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The only way that their "spells" would have any effect, whatsoever, is through ignorance or superstition.  Yep.  Have you ever seen somebody cast a spell?  Have you ever seen an effect as a result of someone casting a spell?  No?  Then it's bogeymen and closet monsters all the way!

[Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.]

Crowley says this in his book "Magick in Theory and Practice":

I) DEFINITION.

Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.

(Illustration: It is my Will to inform the World of certain facts within my knowledge. I therefore take "magickal weapons", pen, ink, and paper; I write "incantations"---these sentences---in the "magickal language" ie, that which is understood by the people I wish to instruct; I call forth "spirits", such as printers, publishers, booksellers and so forth and constrain them to convey my message to those people. The composition and distribution of this book is thus an act of Magick by which I cause Changes to take place in conformity with my Will.)

    In one sense Magick may be defined as the name given to Science by the vulgar.

II) POSTULATE.

ANY required change may be effected by the application of the proper kind and degree of Force in the proper manner, through the proper medium to the proper object.

(Illustration: I wish to prepare an ounce of Chloride of Gold. I must take the right kind of acid, nitro-hydrochloric and no other, in a vessel which will not break, leak or corrode, in such a manner as will not produce undesirable results, with the necessary quantity of Gold: and so forth. Every change has its own conditions.
In the present state of our knowledge and power some changes are not possible in practice; we cannot cause eclipses, for instance, or transform lead into tin, or create men from mushrooms. But it is theoretically possible to cause in any object any change of which that object is capable by nature; and the conditions are covered by the above postulate.)

http://hermetic.com/crowley/aba/
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No hocus-pocus, no supernatural entities or powers.  Just the facts (in my opinion anyways).  If this doesn't float your boat there's always crystals and reiki and such 'new age' stuff that you can look into.

Just my 2 cents, but I once cured a friend of the symptoms of the common cold with a sugar pill (he thought it was a cold pill), so you never know.  Prayer might be helpful if your religious.  If you are more ritual minded the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram can work wonders; best of all it doesn't require a shift in paradigm!  You should really be careful when channeling your subconscious without proper training, as you can see it can get ya.

Might be hypnagogic hallucination. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia

As well, coincidence has a habit of showing up at the most opportune moments to arouse awe.  Beware.

Drop some LSD.  I'm kidding...sorta.  Psychedelics are one option, though by far they are not the best.  They run the risk or confusion, psychosis, addiction, persecution by the law, etc...  Bad example.  Um, have you ever tried yoga?  No, I don't mean that crap where you sit on a mat and stretch with a teacher leading the class; that's called stretching.  I mean... well, check this out:
http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/complete_works.htm

From the book:
"       Thus the only way to properly live our life is to realize we are
not here. There is nobody home in this shell we call ―I. Only then
can we begin to be conscious of our ―I as that which transcends even
GOD..."

-and-

"1.       If a person is talking in dualistic terms, e.g. there is this person
there that needs saving and doesn't qualify it by saying something
along the lines that there really isn't two people there. But rather a
projection of appearance of two people, then they are probably not
awakened.
2.       If a person sees the world as imperfect as is, then they are
probably not awakened.
3.       If they preach compassion or saving the world or being in
service to others then they are probably not awakened.
4.       If they do not have an understanding that they themselves are
empty shells, shadows, robots etc and that everyone is this, then they
are probably not awakened.
5.       If the talk about the moment of awakening as something that
added to their existence, e.g., addition of knowledge then they are
probably not awakened.
6.       If they talk in terms of ecstatic blissful experiences of
radiating love to the entire universe then they probably are not
awakened.
7.       If a person is talking in dualistic terms, e.g. there is this person
there that needs saving and doesn't qualify it by saying something
along the lines that there really isn't two people there, but rather a
projection or appearance of two people, then they are probably not
awakened.
8.       If they are demonstrating magical abilities, have you invested
in initiation services or having secret practices then they are probably
not awakened. Actually on this point you should be very wary as it's
likely the ―Supposed Guru is really all about control and power.
9.       If they identify with some quality e.g., compassion, love, etc.
then they are probably not awakened. Similarly if they identify the
human form as being the enlightened thing, then they are probably not
awakened.
10.     If they are trying to add something to you e.g., become a better
person, become more loving, become more compassionate, then they
are probably not awakened.
11.     If they do not consistently say to others the answers are not
within a guru, but rather are within you, then they probably are not
awakened.
12.     If they do not understand that no matter what is said, it must
all be a fundamental lie, they are probably not awakened."
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You be the judge...  #4 is my personal fav.

Swallow and go back to trance.  You're not done yet.

Short and to the point - I like it.  Many thanks CFTraveler!

It all boils down to belief.  Believe whatever feels right to you based on your experience and then no other person can really say "yay" or "nay".

"Smoking marijuana - Though there is controversy as to whether or not smoking marijuana is good or bad, I personally don't consider marijuana or any other illegal substance to be healthy. Smoking marijuana does increase alpha brainwaves, which is why smoking marijuana makes people feel relaxed. Marijuana will not give you the aware, synchronized, peak-performance alpha brainwave that most people are striving for."
- http://4mind4life.com/blog/2008/04/03/understanding-the-alpha-brainwave/

Astral projection occurs more within the Theta-state I believe.  But who knows, I will have to experiment myself once I become more adept at OBE.

I have another problem my body gives me the signal to swallow....and it's very hard to avoid it.....

I too have this problem.  I start to relax, my body gets heavier and 'numb'.  My mind is relaxed but aware - then *boom!*, I have to swallow and it knocks me out of my relaxed state.  Any ideas?