First real astral experience; Floating around, astral-vision and sliding off bed

[floating_hawaiian]

Went to sleep tipsy around 1230-100am, coming home from the house of a friend of my girlfriend after they had us over for dinner. I woke up around 430-500. My head was spinning ever so slightly and slowly, almost like i imagined it from the combination of alcohol and dehydration. After a drink of water, i returned to sleep. At one point i was sleeping on my left side, and i had a strange feeling like my body was trying to communicate with me, trying to get me to move. I will remember that sensation from now on, because that was my body seeing if my mind was asleep, the onset of SP. After several moments, i feel a pressure on the lateral side of my right leg, starting at my ankle and travelling up my leg. I can't remember where it ended up or stopped because I started having fine fine vibrations, accompanied by a sound in my ear. It was a sound that you can hear when you close your eyes tightly, like your straining something. SP set in I got excited. My heart was racing, as this was the first onset episode I've had in nearly 3 months, in which time I just started to focus on my dreams (which paid off really well). This is the 2nd time ive experienced SP and the first time I didn't try to move because I didn't want to jinx or break it so to speak. This time around I wanted to experience the paralysis of it, so I tried moving my hand and sure enough, it didn't move right away but a second later i broke my SP when i jerked my hand . As it turned out, it was a very light or partial SP. AT some point i tried controlling my breathing, which turned heavy. SP faded, other than that nothing happened.

2 hours later, im still trying to get to sleep. As i write this, its 750. Around 730 i feel a familiar trance state. I deepen my trance and the sensations follow. With all of my intentions, I wanted to float. This part is completely new for me. I start feeling my legs drift upwards toward the ceiling, even though my physical is under a thick comforter. In my head I'm screaming "clarity now!" but nothing is happening so i move on. My legs are floating upwards while the rest of my body is still anchored. I wanted to get myself off the bed. I wanted to slide off the end of the bed and I make little progress but it got too difficult for me to do so, so instead i want to turn to the right of my bed and get off there. With my intentions, it slowly happens. I can't feel my physical body at this point and I experience the sensations of my feet floating around at my discretion. I can feel myself become upright as my nonphysical stands up and floats lazily and clumsily beside my bed. Moments pass and I slowly start receiving visions in my head, like a vivid dream. The first thing I notice is that the closet door is open (in the physical, it is closed), which is directly to the right of my bed. But instead of it being fluid, it comes like a series of rapid photos like it was filmed on a camera with a horrible frames-per-second, or like a stop animation film. All of my motions and movements are very very slow and clumsy. From the closet I look down at the ground to see that I am floating perhaps 2-3 feet above the ground. I'm starting to lose my lucidity at this point and soon enough, I find myself back in my body.

Although I am back in my body I still feel the trance so I have a go at it again. I feel light and my feet are floating again. I try to slide off the end of the bed and this time it comes so much easier and much much more fluid. My intentions had greater effect this time around. It was so bizzare, so surreal that I ACTUALLY feel myself sliding off the bed, my body moving through space to reach the end of the bed. I get up and I can see the bathroom door. When I look at the door now as im writing this, I can remember that in the non-physical I couldn't remember or see the details of the toys that were on the shelf next to that door. Back to the nonphysical, I wanted to turn 135 degrees to my left to see my girlfriend sleeping in the other twin bed that is situated to the left of my bed. I didn't want to see my own body just yet; I didn't feel that I was quite ready for it. I see from my vision that Im turning left but it is taking a LOOONG time and im moving extremely slow, just like before. When I finally face her bed, I can see the square patterns of her quilt, but no body. Perhaps the absence of a body is what causes me to lose my lucidity and I find myself back in my body but this time, without the energy to repeat and "exit" my body again. I am dumbfounded =)

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Notes: To give you the setting, I just moved from Hawaii to the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. As I mentioned before, my last awake episode was at the end of October and since then I've been focusing on my dreams.

Another note, I found that the reason I couldn't see my girlfriend in the bed next to me was because she was completely under the comforter and the comforter was smoothed out completely, which may have led me to believe she was not there and an empty bed. An easy mistake for someone who had poor vision. The room we are in is also her 2 younger brothers, which houses 2 separate twin sized beds. We sometimes sleep in separate beds because sharing 1 twin sized is too small for us.

Two nights ago, I had a vivid dream of watching the sunset several times. It was so vivid, I can clearly picture the orb of the orange sun falling behind the edge of the world and ocean. I mention this because the images of the vivid dream was how I was able to see in this experience.

I found it extremely helpful writing this down, as I am able to clarify to myself what exactly happened and in what order. I almost tried to downplay it as my imagination, but the better part of me knew that would be a lie. I felt myself move. I felt myself sliding off the bed, myself turning to see more of the room, even as I stood upright. It couldn't have been my imagination: I had the sensations. I also must report that there lacked an "exit" of my physical body. I've been giving thought about exit methods the past few months, maybe our nonphysical selves are not "stuck" in our physical body as we are illusioned to believe. Perhaps exit methods is our way of understanding the non-physical bodies and achieving that state of consciousness. Maybe its not "within" us at all. Or maybe it is, because as physics tells us, we are nothing but empty space and vibrating energy. Where does it come from? I don't know. I can't answer that, but I'm sure I've read similar theories pertaining to location of the non-physical when we are not using it. But I'm starting to believe that the focus of exit methods may actually drive us away from our goal of leaving the non-physical because it provides the dogma that we are "trapped" within ourselves. Perhaps exit methods just provide us with a better understanding of the nonphysical and the more you understand the non-physical, the easier it is for you to grasp "exiting" your physical body. I also am able to better understand how one loses lucidity during an OBE experience.

Did I feel something gripping my left leg above my ankle 5 minutes after I returned to my physical body?

[Greytraveller]

Hello floating_hawaiian
Congratulations on deliberately inducing a full OBE (well, 2 actually  ). The next time that you get "out" I suggest that you try to get outside and levitate off the ground and then fly around your neighborhood. You will find that flying is even more enjoyable than floating.

Regards 
Grey

[sambamboo]

Hello, Im new here and new to OBE's. I very often have LDs, usually twice a week or more depending on my work week.

I am interested in OBE's as I am trying to find out if they are just maintained FA/LD or actually something different and real.
but...

Greytraveller what you had IS a lucid dream, I initiate 90% of my lucid dreams identically to that, to the T. You nailed the noise "It was a sound that you can hear when you close your eyes tightly" exactly

Lucid dreams *can VERY much seem real, your room will seem exactly the same, outside of your house can seem the same, but people have false awakenings all of the time, probably more than 5 times a week. They seem so real that they don't even realize it. In the beginning of my LD journey I was astonished as to how many times I caught my self in a false awakening. Almost every single time I went to bed. So... I imagine OBEs easily get mistaken with a normal false awakening that turned into a lucid dream.

[Astralzombie]

Hello, Im new here and new to OBE's. I very often have LDs, usually twice a week or more depending on my work week.

I am interested in OBE's as I am trying to find out if they are just maintained FA/LD or actually something different and real.
but...

Greytraveller what you had IS a lucid dream, I initiate 90% of my lucid dreams identically to that, to the T. You nailed the noise "It was a sound that you can hear when you close your eyes tightly" exactly

Lucid dreams *can VERY much seem real, your room will seem exactly the same, outside of your house can seem the same, but people have false awakenings all of the time, probably more than 5 times a week. They seem so real that they don't even realize it. In the beginning of my LD journey I was astonished as to how many times I caught my self in a false awakening. Almost every single time I went to bed. So... I imagine OBEs easily get mistaken with a normal false awakening that turned into a lucid dream.

Hi, I think that it's great that you are intersted in OOBE's and AP. If you keep an open mind you will learn a lot as well as teach us all a lot.

But please understand that you are trying to impose a definition on someone who is already aware of that definition and has made a personal choice to view it differently. Many of us here can vividly recall experiences when a false awakening definition is most appropriate. But then again we have had  many experiences that defy that logic or reasoning.

I can only accept the fact that it is a dream within a dream -within a dream -within a dream for so long until logic dictates that the sheer amount of awareness and controlled thinking should in and of itself wake us up but yet it does not. If you're ever just "dreaming" and have had that much controlled thought, you can do one of two things. You can wake yourself up and comfort yourself that it is just a "dream". Or you can continue in the "dream" and explore the possibilities. There is nothing to lose but an old mindset.

Main stream science tries to dismiss these differences as classifying them all as false awakenings. Personally, I could only remain objective for so long until denying the differences was in itself a crazy thing for me to do.

I'm comfortable classifying all these different experiences as just a "dream". I'm not comfortable with your definition of what a dream is. I think that's why we are all here at the pulse.

Good luck and keep exploring.

[floating_hawaiian]

Sambamboo I don't feel your comment adds to the Topic at all.  If you wanted to express your opinions on false awakening and dreams (I disagree with your 5 False Awakening a week theory strongly) you are welcomed to start a new Topic yourself.

Greytraveller is correct, you shouldn't be imposing your definitions of dreams/false awakenings/lucid dreams/astral projections when your opinion it is not asked or needed.  It is safe to say that majority of the members on this forums are aware of the definitions of the phenomenons I have just mentioned.  And no, it was not a lucid dream because I was not asleep.  I was fully consciously awake, just as much as I am now typing this.

However, despite the digression of the Original Post, I can give you some insight on the differences between LD, AP and regular dreams.  Just as LDs are different (and similiar) from regular dreams, APs are just as different (and likewise similiar) from LDs.  There is a clear difference between a common dream and lucid dream, which is ones level of awareness and coherence.  The same can be said with the difference of LD and AP, which is just ones level of awareness and consciousness,, which may the details and realism of the experience.

[Astralzombie]

Easy does it, FH. I'm very interested in a skeptics opinion so long as they don't try and correct us. I'm personally fonder of strong suggestions. I got carried away and didn't reply to your question about your leg being grabbed. I would say possibly but it would have to have been somebody in the room that you, in other words, a living person.  I have heard many stories about people being pulled back into the Astral from a menacing force, as well as a bad spirit "following" you back to the physical. I think that stuff is crap and bogus. But I can only speak with certainty that it has not happened to me nor do I ever think it will. But then again, I have only had good intentions for wanting to have OOBEs.

Sam-I meant for my post to sound critical but not hostile. So it was my fault by setting a bad example. I'm new to the pulse myself and I'm sure I have stated some things as if I was an authority too. Thankfully nobody responded to me like I did to you. Sorry, but I honestly didn't try to be rude.

[Bedeekin]

oooh... the great LD/AP/DREAM/OOBE/FA debate still rages. 

Meanwhile the nonphysical reality ticks over (at a fraction of our time none-the-less) with no concern as to what it is... let alone how WE classify it.

[Xanth]

oooh... the great LD/AP/DREAM/OOBE/FA debate still rages. 

Meanwhile the nonphysical reality ticks over (at a fraction of our time none-the-less) with no concern as to what it is... let alone how WE classify it.

I've gotta add to that list...

Dream
Lucid Dream
Out of Body Experience
False Awakening
Remote Viewing
Astral Projection
& the new addition:
THIS PHYSICAL REALITY

... all the same experience. 

[Astralzombie]

oooh... the great LD/AP/DREAM/OOBE/FA debate still rages. 

Meanwhile the nonphysical reality ticks over (at a fraction of our time none-the-less) with no concern as to what it is... let alone how WE classify it.

What can I say? I'm passionate about this but I most def was not trying to be a prickly pear. I'm sure I can be forgiven. 

[Bedeekin]

Haha... not just you. It seems a preoccupation across the board. You also DID NOT come across as a prickly pear.

Maybe it's because I didn't actually preoccupy myself with the perceived differences. I had them down as phase 1 (RTZ) and phase 2 (NPMR) and the Lucid Dream was the same as Phase 2 but entered from a dream rather than SP... but.. I really didn't care nor do I mull it over too much now. I can see why people do when they are new to it.

It feel a little like I'm in a car with people deciding what the best mode of transport is and categorising different vehicle models while there is this amazing view passing them by outside... which.. to be fair... is what people tend to do on car journeys. 

Of course when I came online I realised it seemed to be a passionate area of OOBE discussion so I get it now.

I remember on Astral Viewers and a whole 3 or 4 months were spent (by the Admin) giving everything new acronyms and labels. It was exhausting and irrelevant.

[sambamboo]

Then if thats the case, lucid dreams and OBEs are the same exact thing. lol I was under the impression that it was not, mainly from OBEr's saying it was different, so the room or state or universe you visited as I do in every LD, well... it is INDEED all in your head. A dream. I was honestly not trying to force an idea onto someone, but what he experienced IS a very typical everyday successful lucid dream. But if you say it is an OBE, especially because one wants to think it is, then...umm
It is not an experience OUTSIDE of the mind, if it were, you would never remember it, as the soul does not have memory, and it wouldn't be magical and fun like swimming in the creative mind, it would be quite sobering, but again you would never remember it.
I think Im going to head to another web forum, I think you guys are highly confused as to what an OBE is, and how it is different from an LD, mainly because... "you make a personal choice to view it differently" ok so an orange is blue, because I decided it was.

[Astralzombie]

Then if thats the case, lucid dreams and OBEs are the same exact thing. lol I was under the impression that it was not, mainly from OBEr's saying it was different, so the room or state or universe you visited as I do in every LD, well... it is INDEED all in your head. A dream. I was honestly not trying to force an idea onto someone, but what he experienced IS a very typical everyday successful lucid dream. But if you say it is an OBE, especially because one wants to think it is, then...umm
It is not an experience OUTSIDE of the mind, if it were, you would never remember it, as the soul does not have memory, and it wouldn't be magical and fun like swimming in the creative mind, it would be quite sobering, but again you would never remember it.
I think Im going to head to another web forum, I think you guys are highly confused as to what an OBE is, and how it is different from an LD, mainly because... "you make a personal choice to view it differently" ok so an orange is blue, because I decided it was.

"you make a personal choice to view it differently"

In a word, yes.

I think you guys are highly confused as to what an OBE is, and how it is different from an LD

Says Sam. And you are? Not an expert. Well that's cool because even the experts don't have all the answers. But really, you should at least wait until you have your first OOBE before you decide what it is. Then you'll clearly see that this can't be squeezed into a pretty picture for everybody to view identically.

so an orange is blue, because I decided it was.


No. An orange is orange, regardless of what anybody call's it. Otherwise, when you're parents wake you up for school every morning, that refreshing morning drink they pour for you would be called blue juice; much like the kool-aid you drink to feel good.

[shineling]

I always thought that in a lucid dream reality conforms to your wishes and to your personality.

In an AP you are awake on another plane seeing that plane as it really is.

In a lucid dream the school bus would be blue. In an AP the school bus is yellow like it's supposed to be.

And you can always tell an AP from a dream anyway. The beings in it are much more real than an AP. An AP slaps you in the face with "THIS IS REAL!"

Cya.

[Xanth]

I always thought that in a lucid dream reality conforms to your wishes and to your personality.

In an AP you are awake on another plane seeing that plane as it really is.

In a lucid dream the school bus would be blue. In an AP the school bus is yellow like it's supposed to be.

And you can always tell an AP from a dream anyway. The beings in it are much more real than an AP. An AP slaps you in the face with "THIS IS REAL!"

Cya.

I really do wish things were as cut and dried as that. 

Remember, for any "rule" you can come up with... there's someone, somewhere in this world that has experienced something to break your rule.

[shineling]

I really do wish things were as cut and dried as that.

It works for me and I'm the one crawling into bed at the end of the day. Whatever system you use is perfect for youself I bet. We all have to discriminate the abstract somehow. Just like my system isn't better than anyone else's... ...