Second attempt, more questions.

[myyst]

Hi folks, this is a follow-up to this thread.

I attempted Astral Projection again today. I, again, started off by meditating for about 20 minutes, until I felt that I was in a deep enough state of consciousness to do Astral Projection.
Then I tried becoming aware of my astral body again, and after that, "looking through it's eyes". I could see the environment around me, but it was dark and blurred. Then, I moved to above my physical body and could see it sitting. Went back in a few times and out again. Then I flew around a bit, first in the room I was in and then further around the house - then outside the house and to places I like in the physical world. My vision was getting better and the experience slightly more real. I still felt my physical body, like I described in the thread before this. However, the more I stayed focused on my astral body, the less I felt my physical body - it basically felt numb. I could still move it, and for example, if I got an itch then I had to scratch it. But it was quite numb.
All the while, I was wondering whether this was truly projection or just simply visualising the places I know from my memory. So here is a question of confirmation again.

Next, I wanted to try to fully get out of my body and experience Astral Projection like i'm really there - where I can see, feel, hear, and smell everything like in the real world. So first I tried swaying my astral body around left and right. It caused a slight change. Then I remembered a technique I read about in a book that was linked somewhere on this site: the Rope technique. I started doing that technique, and I felt myself being "pulled out" - slightly at first, but more intense as I climbed up. I also began seeing quite a lot of white. So, the more I climbed up, the more intense it got and eventually it got so intense that I got scared and dropped myself down..
So I think I was close to that kind of projection, but I was scared once I got close so I didn't continue. I think it has to do with my fear of Sleep Paralysis. Beedekin explained to me that his method of Astral Projection used Sleep Paralysis as the gateway to the Non-Physical Reality, so I thought that basically every method of Astral Projection had a stage of Sleep Paralysis you would go through before projecting. That was an assumption, and I wonder - was I right or wrong about that?
I had a Sleep Paralysis experience back when I was a child and it was absolutely terrifying. Especially the not being able to control your breathing. Can one stop breathing in Sleep Paralysis? Do you stop breathing when you try to consciously breathe in Sleep Paralysis, and fight for it to happen?

Well, that was my story again and my questions. Thanks for taking the time to answer these, folks

[Szaxx]

Sleep paralysis id more common the younger you are. It's not a requirement for projection but can be utilised as Bedeekin has posted.
I'm fortunate to never had had this aspect and I could exit whenever I wished most times in the 80's.
The system I used works well for many people do I made a thread on here. It's a phasing with visualisations technique. Back in the 60's when young I guess Intent was the main reason for being successful. It worked quite well most times too.
In all the exits I've made and thats in the thousands, my physical was completely out of the picture. No feelings unless something like a cat jumped onto it.
Have a read,

http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/the_astral_blueprint-t38729.0.html

[myyst]

Hmm.. since i've begun with consciously Astral Projecting and have read about Sleep Paralysis, i've been having trouble falling asleep because I am too conscious of the shifts in consciousness that happen while falling asleep. They tend to shock me and then I open my eyes. I do, eventually, fall asleep.. But it takes much longer than normal because I keep waking myself up.
Great.. now I need to get over this fear. I've been reading about Sleep Paralysis and most scientific studies state that in SP, you STILL breathe and the experience of not being able to breathe is simply an illusion. It might seem harder, but the muscles required for breathing are NOT blocked during SP. I hope this is true. This is why i'm afraid of SP in the first place. Without the fear of not being able to breathe in SP, SP does not scare me.
Next, is there a way to continue with Astral Projection WITHOUT becoming aware of the different states of consciousness you slip into when you're simply trying to sleep? Or at least a way to "watch the show" and let myself slip into these states of consciousness?
If there is not, i'd rather choose healthy sleep over Astral Projection. And then I'd need a way to reverse this "becoming aware" of the different states of consciousness when falling asleep.

[Lionheart]

 Myyst, try to practice away from your bed. Tell yourself when you lie down in bed that now it is time to shut off so you can sleep. When I first started to practice noticing, I had many a night where I couldn't turn the noticing off for hours on end. This was extremely irritating. So I needed to section off a time and place to do my noticing, understanding that when I went to bed, it is to sleep, not Phase. It sounds strange that anyone would have to program themselves to sleep again, but I found my focus was so strong that the moment I closed my eyes, I would immediately kick into the noticing mode.  I hope this helps you.
Good Luck and Safe Travels! 

[Bedeekin]

Great.. now I need to get over this fear. I've been reading about Sleep Paralysis and most scientific studies state that in SP, you STILL breathe and the experience of not being able to breathe is simply an illusion. It might seem harder, but the muscles required for breathing are NOT blocked during SP. I hope this is true. This is why i'm afraid of SP in the first place. Without the fear of not being able to breathe in SP, SP does not scare me.

If you are finding the breathing an issue... breath using your diaphragm... not your ribcage (it's these muscles that are depolarised).

This is probably why diaphragm breathing is advised during TM.

[Xanth]

Hi folks, this is a follow-up to this thread.

I attempted Astral Projection again today. I, again, started off by meditating for about 20 minutes, until I felt that I was in a deep enough state of consciousness to do Astral Projection.

Have you ever meditated before?

"Knowing" you're in a deep enough state is kind of an art form in itself. 

I'm not saying I'm a meter stick or anything, but it took me over 10 years of meditation before I figured out what "deep enough" meant.

Then I tried becoming aware of my astral body again, and after that, "looking through it's eyes".

This seems to be your fundamental problem.

In order to wake up in the morning, do you have to try to become aware of your physical body? 

The technique for projecting is the same as waking up in the morning.  It's something you don't ever have to even try to do.

Think about that for a bit.  Perhaps meditate on it.

[myyst]

Have you ever meditated before?

Yes, I think it's been about 8 times in total.

"Knowing" you're in a deep enough state is kind of an art form in itself. 

What I think is deep enough, is when I have already experienced rapid white flashes multiple times, the feeling that my eyes blinked while actually having my eyes closed, improved clarity in visualisation, and my body feeling numb. Isn't that deep enough?

I'm not saying I'm a meter stick or anything, but it took me over 10 years of meditation before I figured out what "deep enough" meant.
This seems to be your fundamental problem.

What, then, is deep enough?

I haven't tried Astral Projection through sleep or lucid dreams yet (as in, lying in my bed at the usual time when I would sleep and instead trying to astral project), but I would much prefer doing Astral Projection through meditation.

[Xanth]

When you've lost all sense of a physical reality and a physical body... then you're deep enough. 
If you've lost all sense of a physical reality and a physical body... then you're already projecting.