Floating Out Through My Feet

[FireFly9]

I've been doing minor APs for a while and although most are fairly non-lucid I have accomplished some RTZ (real time zone) projections (mostly after reading and practicing some of the Buhlman techniques).  I have also had a few spontaneous projections where I was able to experience what clear lucidity is like.  My focus for a good while now has been to learn phasing (although I have just recently learned that 'phasing' is what it is called) since it's not the RTZ I'm trying to explore.  Instead I desire to get to the 'astral proper' as Frank would call it.  

I can get to the 'body asleep/mind awake' stage and have floated out by doing this.  My process is still arduous however.... as I have to lay still for something like 2 hours to trick my body into thinking I'm asleep (the Robert Peterson method), and then attempt to get past the itching, sweating, urge to roll over bit - as my body seems determined to make sure I am asleep before it proceeds or allows the consciousness to shift to the dream zone/astral.  It normally wins and I give up.  I have however floated out through my feet on several occasions by doing this technique but so far have not arrived anywhere on the other side.  When I do this I floated out on my back and then begin to go through what seems like a tunnel.  The cool thing has been that when I get past the foot of the bed, by body rotates so that I'm traveling head first... but I am not directing this and this turn surprised me the first time it happened.  I can feel the movement, the wind in my hair and the speed which is exciting, but up until last night my excitement would end the process. I'm not sure where I am off to (although I expect the body is releasing me to dream zone... or so it thinks), and I hesitate to direct it since I'm pretty sure, at this point, I will end up back in my body even sooner.

This morning around 5 am I woke up and knowing my mind was already too active to get into a meditation or OBE practice I decided to listen to ocean waves embedded with a theta binary beat frequency.  This got me to a theta state quite easily for a change which only happens when I'm tired enough.  I experienced a light and soft buzzing which persisted even after the audio had ended.  (I don't experience the vibrational state, or at least not anything obvious beyond a soft buzzing.)  I'm psyched that I have finally mastered the excitement (thanks to the 'Franks Posts' which makes the need to do this quite clear) as I was able to stay calm and emotionally neutral.  This morning I also nixed any head chatter while the experience was happening and thus I floated on route to somewhere for quite a while.  When the 1st experience ended I was able to get back to the same tunnel 2 more times and in a very lucid OB state.

I was less theta after the 3rd tunnel trip, but felt I should still be able to project to the RTZ because I had such a strong pulling sensation on my solar plexus area.  I have experienced this pulling many times, but have never been able to use it to get out.  Does anyone else experience this?  

Anyway, after a long frustrating dry spell I was happy to gain what feels like a smidgen of progress.  

[Lionheart]

I can get to the 'body asleep/mind awake' stage and have floated out by doing this.  My process is still arduous however.... as I have to lay still for something like 2 hours to trick my body into thinking I'm asleep (the Robert Peterson method), and then attempt to get past the itching, sweating, urge to roll over bit - as my body seems determined to make sure I am asleep before it proceeds or allows the consciousness to shift to the dream zone/astral.  It normally wins and I give up.  I have however floated out through my feet on several occasions by doing this technique but so far have not arrived anywhere on the other side.  When I do this I floated out on my back and then begin to go through what seems like a tunnel.  The cool thing has been that when I get past the foot of the bed, by body rotates so that I'm traveling head first... but I am not directing this and this turn surprised me the first time it happened.  I can feel the movement, the wind in my hair and the speed which is exciting, but up until last night my excitement would end the process. I'm not sure where I am off to (although I expect the body is releasing me to dream zone... or so it thinks), and I hesitate to direct it since I'm pretty sure, at this point, I will end up back in my body even sooner.

That is a great description of almost all of my spontaneous OBEs that I have had in my entire life. The only thing that was different is the fact that I awaken during the night in either mild or full on Sleep Paralysis and soon the "ankle pulling" begins.
Most of the times I find myself in a tunnel of sorts. The last time this happened I found myself looking a scene through what seemed to be a "toilet paper" roll. I made a thread about that and the ankle pulling phenomenon here:
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/tunnel_vision-t44765.0.html

One time, not only was I pulled by my ankles, but was promptly then dragged up to my bedroom ceiling and spun through it like a spinning top. Needless to say, I stopped that experience pretty quickly, lol. I quickly made an intent to be at a tranquil beach scene and almost immediately found myself there.

Here is another thread on another AP Forum that talks about this ankle pulling/foot exit as well.
http://www.astraldynamics.com.au/showthread.php?17450-The-Ankle-Pulling-Thing

[Szaxx]

Hi Firefly,
The two hours before any attempts is made seems a very long time. It can be reduced if you get.a little less sleep. Around an hour each night to start would be a suggestion.
The excitement being quashed, you may help yourself by not being pessimistic with your ability. Any doubt is a thought and as thoughts can manifest this may interact negatively.

[FireFly9]

Thanks Szaxx - I will try the 'little less sleep' bit.  I do know that it is useless to even attempt an OB unless I am somewhat tired... so have stopped doing OBE practice before sleep (and just meditate) and I wait to apply all this effort until 4 or 5 am.  This latest success however came very quickly.  I listened to the theta music for about 20 minutes and likely it was because I was still tired it happened shortly after the music ended.  So, I think I'm on to a new way to speed things up, but haven't had the chance to try it again yet.  Spending 2 hours never grantees I will get to a theta state anyway, especially if I'm focused on the body, AND not controlling the thoughts.  It really does only happen when I approach that near sleep state.  

The excitement issue is separate I think from any issue of pessimism, which I agree will hamper things.  However, as Frank makes clear you do need to become emotionally neutral, and I have already realized this on my own since I have had the excitement short circuit my successes many times.  Every time I get a bit more calm and just observe then the experience gets longer and more successful.  I have recently read in the 'Franks Posts' (in the early years as I'm only 1/4 way through) spent 2 - 2 1/2 hours at it.  For me though this hasn't been working well anyway.  It seems my body has caught on to my tricking it, and thus has upped the testing (itching, sweats, urge to roll over) in order to make sure.  It's the body's protective mechanism that kicks in, right?

Lionheart - Thanks for sharing your experiences.  I may have used the wrong word when I said pulling, because I don't feel anything pulling on me... (although this would be cool).  For me the sensation I am feeling is within, at the the solar chakra.  It's like a drawing tightness that I get there when I get into a deep state or return from an OBE. I have a friend who says she exits from this sensation, but I haven't found the way to do that yet.

When I exit from my feet it's just a gentle floating out.  I haven't had sleep paralysis for years, or should I say I don't wake to experience it since I've read that sleep paralysis happens EVERY time we go to sleep.  It purpose is to keep the body safe from sleep walking, etc.   I used to get sleep paralysis all the time, but that was when I was in my 20's and 30's.  The tunnel thing though is very much the norm for me, but like you I never seem to get to the end.  However, I feel I am making progress so next I have to get to viewing at least the other side.  The 'toilet paper' roll experience would be just fine as a start (LOL).  I take each new experience as having gained a bit  more astral body maturity which includes developing the sensing tools necessary for that body to function on the 'astral proper' (vision, navigation, interpretation, etc.)

Cheers.

[Lionheart]

 Friefly9, if you wish to experience awaking in Sleep Paralysis again, try a pre nap.

If you go to bed at 11pm, try an hour nap at from 8-9 pm. With my experience of this, you can't do a pre nap every night, otherwise your body gets used to the sequence and you won't awaken in SP.

Also, before attempting sleep, try just noticing the darkness in front of your eyes for about 20-30 minutes. This increases the chance as well.

You can normally get away with the pre nap technique twice a week. But try fluctuating days. I have put quite a bit of personal research into this phenomenon and have found that it does work this way. The 30 minutes of just noticing will really help the chances that you awaken in a LD and can be done any night. No pause is needed with that.