Messages

Adding on to the question of the OP, I wake up with the vibes a lot - several times a month. I tend to have issues with getting out too.

If I try to move the astral, the physical ends up moving. If I try to rise, I feel my physical eventually doing it instead. If I do, in fact, get the astral body to act in the vibe stage, I end up going into a dream, or a really wacky OBE that I'm in no control of whatsoever. Just seems like a really neat dream when I wake up in the morning.

Any ideas?

I think I may have finally had my first couple of APs but I'm looking for some feedback to make sure. I understand a close link exists between AP and LDs, and I'm basing my belief that I've projected on some different things I've read. So I wanted to lay out my experiences to see what people here think.

In both instances I've retained memory of "rolling out" and can seem to really remember doing that. It's all kind of foggy but the memories are there. In the first instance about a month ago (I don't have a lot of free time to pursue this so my attempts are far between) I was ecstatic about being out, realizing I could fly around, and enjoying the feeling of doing so. The thing that throws me off about this one is that it was happening somewhere that is either not real, or is somewhere I've never been. Also, the environment was "moody", dark, brown, seeming like a seaside container ship port. It was just like a movie whose setting is a post-apocolyptic Earth – but without all the doom and gloom, busted buildings and weird feelings. In other words, I'm just trying to convey the "look and feel" of the place I was in.  

The second instance (last night) I rolled out again. I remember walking around – comforted by how quiet everything was – with no idea of where I was, and not caring for that matter.

I've had a couple of LDs and in those, I'm always thinking "How cool! I'm dreaming right now!" In these two scenarios I was aware of being OBE or projecting – at least that's how I remember feeling.

So my question about what these were comes down to this: I understand that if I continue to work on APing that my recall will get better, right? Because the way I remember them is cloudy – like a dream. And to me, that says they were only dreams. And also, the settings were strange. And while I understand the world of AP/OBE does not match our own, these could very well have been dreams. And I've gone to bed on both occasions stating to myself and out loud that I was going to pass the threshold of waking life/physical life and project. That could have led to dreams of AP. On the other hand, I was taking stabs at phasing before or during each of these. So maybe they were real?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Just to build on what Xanth said about not forcing out the thoughts....That's exactly right. Understand the subtle difference between pushing something out of your mind and letting it slip out. Here's an analogy:

There's a wall ahead of you that's in your way. You can't go around it so you start pushing and pushing, exerting all your will and it still won't move...just kind of sits there saying "Yeah, I'm a wall and you can't push me aside." So instead of pushing you just relax and let go. Once you bring your hands back from it the wall moves. Not away from you but just sinks into the floor or a slot in the floor. The act of pushing it actually kept pressure against it and kept it from sliding downward.

The greatest feeling in the world (OK, I would probably accept there are actually things that feel better) is when you are in that state of mind, of letting go, that you realize that you don't need to work so hard to force those random frustrating thoughts to go away. The simple act of letting them go is very freeing and takes no energy. So try to think about the difference in pushing away and letting go.

Hi all,

Been quite a while since I've posted, but I've been pretty active in reading lately. Also been actively attempting to phase again lately.

Last couple of days have been reading some posts about phasing and here's what happened today. At one point I was moving my eyes up to raise my point of conciousness (per Franks posts) and "turn my eyes off" or let them just kind of relax and not try to see things. While doing so, I suddenly experienced something that I can only describe this: Imagine sitting somewhere with your eyes closed on a sunny day and the trees outside the house blow in the wind. The result is that you would see the shadows that might be moving on the window or wall under your eyelids. The first couple times it happened I was surprised and decided to open my eyes to see if it was actually wind moving the trees outside and making shadows move. No wind - at least not enough to create the effect I was "seeing". I also heard what I would describe as the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind - but all the windows were closed and the breeze was not at all powerful to make that kind of noise.

I also felt the familiar feeling of the body dropping away from me. I reminded myself at all times that these feelings were "all natural" so as to let them just kind of happen and not startle me or have me questioning them.

Sound about right? Do the fluctuations of light and dark sound like "stray energy" or something?

Thanks for any input.

I see something like this when I sit and clear my mind. It is in the begining of my phasing attempts. Because I have meditated quite strongly on and off over the years, it's kind of easy for me to "sit back" in the darkness of closed eyes and just let my conciousness hover there - no thoughts of any matter and just enjoying the chill out.

I see yellowish patterns that are different from the regular patterns of light play that happen when noticing the back of my eyes. This is like...well, kind of like dull yellow popcorn exploding around me. Doesn't look like stars persay. That would be crisp and clear. Is this popcorny (ha-ha...I said corny) effect what people are referring to as F2?

I finally came up with a rundown that feels right for me. I'm going to describe it here so I can get it down on "paper", and maybe get a little feedback.

There is a 1-room stone cottage in the middle of a clearing in a woods with huge trees. They reach up to the sky and block all views but the circle of blue sky above them. The trees are primarily pine trees so looking too far in the woods gives the perception of shadow. There is deep red, rich soil and lots of deep greens. I can hear the wind in the trees. There are birds chirping in the flora around me – not many, but enough to let me know there is life out there.

The path to the cottage is laid stones. The lawn around the cottage is well-maintained with little white flowers, some lilac trees.

I walk up the path feeling the hardness and solidity of the ground/stones under my feet. I smell the woods – warm pine mixed with soil. The sun comes down through the opening of trees and warms me.

I can:

1. Walk around the cottage and feel the stones or discover new things in this surrounding each time I visit – maybe a water well that wasn't there before. Well, I'll just go ahead and look down in there. Yell something into it and listen for an echo...Drop a rock in and listen for a splash...Smell the water at the bottom....Look at the bucket dangling from the rope....

2. Go into the cottage and feel the stone walls. Examine the wooden table that holds an old, large book with the word "Knowledge" inscribed in gold-leaf on the cover. Smell the scent of the inside of the cottage. Listen to the fire in the fireplace. Feel the coolness. Feel the solitude. Sit and think. Go towards that door in the back that leads to......hmmmm. I'll probably find out when the time is right.

In this rundown I can use all 5 senses which I understand is the best thing for initiating a good phase. Hopefully you'll be hearing from me that, now that I have rundown solidified in my head, I am making progress.

Any input would be appreciated. How does it all sound?

OK, so using an example of somone who is mildy retarded: They are experiencing this world through a brain that is...malfunctioning. So in the Astral, no longer tied to the physical, wouldn't they be smarter - able to think and reason faster and more clearly?

In regards to Xanth's post - The *you* you are right now is the exact same *you* that you'll be when you're projecting.
However "fast" or "smart" you are now doesn't change:

I wonder why that is. Our brain is of physical. All our life experiences go there. All the nature of our surroundings, family, friends, chemicals, ingested stuff goes there. Someone in the physical can have a learning disability or be mentally retarded.

What happens to such people in the astral? Would a dyslexic person still have dyslexia? If we are not "thinking" with our physical brains there, why would there be a limitation on our speed of comprehension there? 

Say, did I just open a can of worms?

Just thought I'd share my latest attempt at phasing. I'm really excited about this "technique" for getting somewhere with all this, and maybe my writing about my little piece of experience for validation can help someone else who is learning.

This morning I finally got a chance to try and do some phasing. I'm in the middle of moving, running a business, and working FT so time has been an issue of late.

Anyway, I was laying in bed and started to pay attention to the darkness in front of me. After a while I started seeing colorizations, flashes, spots, etc. My brain kept saying "That's just me messing around with synapses and chemicals and stuff" and the other side of my brain said "I don't care, I'm enjoying it." My mind started to wander/daydream and brought myself back to awareness of the darkness. From time to time, images would float by – not very solid images, but I paid attention to them and tried to investigate them a little before they disappeared.

At some point, I suddenly had a vision of a cut of rock in front of me. It's a place I go to to watch freight trains. It's a place where the RR cut through some rock to lay the tracks. I thought "Well, this is a little different in solidity as opposed to the earlier fleeting images" so I went up to the rock to investigate a little and tried to feel the coolness of the rock and smell the dampness of the area.

I'm at a point with phasing where I'm still reacting with surprise to any changes that happen to my body while I'm making my attempts so you can understand how alert I became when I felt my body melt when I tried to feel the rock. I thought "wow, this works really fast!" and I was out of the moment.

I'm certain that, like most people say, the more you do it the better you get at it. Like meditation itself, I'm sure that as I move forward these rapid body/mind changes will pass by unnoticed. I can't wait to have more time to practice.

Thanks for listening.

Hi,

The phasing thing, and the teetering between awake and asleep, is going to work for me really well I think. So far, after about a week of using it I am getting good results with getting closer to the MABA stage. I think I'm right on the edge of projecting with it.

When I do project from this state, does the "teetering" continue while in the Astral? Or once I'm out does this in-between type "confusion" carry on?

I've heard people say vibrations stop as soon as they are clear of the body, and that other things change as soon as you get out.

Thanks.

Xanth,

I actually start breathing with my diaphragm naturally while "noticing" and I think to myself, "Well, that's alright then." It comes along with the body becoming unnoticeable, and my energy seeming to expand.

But I can't seem to stay in the moment without thinking about my breathing as I get closer to MABA. That's why I mention all my work with meditation and focusing on the breath. I'm hoping I haven't ruined my chance at using Frank's method. I just try to say to myself "Awww, forget about the breathing. That'll keep going just like it does when you fall asleep."

Rundown? Oh...uh, yeah...I'll get that rundown to you in just a little while. (The Office?)

I'm glad you brought this up because I have an issue with the phasing method of noticing and maybe I can get some feedback. I tend to meditate on my breath quite a bit and now it seems that this practice may be hampering my "noticing" while trying Frank's phasing.

1. I start with some deep breaths to calm down.
2. I empty my brain of this, that, the other thing, my paycheck, my car, the sound downstairs, etc.
3. I begin to notice the darkness in front of me.
4. I feel my body become heavier, my legs warmer and less noticeable.
5. I notice the patterns in front of my eyes.
6. I feel my energy body expand.
7. I notice my breathing and I step back from the phasing precipice.
8. I notice the patterns in front of my eyes.
9. I feel my energy body expand.
10. I notice my breathing and I step back from the phasing precipice. 5. I notice the patterns in front of my eyes.
11. I feel my energy body expand.
12. I notice my breathing and I step back from the phasing precipice.
13. I struggle to breathe....damn! I can't get past a certain point without thinking about breathing.

I am now trying this method on my side in case the throat constriction of laying on my back is the culprit but so far no luck. Anyone else have this and how did you get past it. I know my breathing happens on its own while I'm sleeping and the whole point of phasing is MABA but I can't get past this.

Hi Everyone,

Admittedly - An odd question and something I just wonder about as a person who was originally turned on to AP by Robert Monroe's writings.

Seems I've read somewhere it is supposed that Robert Monroe continues to influence the goings on in the field of Astral research. Anyone know anything about that?

I kind of assume that once he left this physical world he got involved in the "other side" and left this all behind for the living to continue with.

Hi everyone,

Over the last 4-5 days, I've been close to going OOB but I have my wife lying next to me in bed snoring and moving around.

I'm waking up in the middle of the night and then trying to use those moments to take advantage of the body being asleep while remaining conscious. I know I'm close (also had my first LD last night – YAY!) but her fidgeting and snoring keeps "startling" me to be aware of her there so I lose my focus. This is especially difficult in that twilight place I am trying to project from.

Anyone here with the same kind of experience, and how can I use it to my advantage?

Thanks!

BTW, I had my first LD last night - it was pretty cool to be in a dream, say "holy cow, I'm dreaming right now" and make a few things happen. I had about a 50% rate of success in manipulating the dream scene. And thanks to the people on this site, ran into a situation that probably would have kicked me out of the dream but I knew to say "OK, chill out and just be in the moment or else this'll be over."

Okay, got it. makes complete sense now. Thanks!

Hi mcdwg,

Gothca.

Well, I want to fall asleep but I'm being forced to stay aware. From what you're saying, it seems like this is a way I can harness a trance, and it's what I was hoping. So at those times I'm kind of close to projection territory. 

I also try to project from meditation where I calm my body down but keep my awareness focused. At those times it's completely intentional. I've gotten to a point where I lose feeling of my extremities while still aware of everything so I've got a ways to go via that route.

Hi mcdwg,

So what is that feeling I'm experiencing? It feels like my mind is trying to pass out/go to unconcious but it's being forced to remain somewhat aware - maybe I'm answering the question myself but I guess I'd like some reinforcement on the point.

Well, alright. If you want to keep the can of worms open....

I was under the impression that Astral Projection allows travel to other dimensions, zones, etc. so based on what you're saying, they're still synonomous? What am I missing?

Thanks personalreality.

Hi everyone,

Here is a question which I'm not sure how to pose. But, I'll try anyway - bear with me?

Sometimes when I'm falling asleep or trying to, it feels like my brain/mind has a wave go through it. It's very difficult to explain but it's like it's trying to fall asleep but not being allowed to. Here's an example of when it might happen - midnight, I'm tired and just want to fall asleep, wife (God bless her) keeps asking questions about something on her mind so I just can't complete the falling asleep cycle. I'm on the verge of conciousness because I care about her and want to respond, but everything else in me is dropping away.

Is there any relation in this to phasing, or trancing, or....I don't know what?

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

What's the difference. It seems like the forums for OOB and AP are pretty similar so what sets the two apart from each other?

Thanks!

UPDATE: I got my answer - thanks!

In regards to WADS's post, just wondering if anyone know, or knows of, an athiest becoming agnostic through the experience of an OOB - whether it was attained on purpose or purely by accident.

Hi all,

New to the forum. By way of intro, I'll say that I've been interested in OOB for quite some time.

Close to 20 years ago I first attempted to successfully project but didn't get very far. I had one experience where I could feel myself lifting away from the body into my bedroom. I saw a very strange thing - best I can describe it is that it looked like a red and dark blue ski jacket floating in the corner and undulating. I took it to be a creature of some kind and I think it freaked me out and chased me back in. I was also not completely aware/concious and had probably seen something while in the Hypnagogic state. After that, I was not very succesful.

In the last couple years, I've woken several times (probably 8-10) with vibrations. I knew I was close, but couldn't bring myself to roll out, lift up, drop out, etc. It seems like when I think of moving, my physical is still getting engaged and my muscles tighten up. Still trying though and I can't wait for the next time I feel the vibrations.

I've been meditating for a long time also. So now I am trying to conciously project using a better understanding of the type and method of meditation that will aid me. Thanks to some info on the forum here, I feel reinvigorated. It's interesting to think that when I first tried this years ago, there was no Internet to help. You'd have to go out to New Age meetings or read books and feel kind of isolated. Tech is great!

My question is this: I've been going through the forums and notice that retension of reading and words in the Astral is very difficult. Is there an agreed upon reason why that might be the case? I'm guessing it's because the information, even in writing, is very symbolic. But if that's the case, why can people remember other symbolism, but not text or words we hear?

Thanks!