need clarification of astral vs. OBE

[thenoob]

so out of body experiences are literally stepping out into the physical world with your spirit... so you are still looking at objective reality --- your room, other rooms, the moon even.

and the astral realm is a plane like a massive multiplayer RPG where you can step into paintings or live in fantasy worlds and millions of entities are connected to it as well? how is this separate from a lucid dream?

I'm a little confused about the differences / similarities between astral / OBE and where they both lay on the focus level charts

[CFTraveler]

The difference is in perception.  I know that someone will not agree with me, but this is how I see it:
The astral is a focus of consciousness- an energetic continuum that is thought responsive.  Your consciousness will give shape to whatever may be there, or it will serve up whatever your subconscious mind creates. 
OBE is the experience of getting out of your body and transporting yourself into the astral.  The astral has been 'divided' into planes, but whatever those planes are they can be said to be vibratory pattern differences, ways of focusing your consciousness, all the way to the almost-physical to the completely abstract.  Theory says that you'll go 'where' you're ready to go.  If you're an 'earthy' person, you'll either go into the RTZ (real time zone) which looks a lot like the physical, or into the etheric, which has been classified as the 'stage' between the physical and the RTZ.  Just realize that all stages are stages of the astral.  The astral encompasses everything that isn't necessarily physical (but I have doubts about that) and that where you go and how you go depends on your particular proclivities/personality, stage of development/insert your favorite variable here.
The difference that is used to distinguish OBE from AP is that of method of exit- but it's all AP.  Phasing is used to 'merge into the astral', and 'classic' OBE is used to 'exit the body', wander around the RTZ, and then (if possible and desired) phase out into the astral.
Most OBE exits end up in the RTZ, but not always.  I have phased a few times, but for some reason find it easier to 'slip out' of my body and go looking for a portal of some kind, although I enjoy my RTZ adventures also.  Others can phase with very little effort, hence the apparent distinction.
I hope this clarified something, and didn't make it even more complicated.   

[Novice]

Everyone seems to define these differently. I experience them as follows:

OBE: When I do this I perceive the seperation of an etheric body from the physical body. When I exit, I find myself in what I call the etheric plane, although some call it the RTZ (real time zone). Here I don't perceive much in the way of colors. My surroundings tend to be pale colors (predominatly white) and semi-transparent. I feel some gravity, but not very much. Movement is light and floaty, like bobbing through water or walking on the moon. My surroundings appear to mimic the physical to quite a degree, although details can be skewed depending on my awareness.

Astral: I reach this level/plane/focus area by phasing. Here I perceive lots of colors and textures. Some areas have colors far more vivid and rich than any in the physical. I rarely perceive a body, although I move effortlessly. Everything is thought-based -- so what you think/focus on appears/occurs, including motion and communication. There are many areas within this level/plane that are similar but different. They are close enough, though, that I lump them altogether and call them part of the 'astral'.

[Milkdrops]

And what exackly is your conciousness levels during these experiences? are they dream like vague hazey qualitys or are like now where your concious and living the moment. Just Curious.

[Novice]

My level of awareness varies with each experience. You can somewhat liken it to a reading on a thermometer. The difference between 60 degrees and 61 degrees is very subtle and almost imperceptable. But it does occur. I've had experiences where my awareness was quite low, and thus I was content to simply play within a dream -- these are typically what constitutes the bulk of my lucid dreams. I know I'm dreaming, but my awareness isn't high enough to 'leave' the dream. I've also had other experiences while in the astral and other realms that are more real to me than anything I've ever experienced here.

For me, your ability to gain awareness while within a dream and then your ability to retain a high level of conscious awareness is directly proportional to your ability to remain conscious and aware during waking hours. If you focus on what you are doing, when you are doing it during the day (in others when you tie your shoe, focus on that and not thinking of where you need to go as you tie your shoe.) This habit quickly carries over in to sleep such that you find it easier to get lucid and the quality of the lucidity (higher awareness) accompanies it.

Hope that helps!

[mrloki]

Novice thanks for that tip on being conscious throughout the day...that really might help me become more lucid