My latest OBE-esque experience within a dream

[Frank]

quote:Originally posted by Kodemaster:
Two nights ago, I was dreaming that I was in someone's house with lots of Christmas presents. It looked sorta like my living room, but it was someone else's. Suddenly, I realise that I'm dreaming, and decide to see if I can float/attempt OBE. I float up to the top of the room and do some flips and fly around the room. I don't have all that much control over the experience, which feels very much like a dream with a bit of lucidity. The only thing that makes this one interesting is that when I made myself aware of my vision and try to figure out if it's cylindrical (astral) or regular 3D vision, I was thrown off for a few seconds, and then back in the house again (don't remember which room). My experience ended shorty afterward.

I think I was low on energy...the dream that preceded this experience was rather bizarre, and quite disturbing (I've been having a lot of nightmares lately), so I think that it drained too much of my energy for it to turn into an actual OBE or AP.

Take care,

Jeni

Have been doing a lot of studies of the near-dream region of late. What I discovered, and I think it will help in your case, is how to enter the Astral from a Lucid dream. What you need to do is, as you find yourself becoming consciously aware that you are dreaming, try and quit the dream. Do this by switching off the emotional energy you are giving out that is fuelling the on-going dream picture.

Otherwise, if you try and project, what will almost certainly happen is you will "dream" about projecting.

Best way, I found, is to stand still and adopt an air of mild curiosity about one "thing". It might be an area of colour, or any old object. I found it doesn't really matter. Anything just so it gathers your thoughts. Then the dream scenery will shift. Once you are sure you are no-longer dreaming, that is the time to start having a wander around and interacting with your surroundings. At which point there is no need to think about projecting, as you are projecting.

Yours,
Frank

[James Davis]

Hi Frank,

I do a bit of lucid dreaming myself, and I've been following your other posts (good stuff -- very helpful).  I was wondering:  what's the best way (or even A way) to move from a lucid dream to the "consensual" areas of the astral, as opposed to the "training ground" you've mentioned.  In other words, how does one get to the "objective" areas of the astral plane so that one could interact with objects and beings that exist apart independantly of one's imagination.  In lucid dreams, I've been able to shift the scenery and float between dreams in a sort of dark void, with some sort of wind blowing on me, but I don't know if the next scene I see is "objective" or just another figment of my imagination/training ground type stuff.  I've read your posts on the "training ground", but I'm wondering what the signs are that one has entered an objective astral area.  Thanks!

[Frank]

quote:Originally posted by James Davis:
Hi Frank,

I do a bit of lucid dreaming myself, and I've been following your other posts (good stuff -- very helpful).  I was wondering:  what's the best way (or even A way) to move from a lucid dream to the "consensual" areas of the astral, as opposed to the "training ground" you've mentioned.  In other words, how does one get to the "objective" areas of the astral plane so that one could interact with objects and beings that exist apart independantly of one's imagination.  In lucid dreams, I've been able to shift the scenery and float between dreams in a sort of dark void, with some sort of wind blowing on me, but I don't know if the next scene I see is "objective" or just another figment of my imagination/training ground type stuff.  I've read your posts on the "training ground", but I'm wondering what the signs are that one has entered an objective astral area.  Thanks!

Your interface with the Astral is like a television or a radio. In your mind is the tuner, and the Astral plane is the incoming signal. The trick is to learn how to tune your mind into receiving the channel. Which is easy to say, but pretty darned tricky to do at the time.  

It is not a case of having to, in some way, "transmit" yourself to the Astral. You are already receiving the signal. The task in hand is to learn how to tune into it. Or, more importantly, learn how to stop blocking it out.

The way you access the "objective" areas (as you call them) is to simply BE objective. Plus, I also found it helpful to adopt an air of mild curiosity. Following which, any "dream scenery" will simply fade away. Then you can decide what's what. Difficulty though lies in the fact you may just be standing in a black void. Whereupon the mind will have a strong urge to create some "thing" in order to fill the blackness.

The key is to accept your surroundings as they stand and begin to move on from there. Even if your notes read nothing more than, "Became objective, dream scenery faded, stood in a black void for 5 minutes, got bored and returned to Physical". That's pretty dull, I admit, but at least what you were experiencing was a true sense of Astral reality: not simply a figment of your own imagination.  

I also find it very helpful to stand still for a short while, just observing my surroundings, and then move off. When you do start to move, concentrate on moving around slowly. On the Astral, you are not subject to gravity. Problem is there is a tendency to walk, for example, with the same sense of effort you would use on the Physical. For ages I couldn't for the life of me understand why, after taking a few steps, the scenery would often become blurred. No, it wasn't the scenery that became blurred... it was me walking at 50mph!  

Being truly objective is ever so easy to say, but *so* darned tricky to do at the time. How people choose to live is their business, but I will say that your Physical mindset has a tremendous influence on your Astral experiences. This is simply because your mindset-release-sense of conscious awareness, memory, beliefs, emotions, and so forth... all come to the Astral with you.

Practise being objective on the Physical, and it will help you remain objective on the Astral. Not only that, if you develop the ability to remain objective when faced with all the weird and wonderful kinds of circumstances you come across on the Astral: remaining objective on the Physical becomes a piece of cake.

Understand that many activities people engage in, on the Physical, can have a profoundly detrimental effect on the Astral. Which is why I am very careful to avoid any emotionally upsetting circumstances. I never argue with anyone, for example. I never read any kind of ghost stories; watch horror movies; movies with excess violence; never play computer games; watch or read news stories about war, famine, and such like. Though, again, what any one person chooses to do in their lives is their business. All I am trying to do is give people the benefit of my experience.  

As you gain experience, you will learn to detect the subtle difference between your own emotion-fuelled imagery and the Astral proper. The key thing is to question everything you see. For example, don't just walk through a door and continue on. First, observe the scenery around you. Then walk through the doorway. Stop and observe, then take a few steps back through the doorway: is the scenery the same as it was before? Now step through the doorway again, has the scenery changed? And what of the door... What is it made of? Are there any carvings on it? Etc., etc.

This may all seem a little long-winded but I believe this step-by-step, observing and questioning as you go approach, is the best way to develop experience. Understand that it is the *quality* of your experience that is important. Not the quantity. You see, because moving around on the Astral, even at high speed, takes hardly any effort; it is ever so easy to begin rushing around here and there. In that event, you see little bits of everything, and it is all very exciting at the time. However, back in the Physical, you actually end up remembering virtually nothing.      

Also, do not make any assumptions whatsoever!

What I mean is, you will find that the mind is absolutely terrific at trying to make any strange circumstance "fit" the details of what it gauges is a similar circumstance to that which it came across before on the Physical. However, once you have developed a degree of true-Astral experience, naturally you will come to make assumptions. But they will be valid assumptions based on previous *Astral* experience, not Physical.

Also, when you come across some strange-looking symbol, or building, or whatever: the time to ask the questions about what the symbol means, or why something looks that way, or what some weird-looking machine is used for, etc., etc... the time to ask is at the time. Generally, if you develop an air of *particular* curiosity about whatever it is, this has the effect of attracting some "being" who can give you the answers.  

Lastly, I feel it is very important to keep talking to yourself; reassuring the part of your sense of conscious awareness that is continually seeking to "protect" you,  that all is okay. Speak to it in soothing tones. The same as you would do with a child that has had a scary experience.

You will notice much more on the Astral how your mind has a dual quality. It's the same on the Physical but the effect is much more pronounced on the Astral. There is a distinct part of the mind that plays an active role and is only too eager to engage in daring adventures; and there is a distinct part of the mind that is more passive and more protective in nature. The key is to have the active part talking to and reassuring the passive part: such that you make progress as a "team". That way you will keep the chances of producing emotive imagery to a minimum, thus have fewer scary moments, etc.

HTH

Yours,
Frank

[Kodemaster]

Two nights ago, I was dreaming that I was in someone's house with lots of Christmas presents. It looked sorta like my living room, but it was someone else's. Suddenly, I realise that I'm dreaming, and decide to see if I can float/attempt OBE. I float up to the top of the room and do some flips and fly around the room. I don't have all that much control over the experience, which feels very much like a dream with a bit of lucidity. The only thing that makes this one interesting is that when I made myself aware of my vision and try to figure out if it's cylindrical (astral) or regular 3D vision, I was thrown off for a few seconds, and then back in the house again (don't remember which room). My experience ended shorty afterward.

I think I was low on energy...the dream that preceded this experience was rather bizarre, and quite disturbing (I've been having a lot of nightmares lately), so I think that it drained too much of my energy for it to turn into an actual OBE or AP.

Take care,

Jeni