They Thought I Was a Demon?

[Whirlwind]

The other night I entered the state boarding sleep and began to phase into the physical in some other location, suddenly floating before a group of hispanic men. But then to my horror, they could see me (my astral form), and began shouting "Diablo! Diablo!" not in fear, but to rebuke me and send me away, as it were, and I panicked and phased back into my body.

[no_leaf_clover]

Back in the Robert Bruce days of this site, Robert used to talk about using playing cards as a way of testing whether or not we are actually projecting into the real-time zone (RTZ).  The idea was to have someone place a card or other object somewhere nearby, visible from above, like by a window in a locked room or something.  When you astral project you attempt to look at the object, come back and accurate report what it is without having actually seen the object physically.

The reason I bring this up is because I think an important thing to ask in this case is, was this a RTZ projection, a projection to some other plane of reality, or a reflection of your own subconscious mind?  (And another question even before that is, how can we even tell the difference between those things?)

[moorland]

Back in the Robert Bruce days of this site

woaaa. taking me way back! I wonder if any old threads still exist..?

Good advice with the 'card trick'.

[no_leaf_clover]

There are threads and posts still here going all the way back to the creation of the forum in 2002.  I don't know of any major data losses but there were some technical issues at some point and some of the really old threads do not have their posts in chronological order, but everything should still be here.

One of the coolest things about this forum is how it's like a big disorganized encyclopedia of astral projection and related discussions.  Check out this page (page #254) of the OBE forum: http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences-b14.10120/

Just in that one section there are 253 more pages spanning about 14 years of threads. 

[Whirlwind]

Back in the Robert Bruce days of this site, Robert used to talk about using playing cards as a way of testing whether or not we are actually projecting into the real-time zone (RTZ).  The idea was to have someone place a card or other object somewhere nearby, visible from above, like by a window in a locked room or something.  When you astral project you attempt to look at the object, come back and accurate report what it is without having actually seen the object physically.

The reason I bring this up is because I think an important thing to ask in this case is, was this a RTZ projection, a projection to some other plane of reality, or a reflection of your own subconscious mind?  (And another question even before that is, how can we even tell the difference between those things?)

Great idea. The next time I suddenly phase out of my body and find myself in an unknown, seemingly random location, I'll make sure to have a card hidden there beforehand.

[no_leaf_clover]

Great idea. The next time I suddenly phase out of my body and find myself in an unknown, seemingly random location, I'll make sure to have a card hidden there beforehand.

You might be phasing into a lucid dream.  In that case you might still be able to find your card somewhere where it was never placed to begin with, and maybe even still accurately identify it.  Your subconscious is very powerful.   

It's been years since I read Robert Bruce's stuff about projecting into what he calls the "real time zone" but from what I remember, it was pretty much standard to be right next to your body when you project in that case.  So that you're not appearing just outside of your body when you project might already be a sign that you're projecting yourself to somewhere that's not necessarily a representation of any real physical place.  I'm just throwing ideas out because I'd like more "scientific" exploration to be done along these lines, of what we are actually doing.

[Whirlwind]

You might be phasing into a lucid dream.  In that case you might still be able to find your card somewhere where it was never placed to begin with, and maybe even still accurately identify it.  Your subconscious is very powerful.   

It's been years since I read Robert Bruce's stuff about projecting into what he calls the "real time zone" but from what I remember, it was pretty much standard to be right next to your body when you project in that case.  So that you're not appearing just outside of your body when you project might already be a sign that you're projecting yourself to somewhere that's not necessarily a representation of any real physical place.  I'm just throwing ideas out because I'd like more "scientific" exploration to be done along these lines, of what we are actually doing.

Makes sense

[Whirlwind]

I realize now that this was not RTZ. What confused me was how real it felt and how real everything looked. But upon further analysis of my perception at the time, I remember that it did not have the same feeling as an OBE. As vivid and real as everything I saw and heard looked and sounded, what I saw felt more like viewing a scene than being there (though it at least seemed that I was being observed in return). Plus, most importantly, what you said, no_leaf_clover: a RTZ OBE must begin with me just outside my physical body.