Machines, Binaural Beats/Iso Chronic tones, all kinds of ways to aid in one getting to experience a non-physical state of being. Every single one of them could be used as a tool or training wheels to set the stage, but it all came down or the difference was "you". It had to come from "inside" of you, not outside. To do that, you need to practice often, have patience and the reward will be you will persevere. If you are looking for a "sneak peek" of what can be, you will find it. If you are serious though, you have to do the work.

This forum is loaded with techniques to help you "set the stage". You can find valuable Stickies in the main sub-forms here. This one here has some great techniques in it. My advice would be to read up on a number of them, then find a few of them that feel right to you. Pills can help you become aware in your Dreams, but they don't help you to sustain or prolong it. They don't help you with "fear tests", which is something everyone has to confront in this practice to be able to move on. They also don't teach you the many "signposts" that you may or may not experience.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness-b30.0/

 Happy New Years to all! 

 A few things to share here to this. First off, I don't think this thread is in the right Sub-forum. This isn't a "Psychic" or "Paranormal" phenomenon. At least I wouldn't classify it that way.

The first thing I have to share is from today's headlines on my Yahoo news feed and it is this story from this little 88-year-old Lady from New Mexico, USA. She knows the truth! 
https://www.yahoo.com/news/recollections-ufos-still-130000022.html

The second share is from a man that I consider one of the best versed on the UFO situation itself. Years ago, he co-authored a book called AD (After Disclosure). His name is Richard Dolan and he is well known and respected voice in the UFO community. His year-end video was fantastic and actually explained what we are experiencing in this World of ours today and why. In this video Richard spoke of the new Pentagon based research units that are being formed to investigate UFO occurrences. But it is the second part of his video that really caught my eye, or should I say ear and that was his talk on the Globalist Revolution that seems to be taking over everything these days, including our minds, through countless distractions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTQFqATdFLI

 Just as EV said, small changes in a nightly affirmation can actually have big effects. Just the changing of a few words reveals a change in the "mindset" as well.

I use mental affirmation every single night. In the past it was "By my act of will I release my focus over my physical body. I am consciously aware in my Dreams, knowing I am Dreaming." I learn from, enjoy and remember my experiences.

Now it has been altered to "By my act of will, I release my focus over my physical body. I am consciously aware in my "sleep", knowing my physical body lies safely and soundly in my bed. I learn from, enjoy and remember my experiences. The term "by my act of will" has been in the Art of Magick, at the beginning of rituals for years. I find it enforces your purpose/intent. Magick is all about intent or should I say is "focus will and intent". The ritual part of Magick is the mental preparation for the act or intent at hand. Magick is defined as ""the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will".

This has led to a level or fluctuating degree of lucidity during my sleep cycle almost every night for years now. The change in the word "Dream" to the word "sleep", was due to the fact that I had enough experiences under my belt to redefine what was occurring during my sleep. The fact that I kept the mental thought that my physical body was lying safely and soundly in my bed helped as well. I no longer thought the word "Dream" was relevant to explain what was occurring. I had been to the same or sometimes a revolving/new alternate/parallel reality(s) enough to know that the term "Dreaming" didn't apply anymore. Hence, my constant harping on the fact that a "change in mindset really does change your reality". That in a nutshell seems to be what nonphysical exploration is all about. At least if you wish to repeatedly explore the phenomenon it is. This is a very important part in the Art of Phasing as well.

 They are preparing the masses for what they already know is the truth. Just another step for the upcoming disclosure. Baby steps. They are in no rush to finally let the cat out of the bag. Once they do, there is no going back!

 It's time for this thread's yearly bump!  

I wish a MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS and SAFE TRAVELS to you and yours