Success with focusing on body sensations

[Pandemonium]

Greetings Graupel. I've had some success with a very similar technique. I was relaxing, and in the same time I was aware of the present moment, I was "in" the moment, noticing everything within (thoughts)and outside me. Just by combining relaxation with awareness and concetration I succeded in having an OBE. The hardest thing is to let go when the vibrations kick in, until i had enough experience lack of real concetration really ruined every attempt I made with this kind of technique.

I don't know any technique for catching yourself in the right Focus state, but relaxing until the dream images appear could do the trick.

Yours,
Pan

[Graupel]

When you are tired and require a night's sleep, is it initially almost impossible to enter the hypnagogic state during the first part of the night because your conscious mind wants to rest and can fall asleep much easier?

Or is the reason for the "Monroe Condition D - loosing sensations of body and entering borderline sleep state from a relaxed and refreshed consciousness, usually in the morning or afternoon nap" mainly because at that time the conscious mind has a much easier chance of staying awake when the body falls asleep?

The hardest obstacle with this approach seems to be the fine line between exerting too much mental energy and just not falling asleep enough (like you sit in bed meditating, but you get nowhere) and not exerting enough focused awareness in which you just let yourself slip into a dream and loose conscious control.

[Pandemonium]

quote:Originally posted by Graupel

When you are tired and require a night's sleep, is it initially almost impossible to enter the hypnagogic state during the first part of the night because your conscious mind wants to rest and can fall asleep much easier?

I think the key to reach the hypnagogic state is concetration. If your ability to concentrate and be aware is high enough it is possible to focus your mind and to remain awake while your body falls asleep. I believe that the body wants to rest, and your mind will go with it unless you make an effort to remain conscious during sleep. Sometimes when my physical body is tired I get the best results.

quote:Or is the reason for the "Monroe Condition D - loosing sensations of body and entering borderline sleep state from a relaxed and refreshed consciousness, usually in the morning or afternoon nap" mainly because at that time the conscious mind has a much easier chance of staying awake when the body falls asleep?

I agree. In the morning mind is refreshed and body is relaxed. Ideal conditions for a projection to occur. After a afternoon nap muscles are relaxed and it is easier to concentrate. However, like you said there is a very fine line between not falling asleep and trying too hard. It's pretty difficult to find the "golden middle" between trying too hard and falling asleep. But it's possible, with a bit of practice [] .

[Adrian]

Greetings,

quote:Originally posted by Pandemonium
I think the key to reach the hypnagogic state is concetration. If your ability to concentrate and be aware is high enough it is possible to focus your mind and to remain awake while your body falls asleep.

One of the key aspects of phasing is to focus the mind on imagery. This might be a scene in which you imagine yourself participating, e.g. walking along a beach. This focuses the mind while losing awareness of the physical body. Usually when this happens your imaginary scenerio suddenly assumes a life of its own, and you are in the Astral.

No matter what technique you choose, it is vital to reach the mind awake, body asleep state, and that means focussing inwards and away from the five physical senses.

With best regards,

Adrian.

[Pandemonium]

quote:No matter what technique you choose, it is vital to reach the mind awake, body asleep state, and that means focussing inwards and away from the five physical senses.

Yes, Adrian, I am aware of this fact. I never said that hypnagogic state is important only for a single technique. And as for five physical senses, it's not good to generalize because someone(like myself) may pay attention to everything, including the physical senses because that works better for him/her. If I focus only inwards, vibrations weaken instead of opposite. But this is my experience and it doesn't apply to everyone, just like yours doesn't apply to myself.

Regards,
Pan

[Graupel]

Hm well focusing on body sensations seems to be working somewhat for me, and it must work well enough since Stephen LaBerge included it in his chapter of falling asleep consciously

[TorosDead]

TRY SITTING UP IN BED, LIKE SITTING AGAINST YOUR HEAD BOARD IF YOU HAVE ONE.  I'VE FOUND THAT THIS QUICKLY LEADS YOUR BODY INTO THINKING YOU'RE LAYING DOWN AND PREPARING FOR BED, BUT THE SITTING POSITION ALLOWS YOU TO STAY MORE AWARE AS THE BODY DRIFTS OFF TO SLEEP.

[Graupel]

When attempting to reach the mind awake / body asleep state, has anyone had any success just focusing on the different sensations and the body getting "heavier" without loosing consciousness and falling asleep?

I had an interesting experience this morning, but it happened when I somehow managed to wake from a very short dream period (this was in the morning after a big night's sleep) but not totally. I knew I was wide awake but could not feel my body (I just knew I was in the mind awake / body asleep state because I knew it was paralyzed or so relaxed I had lost sensations of it.. so I "willed" the vibrations to come by just slowly trying to suck them into me like standing outside waiting for a snowflake to fall on you and it worked!)

Do you know any techniques for "catching" yourself after you awaken from a dream to wake just enough to be in the right Focus state, without awakening fully like one would normally do.