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Thanks for your answers Panda, now we have a starting point!

My answers to those questions are much like yours with the exception that I gave up weed thirty years ago and have had about a hundred SP episodes.

So now that we know you have some practice in calming and silencing your mind, and even the benefit of the Gateway exercises...this is all great training for getting your mind/awareness into that sweet spot of 'receptiveness'. You do that with a daily, repetitive routine of practice. Lumaza is the resident 'Master' at that arcane practice, . It doesn't have to be hours at a time, that can actually be self-defeating. Do 15 minutes a day of meditation, or a Hemi-Sync session every other day. What you are striving for is to make your mind/awareness comfortable with that Focus 10, Focus 12, Focus 15 level and feeling. It does NOT have to be perfect. It took me two trips to The Monroe Institute to find out that there are nearly infinite gradations to these various Focus levels, both high and low, so it is a mistake to get frustrated in thinking that I haven't reached the necessary level during any particular session. You go with what 'ya got.

Honestly, the simplest technique may be to put on a Hemi-Sync session, like a 12 or a 15 and totally relax into it until you fall asleep...because the session is still working while you are asleep. Many sessions that I have had at TMI, I fall asleep or 'click out'. That happens for many people there and learning is still taking place, except at a deeper and subconscious level...which is sometimes, exactly where the learning needs to happen...so forcing it is not the answer, just let it happen. Do that like ten times and see if something changes.

A lot of this is re-learning and re-orienting our perspective to the various Realities available to us. Your daydreams, dreams and lucid dreams are one 'gateway' to the Wider Reality, the Non-Physical (NP) aspect of it. So you have already been there, where you are trying to go. Realizing that is just another step in realizing that it is just a change in perspective or Focus. In fact, your lucid dreams show you that you are already demonstrating higher awareness within the NP...so nicely done! This is the ability and awareness you should wish to expand and develop. This is the awareness you will learn to take you deeper into the NP dimensions.

Now you know why I asked the questions.

And now we come to areas of discussion and disagreement and all I can do is point out some of the conflicts and my ideas on them.

Most people, new to the idea of OBE, expect to lay down, relax and float out of their physical body like a ghost and go roaming about the planet. That experience can happen and often does, but you might get something else entirely. You might instead, awaken early one morning and immediately transition into a dreamlike, yet 'super-physically' real environment. You might be astounded at the hyper-reality of the event and the complexity of the experience that unfolds, but in the end just think of it as a crazy 'one-off' kind of dream. The truth is that both experiences are authentic and legitimate NP or OBEs. Given a few dozen of these experiences, you begin to re-question your assumptions about our overall Reality.

For me, it becomes a question of 'Did I learn something of value from the experience?' And if so, then why is it not legitimate and therefore 'real'?

So you meditate, have some Hemi-Sync experience...you are great to go with many of the 'noticing' techniques presented in the stickies of the Pulse. The candle flame, the Bedeekin method, various active Rundown methods...these are all active visualizations that keep your awareness concentrated while your physical body slides off into sleep. For me, it is the timing that counts and the WBTB method is recommended. Wake, Back To Bed...sleep a few hours, then get up for an hour and then try and observe yourself as you slide back into sleep. Try a technique or just observe. One of my big breakthrough nights was a night that I had awful gastrointestinal pains throughout the night. It wasn't easy nor fun, but I learned a lot! Three sleepless nights can do it too, when the dreams hit you almost instantly! Jeez, what fun!

So all this should give you some ideas. There is another aspect-And that is re-programming your mind and asking permission of your Higher Self to step into this new arena. You don't just do it; you don't just make the jump...

You need to ask your 'Higher Self' for permission and cooperation in achieving this. I learned the hard way, over decades. It is still a form of communication that I am learning and I still get it wrong at times. It may seem like releasing instinctive, subconscious barriers, but I definitely think that it is more. You do this in a very simple process of nightly affirmations-

I ask for permission to have an out of body experience.
I know that I am safe and protected at all times.
I grant myself permission to explore the Wider Reality.
I ask for guidance from those I trust and know that I am ultimately in charge of my Life.

Words to that effect, mix and match as you see fit. Keep it simple. It is basic programming of our subconscious computer, as well as communication with our Higher Self.

Whew, that seems like enough for tonight...

EV

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me all this info & your insight, I really appreciate it tremendously. I have some work to do & will share my progress as I go along.

Hello Panda and welcome to the Pulse!

Lumaza made the suggestion to refer to the very good threads that have been made "Stickies" and moved to the front of the appropriate Board and highlighted in blue. And I would suggest something else that may help us point you in the right direction and techniques: Can you answer some questions for us?

Do you meditate or practice any at silencing your mind?
Are you good at visualizing in your "mind's eye"? Do you easily get lost in daydreams?
How is your sleep? Do you fall asleep fairly easily and quickly and can you observe yourself/the process as you fall asleep?
Do you remember your dreams? Do you keep a dream journal? Have you had lucid dreams? Have you experienced Sleep Paralysis?
In the early morning, are you ever able to hover at the edge of sleep and observe the last of your dreams or any of the hypnopompic imagery that floats through your mind? Do you get odd kinesthetic sensations during the night like floating/falling or spinning? Do you hear odd noises like pops and bangs, voices, machinery,  hurricane-like roaring or helicopters, etc.?

Your answers can help us understand whether you are inclined towards meditative visualization techniques or sleeping techniques or dream activation techniques. You may have more of a tendency towards one method so you might as well exploit it if you can.

Most of us initially think of learning OBE techniques as simply learning how to lay still for twenty minutes or so and floating out of our body. Some people can do that pretty early on, but actually that is one of the more difficult techniques for most people. Our first OBEs are generally very short duration events, like Lumaza said; and they usually occur at unexpected times like in the middle of the night or early morning or during a nap or even during an illness. So it does help to be aware of the many possible symptoms and signposts that could occur because we simply don't know what will show up and we have to be ready to first notice the symptoms and then "allow" them to unfold, and "observe" the process. This is a key aspect no matter what technique works for you; as the transition occurs the symptoms will intensify and you naturally become excited. This excitement has to be contained otherwise you will lose control and the experience. This is where you go into "passive observation" mode.

We utilize whatever technique gets us into the game; then we refine it from there.

Hi, thank you for your reply!

I do meditate, I am also doing hemi sync gateway program. I am not great with visualization, but I think I am OK with it. I am trying to be more aware & have some triggers that I use to keep me more aware, to minimize daydreams.
I am a very light sleeper, it can take me ages to fall asleep. When I try to observe myself falling asleep I end up just lying there for up to 2 hours without falling asleep.
I do remember my dreams, I do have a dream journal, I have had many lucid dreams, I don't have lucid dreams when I'm smoking weed though. I have experienced sleep paralysis a couple of times. I have even reached the vibrational state before, & separated for a very short time before snapping back to my body.
In the early mornings I normally don't hover at the edge of sleep. I never hear the weird noises you mentioned.

[There are a number of great techniques to be found in these Stickies here. Have a look. Find one that you think will work for you and have at it! http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness-b30.0/]

Hello and Welcome to the Astral Pulse! 

It sounds like you have done your research. Each one of those Authors has great techniques in those books to aid you in your first OBE experience. Use them as "blueprints", but not something set in stone, per se. You can tweak them to your own liking or comfort level. I can't say I have been really impressed by YouTube videos though, unless they are seminars or talks by the famous Authors of AP. Many people there haven't quite handled their own "fear tests" and because of that they seem to share some bad info.

Your first experience will likely be a very brief "sneak peek". Normally this is just enough to "wet your appetite".

  A few posts above I replied to another new member with this link to help them find something that they would be comfortable with. so, once again I will post it here for you too. This time I will put in bold letters so it is definitely noticed by anyone else searching for actual techniques to aid them in their NP (non physical) explorations.
There are a number of great techniques to be found in these Stickies here. Have a look. Find one that you think will work for you and have at it! 
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness-b30.0/

Another great thread to read is this one here. You won't necessarily experience all or even any of the many signposts or symptoms of a approaching OBE. If you do experience one, "passively observe" it with a air of curiosity and see it through.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences/exit_symptomssignposts-t46206.0.html

Good Luck and Safe Travels! 

Thank you very much! I will look at these posts & let you know if I have any issues

I have been seriously interested in AP for about 6 months now. I think that I might have overloaded my brain with too much information, as I have been reading so many different books. Robert Monroe's 3 x books, 2 of William Buhlman's books, My Big Toe, Toth tablets decoded, Astral Codex, Frank K Practical Guide book, Astral Dynamics. I've also watched countless Youtube videos & have researched on a lot of websites too. I guess I'm just too confused about which techniques to use. I was wondering if someone could give me some hints on what I need to focus on to have my first OBE.