Ap technique you enjoy

[Astralsuzy]

Hi all, what ap techniques do you enjoy doing for at least 20 minutes? I can often hear myself snoring and that means I am close to ap. I do an ap technique such as I imagine myself rising up, going up a ladder or rope but I get bored quickly. I cannot seem to keep doing it for long so I give up and end up falling asleep. I need a technique that will interest me for at least 20 minutes. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Astralsuzy]

I have an idea.   I will think of a place and imagine being there.   I will let you know how it goes.

[LightBeam]

I often imagine that I am at the vacation spot where I went with my family every year when I was a child. I know it well and I walk around, touch stuff, look at the scenery, ride a boat at a high speed. This place is connected with many good memories and this hold my attention because I recall the excitement when we were there.

[Lumaza]

 First "progressive relaxation" for about 10 minutes, followed by creative visualization and sometimes "etheric exercises/tetrahedral points", then BLAST OFF!  

I enjoy the progressive relaxation because it feels so good to completely abandon any physical discomfort. I start off every session by thinking and seeing the words "By my act of will I release my focus over my physical body".

I enjoy the creative visualization portion of my sessions because that is my time to experiment anew. The visualizing can be a simple sport simulation like throwing a Frisbee or rowing a boat, but soon it opens up into it's own scenario.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_permanent_astral_topics/active_imagination_techniques_carl_jung-t32634.0.html

Etheric Exercises are fun because they teach you control over your "NP" form. Tetrahedral points and tug o wars because it shows you just how real this really is. You are activating more than just your sense of sight, now you are activating your tactile sense as well. The more senses you use, the easier it is to fully shift. The key is to NEVER look back, until you are finished with the session at hand that is.

I find if someone is new to this Art and wishes to find out if this is really "real", then the thread on the Phantom Wiggle found here is just what they need to read. I always say prove it to yourself. I already did!  
 http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/how_exactly_do_you_perform_the_phantom_wiggle_method-t44583.0.html

[Astralsuzy]

That sounds great LightBeam.   You are lucky to have good memories of that place and you are able to imagine it.    I think ap is a lot easier when you enjoy imagining something.    Did you sometimes ap at that place?

[Astralsuzy]

 Lumaza that was a great read.  Thank you for that. 

Thank you both for your replies.    They were very helpful.

[ThaomasOfGrey]

Hi all, what ap techniques do you enjoy doing for at least 20 minutes? I can often hear myself snoring and that means I am close to ap. I do an ap technique such as I imagine myself rising up, going up a ladder or rope but I get bored quickly. I cannot seem to keep doing it for long so I give up and end up falling asleep. I need a technique that will interest me for at least 20 minutes. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Getting bored with the exercise is a barrier I think and it stems in impatience for the excitement on the other side. You may not be able to find a single exercise that will remain interesting for 20 minutes either.

Instead of searching for the ultimate exercise, you may have more success with an adjustment of your perspective to any and all exercises. Instead of being bored with the exercise you need to get bored with physical reality. Returning to physical awareness is the escape route where more interesting things are going on.

Convince yourself that there is nothing more interesting going on here, then you can swap between exercises and free flow imagination at will without returning awareness to the physical. Default your awareness to non physical, and if you catch yourself looking back or feeling bored, remind yourself that there is nothing else going on or that this time is set aside for a particular purpose.

I came to understand this only last night and it worked well for me, as I normally struggle with boredom too.

[Astralsuzy]

Thank you ThaomasOfGrey.    You made me reaslise that it is boredom.   I now realise any technique I do I will get bored.    I will do what you suggest.   I will convince myself that this is exciting and I will continue to do it.   I have convinced myself with other things so I can convince myself with this to. 

[Lumaza]

 There are soooooooooooooooooo many different and exciting techniques out there that I can't see how anyone could get bored with this. I change my approach all the time, sometimes right in the middle of my session. Sometimes I feel like trying or doing one thing, other times I change it up.

But when I experiment, I usually stay the course on one technique, method or idea until I have given it a fair chance. Then I move on.

You are right though Thaomas, when I do a session, there is nothing more exciting going on here in this physical realm at the moment. But every time I do a session I am "all in", so I really don't find it boring at all. Every new thing I experience perks me up a bit. Even the 3D darkness can lead to adventures of it's own. But normally I use the 3D darkness just to relax and completely let go of this physical realm. 

[Astralsuzy]

That is great Lumaza you do not get bored.   I wish I found it exciting.   I enjoy meditating and relaxing.   I can do that for a long time.   I am nearly there.   When I get more used to doing techniques I am sure I will not find it boring.   I think I developed this problem because I used to ap instantly when I do an ap technique.   Now it takes time.   Sometimes it does not take long but my boredom gets in the way.   I have to learn to be patient.   I will overcome this problem but it may take some time.   

[Lumaza]

   I think I developed this problem because I used to ap instantly when I do an ap technique.   Now it takes time.

Hmm, that sounds strange. You should be able to do it faster than before. Perhaps you are being challenged to find a new way or technique to AP.

To tell you the truth, many times when I just close my eyes something is already there. This has come through hard work and determination. I lie or sit down to do a session, get comfortable and ready for the long haul, but I find that there is already something on my visual screen that all I need to do is passively observe as the scene progresses.

It shocks me, because as I said, I am preparing myself for the long haul, which sometimes it can be and all of a sudden I have shifted that quickly. I don't have immediate control over the scene though and I have used no intent whatsoever besides closing my eyes and wanting to do a session, which could is still intent. But I know you know what I mean by that. What I see is not a part of my imaging, because what I see I am not thinking of at the time.

An example of this. Yesterday I closed my eyes to relax and immediately I felt movement. On my visual screen was grass and trees passing by, like a person sees while driving. I haven't driven anywhere for a couple days now and at that time that was the furthest thing from my mind. I watched and "allowed" the scene to grow more vivid. Soon I was driving or flying. It's hard to tell because I didn't see any hands on a wheel. I couldn't see any body form of my own at all. I may have just been point consciousness going for a ride.

At first my physical body was experiencing "vertigo" from the movement. But then I got so deep into the shift that I couldn't even tell, nor wanted to know, what my physical body was experiencing. I was just enjoying the scenario at hand.

ALLOWING is a huge word here though. People ask, what do you mean by "allowing"? You do exactly what the word says. You don't fight it, question it or change it. You see the scenario at hand through and keep your focus on it and it until it fades away and you find your focus back here in the physical again. There is plenty of time to question it afterwards. At the time, you ENJOY it! 

[ThaomasOfGrey]

Our experiences in this reality may have conditioned us to get entertainment too quickly and easily. I am constantly searching for excitement in my experiences and I think it becomes an addiction.

To use a metaphor, Astral Projection is like a massive party behind a locked door and you have been given a key ring with millions of keys to try. Most of the time we may not truly be prepared for the "long haul" that Lumaza pointed out of testing all of those keys, we want the quick win of the first key working.

For me, allowing pertains greatly to acceptance of the process. Once your mind is turned away from the quick win, you will suddenly stumble upon the correct key. In my experience two nights ago I went from boredom to understanding, to acceptance of however long it would take within a couple of minutes, then the fear test came suddenly.

I failed the fear test but I still think it was a breakthrough in understanding. The fear test was a cognisance impression that if I continued I would experience something mind blowing that reminds me of these lyrics from the song Astronomica "Stretched beyond the limits, Out into the unknown".

I clearly wasn't ready for that because I was just experimenting without actually believing or expecting to succeed. My impression of what the conscious projection will be like is totally different to my nightly dream based experiences. I have built it up in my mind to be a zero to one million experience with no control which probably isn't the best for the fear test.

[Lumaza]

To use a metaphor, Astral Projection is like a massive party behind a locked door and you have been given a key ring with millions of keys to try. Most of the time we may not truly be prepared for the "long haul" that Lumaza pointed out of testing all of those keys, we want the quick win of the first key working.

I love that analogy. Thanks for that. Today I find that most people want and expect that "quick win". That is why it's so hard to explain to people that they need "walk before they can run". This "Now Generation" wants it to happen "yesterday" and sometimes that isn't even fast enough, lol.

For me, allowing pertains greatly to acceptance of the process. Once your mind is turned away from the quick win, you will suddenly stumble upon the correct key. In my experience two nights ago I went from boredom to understanding, to acceptance of however long it would take within a couple of minutes, then the fear test came suddenly.

I failed the fear test but I still think it was a breakthrough in understanding. The fear test was a cognisance impression that if I continued I would experience something mind blowing that reminds me of these lyrics from the song Astronomica "Stretched beyond the limits, Out into the unknown".

You didn't fail the fear test. You noticed and realized that it was a fear test and that is positive progress to me! 

I clearly wasn't ready for that because I was just experimenting without actually believing or expecting to succeed. My impression of what the conscious projection will be like is totally different to my nightly dream based experiences. I have built it up in my mind to be a zero to one million experience with no control which probably isn't the best for the fear test.

You need to lose all expectations and just "go with the flow". React to what happens when it happens. The same occurred when I had my first "Retrieval". I didn't know it was a Retrieval. I just did what I thought was right and would help the situation. Before that Retrieval I found myself in many actual "School" settings, whereas I was being taught things about how to adapt or adjust to my new surroundings.

[Astralsuzy]

Thank you Lumaza.   Your idea will help me a lot.   I can ap quicker but as I said I was too impatient.   For now on, I am going to do my usual routine and that is to relax myself for a while.    Then I am going to imagine I am somewhere at some place.   I will stick at it as long as it takes to succeed. 

[EscapeVelocity]

One thing you guys might try is a visualization with more movement in it.

Astralsuzy, if you can regularly get to the point where you are starting to snore, then this may be the "boost" you need.

These are visualizations known as Rundowns and I came across the first one years ago, developed by a member named selski; she called hers the Trampoline Rundown. It simply consists of visualizing yourself bouncing on a trampoline. The movement seems to activate your etheric/energy/dreaming body and you begin to feel exit sensations of various types and you let those take over until an exit occurs.

I soon realized that this method could apply to many pleasurable activities and sports. The more rhythmic, the better; the more up & down or side-to-side movement, the better.

So dance, ballet, skiing, snowboarding, motocross, cross-country, riding a horse, show-jumping...you get the idea.

This worked amazingly well for me one night, quite by accident, as I was up late with stomach pains, very tired and trying to sleep. The image of me, seated on a sled coming down a bouncy snowfield...and I just let it take me as the sensations increased...the next thing I knew I was dumped on my back and sitting on a gravel road in some dark forest, all of it quite real at this point!

EV

[Astralsuzy]

I often hear myself snore.   It only happens when I am making an effort to ap.   I have ap from it but not lately.   Thanks to this forum I realise it is because I am impatient.   I am working on fixing the problem.   When I hear myself snore, it is only one snore I hear, then a minute, two or three minutes later another snore.   It can go on like that for a little while.   It is not constant snoring.   If I am not prepared for it I fall asleep.   Tonight it will be different.   I will imagine jumping on a trampoline.    It is a great technique.   I have ap using that technique before.   The only difference was when I felt like I was jumping on a trampoline I was jumping extremely high up and down.    Not like normal jumping on a trampoline.   It was fun.   I might get a bit bored if the technique takes a while for it to work so if that happens I will imagine that I am in the forest.   If I get bored with the forest I will go back to imagining I am jumping on the trampoline again.   I will keep swapping between the two methods.   

[Astralsuzy]

Hi all, I am often close to ap but I am not succeeding.   I drift off and fall asleep.   I am now going to lie on a thin mattress on the floor as it is not very comfortable.   I am also going to sit on a chair.   I will let you know how it goes.

[Astralsuzy]

Hi all, I lied on the floor late in the afternoon on a thin mattress.    After a while you start to get sore.   Your back starts aching and then I gave up.   Before I went to bed I lied on the floor again.   I ignored the soreness and just got on with meditating and relaxing myself.   I was not happy as I thought I fell asleep.   It was only brief.   A little while later I thought I think I did ap.   I remember feeling myself moving.   I woke up because I thought I fell asleep.   I will try again but I am not going to lie on the floor in the afternoon.  I think it gets too much doing that twice.   Instead I am going to relax on my back on a comfortable bed.   I am close to ap a number of times.   My problem is I get bored.   I have to get passed this.   I have another idea which I will try.   I know I still have to persevere with it. 

[Astralsuzy]

Hi all, just an update on how I am going.   Approximately 5.30 pm I was doing deep breathing and relaxing myself.   I keep trying to imagine myself at some place or doing an activity.   I do it for a while but unfortunately I get bored.   Perhaps in time I will overcome that problem.   I am sure I found meditation boring once but I am very used to it now.   Anyway, after a while I heard an occasional snoring sound.   My mouth is always closed.   What usually happens is a short time later without any warning I instantly ap somewhere.   This is what happened.   I was driving a car.   I could see the road.   I could drive straight ahead or curve to the right.   I remember that spot when I drive to my parents place.   I got tense for some reason as I curved to the right and I snapped back into my body.    I will keep practicing and I will never give up.   
I want to start making an effort to get up out of bed early in the mornings instead of making excuses for myself.   It is either too late or too early.   If I make more of an effort it will increase my chances to ap.   

[Subtle Traveler]

What a great thread (and question) ... here is something that I regularly use ... I visualize this meditation structure and do my OBE preparation activities within this environment. I have been reading old Frank Kepple posts for the last month here and he emphasizes how often he uses visualization in his own preparation to project. As a result, I used it last night (for the first time in a while), and it resulted in several, varying NP experiences. I have shared it on other forums and most people really enjoy it or find benefit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4RkltlJZKM (4 minute YT video)

You draw this on a single piece of paper (I still have mine from last year), and add to later as needed. This visualization technique provides a structure (umbrella) in which all NP preparation and launching can congregate. If you bounce on a trampoline, then place the trampoline in this area. If you sit quietly by river stream to calm your body, then draw that into the territory. You get the idea ... it all goes in this dedicated but all encompassing launch area for meditation, your run down, contact with guidance, etc.

When I use this structure, I have noticed that I am able to stay in my technique much longer - without mental disruptions. And ... if I need to change my technique while preparing for projection, somehow it helps my mind, because I am not leaving my meditation-projection launch area (just changing a technique).

fwiw, just an idea ...

[Astralsuzy]

Thanks for that Subtle Traveler.   You gave me a good idea.   There is a beautiful park close by.   I am going to imagine the park and add things to it as you suggested.   I tried to do it yesterday but I must have been tired.   I could not concentrate.   I could not think of anything.   I kept forgetting to think.   This morning I managed to ap.   I am happy about that because I have not ap for a while.   I keep falling asleep.   I know I have to concentrate and not to miss my ap signs.   The ap signs can be very slight so it is easy to miss it.   I do not know about everyone else but when I ap it is like what we see here in this world.   I see the buildings, the sky, grass etc.   I never see anything evil or any monsters.  There is no fighting or anything awful.   In the astral people were doing things just like here.   They like to have a drink and the streets are sometimes busy.   I noticed that my ap experience was a bit silly this morning so I think it turned into a bit of a dream.   I have to try to improve that.   

[Subtle Traveler]

Sure, not a problem. I learned something also on your thread.

Btw, once you conceptualize the area, leave a period of time for changes and additions. That often helps me 'settle into' a new way of doing something, and I make it my own.

[SCHMUSTIN]

My current favorite technique, right now, would be any one that get be and kind of result. LOL!!

I am very new to the whole process and have only had two successful instances.

[Lumaza]

My current favorite technique, right now, would be any one that get be and kind of result. LOL!!

...and what technique have you chosen SCHMUSTIN?

[SCHMUSTIN]

...and what technique have you chosen SCHMUSTIN?

Right now I enjoy the "Indirect Method". I have seen the most success with this.
I enjoy the relaxing part LOL. I just lay there with ear plugs and focus on the beating of my heart and the air rushing through my nose and filling my lungs.

I did try the one where you look at the candle (As you recommended to me in a previous post).
It work great for my wife. She ended up in the void state with in 4-6 min. First time she ever got there, she was really excited LOL.

But for me after a couple minutes the focus point seemed to dissipate. I will be giving it another go.

I do still work on the direct method but it will take a bit and proving to be challenging to date.