My experience/attempts thus far - some help, please.

[livingfree]

 Well, I've only recently been attempting AP, though it's been something that's interested me for a long time. It's come after I have recently changed my outlook on life and have been more sensitive to the energy around me. This has gotten to the point where I have actually seen energy coming from certain people/places.

But I digress...I have been practicing recently and only gotten close to separation twice. The first time was last week, I felt a numbing sensation all over my body and could feel the energy vibrating and my heart began to race. I felt as though I was already somewhat aware that "I" was not *just* my body. I think the shock of the sensation prevented me from going further. I wasn't scared, it was just a new feeling and it caught me off guard. Also, and I don't know if this is normal, but it also caught me off guard that I noticed my penis was becoming slightly erect..it was very distracting as I wasn't thinking about sex nor did I want to think about sex at the time.

Well, about an hour ago I went in my room to give it another shot. Through on my headphones (using an isochronic tone track on my phone, it seems to help, if for no other reason that to allow my mind to stop cranking and over thinking...without them I just can't seem to get close)...I laid there for a while, kept getting distracted...then my mind got set in the zone. Letting my imagination run wild with visualizations in my mind, etc. Well, fast forward a bit and I can feel my body begin to buzz with the familiar energy, and oddly enough I started to become slightly erect again (I find this to be a strange reaction to this experience, but at least I wasn't caught off guard with it this time) the visions are becoming more random and intricate and I call out for a guide to help me  (as I've seen people suggest) and a few moments later I see a clear image of a woman who looked a bit sad and she looked up at me and said, "I don't think you are ready". And I said, "I'm ready" a few times in a row. It was interesting because I wasn't dreaming and this was all pretty vivid. Next thing I know, I feel a rush of energy and my vision (eyes still closed) turns VERY bright white. I thought, "This is it." But I couldn't separate...next thing I know it all starts to fade away and I notice, "Oh wow...my entire body is shaking!!" It was shaking A LOT...almost like those uncontrollable shivers if you were walking around outside is a freezing blizzard. I wanted to give it another try but I decided to calm my body down and I will try again tomorrow.

So, are these experience typical? Are there any pointers to get passed that point? Was the woman my imagination running wild, my subconscious limiting me or is it possible this was a guide? I sincerely appreciate any help. I feel that AP is really important for me and I would love to experience it. Thanks so much.

Edit: And I hope I posted this in the correct section. 

[Astralzombie]

Welcome.

Everything you reported is normal. Everything.

I think the lady was your own thought form because it sounds to me like you were already "out" and just didn't know what to expect. If that's the case, an objective entity would have known this and wouldn't have said you were not ready.

Remember that you are not trying to get anywhere. You are just shifting the focus of your awareness and experiencing a different state of consciousness. We all do this naturally with no thought of method or technique. It's only when we try to do something with intent, that we have trouble. Such is the human condition.

Good luck and take advantage of the many threads and stickys.

[livingfree]

Thanks for the response. 
So, if I reach that point again what would you suggest I do? The same thing I did to get to that point; keeping my mind clear, etc? I've heard people talking about trying to rock back and forth or imagine yourself floating away from your body, and many other ideas. How would I shift my consciousness to another area that is away from my physical body?

[Szaxx]

Try them, one will do more than the other. Each time may be different too. The experience itself is thought controlled and eill take a few attempts to master.
Go with the flow without thinking about your body.
See what happens.

[livingfree]

Thanks. I suppose it's like driving. You can tell someone how to do it, but ultimately it takes practice behind the wheel before you can become a good driver. 

[Astralsuzy]

If you find it hard to separate then try and spiritually get out of yourself.  It is not difficult.

[livingfree]

If you find it hard to separate then try and spiritually get out of yourself.  It is not difficult.

What exactly do you mean by this? Also, I'm not sure it's fair to say it's not that difficult. It hasn't been extremely easy thus far, but I might be misreading your words and I am not trying to be offensive.

[Astralsuzy]

I did not think you were being offensive.  I should have worded what I said better.  I feel a bit frustrated because every time I talk about just get out of your body, most people ignore it or think it is a terrible idea.  Of course, I could be wrong.  You are right I should not have said it is not that difficult.  It can be difficult at first.

[Lionheart]

 This has been stated many times on the Astral Pulse Forums already.

But this practice becomes much easier when you come to the realization/mindset that you are not in your body to begin with.

This is much easier said then done and takes quite a bit of research and personal exploration to do.

But once you do, you see that you can just shift at will. It gets as easy as turning a light on or off.

But again, this takes "unlearning" all that you have been taught so far.

Kind of like a de-programming.

Good Luck and Safe Travels! 

Change your mindset = a change in your Reality!

[missym]

In the beginning your new awareness of energy can cause serious vibrations and I had a very similar experience my first obe. Oddly enough techniques never worked for me until I was already experienced with astral projection. I practiced about 3-4 hours a day for 3.5 months using techniques and I would get 'close' and feel like parts of my body were separating and then it would become more and more intense until it just stopped - the key to having obes (in my opinion) is just let it happen. Leave your body. You dont have to do anything per se, just keep uoure mind awake. Blank out everythought you have. Try not to get excited and just be aware of the darkness behind your eyes. Ignore EVERY sensation - the vibrations, the visions and the noises ( as yougetc closer you may start hearing screams, voices and random noises such as car honking, kid laughing, dog barking etc. - I have no idea why.) And automatically your consciousness will shift. You may not even notice you are already separated. The key clue is you will randomly be able to see the room around you completely clear. At this point, think of moving up. If you don't move up automatically, lay there for another 20 minutes and think of going up. I have only effectively used separation "methods" twice out of the whole 4.5 years of ap.