Focus 10 ----> Focus 12: Transitioning

[Major Tom]

...

[Telos]

With regards to the transition between F10 and F12, in my experience the meta-imagery has, to borrow a term from photography, functioned to add depth of field. In this sense depth is an awareness of distance between you and the perceived phenomena. For me, this happens not only in vision but also sound.

When you just use your imagination normally in the waking state, it's very shallow by comparison, and has virtually no depth of field. We say that the images are "in your head," but intuitionally we know that is a malapropism for "extremely close to your perceived point of consciousness." The meta-imagery, when successful, adds depth to your perceived phenomena, so that some things seem as though they are farther away from other things, giving you the "need to explore."

Although depth of field is a photographic term, in my experience the same principle applies to sound. In the waking state sounds in your imagination are shallow and close to you, but in transition to F12 they sound as if they are further away from you, sometimes startling you, making you ask the question, "where did that come from?" In F10 you really don't feel the need to ask that question.

I have not always experienced a transition from F10 to 12. I sometimes immediately find myself in the vicinity of other dream characters, in the middle of some kind of environment. Or when realizing I'm in F10, my thoughts are still on my bed and my room and I am immediately in F21.

However, to illustrate how I see the transition from F10 to F12, I'll share a very clear experience. While falling into MABA and experiencing hypnogogic imagery, I happened to notice a square with something on it. Immediately, I thought of it as a hole with a ladder, visualizing the the difference in focus. It literally felt like I was focusing my eyes, but looked as if I was gazing through a camera viewfinder and adjusting the lens. The hole and ladder "exploded into depth," accompanied by the sudden, rushed jolt of a loss of classic bodily awareness. I flew through the hole, not bothering with the ladder, and found myself in an environment.

Now that I think of it, that experience was very similar to the "Stimmt" experience where I was struggling to hear the German speaking person. The sound was shallow (I was going "deaf") but I concentrated and was able to hear more clearly, causing entire body vibrations, or a kind of "explosion into depth."

I hope I was of some help and that I am getting the hand of Monroe Focus level terminology, and did not sound confusing! If I did, here is a link to a Wikipedia article on Depth of Field to provide some more context. On a related note, Monroe focus levels are somewhat characteristically similar to the F-numbers on cameras.

[Telos]

Oh, you're right. I know what you're trying to pinpoint now.

One can close his or her eye and have no depth perception, but still have the impression that what he or she sees is "outer."

Sorry. ;) That's a very challenging question.

I cannot honestly say I've ever had the same kind of object-subject relationship in the astral that I do in waking life. The phenomena is always circumspect to my immediate decision-making, causing me to not see it as "classically outer."

Frank has described it as "objectively viewing subjective reality," which also does not connote the same kind of object-subject relationship as in waking life. In this case, you are the object, and the reality it subject to you (and your objectivity). Using Frank's words, I understand it as a role reversal. In fact it can be quantified as a diametric role reversal (which he has described as a 180 degree "phase shift").

I'm eager to hear what the man himself thinks.

[Frank]

Entering the F12 state is, in a sense, "stepping into" the realms of your imagination (part of Focus 2 of consciousness).

Up until this point, a person is steadily trying to reach a point where the imagery they are imagining is progressively becoming "more real", i.e. trying to make the step from 3rd person to 1st person perspective. Telos makes the point that [for most people] imagined images when looked at from the point of being physical have little depth, etc. This is correct.

So you could say, the whole point of getting from physical to Focus 12 is to work to get those images from 2D 3rd person perspective to 3D 1st person perspective.

By using this kind of imagery, you are following along the thread of it, bringing yourself closer to the source of these images. The imagery is what captures a person's attention and draws their focus. Otherwise the person would remain in a kind of "empty mind" meditation construct.

Basically, it is the same action that people who follow the more traditional "astral projection" constructs follow. Instead they follow along the thread of the imagery of an imagined "potential astral experience" which leads them into a Focus-12-like state (what they would perhaps call a "trance" state). Whereupon the previously "imagined" imagery can be objectively observed as a "reality" within the regions of their imagination, or Focus 2 of consciousness.

However, following the Monroe model engenders an expectation of the fulfilment of a Focus 21 experience, following Focus 12. It is precisely this expectation, which powers a person out of the realms of their imagination and "onwards" towards Focus 21.

Think of F12 as an F21 "launch pad". The imagery is created to enable a person to progressively follow along the thread of it to the source of the imagery. Once you are at that source (F12), the release of the expectations of a Focus 21 experience should be all that is necessary to keep the situation rolling, so to speak.

So given the release of these expectations, at Focus 12 the "imagined" imagery should fall away to reveal the 3D Blackness at Focus 21. At this point a person is on the border between Focus 2 and Focus 3 of consciousness. Much of Monroe's later experience (that he published) was acted out within Focus 3 of consciousness and, perhaps I should also mention, the experiences of Bruce Moen too. This isn't surprising as Bruce religiously follows the same model.

But the people who follow the more traditional "astral projection" models "terminate" usually at Focus 2 (oC) as this is where their expectations "come to life", so to speak, and so they are satisfied. But, as I say, the expectations engendered by the Monroe model take a person "further" than this into a very different area of consciousness.

Yours,
Frank

PS

Telos, when I wrote this I was not aware of your latest post.

[Telos]

Oh, you're right again, MajorTom... I think so empirically sometimes that I forget how to think constructively.

Frank, I've been overlooking how constructivist your posts already sound. I think I'll do some epistemological reading right away, if only to at least strengthen my ability to think from that perspective.

I think this has been a very valuable thread for me. Thank you, MajorTom, for your patience and enlightenment.

[upstream]

I would like to contribute with a more simple, down to earth approach before you guys fly away with wings of your own design. Lollolol.

Being successful in imagining scenarios with spaces, vistas and distances means increased theta brain activity. Actually, internal spaces and delta waves are causing and multiplying each other. The hole represents the change between alpha and delta dominance. When theta sets in visualization gains depth and the ordinary sense of body abruptly dissolves.

F12 is the RTZ where the two cones (yes there are two of them) of micro- and macrocosm meet. Entering F12 from F10 is like going through a little hole at the meeting point of the cones' apexes. Everything becomes very dense and full of energy since unconscious information had to travel through this little hole. F12 is a very energetic state that's difficult to hold for extended periods of time.

[Andali27]

Well, I must say that this thread had been really helpful!

Think of F12 as an F21 "launch pad". The imagery is created to enable a person to progressively follow along the thread of it to the source of the imagery. Once you are at that source (F12), the release of the expectations of a Focus 21 experience should be all that is necessary to keep the situation rolling, so to speak.

It's like poetry!  I'm not being sarcastic but this has given me a lot to think about in terms of where I am currently at.  I've always thought any sort of imagry is a great way to keep your mind on track as long as it ties in with what you're trying to acheive.  When I first started, I found that simply lying there with nothing to focus on except an intent, would send me to sleep rather then where I wanted to go.

I took an unintentional break and eventually came back to trying and found it easier.  As it seems to be from what I've read.

I've actually printed off this thread for reference when I become more 'educated'  Seriously, I had to look up some words you guys used.

epistemological

Thanks Telos, I learnt a new word!!

Good Luck!

Andali

[Potatis]

There are many big words in this thread.    Nevertheless it is very interesting.

I hope the feeling of the intent becoming neutral can be further explained. Surely one does not deliberately stop the intent, and bring it back again in the hope of sparking a transition into f12. So does the neutral intent come from a wandering mind, or momentary blackout? When the intent kicks back in again with a vengeance, is that deliberate by the person after they discovered this neutral state? Or it just happens by itself?

Potatis

[upstream]

I can't agree anymore. Intent is definitely not suspended but hiding in the upper corner of the mind, perhaps just above the left where its middle part deviates from the right. Should I say that I'm just kidding here?

Anyway, what is intent?

Even if your definition is only remotely similar to mine, emptying your mind wont dissolves intent but makes it more powerful. This is from where my original OBE method came. Emptying the mind is essential to brake off the serotonin-erg modulation that stabilizes the waking state. Visualization or absorbing attention in the visual field have similar effect: suspend the internal dialog.

I agree on what you say about "wandering" or "drifting." It is letting your mind fall apart along seemingly random thoughts, associations. I'm inclined to add my pseudo-scientific explanation here, if you don't mind, since the entire process seems to corresponds to a cortical activity rearrangement, that makes an activity shift from the frontal lobe to the parietal.

This could be the biological explanation why emptying the mind works. Don't letting the parietal lobe to gain activity would enable a shift to the temporal lobe, causing the regular pre-state of OBE, "temporal liability:" storm like local activity round the auditory cortex marked by strong buzzing noises. Note, noises are always present in hypnagog states when I direct my attention back to my body (I mean back to the primer sensory centers that make my body feel as fuzzy ball of mild vibrations and strong inner noises).

At the same time, looking into the darkness help to preserve consciousness by maintaining activity of the frontal lobe, the brain part that associated with our self, and needs the most sleep. Also, watching those light patterns behind our closed eyes apparently set in a positive feedback mechanism that helps more visuals to come. The same could be told about the effects of observing inner noises. The most simple realization of this "focus complex" is Birm's powerful triangle method (greetings Birm!) that even mirrors the temporal-frontal lobe configuration I've described above.

[upstream]

I was having a discussion with someone today, and he made a good point. That is, it is impossible to let go off intent.

Now that we have reached consensus I will describe what I mean by suspending the intent. Suggestions are powerful medium of intent. We should use suggestions not as mantras otherwise they will lost their meaning fairly quickly. Rather, we should change phrasing continuously in order to sustain the intent behind.

Intent becomes powerful if it is followed by deep silence of the mind. I used to gradually increase this silence while I'm concentrating on my totality (entire volume of my body, noises and entopics, etc.) until no more words required. Only abstraction of my intent remains suspended in silence.

[Telos]

I've got it! I know what's happening! MajorTom, after reading your post about suspension of intent, I immeditately went to test that theory, because it sounded good that something was being suspended. During the past couple days, I've tried suspending intent, will, emotion, intellect, position, and a few other things I've probably forgotten, and they all seemed like sides of the same thing. And I've got it! I know what's being suspended!

It's suspension of judgment.

During the process of phasing, the "role reversal" occurs because one has suspended their judgment about phenomena, and what's "really" taking place as one falls asleep or meditates.

It's right in our faces. We don't see it because "suspension of judgment" is what skeptics claim they do, and they work (almost) entirely from this suspension. But we know that saying "dreams are just dreams" is a premature judgment, an exact misuse of critical thinking, and that this is a byproduct of culture. However, saying "dreams are gifts from God" or a new age equivalent is also an exact misuse of critical thinking and a byproduct of culture.

The key is to be comfortable with this suspension of judgment. To love it - its openness, its elevation of curiosity, it's integral acceptance, an its potential for you. When you suspend your judgment, you should not think that you are in danger of being James Randi. Although, as a consequence, you will have to admit your own judgments about him and suspend them as well. Randi is not an obstacle. Nor is anyone else like him.

I just spent the last 30-45 minutes testing this and found myself entering very familiar states and feelings. But I'm just too excited right now. This is going to bridge the chasm between new agers and skeptics.

These are going to be great times.

[Telos]

Suspension of judgement, reacting, and even transient forms of intent are all part of an ``act of noticing`` I think

I think you have it the other way around. The "act of noticing" just describes what you're doing, but not your state. Frank has described it as being in a state of mild curiosity and I agree with him, but when it's combined with the suspension of judgment. To illustrate, one can be mildly curious about mathematics but still be a history professor. If the history professor combines it with suspension of judgment, his learning is far more integral, opening the doors to problems with applications of mathematics, education of mathematics, philosophy of the origin of mathematics, etc... on into the creation of new mathematics.

I`m still not sure what ``emptying the mind`` means though

It means nothing, and I think people keep repeating it because they don't understand the subtleties of what's happening with their thoughts. I find that phrase especially tragic because it has spawned a dictum within new age philosophy to deny the intellect. And it is self-contradictory - if everything is mind, you don't empty it.

The true difficulty with transitioning lies in not reacting and staying in the position of observer long enough to be able to get a mind lock on an image that arises. Here also the question of identity comes in, and fear of losing it.

Following, if it's true that everything is consciousness, your identity cannot possibly ever be lost. And, if it is also true that their is no separation in consciousness, then you will never be separated from your identity. It seems identity is amorphous and pliable. Fear of losing identity may be the inability to recognize it's shapelessness (or the creative decision to not recognize its shapelessness, allowing prolonged existence in a certain state).

The "mind lock," in my opinion, is a creative decision. You do not step into an environment as much you decide to take an active role in its presence. [Edit: I "explode it into depth"] The environment has always been subject to my decision making, and that seems to be its defining characteristic as distinguished from physical reality, where I appear to be subject to the laws of physics. Since there is no separation between consciousness, and everything is consciousness, you are only distinguished by your decision of judging the circumstances of reality.

Yeah, we'll have to work on the language. ;)

I'll look up Bruce Moen my next trip to the library.

[Edit: I just noticed you added that last paragraph, MajorTom. I never knew what people meant by 3d blackness (to me that sounded like "3D nothing") but from your examples I think I understand now. I'll try to respond later today when I get back from class.]

[Telos]

Okay, I've got some time between classes here. I realize that I have to put my words to the test, and I will do so very critically, but I do think I'm on to something very important. Whatever language we decide on in the end, people will always be skeptical. And that's not a problem, because critical thinking skills operate under the framework of skepticism. In order to take AP out of the realm of occultism and protoscience, suspension of judgment about what the phenomona is has to be recognized. And I find it exciting that what many perceive as an attack on AP (suspending judgment about it) might actually be a key to unlocking it.

Frank calls it a an act of noticing, Bruce Moen observing, the Buddhist call it emptying your mind, Krishnamurti calls it paying attention.

These all come from suspension of judgment. The same cannot really be said in reverse... I can notice and still judge, I can observe and still judge, I can empty my mind of judgment but also empty it of anything to judge, and I can pay attention and still judge.

Yesterday for example, I saw myself going up an elevator of sorts in mid-sky, with 3 blackness around the figure and whirls of blue misty lights. Should I not have reacted too strongly, and turn my intent/attention fully to the 3D blackness I would probably have transitioned. Likewise, another image of a face came up, and I was able to welcome and watch it unfold without reacting, and only then interact with it. Basically, already in focus 12 at that point without having felt any particular transition in consciousness.

If you react "too strongly" to the blue misty lights, you're behaving as if the lights were external stimuli. They were not - they were internal stimuli, like daydreams. You've judged the phenomena inaccurately. Everything is internal stimuli.

The mind is internal reality for the sake of comparison to the physical, which is external reality. But if there was no need for comparison, since it is said that there is no separation in consciousness and consciousness is singular, then all reality is effectively internal conscious reality. But we've judged this world as external reality for the sake of experience, and that is supposedly that. We have learned to act as if everything is external reality, so we are carrying out an implicit judgment. Such implicit judgments are "subconscious," and from this I see how Frank understands that the laws of physics are located in Focus 2 of consciousness, which also holds the subconscious.

I really wish I didn't have a law class right now. If there's any class that actually discourages the suspension of judgment, it's that one. ;)

[Telos]

MajorTom, I'm not trying to present it as a magic word, nor as an alternative word to words already used, but something to advance the theoretical framework. So that others who are not into AP will be able to grasp it.

The things you describe carry suspension of judgment as implicit, don't they?

From your posts, I get the feeling that you don't think it is a necessary element. Isn't it a necessary element during a conscious transition, even implicitly?

I subscribe wholeheartedly to the "if it works, do it" mindset as well, so I don't need you tell me that. I am interested in your direct critical opinion. ;)

[Telos]

Thank you, MajorTom. I have similar feelings and I think I can explain them. (I've quoted the words I think have double meaning).

I'm just a little bit thrown of no longer exercising any judgement or pure neutrality in the strictest sense in normal waking reality.

I think pure suspension of judgment and physical reality are mutually exclusive. You cannot be in the physical without some sort of implicit (subconscious) judgments - the rules of light, mass, matter, energy, gravity, etc. I suppose one could say that, while in the physical, a higher force is judging that we be here, and that this force is our Higher Self.

When in union with our Higher Self we take an active role in reality creation (an active role in judgment, or "law elucidation"). While in any state of consciousness I don't think it's necessary to have suspension of judgment. But in transiting to those states of consciousness, which is what this thread is all about, suspension of judgment plays a "critical" role.

I suppose I'm in danger of overusing the word "judgment" and diluting the model. But, think of other fields of inquiry that incorporate judgment. Any system of laws requires "judicial oversight," doesn't it?

I can even imagine that extreme correct judgement may even propel a person into an altered state under some circumstances.

It seems like that would be the case, but I'm having trouble imagining a situation. Do you know what kind of situation that might be?

[Edit: I think it's time I link to an article I read this morning that's helped set me in this mode of thinking. It's very important that we read it. I've posted it in the News and Media section.]

http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17896

[MontanaHayseed]

Too, a dynamic here might be that the imagery may be speaking to "the dream mind" as it speaks to us: in symbols.

I like the idea.  :Talking to your dreaming self in its own language. Crisp, simple, economical, directive.