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Are we talking about seeing our actual surroundings? Generally when your eyes are in a relaxed closed position some light still penetrates the eyelids giving you a very slight image of the room through darkness. The only way to prevent this is stop being aware of it (not trying to see it, thinking of something else), or hold your eyelids shut tighter which you will eventually let go of.

That being said, I do believe in the -true- seeing through eyelids thing as if your eyes were fully open, but I think it is more like RTZ viewing. You may see your room, but things may not be fully accurate. An example of this would be in the morning sleeping in, in and out of consciousness sometimes you swear you remember being awake for a few seconds and having someone walk into your room, or turning and looking at your clock for instance. Similar to false awakenings, but these are actually moments of being awake and seeing through eyelids I think.

However, causing it intentionally is a whole other story. I hardly think its as easy as you claim it to be, but that's not really a big deal. Last night while lying in bed meditating I was startled by something really weird. Out of nowhere a distinct, bright yellow glow appeared in my sight (eyes closed). It wasn't a mind made image, and wasn't caused by anything in my room so something definately did happen and I was meant to see it. But that is really the only unique visual thing I have ever had happen consciously.

I think its more if you have highly developed clairvoyant sight and alot of development to your 'third eye'.

Honestly, I see things like to be very un-attainable. Work on the core goals (projection, energy body, etc), and perhaps other gifts like this may come to you.

It is very difficult to conceive of with our human idea of time.. but I would say maybe =)

I don't think it matters. I think it just means circular motion..

When meditating I often start with my eyes open for a good while. When my eyes get very relaxed after a while I think I see my own aura. Its a very bright rainbow of colors. What does that mean exactly? I only have basic knowledge of what the colors represent like pink/red means love/compassion and yellow for deep thought... That's about it.

Anyhow, just curious. I certainly don't think it would be a bad thing. I consider myself a very positive and balanced invidividual which is why I've been wanting to see what my aura would look like. I can't seem to view auras whenever I want though. It takes a great deal of time of focused relax stare before I see anything.

I enjoyed reading that Nostic, thanks.

Today I had what I would label as my second actual "Astral Projection". These two experiences I have separated from many many lucid dreams.

Looking back at both of these astral projections, and with good valid proof from the one I had this morning since its fresh in my mind, I have made these observations-

Astral projections are (for me):
1) far more stable
2) last much longer
3) seem to be worlds of their own, existing independently of you
4) are full of characters that are living their own lives, and don't revolve around you- in fact some may not even care to communicate with you
5) were set off by a _clear_ sensation of leaving my body. I never have this with normal lucid dreams
6) I seem to have no desire to use powers or even try and change things. (save for flying as transportation)

Perhaps it is just personal reinforcement that you are happy with the life you've lived, you are not afraid of dying, and you're reassured in the fact that you know more awaits you at the end of this life.

Kind of like signifying "congratulations, you have done it!"

I'd like to offer some guesses..

I think that you feel an uncertainty when you ask god for answers. An uncertainty of what the response will be, and whether any response can really be trusted. This underlying uncertainty has mixed you up, and is causing uneasiness within you. What this directly translates to is fear. Not conciously necessarily, but deep down. And so the dream is the result. Don't look to much into the actual dream. I think the way to solve this problem is to work through it yourself. You will eventually find the answers you seek, so there is no need to strain yourself over things. And don't trouble yourself over the idea of Satan, when the answers come to you, you'll simply know their truth.

From my experience, it seems almost anything and everything you try could *potentially* lead you to strong vibrations aka a near-exit. I would almost go so far as to say that whatever it is you try to do to cause an OBE while meditating has no effect at all. In other words, sometimes you will come close to projecting, and sometimes you won't- irregardless of what you try. Now with THAT being said, I think the true development comes in being able to make that next step. Going from near-exit to actually exiting. Some people have the natural talent to make that step, and for some people it takes time to be able to do it.. Weeks, months, years? I have found that the mindstate you must create for yourself to make that step consciously is a very very precise one. This mindstate can be obtained easily by interrupted sleep (the way most people have WILDs).

However, the most important thing no matter what what what, is that you keep trying. Keep meditating, stay interested. My opinions above may or may not be true- there's really no way to know for sure I suppose. But if they are true I would say its still better for the members here to encourage people by telling them "you're close!" Because ultimately progress comes with time and that is really the true key here regardless of the specifics of what you do or do not do when meditating and whatnot.

So time is key. However, your first projection may be just around the corner. It varies for -everyone- so you never know. So with that, good luck!

Its important to ignore all physical sensation (or lack thereof). Feelings of 'not feeling', floatiness, vibrations, twistedness, spinning, etc etc are all signs of progress, but you must be sure not to dwell on them.

Sounds like a bad nightmare.. Personally I don't think you have anything to worry about. I often get dream shifts combined with false awakenings (thinking you woke up, but you didn't..) and also it sounds like you might have woken into sleep paralysis temporarily which is where you're slightly awake, but unable to move or speak and likely are experiencing the leftovers from the dream such as the pulling hands.

Just my guess.

I hardly know if I can call myself experienced in this area but I have most certainly had some conflicts that I have had to rise against. And so I want to make this list for everyone of the basics that have helped me overcome things for myself and ultimately made me feel ready for anything in the future.

1) Rid yourself of fear. Realize that fear only hurts you. You have nothing to be afraid of because YOU are in control, and YOU have the power to stop any threat. In many cases, fear is in fact the *cause*. Often ridding yourself of fear will immediately stop the problem.

2) Be apathetic towards your 'enemy'. They're just a joke. They're worthless. Nothing but an annoyance. Why even care? Shrug it off. This seems to have a reflective effect. If you do nothing, they do nothing. Once they're gone, you'll probably never see them again.

3) Rely on yourself. I assure you that self-doubt is far worse than anything that may try to bother you. Look at your enemy and WILL him to leave with everything you have, and he'll have no chance. The 'dark side' so to speak is for the weak. Remember that.

Just yesterday morning I had a string of lucid dreams where I finally got a chance to call for a spirit guide. The results weren't very encouraging. I tried 3 times.

Trial run 1, a monkey head appears (just a head) and tries to bite at me while grunting nonsense
Trial run 2, a crazy pattern of lights appears within the air and gives me a message in the form of a paper.. however, the paper is in chinese
Trial run 3, an owl appears and jumps on my shoulders then gives me some kind of wisdom about stealing being 'ok' 1 in 10 attempts or something. Just nonsense..

Weeeeeeeeee....

I have lots of lucid dreams.. Most are insignificant- I'm usually experimenting with things and they don't last but for a few minutes. Pretty much all of my lucid dreams are WILDs, where I wake up then purposely slip myself back into my last dream and am immediately lucid. Or I just feel for the sleep feeling and pop back into any random dream and I'm lucid. When I manage to do this I can usually do 4-5 or more lucid dreams in a row.

Recently upon waking one morning and was ready for some lucid dream action, I just kind of relaxed.. something just seemed different from my usual 'feel' when I get ready to move into some lucid dreams. This time I just felt this supreme relaxation and 'right'-ness in my mind, and I felt myself actually floating up. I went with the feeling. Then click, I'm not there anymore. I am suddenly standing on what seemed to be a pier. I don't remember there being water.. I don't remember seeing anything around it, it might as well have been a pier in the sky so to speak. Standing in front of me was a woman who immediately spoke before I even had time to gather myself. She said "we've been expecting you". I can't remember what she looked like as its been a while since I had the dream and I hadn't started my dream journal yet (stupid me). However, there was an immediate and obvious feel of kindness and friendliness from her. That is all I really remember. She had me follow her into this.. place. It was like a school/recreational area/social gathering all in one. We first passed through what seemed to be a massage parlor / sexual recreation area. Looking back on it, that first area really seemed to be like a test of distraction. But as I have learned to not be distracted in my lucid dreams by anything like that, I kept following the woman into the next area. It was like one giant endless white complex. There were people everywhere, halls and rooms everywhere. We went in some rooms where I saw people I had seen all throughout my life. People I probably saw years ago and never even knew by name. People sitting in classes, some teaching things, talking about things, or just socializing. I followed the woman, who was apparently my guide here, through many rooms where I met all kinds of fascinating people. It just went on and on and on.. It was like a great introduction. Eventually I think I may have drifted off and turned it into a dream, but I really can't be for certain. This.. experience, lasted for 2 hours. At first I thought it was a lucid dream (by that I mean the first 2 seconds I appeared in it, but that was quickly put out of my mind and I simply went with it). The thing is, it didn't feel like a lucid dream. It 'felt' like something more. Never once did things seem awry, never once did I use or even desire to use a 'power'. Also, when I have lucid dreams I simply slide into them by focusing on dream imagery. There are never vibrations or floating sensations or anything. I should also mention, on the scale of lucidity (and by that I mean how real it was and how aware I was) this was definately a 9-10. This experience has stayed with me well beyond most of the lucid dreams I've had, and I consider it, whatever it was, to kind of be one of the milestones of my personal progress.

I'm curious what you all think of what happened. Has anyone experienced anything similar to this? Do you think it was a lucid dream or perhaps I had an Astral Projection?

Its come to a point that although I have not given up on trying to do it the old fashioned way of just lying in bed and attempting to have an OBE, I'm not really expecting it to happen anytime soon. I think that because of my nature... because of just who I am, in my blood really- I so strongly want to cling to my conciousness that the real steps don't ever seem to happen. I can lie in bed and reach 100% muscle relaxation.. I don't even feel. This is so normal now I simply lie in bed and it happens. My body doesn't even know how to stay in one position now sitting down, lying, whatever, without immediately going into relaxed mode. However, I can go so deep as to actually lie in bed motionless AND dreaming for 2-3 hours and never lose the slightest bit of conciousness. As I know what true sleep paralysis and vibrations are (I'll get to that in a second), I know I've never experienced them while trying for an OBE this way. I think I have come to understand that having an OBE requires basically that you give in a little. You're attempting to fall asleep and remain concious simultaneously, but you must 'give' some of your concious to do this. For me it seems this is impossible. I have no way to logically explain it except to say that my brain seems to be an "all or nothing" case. I can either choose to lie there and fall asleep (at which point I easily do), or I choose to try a little meditation/OBE session and I could lie there for 20 hours without falling asleep. I *CAN'T* accidently fall asleep. It takes an agreement of my will to allow it- so I've also never had issues with sleep. I simply choose, and it happens. My father is the same way. You can count to 60 as he gets in bed and he will be gone (with snoring!) before you're done.

Now.. I've begun to rely on waking from sleep to try things. I think it has been more effective for me because you've already given up that partial conciousness to get into your current state. It seems like a secondary road to achieving that first step mentally. I can only hope that if I do manage to progress this way that I will eventually be able to go back to jusy lying in bed and making it happen. Anyhow, so far I have had multiple unique experiences where things have happened that I may have had an OBE but really cut them short and was very confused as to what was happening. I'm eager to continue these experiences as I honestly think big things for me are right around the corner. But now I've reached a dilemma.. Let me explain basically what happens: I fall asleep normally. I may have a long obe attempt before going to bed and while it never works, I imagine the mind broadening aspect of it has some farther reaching effects after I've gone to bed. Anyhow, I dream.. and then I wake. If my waking is at a good time, I will be somewhat concious but still very heavy with wanting to sleep. The choice comes as simple as pressing a button. Keep sleeping.. Immediate sleep paralysis comes on at this decision, coupled by odd feelings (minor vibrations) and a shift in hearing that I never experience elsewhere. The problem is that lately something else has been there too. Needless to say I'm afraid when this happens. I also begin seeing things in this stage, which from what I've read here is common. Dream images take life, its not real but you open your eyes and see the impossible. I've waken from dreams many times to see leftovers from the last image of the dream waiting for me when I open my eyes. Scary sometimes, but it fades. Anyhow, I get scared from the paralysis. A few times lately upon the hearing shift I immediately hear a voice talk to directly into my ear which scares the !@$% out me. I don't dare want to open my eyes, because I *already* know what's waiting for me when I do. It started a few months back I saw it for the first time but now its always there. A figure, looks like its wearing a dark cloak/robe.. just a very shadowy figure, is in the corner of my room. Paralysis affects your eyelids as well, so its still difficult to see. My vision is always very... static-y like a television screen if you know what I mean. He changes corners everytime. He slowly approaches my bed. He moves his arm at me. In that duration of time I'm watching I'm freaking the hell out and trying to unparalyze with every ounce of my will. It kicks in just before he 'makes contact' so to speak. The first time it happened was the worst, where his hand went for me head and I actually think I heard him speak something with an odd voice. I always try and rationlize it after it happens. "It can't hurt me, its not real, even if it is real it can't hurt me and it may not even be 'evil' so to speak." So now everytime I wake from a dream and enter what would be prime time to make an OBE happen, I am confronted with pretty much being thrown into my own horror movie. I still don't know if its real. I am not fully thinking, my primal instincts of fear takeover and I am too busy struggling out of paralysis for anything else. Its frustrating. This marks the fourth time it has happened, and I'm really going to begin trying to take it seriously now and look at what I need to decide for myself because I can't continue being scared away by fake images. As to the ideal of if its something real that's trying to contact me. I really don't know if I'm ready for that.. Sigh, frustrating. I welcome any comments =/ and sorry for this being so long.

I've never tried to have OBEs in the morning before. Just recently I began sleeping in everyday and trying to have lucid dreams. Several days I've managed to pull 3-4 short lucid dreams out after I had woken from my normal sleeping hours. I haven't gotten it down to a science only a very vague idea of how to do it that is thinking about a dream you just had and you kind of get sucked back into it.

Anyhow, TODAY, something very different happened. I started replaying dream images as if I wanted to have a lucid dream, only all of a sudden these MASSIVE vibrations came on. If these are the true vibrations (I know they vary) I've heard about on the forum, then I have never experienced true vibrations before this point even when I thought I did. The best way to describe them was VIOLENT. The feeling, the sound. I instantly went into a panic as I had never experienced it before. I felt afraid like you do when you wake into sleep paralysis from a very bad nightmare. So they ended immediately. I knew afterwards what they were, and I caused them twice more with the third time being a "success". After that things get very hazy. I was experiencing only what I can assume to be double think. I was in a hysteria of confusion trying to figure out what was happening. I tried to get out of bed and stumbled, was very dazed and it seemed very difficult. I remember raising my arm to look at my hand and seeing kind of a lighted frame of where my arm/hand should be. Yet I was confused as to whether I was in my physical body or not. The whole thing is hazy, but I was just very very confused. My biggest mistake is after it was over I didn't get out of bed to collect my thoughts or write them down. I stayed in bed hoping to make it happen again and ended up sleeping in 3-4 more hours.

Something that might also be interesting to note is that I never felt that I 'left' or even that I 'came back'. I was there the whole time, only things were added and then removed.

Anyway, any thoughts? =/

Amazing is the only word I can truly call my experience. Unbelievable would be a close second but that's wrong- its completely believable and all so real to me now.. I have been putting alot of extra effort into OBE (haven't yet) and questioning reality and life lately, and I think that's been a factor. I'd also like to think that my strong belief in it all being real despite my lack of results has been a factor.

I'm almost shaking with excitement right now.. just wow. Anyway, I have to run out now so I'm going to copy/paste the dream description from just a moment ago as I was chatting with a friend after it happened. One last thing. Everyone out there who is reading this, who happens to be a 'beginner' to any of this and might be discouraged and questioning the legitimately of it all- just hang in there. Be confident, keep yourself determined, and it will pay off I promise. I know a lucid dream may seem like the simplest thing to some of you but at this point I feel as though I might have well just explored every plane of existance in 5 minutes. Ok anyway here's the dream description chat I had:

<Draege> this is.. f***ing awesome
<Draege> I had, without a doubt, my first lucid dream
<Draege> at this point I'm thinking back and wondering if I have had one before, but its too hard to make the call so I'll just have to know from now on
<Draege> I've been awake for a few hours, drifting in and out of sleep between a few dream scenarios
<Draege> I start dreaming of being in one of my old classes
<Draege> the difference is its me me, not me back when I was in school
<Draege> so I'm not caring and I'm screwing around
<Draege> I cheat on a test we take and give the answers to everyone in class
<Draege> few meaningless things go on
<Draege> suddenly I realize in the dream.. wait I'm not in school
<Draege> BAM, the dream transforrmed
<Draege> it was as if I was seeing everything with my own eyes
<Draege> I knew the instant it happened that I cannot remember ever experiencing it before
<Draege> I looked at the chalk board.. so real
<Draege> rubbed my hands along the chalk dust built up at the bottom
<Draege> I turned and looked at everyone sitting down
<Draege> I made one of the guys float into the air
<Draege> all of them were shocked
<Draege> it actually took some real effort to make the kid barely float in the air the way I wanted
<Draege> this is what really blows my mind here
<Draege> dreams are a 100% product of your unconcious mind
<Draege> everything you are not controlling, looks and is real because your unconcious mind is unfathomably powerful
<Draege> everything YOU control takes supreme effort
<Draege> you have to really visualize three dimensionally to make things work
<Draege> so I did this to make him float upwards and then horizontally a little, then I stopped
<Draege> then I went up and kissed a girl I've always liked
<Draege> and that was the end, I woke up
<Draege> I'm not surprised it lasted so shortly since I'd been up & down out of dreams several times in an hour
<Draege> but.. wow

I've been trying to OBE alot lately, or practicing going as near to it as possible. About an hour ago I went into trance as usual and was really trying as hard as I could to OBE. When I couldn't and eventually stopped something seemed really 'off'. Both of my eyes individually were seeing double vision. I could close one eye and still see it. It wasn't like cross-eyed vision, but a "-" would look like "=". When I unfocused and looked at things they would shift and bend, and vision depth was going weird almost like some things were going forward and others backwards. Only slightly though, more as if I had control of my pupils than any kind of hallucinating. I could stare at something for a few seconds and look away and could have the image burned in front of my eyes very large and clear only in all-black but otherwise detail for detail. But again, more than that, there was a feeling of something really being 'off'. My crown and third eye areas felt very warm. I was really getting worried about my vision and started hoping I didn't F*ck it up overfocusing or something. My focus seemed somehow dulled and sharpened at the same time. Curiously I went to typingtest.com and immediately managed a 100 words per minute test just blowing away anything I've ever been able to do before. Even now trying 20 times I'm unable to come close. Worried about what was going on I lied down for about 20 minutes, rested and went into trance, didn't try anything major. Got up and everything was back to normal. The double vision was gone, etc..

Don't really know what it was all about. Anyway, more on my progess with OBE. Main problem is I just can't find a good exit technique that is easy for me to do. The rope technique is no good. I can imagine shifting my conciousness in front of me which works well but it is impossible to stay focused with it when heavy vibrations start. I don't really know any other easy techniques..

I was going to post this before, but had decided not to. I realize that confidence is an important part of your success. Having confidence in the reality of OBE and confidence in your ability to do it. There is no problems there at all for me, I can personally guarantee that. But it almost seems like my subconcious.. or something, just doesn't want it to happen, plain and simple. I can have absolutely flawless concentration going the whole way but towards the end my mind is just absolutely flooded with irrelavant images and visualization irregularities. Not thoughts, they don't even feel like thoughts. I can feel my mind absolutely clear and focused on my exit technique and it seems as though a third party is interrupting me with random flooding. My visualizing will start to pull itself around senselessly like using the rope technique it will just start sliding way off to the side. I seem to have no problems until I get close to OBE. I just don't really know what's up.

Since I've been practicing OBE (haven't made it yet) over the last couple months, things have been happening.. My dreams are becoming very real.. The other night I had a dream that involved the end of the world. The sky started changing and fire was raining down. I felt happy, almost blissful, and I was at peace with the fact that I was going to die.. The dream was so vivid, and the emotion I felt was VERY real. I've never experienced this before.

Before, sometimes I could remember various details from a dream but mostly just the overall idea / storyline and unless I made sure to commit them to memory I'd have forgotten by the next day. But now I'm waking up and remembering exact details, every detail for that matter, of my dreams. Its crazy stuff...

I also feel as though I'm getting closer and closer to OBE. I've learned more that its all about relaxation.. In my practice attempts I was trying to 'feel' the OBE, or sense it, etc etc.. Using techniques never worked for me much as my body would tense like an automatic trigger of trying to focus too hard on some visualization or whatnot.. Anyway I'm at the point where I feel my very next try could be successful.

Also a technique I'm using now that seems unbelievably effective for me and its something that's easy for me to do without tensing up or trying to over-focus. Imagine a song in your head only imagine your voice singing it. That's it.. I don't know why it works so well. Maybe because your subconcious wants to believe its an outside 'you' performing it and thus puts pressure on your astral body. Who knows. Anyway, maybe some others could have success with it too.

Today I went for a 60-90 minute OBE attempt. Took me a long time, probably 3/4 of the way through before I got my first vibrations and they were the same as my previous experiences they lasted maybe 10 seconds then dissapated. At this point though I was so out of it meaning I couldn't feel my body or at least it was to the point I didn't know what I was feeling. Either my body parts were twisted akwardly or I was simply a puddle of goo, that's how it felt. Towards the end I gave up on techniques or trying to imagine feelings and just thought I'd try and force my mind into a lower conciousness (i.e. near sleep). Wow did that work. So on come vibrations and I swear they lasted a full minute I was just lying there doing my best to stay calm and relaxed and wondering what I do now or if I should do nothing at all. Vibrations going over me feeling like my entire body was spinning in one direction, then another, then another, my body moving to one side then back and forth la la la... Then the phone rings loudly and stirs me DOH.

Well, so far it was my longest vibrations time which I think is a sign of some progress. Do vibrations even normally last that long? Don't get me wrong, for me personally its an amazing feeling actually and I enjoy it. But I thought I read that once the vibrations come on all you have to do is sit back and relax but this doesn't seem to be the case for me? Everytime before this the vibrations have been broken shortly by heavy breathing and/or being unable to relax. Should I focus on an exit technique when vibrations come on?

I've been practicing (trying to) OBE for a few weeks now, and believe to have gotten vibrations about 4-5 times. However I read on this board that vibrations are accompanied by loud noises though I've never experienced that. Is it possible to have vibrations without the noise?

I've been looking inside myself for answers my entire life.. Most of those I know, save for my very few closest friends, know me as just a semi-average guy. I've always been unable to express my ideas and beliefs to those outside my close group of friends as the world in general just isn't ready to understand many things.

I stumbled upon this site through random googling after seeing some metaphysics show on the Discovery channel that mentioned, among other things, the belief of kundalini (energy at the base of the spine, etc). This sparked my interest as many things described about this kundalini idea were things I was familiar with. My entire life I have been doing what is apparently known on this website as energy body work. Moving energy throughout the body, things like that. I've been trying odd things in my idle time. Focusing my eyesite in different ways on objects and light beams, focusing on the feelings in my body, and so on. Most particular is I've always had these ..odd abilities. I can, at any time, cause an unbelievable surge of energy throughout my entire body. It can often be so unbelievably strong that it causes me to jerk. Its like a flowing/tingling/electric feeling all in one, a very exhilarating feeling. After reading the New Energy Ways guide on the site I suppose it would best be described a full body storage circuit? I'm not sure.. The second 'odd' ability I have, however, I am very confused about. I first became aware of it very early in my life.. like elementary school days. It was a feeling I'd get when I would realize/remember something shocking, and at the smallest level it felt like an inward pushing sensation in the top middle of my chest encompasing what I've now learned are two major chakras (bottom of the sternum and the top middle of the chest). Its an odd sensation that can be controlled completely in intensity. Get ready for some really weird stuff.. When I will this sensation upon myself at the highest intensity it causes several things: First, every inch of my body feels as though there is a strong force pressing outwards of it (this force is strongest in the chest, and the strength of the force is dependent on how intensely I do this). Second, it causes the equivalent of a minor seizure- muscles randomly have tiny spasms all throughout my body (its harmless though). And third, (this is something I didn't realize till lately when I really focused on what the feeling when I do this) different locations in my body, with the chest area being the strongest, and including my brow, my naval area, the base of my spine, and the entire top half of my head (crown) all seem to 'flare' which is the best way I can describe it. I've found these spots are all major chakras in the body. Now, when I release the entire sensation, the outward pushing force in my entire body and the flare at my chakra spots all dissipate and this is normally accompanied by a massive massive version of that first odd ability I mentioned- a surge of energy. I've used this sensation at times as it is useful to wake me up or give me a little boost when I'm sleepy or physically tired. Ok pause on this subject for a moment..

I have been practicing OBEs at least once/twice and ocassionally 3 times a day since I found this site a couple weeks ago. The overall technique to OBEing has been very natural for me such as relaxing and imagining different projection methods. I have always had a problem with my breathing when doing things that require great mental focus as my breathing becomes concious. Making sure I conciously breathe interfers with whatever else I am trying to focus on, and holding my breath is obviously no good. However since I have been practicing OBE I am very happy that I have been able to almost completely fix this. I think its simply a mind over matter thing. As to my progress.. I have gotten what I believe are vibrations several times (though I get the feeling aspect of the vibrations, I do not hear any odd or loud sounds- does this matter?). I seem to get them about half the time I practice but thus far I have been unable to project. Though I honestly have no fear of it, and feel completely ready, when the vibrations come on I have trouble staying relaxed. I still have some problem keeping my breathing down when the vibrations come on, and then I begin focusing on relaxing the breathing and it ruins things. The vibrations come down and I'm back to the start. But I feel I'm getting closer.. I look forward to every OBE attempt I make. Most attepts have been made at night and although a few people have said don't try when your tired - it helps me. Although when I have too much going through my head I usually just give it up. I'll get my body relaxed but my mind keeps steering off into some random thought and its just too difficult when I'm unable to focus. I've been meaning to try just after waking up (inbetween conciousness).

Now, since I have been trying OBE and have grown to understand the experience of trying to reach the OBE, something has come to my attention. My 'odd ability' that I went into length about almost feels like.. its forcing my astral body out of my physical body. That is the best way I can now describe the feeling. As much as I have been doing this my entire life, and because it is very near the opposite of body relaxation, I know it would be likely impossible to actually achieve OBE through it and would likely cause a heart attack trying hard/long enough well before I'd reach a forced OBE. But the very idea of it is just.. strange. I can't think of any other explanation. I might be wrong, maybe someone else might have an idea as to what this is.

Ok to sum up this crazy long post, I want to say that this site has truly been a great boon to my life already. Many things I believed in, or believed in somewhat but was unsure of, have been confirmed or made clear for me here. I remain semi-skeptical to some things such as telekenesis, pyrokenesis, ki-balls [], but for the most part I remain open and curious. I do not know for certain if OBE is real, but I can try and I can hope and believe that one day that answer will come to me first hand. And if that day comes, I look forward to opening myself up to all the possibilities out there. Finally, I just want to say that some of the people ('kiddies') on this forum have some wild imaginations that I think they let get the best of them when it comes to some of this stuff []

I had another sleep paralysis waking this morning, this time I just forced myself not to open my eyes and convinced myself that even if it was/would have been there upon looking, that it wasn't real and couldn't hurt me. So I did my best to relax etc. However even though I managed to rationalize my way through it my heart rate had already gone up and by the time I got myself calmed I had already broken the sleep paralysis =/

Anyhow, its a good step forward at least.. I appreciate everyone's help.

I have experienced all of the *EXACT* things you have since I've started. Hopefully I can explain what I believe them all to be..

1. While my dreams haven't gotten any weirder, the amount of lucid dreams I've been having has gone up. I am more aware of my dreaming in general, its like an overall growth in conciousness since I started.

2. Personally for me this hasn't been a problem at all. I have a specific sleep position (on my side) and my OBE attempts and meditation I always lie on my back. For me lying on my back its simply impossible to fall asleep. I still 'slip' while I'm trying to OBE and my thoughts start drifting but because of my position I never fall asleep. Maybe if you can find a good position like maybe sitting in a chair or lying on the floor could work for you? Can't think of what else to recommend here.

3. The cold is caused by your muscles relaxing when you lay down. Your muscles are what give off your body heat so when they relax and go into sleep mode they aren't burning energy and giving off heat, so your body drops in temperature.

4. Practice with this stuff has likewise greatly helped to focus my mind. For me its helped me to control my state of mind, whether multitasking or calming your thoughts which was impossible for me before it seemed.

5. Pretty much the same as #4.

6. Greater calmness of your mind, increased focus, expanded conciousness, all of which are things I've also gained doing this. I think all of these are factors. You're simply more aware, more intune with yourself and your mind.

7. The truth is this noise is always there, always. You tend not to hear it unless things are extremely quiet or you're mentally focused like before you go to sleep or whatever. Its never really bothered me, if it does I say just do your best to not listen to it. Focus on the dream imagery in your head rather than the noise and it will fade out.

8. I've experienced this a whole lot, its definately something like a dream barrier. Right at the edge of being awake and slipping into a dream there's a click. Its very interesting is really all I can say about it =p. Usually it seems the click comes when you've bareeeely slipped passed the dream barrier and then you get the click when you snap back.

9. I suppose those are exit vibrations but I really can't say. I've experienced all kinds of very odd feelings and sensations when trying to OBE.. spinning, floating, expanding, nothingness, etc. Unfortunately I haven't had an OBE yet but I have yet to try it with interrupted sleep or anything like that. I always try in the middle of the day when I'm wide awake and that doesn't seem to be working.

For me the relaxing started off impossible, got a little eaiser.. Then I had a few odd specific problems like my breathing awareness, or muscle jumps, etc.. but somehow it just gets better as you practice and now I can lie down and be in paralysis in a few minutes without even having to think or try to relax. I sit in a movie theatre and enter paralysis just sitting. Its crazy =)

Anyway, best of luck!