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"The one thing I find most difficult about AP and OBEs is that very few people in my everyday life understand why I even care or think about these things. I don't really have any friends who also experience these things, and I have only one friend who has an interest in AP and OBEs, but she lives far away."

Yeah these topics aren't the type you go to work and talk about during your luck or around the water cooler. You dont say "hey last night I left my body and traveled around town" or "I became lucid in a dream and pretended to beat up the boss with a gulf club" lolol. Unless someone knows of this topic or experienced it than its hard to discuss it. A lot of skeptics who don't or won't see the aspects of lucid dream. But there's an old saying too. "If they're walking around half dead while awake, its no surprise they're walking around half dead in sleep too".

As for death I wouldn't fear it. Every living thing dies. Even non-living things hehe. The sun will turn nova and "die". Our galaxy will "die" (or collide with the Andromeda galaxy). No getting around it. Death is the greatest mysterious in the world...we find out what comes after if anything....we all find out lol. 10 out of 10 people will die in their lifetimes. Nothing to fear...its usually hardcore materalists that fear or run from death because they dont want to leave their little "material world" or "life status" behind.

Keep enjoying lucid dreaming; its a fasinating experience.

I also was having a lot of non-lucid or semi-lucid dreams about being back in Junior High School and High School and one in college. I couldnt find the hidden symbolism behind it, but I eventually did after using some techniques from Jill Morris "The Dream Workbook". Two dreams I had I was back in Jr High talking to my younger self warning to do this and that and not do the things that I (or the younger me) would do when they get older. Another dream I was simply myself back in H.S.  So Szaxx is right...could be hidden symbolism in them. Our subconscious mind can work like that especialy deaing with past issues.

I broke down the dreams and found the symbolism as I keep dream journal, and seriously been into dream recal and memorys for most of my life. I conclude it was an indication that I wanted to go back to high school because it was more of a carefree innocense era, and because it was the time period before I started to make many mistakes in life when I hit college (nothing serious or illegal...just your typical human mistakes that you had you not done would of made your life a lot better and easier). I learned that you can't go back and change the past...nothing you can do...which is why the younger self of me never listened to me in my dreams when I gave warning (he would ignore me as though I wasn't there). Even if someone had told me back in the early 1990 the crazy mistake I made...I'd probably still never listen as I was hardheaded and did what I wanted. I also saw the symbolism in another dream that all we can do is move forward. I also felt that in a way I wouldnt want to go back to high school because in my HS dreams where Im back in HS going to class I ended up hating it because I hated a lot of that "going through a teenage phase" stuff so not only can't I go back...but I dont wan too....so I better just focus on the future...try not to make the same mistakes...and maybe warn others of the same.  In regards to flying...maybe in your dream that is an indication of letting something go? Anyhow seems you were in a semi-lucid dream state.

It takes time to fly or transport. Your mind first has to get use to the fact its lucid dreamin (as you're new to it). Kind of like drivng. You have to get use to driving local streets before driving highway.
You'll also build better focus and concentration awareness so your lucid dreams will last longer and you'll from "oh my god a lucid dream...lets try flying" to "Cool my fifteenth lucid dream of the month..what should I do now". Although plan before going to sleep what you want to do in a lucid or semi-lucid dream.

WBTB/NILD are great techniques.

http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/how-to-have-lucid-flying-dreams.html
http://lucidity.com/NL7.34.RU.SpinFlowRub.html

Its called synchronicity. A good article that talks about it:

"Synchronicity: A Wink From The Cosmos" By Meg Lundstrom.
(Originally published in Intuition Magazine, May 1996)
http://www.flowpower.com/What%20is%20Synchronicity.htm

"I've done my research, and most OBE and AP experiences are classified as "hallucinations". I feel like I'm losing my mind, am I schizophrenic or is it really possible that something else is going on here?"

They say the same for lucid dreaming, but psychologists like Dr. Stephen LaBerge and of course all that LD have proven its normal dreaming during NREM/REM. Dr. Charlies Tart is in the area of OBE research. There was another female but I forgot her name.  As for the OBE...some believe its a highly advanced lucid dream or it is some form of conscious shift out of body. Usually those that right away say "hallucinations" without even linking it to possibly being a LD are the secular skeptics that dont want to hear anything that might indicate life continuation after death or the mind being complex to the point of questioning if design is indicated. I say that as someone with no religion or religious interests myself (although I'm not atheistic).

I would also NOT recommend using alcohol as a way to induce lucid dreams or out of body experiences. There are natural techniques/methods and if at very least over the counter legal supplements that might occasionally aid in LD/AP (Galantamine + Choline) if taken maturely and responsibly.

http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/
http://dreamstudies.org/2011/01/06/the-neuroscience-of-lucid-dreaming/
http://www.near-death.com/tart.html

Anthony--

You are welcome hehe. I forgot to mention when you document into your dream journal (paper, computer, or both) do it within one to five minutes after you awake from a lucid dream (or just awake). Also record any odd or realistic/symbolic non-lucid dreams. The reason we say right after awakening instead one hour or six hours later is the fact you start to lose dream memory recall after a few minutes after awakeing. So you might forget important portions or the entire dream by the end of the morning. Especially if you had a lucid dream at say 2AM, and awoke, but didnt log it (but recalled it) and went back to sleep and six hours later...you totally forgot you had a lucid dream (lost behind all the other later dreams you had) or what it was or important factors. It happens a lot; a lot of LDer mention this. It's happen to me and I have a strong photographic type memory.

http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/dream-journal.html

Hello:

Its great and even advised to keep a dream journal. Detail everything in it; even minor things such as if your window was opened, the weather, sleeping position, and anything you might of ate/draink before bed. This helps to find a personal pattern that might work best when attempting a lucid dream.

You did have a lucid dream. It would be called a "DILD" or "Dream Included Lucid dream" which means you became lucid while in a non lucid dream. http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/dream-induced-lucid-dreams.html

The coin can represent something of or from your subconscious mind in a symbolic way. That's why its good to keep a dream journal as the answers might come in later dreams or later on when you ponder it. I say this in an entirely non-metaphysical fashion.  You could of also been coming to awareness you were about to awake. Others on the forum might add a more metaphysical link to the female voice and what she was saying.  You also find out that dream characters aren't always zombie like. The individuals in my lucid dreams are very lifelike, and I've experienced where I was unable to make them do what I wanted or speak what I wanted them to say. They had a complete identity awareness of their own.  I had lucid dreams where my DC told me straight out leave them alone...they're meditating or give me some deep insight information subconsciously to me consciously figure something I'm stuff on out lolol. So its important to log down dream characters into your journal, and find out if there's any underlining or subconscious meaning to their appearance. I recommend the book "The Dream Workbook" by Jill Morris (1985 but a great book by a dream psychologist about trying to understand dreams).

But, yes, you did have a lucid dream. Any awareness even in the slightest that you are dreaming while in a dream is lucidity.  False awakenings are also in the lucid dreaming family. There' are other techniques you can practice as you become more experience that will help bring on my lucid or self induced lucid dreams.  It's easy yet hard to lucid dream which you'll find over time (years). You'll also have LD's that you won't be able to the difference between them being real life or a dream because of how vivid and clear they are (and sometimes out of body feeling).

Anthony

Well we can agree one thing for sure that Randi did which was great. He exposed that fraud "Uri geller" whom claimed to be a psychic of the paranormal in the field of "spoon bending through mental powers". Now "Uri Geller" claims to be only an entertainer out to do a good show, and spoon bending is seen as being only a magic illusion trick in today's present world lol. Some people (like Eva Carrièr/Marthe Béraud was) if clever enough will use any scam to acheive status, and parpsychology is no stranger to scammers.

I could not have said it anymore.

(Although in regards to using legal over the counter herbs or suppliments (example being Galantamine or Huperzine A) I recommend using them as an alternative source and not become addictive or rely "only on" suppliments to induce an AP/LD experience which even Thomas Yuschack's book states).

AP/LD has many techniques and its still has plenty of myseriousness behind it all.

I agree about giving credit to those that help you on a journey (and credit to yourself). I did that a lot in college. Totally agreed. It's when the individual gets caught up to the person to the point it's a god-like following. It happens a lot especially within metaphysics.  That's why I mentioned Thomas Yuscak. When his book on lucid dreaming supplements came out it in December 2006 it was like the bible to lucid dreaming was just sent down from heaven itself. LDers were going nuts with it as the supplements and supplements cocktails mentioned were believed (and in many ways do) cause and easy lucid dream. His website was up for about two years prior with pdf articles he wrote, and subject test charts using Galantamine. Then TY disappeared a few weeks after the book was released, and never was seen or heard from again to this day. His webpage went down, he wouldn't return emails, and he just vanished. I didn't know him, and at the time wasn't interested in supplements.  I didn't even read the book into this year but people were like going nuts over him. I hate when newbie LD/APers whom think I'm also a newbie tell me "I don't or do it because it says so in Yuscak book" or "read Yuscaks book" . The book was well written, as was his articles, and he was an engineer.  But now the book is outdated (as with science and medicine the results, studies, research, tests can show changes or new findings so other volumes or updates needed such as any long term affects using Galantamine as a LD supplement), but it was pretty bit hit when it first came out.  No one knows why he disappeared after that book was released. Scott Stride another one involved with lucid dreaming and supplements (youtube videos called "LDS Tutorials", and helped TY with his book) also vanished around 2008 abandoning his accounts. Odd...maybe it's a government conspiracy haha just kidding. Or maybe they just don't want the over attention and following or headaches of hearing "but it didn't work for me".

So...its good to learn from such people, but also find your own path, and be proud of yourself for doing such on your own. You can do it without them. You learn, study, experiment, and fail but eventually (hopefully) you'll succeed (Im talking about LDing in this case). You don't have to go by everything they say...you don't have to agree with all their views, etc.

I don't believe Kepple, Monroe, even psychology has taken the mysticism out of some areas of parapsychooug or out of LD/Aping. There's still a lot of unknowns, and it still begs the question...does consciousness exist after physical death when the brain/body dies? Does LDing and APing give us any signs or indication of this? Psychology has answered how we LD from a neuroscience standpoint...but science still cannot answer the question as too...why we dream and what is the purpose? Why does our subconscious hold answers to life issues that our conscious can't figure out? Theories exist but that last question no one has yet to know.  Is there more going on in the physical or even in the universe is another question?. This universe is gigantic and houses billions of galaxies. Is there more going on behind it all? We don't know...that's what makes it mysterious (and you don't have to have any religion to believe so like me. I'm in the few whom love parapsychology but believes those "Seth" books are garbage and Jane Robson suffered from mental personality disorders or a fear of death so she made all that Seth stuff up). These are avenues NDE researches also observe (and I'm not talking about new age gurus and Hollywood actors turned psychics).  Let's face it...it's still a mysterious topic when you can't go to work and say around the water cooler "hey I think I left my body last night and traveled around the street" or "I had a lucid dream where I was aware I was dreaming and kicked that prick control freak of a boss of ours in the private parts and watched him cry like a six year old girl". People would look at you like you're nuts unless they knew about these parapsychological/psychological topics.

This link is a good reason I support James Randi exposing the scammers and deceivers:

http://www.gypsypsychicscams.com/

A vast majority of so called "down the street" psychics and mediums are frauds. That's the reality of it. They need to be exposed along with their gypsy scams (ie remove a curse for $900.00).

On the other hand; I don't support dismissing "real" parapsychology and its research and those that dabble in true experiments/exercises in it. I find parapsychology fascinating, and of course I don't dismiss the area of consciousness existing after death in some form and fascinated by the OBE and LD topics (I had numerous LDs, and AP like experiences).

The term parapsychology means "alongside" psychology. Para means "alongside" or "side by side / beside". LAUSD terms teacher aids as "paraprofessionals" because they work "alongside" teachers. So parapsychology is researching the things that are yet unexplained or mysterious that runs along or beside psychology. Psychology is mostly the science dealing with the mind and consciousness. OBEs are something that deals with consciousness (and mind) on a possible different level (outside the body); which is why some regular psychologist will investigate or research these alter states of consciousness "alongside" their regular psychology trade. I personally believe "lucid dreaming" falls under both regular psychology and parapsychology. True parapsychologists are those trained in their fields of science and research and uses the scientific method (to some degree). They know how to investigate such things like OBEs and NDE's and those areas without holding biased in trying to prove or disprove it. Dr. Ian Stevenson is one example of such people.

Parapsychologists are not TV celebrities with a college degree in acting whom claim that one day he/she woke up and now can see ghosts, and months later starts his/her own dramatic ghost hunt TV show followed by writing new age books.

Im more in the area of lucid dreaming so I can comment on that area. A LD (and of course in this case an AP which is a higher LD or depending on your views an OBE experience) can be just as real and vivid as being awake. Ive had LDs where my enviorment looked just as real as the real world if not more real. Sometimes you'll have low level LDs/APs that are foggy, distorted, hard to see but sometimes you'll have LDs/APs that your audio and visual are just as much if not more clear as being awake. You might also experience having a bar better memory of an LD/AP even remembering it better than most of the regular days stuff than you would with the regular non-ld nonsense dreams we all have. Just make sure you keep a journal (Dream Journal / Astral Journal) and log everything in it. Time you went to bed, time you woke up, any suppliments or foods you ate before bed than of course the actual experience itself. That way you have it on record, and you can review it later. You can also see a later pattern on what might help induce a AP/LD (certain techniques, sleep positions, time of day, etc).

"keep thinking i'm going to have some evil entity waiting for me"

Thats just religious dogma (ie Satan is gonna get me) sitting in your subconscious mind. Only evil that can get you is the evil you manifest yourself. In a dream...its just a fantasy...it isn't real. If you do AP out of body than of course you're connected to your physical body and there's probably cosmic laws. I dont know anyone that has LD/AP whom had "evil experiences" unless they were under the influence of illegal mind altering drugs or carried over the subconscious intent of wanting to see "evil" which of course manifested in their experiences.

I would also suggest staying away form video games about two hours prior to going to bed. It can affect your NREM sleep and possibly later REM sleep which can hurt your chances of becoming aware while in a dream (or trying to AP). http://www.examiner.com/article/how-video-games-affect-sleep "The bright lights from television screens and computers can possible delay the release of melatonin (the chemical responsible for making us sleepy) in our bodies making it harder to fall asleep at a reasonable time"

I was also practice mind stimulation games during the day. Like reading theater scripts, doing word search puzzles, and keeping your mind active to help build up your memory and keep it active. This helps with better recall during a night/mornings sleep. I believe (this is just me...only my belief) that a lot of us LD/AP during the NREM and even REM but we forget it by the time we wake up. So if you LD/AP at 1AM...by the time you wake up at 7AM that experience is long forgotten replaced by dreams you had at the later cycles of sleep. So keeping your minds memory fresh is important. Make your if you keep a dream journal to record any experience as soon as you awake. If you have an AP at 2AM and you awake at 2:15AM than get up and log it fast on your pad or computer journal. Dont wait into 12PM the next day. Usually after fifteen minutes you start loosing the memory or it becomes distorted. Try and get it logged within five to ten minutes after you awake. Just fastly jotting down in a few words everything that happen will help you retain the experiences memory and keep it accurate for later full entry into your diary. Also record all false awakenings.

If you want to try and induce APing/LDing the natural way without using suppliments than practice techniques. Youll start to train your subconscious mind to be aware and get out of the habbit of just going to bed and falling asleep and hoping you AP/LD (DILD).
http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/lucid-dreaming-techniques.html
http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/how-to-improve-your-self-awareness.html

Hope this helps.
Anthony

PS: Sorry for any spelling or grammar issues. Im typing fast without proofreading.

Right. Techniques used for LD are also used for AP. Here's two (for those new to the whole AP/LD thing):

http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/dream-exit-induced-lucid-dreams.html
http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/dream-induced-lucid-dreams.html

Although the author (Rebecca Turner a well known lucid dreamer and LD writter) believes AP's are just LDs dreaming they're out of body, and AP's can't be scientifically proven (http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/astral-projection.html)

Ive been dabbling in the area of lucid dreaming since the mid-1990s although I was well aware of it going back into the 1980s. Im not a "newbie" hehe. I had many many lucid dreams using the usual techniques and at times testing suppliments. Some of my LDs were very OBE feeling...but little things like furniture being out of place or not there, or seeing people when they were there in real awakening life, or reading something and than seeing upon awakening it was totally different or not even there makes me believe its a LD. But...other times and experiences Ill admit were APish. So Im totally not dismissing APing as a OBE experience as Im not atheistic and dont have a "hell bent attitude of disproving anything spiritual". However I am not spiritual in the sense of new age, metaphyiscal, and religion. My only fasination is...does consciousness continue after death? This is where AP comes in to helping a person get clues on that.

I was always under the impression based on research, readings, and experiences that AP is a projection of a non-physical body into either physical world or non-physical world of a higher frequency. It seems AP has been getting more new ageish in recent years hehe.

Yeah...I heard that theory often that when we sleep our "consciousness" (sorry I don't like to use the word spirit or soul as I'm not religious) linger over or under our body and we're not conscious of it. That could be true. Just like some believe astral projection is a higher form of lucid dreaming and nothing else...some people believe the opposite and that lucid dreaming is the lowest form of astral projection. That there's a plane where dreams occur both lucid and non-lucid where disembodied spirits can travel back and forth from.

I dont have a whole lot of problem LDing if I put the effort into it (techniques, WBTB, etc) but APing from the mindset of "consciousness out of body traveling the physical" I never experienced at least none that I could feel is actually OBE. I think my biggest problem is...it takes a lot for me to believe lol. I took me a long while and many LDs to believe I could LD. I never could just "follow someone or something and just believe". So well see.

Thank you for your post. Take care for now.

It depends on one's view. There's endless debates on this as if astral projection is simply a lucid dream. Dr. Stephen LaBerge and Dr Susan Blackmore believe they are. However Dr. Charlies Tart has shown some circular evidence it is an OBE. One can be having a lucid dream they're APing too which explains why when a person APs their environment is different (like there being a chair in their room when they do not have a chair in their room). I had a recent AP/LD where I looked at my desk clock near my bed and it read 1:11PM. My room was about identical otherwise. However...I don't have a desk clock in my bedroom so was this just a LD that I was OBEing through the MILD technique?. Of course there is also "alternate forms of reality" theories too. Dr. Susan Blackmore (psychologist and parapsychologist) has seen Robert A. Monroes "OBE's" as nothing more than highly advanced lucid dreams at a time prior to knowledge of what a lucid dream was (since his OBEs started in the late 1950s and REM didnt really become identified into around 1953).

DILD is about the same. The WBTB might also fall into those lines. When you shift/phase from conscious awaken reality to conscious dream reality. In a sense dreams are of a different reality since they represent a landscape or scenario that is far from awaken reality. Using the DILD is one technique that a person excrement straight into a lucid dreams alter state of consciousness where in a dream one ve can create a whole new reality (driving in a Corvette naked down Time Square if they can create or alter such a dream).

"There is no sleep cycle needed and you are not having a "Dream induced Lucid Dream".

A lot of research has shown we can dream during NREM stages and these NREM are not like REM stages. NREM dreams are more realistic, less vivid, and more logical and compared to the more later fantasy like REM dreams. Jill Morris, Ph.D talks about that in her books, and so does Dr. Ann Faraday in her works (both psychologist and dream psychologists). So a person might believe they are having an AP but in fact be having a NREM lucid dream. EEGs show different brain wave activities during dreaming in NREM compared to REM. Now...Im not saying AP is nothing more than a LD. Thats not my claim. I personally havent yet decided (and Ive LDed many times and had LDs that were very AP like except there were certain material items that were in my AP that weren't in real life which makes me mark it off as a dream). Lucid dreaming is not always about becoming aware in a dream. One can use techniques to become aware as they enter a dream or prior to entering REM. One is the Wack Back To Bed Technique where after four hours of sleep you wake up, stay up for about twenty minutes, than go back to bed and focus (using the WILD technique) on remaining mentally conscious as your body falls sleep and you'll consciously enter a dream aware in that dream. In other words the subject never lost consciousness as they were mentally aware while awake and into the dreamscape (although their body has fallen asleep). In other words with these techniques one doesn't have to go to bed and hope two hours, and six dreams later, they became "aware" in a dream.

Now if one is talking about closing their eyes and not sleeping, but shifting their thoughts or consciousness to another form of reality than isn't that simly day dreaming? Like when I close my eyes, mediate, and find myself walking along the beaches of Malibu. However its just day dream.  

"Daydreaming is a short-term detachment from one's immediate surroundings, during which a person's contact with reality is blurred and partially substituted by a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake". -- Wikipedia. In fact when I watch a movie one can say Im shifting to a different reality as Im now following or becoming apart of the plot of that film as my attention is focused on the events of that film.

Im thinking some modern experimenters are maybe taking astral projection and associating it with daydream now instead of a shift of consciousness outside of the body and into an out of body state.

Also isnt "RTZ" just another term for "Etheric Projection"? There's debate on that too if Etheric and Astral are the same thing, same plane, etc.

Maybe Im just too black and white. I believe when one attempts to AP they either consciously leave their physical body or they don't (in which case its a dream of one leaving their body). I never went for all that "Focus" stuff...too spiritual and new ageish for me.

Phasing seems to be just another word/technique in relation to the "Dream Induced Lucid Dream" technique or combo of DILD and WILD. Where instead of using just WILD and MILD techniques or techinques of "steping out of your body" you instead let your consciousness phase in (shift from sleep to aware dream) with the experience. DILD is when you let yourself fall into sleep with the mindset when you dream you'll become aware of your dream state. So again shifting from sleeping...to being aware (when) you're in a dream. That is if you believe astral projection is simply a high form lucid dream. If you believe astral projection is an out of body experience than shifting your consciousness from being asleep to be out of body in whatever or wherever enviroment without any "moving out of your body" techniques (like Rope, Swaying, etc techniques).

Yes after WWII the US Government conducted tests in PSI areas including remote viewing. They're results were inconclusive, and by the 1980s I believe it was, the US Government stopped these tests. Some top German Nazi officials during WWII had interest in various of occult beliefs and practices.

To answer your question you have to first evaluate if you believe astral projection is indeed an out of body experience or simply a high form lucid dream that replicates the world/environment you live in. There's an ongoing debate on that subject. Many believe AP is out of body travel and many believe AP is simply a lucid dream that is "realistic" and begins in one's own bedroom, house, etc, which in case would mean AP has no influence on the physical world (but can have an effect on your own personal mind and world and subconscious answers).

I'm not religious and I have no interest in the new age movement especially the movement that progressed from California in the 1980s. I still personally don't know if I believe AP is OBEing or simply LDing. What you're referring to though is a metaphysical belief of the Akashic Records which is supposed to be like a library that holds "the records of time" of one's suppose past lives, and the history of the earth, galaxy, universe, whatever. Supposedly its governed by cosmic laws of order. It's said a person can't look into the future in the sense of looking into a final future out instead a person can only see probable outcomes based on presented choices and maybe certain "bad things" are meant to happen to them as a learning lesson. That there are many avenues one can take each leading with a possible different end result. So the future isn't anything that is set. This makes sense because it shows human beings have free will. As for using the so called Akashic Records for profit gain the belief by many individuals that claim to have projected there is that its off limits for such activities (and again its more concerned with maintaining record of individual lives and future outcomes are not sealed so any slightest change in anyone's life can set off a new chain reaction of events).

Now I do not know if you believe in Metaphysics or not or if you believe AP is simply a highest form of aware dreaming or it is indeed out of body travel. But the believe amongst those that belief in such metaphysical concepts that is what the Akashic Records stand for. There's also an old saying that if a person abuses their art and talent than that art and talent will be taken away from them...some people try to AP/LD for impure purposes.

You can lucid dream where you're in a situation and you repeat it or change it. Every have a lucid dream or non-lucid dream and you say something like "oh...I want to redo this dream or situation" and the dream starts over. It guess its our way of trying look at alternatives to things. You might have dreams where you faced a younger version of yourself or were back at your old childhood home again with the mindset of "changing things". The dreams can have different meanings for differnet people. But the past is the past; it can't be changed...one just has to focus on the present and future...and in some ways if you were able to change the past than you might lose valuable life experiences that you gain from said past mistakes.

But you can't change your past while in a lucid state and even if you could from a metaphysical standpoint (if you believe in that stuff) it wouldn't change anything on the physical level.

I never knew Frank Kepple as he came way before my time on these forums, and outside of reading his archived posts that I might come across here and there, I really have little interest of meeting him or not (if he's even still alive). It's not good to get caught up with one individual which can turn into a cult following for them. It seems Frank Kepple and Thomas Yuschak both hit the Astral Projecting/Lucid Dream subject by storm...made a big impact with people...than vanished without a trace.  Thomas Yuscak founded "Advanced LD", wrote a few articles based on test subject about Galantamine's affect on lucid dreaming, and published a book about using such herbal supplements to induce lucid dreams/OBEs (Advanced Lucid Dreaming: The Power of Supplements) and then disappeared without a single word never to be seen or heard from again shortly after his book was released in 2006 (which became a major seller amongst LDers and still sold on Amazon although by now its research is outdated). T.Y. even shut down his AdvancedLD website. Seems F.K. vanished in the same fashion over here. So I don't know; it seems some people come and than just vanished without a care so I wouldn't get overly caught up with them. I would give credit to yourself for reaching a goal. If you succeeded...than you succeeded!

Dr Stephen LaBerge and his team at The Lucidity Institute were the ones that came up with the idea for "NovaDreamer". LaBerge is well know and established researcher/psychophysiologist into the field of lucid dreaming especially REM style lucid dreaming and back in the 1980s did various of EEG tests on lucid dreamers during REM stages. So for what it's worth it wasn't some scammer trying to make a scam off of lucid dremaing. NovaDreamer was an honest attempt to be a legitimate aid to help with lucid dreaming. The idea and concept was good, but it just doesn't seem to work outside of minimal occasional result especially if you don't have a lucid dreaming mindset it's useless. Iif you are a heavy sleeper as it depends on flashing lights into the eyes during REM sleep stage it most likely will not work at all. In reality there is no "sure fire 100 proof" aid to help with lucid dreaming. I do not recommend spending all that money on these types of masks/devices where you might have only a 1 out of 100 chance of getting semi-lucid from it.

I agree. I like people that look into such areas with an open and unbiased mindset. They don't go in with a "going to prove it no matter what for my religion" or a "going to disprove it no matter what for my atheism" mindset. They just go in, publish their results, and let the public decide if the evidence is sufficient enough. Dr. Ian Stevenson, M.D. was another one in the research field of reincarnation in children.  If results are inconclusive then so be it.  They sort of had a mindset of "I have nothing to lose but proving it, but nothing to lose by disproving it...I'll let the results speak from themselves".

Legitimate trained psychologists and researches like these are what parapsychology needs to continue to survive.

A good book to read in regards to children and possible past lives is "Children's Past Lives: How Past Life Memories Affect Your Child" by Carol Bowman.

Two good (and free) pdf resources on children past lives:

Unusual Play in Children Who Claim to Remember Previous lives. Author: Dr. Ian Stevenson, M.D.
Published: Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 14, No.4, pp. 557-570, 2000.
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_14_4_stevenson.pdf

Phobias in Children Who Claim to Remember Previous Lives. Author: Dr. Ian Stevenson, M.D.
Published: Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 4, No.2, pp. 243-254, 1990.
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_04_2_stevenson.pdf

Out-of-Body Experience
Dr. Charles Tart's OBE Research
http://www.near-death.com/tart.html#eight

Very interesting.

(Im not claiming this proves or disproves OBE. Im just posting it as a source reference to Dr. Tarts research into the area of OBE).

Anthony--

http://www.near-death.com/tart.html#eight

Pretty interesting if anyones interested. Im not saying I support or not support Tart's claims...but still interesting.

It's not that Randi is trying to deny the spiritual world (well maybe he is since he's atheistic but thats not the point of my post). Its more of disproving the scammers and con-artists. Parapsychology in its long history has had a long list of scammers (sadly to say). People that claim to do or see the most crazy things. Two examples are 1: Psychokinesis and 2: Ectoplasm. Ectoplasm was big in the late 19th century with altered/forged pictures that would take a ghost like appearance and place it over a picture of a living person to make it seem that a newly snapped picture was taken with a spirit in it. Reality is it was two photo negatives being merged. So exposing people that use fraud means to deceive others should be exposed. Psychics that charge $500 for useless cold readings. Televisionagalists that claim to heal you in the name of God for a fee. Watch the film "Supernatural" from 1933. It stars Carole Lombard and is posted on Youtube in full film (as its public domain now). Excellent film. Although it's a supernatural tale with some supernatural stuff in it...there's a spirit communicator in that film that uses all these mechanical and phony instruments (like face impression clay, spirit horns, etc) to make it seem the deceased brother of a rich young woman is trying to communicate with him. The spiritualist is actually a magician con-artist in that film and uses a lot of tricks that were common of such "communicators" of that time. So Randi exposing these people is a good thing. I dont hold the same views as he does (atheistic) and I dont agree on everything he might say. I do believe (without religous connections) consciousnes does or at least can survive death...but thats just a belief. But I stop there as I dont know nor can prove it. However that doesnt stop me from exposing con artists, religous scammers, and the likes. At the same time that doesnt stop me from having a strong interest into the research and experimenting of parapsychology.

Astral Projection is a touchy subject.  I know another forum that's also based on posting and teaching how to astral project but they're forum stance is that astral projection is just a higher form (if not the highest forum) of lucid dreaming. So views vary.

I personally do not believe in Remote Viewing which is a more modern term for "extra-sensory perception". Actually let me reinstate...Ive seen no evidence to support believing in Remote Viewing (and Im aware of the so called "US Government" research into this area after WWII).

The concept wasn't a scam. It was a concept that attempted during REM (when you have deeper sleep and more vivid dreams) the lights might interfere with the eye movement, and allow the dreamer to become aware they're dreaming or see the lights flashing as a dream sign. However it doesn't seem to have shown to work. I haven't tested it, but I know many others that have on another forum. The results were pretty much it didn't work, and could be annoying to wear. Also if you don't use LD techniques (MILD, WILD, WBTB) than like anything else its not of use. I personally do not recommend it. It's also way too much money for an item that has about a 10 percent of "occasionally" working. There's a lot of clones of this mask too.