Shoecrutch

[Telos]

Early Sunday morning, I induced a dream from the waking state, and eventually forgot it was a dream. I stopped, woke up, and tried again. This time it went top notch.

My mother and my sister were leaving to go somewhere. They were wondering where I was. I told them that I was still dreaming, but they didn't hear me. Recognizing the silliness of the situation, I simply went outside my house and practiced flying. In order to convert lucid dreams into astral experiences, I usually just fly very very high. I always took it as a metaphor of raising my consciousness.

Anyways, I flew up the side of my house, on top my roof, and began to look downwards, keeping myself afloat. Not high enough, yet. I then flew higher, and all of a sudden I saw that my house and the surrounding area was floating on a square amidst a dizzying atmosphere of clouds. I could not see the rest of the city, only the intimidating majesty of the sky.

What was even more dizzying/intimidating was the gradual darkness below the sky. It couldn't have been hell, but I didn't want to take any chances. I remember in a previous dream, I asked a dream character where my guide was, and they said, "follow me, I'll show you where I saw her once" and I followed them to a precipice. "There," they said, as they pointed into a deep, dirty snow canyon, far away from the city. I went into the canyon and searched, but never found her. Anyways, the darkness below reminded me of that canyon, and I surmised I could've gone there to look for my guide, but I decided against it.

Instead, I landed on the specter of a small floating island - it was translucent and gradually materialized for me. I called out for my guide, in the direction of the heavens, turning around the see if he/she was behind me. I was wondering if I would finally have a conversation with a guide (perhaps I had another one?). Did they have anything to tell me? Was there any message that could help me in the real world, something to point me in the direction of my heart? Complete silence. There was no response. "Alright, I'll ruminate over this experience later," I thought. For now, I'll do some exploring.

I looked around me, and I started to see translucent cities materialize under the clouds. I was still very high up, so they looked rather small. The big ones caught my attention. One looked like Manhattan island, but it was still in the midst of materializing. I flew towards it, and it came into full view. It wasn't as big as I thought it was - it was really a small town with charming brick roads. People were everywhere and seemed friendly. They also seemed to be gearing up for some kind of celebration. There were some people dressed in a particular uniform - they looked like administrators or possibly security guards.

I stopped by a few of them to say hello, and asked them about the town. They seemed confused, for I was strange indeed if I was there and did not know about the event that was taking place. "Well, it's a funny story," I said, embarrassed. "You see," I spoke very clearly and seriously, so that they would understand clearly, "I'm dreaming right now. That's how I'm able to visit your city."

One of them looked at me wide-eyed, "you're already dreaming?" Without saying anything else, she smiled and nodded, amazed as if I had some kind of huge head-start. "Everyone will be dreaming at the end of tonight... you see, we're going to go to our new lives." I asked her how all of this was going to happen, details, all of that. She shook her head and said, "I don't know, I'm pretty new myself." She was returning to her post. "I hope I was able to help you," she said. I thanked her, of course, and walked on.

I turned back, "oh yeah, what's the name of this place?"

"Shoecrutch," she said smiling.

"Shoecrutch?" I said, trying to make sure I understood, simultaneously conveying bemusement over such an unusual name. She nodded. I smiled, "thanks!"

Finally, I found an older woman who was acting very busily and seemed to have more authority. I asked her for her to, if she had the time, tell me all about Shoecrutch. She said she was just coming up on her break and would be happy to talk about it over some food. She brought me over to a friend of hers and we all sat in a booth at a restaurant. On the way she was telling me about all the ceremonies and the parties - "people are going to rescind old grudges, and memories of past suffering," that sort of thing. I asked about the dreaming. She said, "oh, that just happens at the end, when we're finished with everything else." After speaking with her friend some, she was about to introduce me, but then she asked, "where are you from?"

I said, "well," preparing for their reaction, "I came here through a dream. I'm dreaming right now." They both looked at me, amazed and intrigued.

"No kidding!" They looked like they wanted to hear more from me, like they wanted me to tell them more about dreaming. Then, all of a sudden, I was really bothered by what appeared to be gum in my mouth.

"Sorry," I said, embarrassingly. "This happens all the time in dreams. There's something in your mouth that is not normally there... maybe it's a manifestation of me chewing on the sides of my mouth... who knows" I said all of this while mumbling, trying to discreetly put the gum into a napkin and throw it away. They were laughing at me now - I must've looked very comical to them. They spoke some more about how they had to get back to work, and I was still having trouble with my mouth. This time, it felt like food was in there. They wished me well, and I laughed, telling them I was alright.

I turned to wake up. My waking mouth seemed just fine.  

[Selski]

Telos

That's a very interesting experience, and you convey it very well.  

Shoecrutch?  Hmmm, I wonder if it's cryptic.  

(Sarah thinking out loud) - Shoecrutch, shoecrutch, crutch of a shoe?  Sole?  Soul?  Could even break it down again, shoe, shoe, helps us walk further, shoe, shoo, go away, shoe, shoe, protects our feet (protects our journey in life?), crutch, crutch, something we don't need but we hold onto, a belief? a comfort?  Put them together, shoecrutch?  Something unnecessary holding us back on our journey?  Or a false protection?

Then again, it could be simply the name of the place!  

Then, all of a sudden, I was really bothered by what appeared to be gum in my mouth.

"Sorry," I said, embarrassingly. "This happens all the time in dreams.

Now this does interest me.  I regularly had this happen to me and when I tried to get the gum out, it expanded in my mouth, so I had even more to remove.  

I must admit, I haven't had it for a few weeks, but during the last year or so, I dreamt about gum in my mouth on average once a week, and it was a new experience.  And very lifelike, and very annoying.

Here's one meaning which just about summed it up for me (there are probably shedloads of meanings, so I wouldn't take this one to heart unless it strikes a chord...)  

Gum

To dream that you are chewing gum, suggests that you are unable to express yourself effectively. You may feel vulnerable. Alternatively, is symbolizes a sticky situation that you found yourself in.

To dream that you are unable to get rid of your gum, suggests that you are experiencing some indecision, powerlessness or frustration.  You may lack understanding in a situation or find that a current problem is overwhelming.

Sarah

[Leannain]

awesome story telos

[Astralwych]

I really liked that experience Telos! Maybe you can poste more.

[Telos]

Thank you, Leannain and Astralwych. I'm glad I was able to share it for you.

Selski, thanks for trying to find a hidden meaning. Those are some good ideas I never would've thought of! It kind of reminds me of the odd compound names or surnames in British fairy tales. You know, like the Harry Potter names, "Bathilda Bangshot," "Luna Lovegood," and "Knockturn Alley."

bang - shot
love - good
knock - turn
shoe - crutch

They sound like different words that are just similar enough to be paired whimsically. Actually, now that I think of it, it really sounds like Padfoot. But in any case, I don't think the story is long enough to draw meaning from it.

Thanks for that description on gum! Definitely puts a light on things. I'll try something different next time, and let you know if I ever find a solution.

[Nay]

Now this does interest me. I regularly had this happen to me and when I tried to get the gum out, it expanded in my mouth, so I had even more to remove.

This happened to me all the time, I've mentioned it about gosh, it had to be close to two years ago.  I would actually dig it out of my mouth and fling it off my fingers, only to have it come back in a couple of minutes.  It would be so distracting I would just wake up.

It hasn't happened in quite some time though and I still have no idea what it was...ectoplasm perhaps?  

Nay

PS.  I should mention, that I wasn't chewing any gum, it was just some rubbery stuff in my mouth that I couldn't seem to get rid of..

[Selski]

ectoplasm perhaps?

That never crossed my mind  

I assumed it was symbolic.  And like you, I wasn't chewing gum in the dream either - it just turned up.  Odd.  It never made me choke or anything, I just couldn't get it all out of my mouth and I eventually woke up too.  Very odd.

Oh well, hi ho and all that.  

Sarah

[Frank]

Telos:

Have you had any experiences like this before?

If not then congratulations are in order as you just shifted your attention to Focus 3 of consciousness, or to the Transition Area! In Monroe terms this is Focus levels 23, 24, 25 & 26. From the description of what was going on I would say F25 or F26 with the accent on the latter. The people "in uniform" would have been people from F27 organising the transition to F27, although the ordinary people in the area would have no doubt perceived them differently.

People engaged in transition are shedding all the old belief constructs they picked up during their physical lives here. Within the transition area, there are all manner of "towns" and "cities" where people take on various "lives" but in essence what they are doing is shedding all the ideas of physical constructs so they can engage themselves within subjective reality again. The transition area is where you find all the heavens and the hells generated by all the traditional mystical beliefs. But you also get towns and cities too, and all manner of places inbetween, where people live and work and all that jazz.

You see, within subjective reality proper, there are no heavens, hells, gods, demons, etc., etc. They are just belief constructs that people subscribe to for the purposes of their experience here. Plus, people typically hold a lot of fear and anger and all that heavy emotional stuff, all of which has to dissipate. Within subjective reality there are no emotions as we know them. So eventually, people work through their fears and whatnot so they can move on, and that's where you went, to a "town" where people were preparing to move on.

The name doesn't surprise me, like if I were none physical and I came to the physical as a "ghost" or something and landed in Devon, and I asked where I was and someone said , "Simonsbath" I'd go back to my non-physical place and all my chums would be trying to work out what it meant. But it's just the name of the place I guess, in the sense of that's how the energy translates.

These kinds of places I used to visit very regularly until I discovered how to shift to Focus 4 of consciousness. Try that next time you find yourself in Focus 3 of consciousness. Ask your guide friend to take you to the next focus area in consciousness. Say, "The one after Transition". They'll know what you mean, and prepare for a BIG surprise, lol.

Yours,
Frank

PS
The problem in your mouth was just your physical tongue, IMO.

[Nay]

Yep, hi ho is right!   This might be one of those ever allusive answers..

Nay

PS
The problem in your mouth was just your physical tongue, IMO.

Or maybe not!  that is very interesting and I can't believe it didn't even accure to think of my tongue.  No wonder why the stuff wouldn't stay out...I would be quite the upset person had I accomplished yanking my tongue out of my head..

Thanks Frank.

[liquidreality]

Wow telos that sounds like an awsum experience... I wish mine were more like that, good job takeing controll...

[Telos]

Frank, thank you for your reply. I have had similar experiences, but they did not last as long and were not as stable. The sky has always been very large and intimidating.

The focus levels have always given me pause, not only because I agree with you on the limitations of a linear model, but because I was never sure if I was experiencing the same state that others were. But your insight helps a great deal.

Ask your guide friend to take you to the next focus area in consciousness. Say, "The one after Transition". They'll know what you mean, and prepare for a BIG surprise, lol.

I'll definitely do this.

But my "guide" seems to take joy in being elusive (maybe that's because I find a certain joy in them being elusive?) I'll report back when I've tried it.

Frank, this may not be connected... but do states beyond Focus 27 have any similarity to the following experience I posted a couple months ago?

http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=140224#140224

liquidreality, thanks again. I think you will undoubtedly have far greater experiences to be proud of.

[Frank]

Telos:

The Transition Area of consciousness is fairly easy to recognise. The people you meet are always engaged in some activity that entails getting all the belief constructs and emotions out of them in preparation for their re-engagement within subjective reality. Traditionally, you had the heaven/hell constructs, and they still exist, of course, but you get all manner of circumstances besides. Particularly nowadays as people's beliefs have changed.

When you enter these areas, stay upbeat and curious and you will not be attracted to the more base constructs. Generally, stay away from large swirls and expanses of grey, or dark colours generally. Think, bright, happy, upbeat, and mildly curious. This will take you to some interesting places within the "top branches" (as I call them) of the Transition Area. Or, like I say, Monroe F25/F26. Particularly F26, as the people there are very lucid and are generally waiting for something exciting to happen.

There is always an air of anticipation in these places. Unlike the lower branches where people are still locked in their fear/greed constructs, victim/perpetrator constructs and all that gubbins.

I don't know of any states "beyond" F27. I can only trace the model up to F27. Problem is F35 is meant to be a gathering of Aliens watching Earth Changes. Now that just raises the hackles of my cynical side and I think yeah, right, Father Christmas is a real person and the moon is made of Swiss cheese.

I have my private thoughts on how this construct came about though. In the sense that if I had assumed, say, circumstance abc = xyz then that's what I would have thought. So in a sense I can gauge where Monroe was coming from. Everything about the model checks out perfectly up to F27, but F35 is where he and I deviate considerably. Basically, beyond F27, Monroe put two and two together and made five, IMO. But if I should subsequently be proved wrong then I'll accept no problem.

Not that I really care because it was my attempts to go "beyond" F27 that led me to getting mighty frustrated with the model. So I began to ask myself for an alternative. Over a period of about 3 months the structure of an alternative "4 Focus" model began bleeding into my conscious awareness. Focus 1 is the physical; Focus 2 is the area of people's subconscious, which is where people do all their lucid dreaming and "Astral Projecting"; Focus 3 is the Transition Area; Focus 4 is where it really starts getting interesting.

Focus 4 is where your connections to all your other focuses are located. Go there and you can find out all the info you like on anything. How the Earth was formed, all the stuff about "you create your reality", visit parallel physical realities, and so forth. All that kind of info is available to you in Focus 4 of consciousness. So that's why I am rather pleased now I couldn't "find" F35, because my frustration about doing so led me to something far greater than a few flying saucers and a bunch of little green men, lol.

I took a look at the link but there was nothing I could recognise as being what I am speaking of. Oh, have you asked your "guide" who they are? Are they an aspect of you, or an alternate focus, or... ?

Yours,
Frank

[liquidreality]

Yet agin you blow me away with another great post frank... this is realy interesting stuff.

[Gandalf]

A great post Telos and Frank! This is the quality stuff that makes the forums great imo!

I was wondering about 'guides': while many of these are alternate aspects of ourselves other 'focuses' do you also get some guides or helpers or however you want to label their job descrption,  who are unconnected with us, ie not other aspects of ourselves but completely seperate (although not in the wider sense of consciousness where everything is connected of course, but in the more specific sense)?

Anyway, great post Telos... sounds like you are making great progress.. If you aim to go 'higher' as it were, to Monroe's f27, then you and I could compare notes. Specifically, i wonder if you can find your way to what i call the 'green fields region' (or the 'Elysium fields' if you're the romantic type!); or what is called by the no-frills brigade as 'the park'.

You will find it quite recognisible with rolling green hills blues skies and the sun shining (sometimes with a wonderful sunset effect in my experience). In fact the Windows xp 'bliss' wallpaper is not unlike it haha

There you will find groups of people sitting around in groups, with whom you may find youself recognising, as i did, even although i have no idea who they are lol. Such a contact can be very profound and lead to a whole new world opening up!

Doug

[Telos]

Thanks again, Frank! Tremendous help that was.

I took a look at the link but there was nothing I could recognise as being what I am speaking of.

That's good! I hate the thought of F4 being such a disintegrated mess of self-dissipation. I guess that experience was residual F2 frustration over my readings from Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer, and their shallow, unabashedly flighty "pick-and-choose" approach of delivering religion as a means of self-help. I just can't vibe with their aimlessness.

Oh, have you asked your "guide" who they are? Are they an aspect of you, or an alternate focus, or... ?

No, we've never spoken. Although that's a good question to ask. Perhaps the reason why I've never asked anything is because I just have too many questions. But it's probably simpler than that, for the second I met her, I was very plainly aware of a deep interest within myself to learn things independently. This is why I gave some defense to the author of the Spirit Guides = Useless thread, because I don't think my guide has helped me learn anything other than that I don't need or particularly want a guide. [Edit: To be fair, the vision that my guide supposedly showed me of a fat man was a good warning that secluding yourself and being selfish can be a bad thing, but I doubt I needed reminding of that (which was why I was confused by it, thinking it might mean something else)]. So maybe there are others out there for whom spirit guides would be completely useless, but then "usefulness" is a problematic word, because part of learning about wider reality might be that you don't "use" others... bah, that's why I find guides troublesome. Other than the fact that it is so hard to find them, but I still haven't re-used the Dreamcast method I mentioned in Cezyl's Tube/Tunnel Experiences thread.

Ah! There's so much to do!

Thank you for your reply, Gandalf. Actually, after reading your green fields thread, I have the distinct impression that I went to F27 very frequently back when I was just studying lucid dreams on my own. People seemed like old friends and there were people I felt closer to than family. Also, it was like we were all members of a privileged free-thinking school, where we were allowed to learn and be creative on our own, with no supervision except a positive aura. However, upon awakening, I was disappointed at the stark contrast with waking life, and I began to ignore such dreams for fear that I would detach myself from life and turn insane. But then, you can't just ignore those kinds of experiences.

To help put more things into perspective, is Stone's Far away can be so close... thread an F27 experience (Frank's Focus 4)?

[Edit: Fixed a typo of "except" as "accept." Typo demons die.]

[Frank]

Telos:

I just read Stone's thread and it sounds like he was within Focus 2 of consciousness (note: I now always put the suffix "of consciousness" to distinguish from the Monroe model). This is where people are able to meet up and do whatever takes their fancy. :)

Within Focus 2 of consciousness there are "individual areas" that people communicate with on an ongoing basis. People also do their dreaming here as well. If a person develops a degree of lucidity while they are dreaming then this is where they will have a lucid dream. Or if they purposely enact some kind of "projection technique" then they will enter this region with certain expectations, which will pan out as an "astral projection" experience as opposed to a dream or lucid dream.

But these actions are all basically the same. What changes is your level of awareness and your expectations. But Focus 2oC not only relates just to individuals. It is a vast area of consciousness that you could say is an area of "common ground" between us all. Well, ultimately we are all of consciousness, so there is no such thing as "uncommon" ground. But it does help to split these places up into areas depending on the particular function they were designed to perform. This is where Monroe was a great pioneer.

For example, if two people wanted to meet in non-physical reality then Focus 2oC would be the place to do it, IMO, as we already communicate back and forth with this region of consciousness continuously already.

"shallow, unabashedly flighty "pick-and-choose" approach of delivering religion as a means of self-help. I just can't vibe with their aimlessness."

LOL, I love that terminology!

Reason why I ask about the guide thing is because, within Focus 2oC you meet many Aspects of yourself. Aspects are not other focuses but Aspects are created by you to perform various functions within consciousness. Unfortunately, there is a lot of very sticky mystical residue that pervades this topic and people often get confused.

You can almost always tell if the person you are interacting with is an Aspect or not. Aspects are usually "resident" within F2oC and they tend not to say much, or they perform particular tasks and that's that. Perhaps they might sound confused, or they just mirror your actions, or they just stand there grinning, or something. Whatever it is they perform, even if they appear quite lucid, they always tend to come across as if they have a "bit missing". It's difficult to explain but you will recognise it at the time.

Sometimes they can show you places. For example, if you are thinking about wanting to visit a particular area of consciousness, you can create an Aspect of yourself that will go there, have a scout around, and come back and tell you things about it. Or you can have them meet you as you "project" and they will show you places. I mean, this is one of those actions that is a lot easier to say than to do. But once you realise it is possible then another link falls into place.

I think, from what you say, this is what you have done, and the people you are calling "guides" are Aspects of yourself that you have created (without knowing it) for the purpose of assisting you in particular actions. And because you have created them without realising it, you tend to get confused as to who these people are. Beyond those actions that you have specified for them to assist you with, they are not being of much use. What I would suggest, therefore, is to try programming them with more of a range of helpfulness to you, and you should see this action being mirrored in them next time you meet. To do this all you need to do is imagine them, and while you do this instil in them the kind of experience you wish to have next time. I'm not saying it will work right away, it may take a while to create the depth of "connection" but there is no harm in giving it a go to see what effects come about.

Now with me, I came across Harry (Harath) who actually sought me out. He is another focus, which is a different thing entirely. Now Freda is not another focus, and I know absolutely she is not an Aspect. I once thought she was another focus but was mistaken. I discovered her through Harry. Freda would never tell me what the connection is between us, but she did say that my attempts to find out would be an interesting path to follow, so to speak. These people are very lucid. They have nothing missing, quite the opposite in fact. So, again, by comparison, the people you are coming across sound very much like Aspects that you created.

But when I say you created them that is not to demean their status or anything. I'm just trying to provide you with more of an understanding as to how it all pieces together. Now you know that chances are they are Aspects, and that you create them, you can try creating a more "advanced" version who will be more helpful to you.

Yours,
Frank

[karnautrahl]

After reading this lot, I just wish I didn't find all this kind of work so completely impossible.

I can work energy work with ease-to the point of heart and crown strobing, epiphany with tears of joy and incredibly powerful energy sensations-that can cause some involuntary movement often.  

Yet despite this-and 17 yrs of such practice really, I don't have any psychic "abilities"  (beyond healing perhaps?) niether do my dreams get much more interesting or useful.  I tried journaling for a time as a way of training my memory etc but after several weeks I gave up (I mindmapped it all) as nothing interesting was really coming out.  I've meditated and  use it as a tool (clearing the mind tech), taken up kundalini yoga in addition to several hours a day of complete NEW practice.  Still my mental/astral life isn't that much more enlightening-hence my cynical outlook on this side of it .

Still it's fascinating to hear these stories. It just frustrates me that this is fairly inaccessible to me. ..

ooh just venting a little jealousy here ..
Nice posts folks.

[Telos]

What I would suggest, therefore, is to try programming them with more of a range of helpfulness to you, and you should see this action being mirrored in them next time you meet.

I was thinking the same thing exactly. In fact, that's I would have done a while ago if I had not read so much about AP and astral entities. I didn't want to ruin or interfere with the decisions of an autonomous being. Thank you again for your help, Frank.

karnautrahl, I still have not personally confirmed any "psychic abilities," either. Although, I have been hesitant to do so because of what that might mean, and the implications of their existence. I think it's very valuable to have these discussions so that we can give ourselves rational justifications to not be afraid to obtain knowledge and power, while also being prepared to handle it. They may go hand in hand.

I tried journaling for a time as a way of training my memory etc but after several weeks I gave up (I mindmapped it all) as nothing interesting was really coming out.

I know the feeling. There are few things I find more disappointing than waking up from a pointless and familiarly dull dream that I have absolutely no interest in remembering.

However, I know that an experimental mindset can bring out some interesting things. I'd love to hear some of your experiences, after you get back into dream journaling again, especially considering your energy work.

Remember, one of the worst things you can do is not journal an interesting experience. By all means, forget the ones you want to forget, but giving yourself the rationale, "I could never forget something so memorable!" is dangerous! I've done that far too many times - I only end up forgetting. You know that this world is just so noisy and busy that it tends to make you lose sight of anything else.

[ASunnieSpirit]

Great stories u guys!!!! I think i will study up on focus levels..i know so little about them =(

[Tombo]

Great Thread!

I would wish more of the advanced projectors would discuss their experiences and problems in public like you guys do! Not only can we all learn a great deal this way, but it also gives motivation and a good outlook of what do expect for the not so advanced projectors ( like myself .................)

Frank: I think it is really awesome that you take so much time for sharing you knowledge! Would it be possible that you would share some of your personnel experiences as well? Your talk about F4 makes me wanna hear more...........................

Cheers Tom