5 Years of regular OOBE experiences & now it’s stopped.

[Iggy]

Hello all,

This is my first time on this board & the first time I have ever discussed my OOBE experiences with anyone (I did try another web forum but no replies). Also please forgive me if I get the terminology wrong I've never really read any articles on this subject before because in the past I didn't want to let my subconscious mind be influence by any false suggestions, basically I wasn't sure if I wanted to believe such a thing was possible.

I started to gradually experience OOBE around the age of 23, I'm now 40. First it was just a feeling of my body being paralyzed, then after a few months the feeling of floating began. At first this was with me unable to open my eyes but the floating feeling was reaffirmed with any audio sounds in the room gradually changing direction (sounds from a clock or tv/radio that I had left on).

It was a good year before I could open my eyes, basically because each time I had a new experience I would freak out & zoom back into my body. Now opening my eyes was always an effort, almost like awakening from a year of sleep & my vision was always very slightly blurry, like opening my eyes under water but not that extreme.

Most of my OOBE's would take place during the day, I was a student at the time & had the luxury of being able to take catnaps (I know, typical student). I think what also helped was that I was going to the gym a lot & used to come home, my body exhausted & fall asleep in the chair watching daytime watching tv.  

Sorry if this is longwinded I am getting to the point...honest. Now my last ever OOBE (apart from a few months ago) was around the age of 28, my control of it had increased & on my last experience I was able to go through my bedroom wall & sort of float down along the road. The strange thing is (well it was very strange to me) was that I noticed a lot of other people around me, some walking, some floating. I really don't know if these people around me were having OOBE's as well but none seemed to acknowledge my presence.

Anyway my lifestyle changed, got a fulltime job, out went the catnaps & no more OOBE's for me. Until, as I said a few months ago I had a small one, just the feeling of being paralyzed & floating upwards, no eyes open. Now there has been over a 10 year gap between experiences but the new one has reawakened my interest. I've tried everything to have more (even The Brainwave Generator audio thing) but no luck.

Strange thing is, back then I made no effort to bring on the experience & used to have them about 3 times a week for 5 years. My lifestyle now has come full circle, I'm lucky enough to only have to work 3 days a week, go to the gym,  have time again for plenty of lovely catnaps but no matter what I do, no OOBE's.

Is my description of my past experiences normal?  Is there such a thing as a classic OOBE experience? The slightly blurry vision, moving around in the what appeared to be the normal world, the seeing people thing? There was also was a kind of sound when I left my body, like the sound you get if you try to keep a yawn in, does that make sense? Does any of this make sense!?! Was I supposed to travel to some sort of astral plane when I left my body & not the real world? Lastly...and this is the real bummer, why can't I do it anymore?  Questions, questions, questions, is anybody still listening or have I bored you all?

Seriously though, I would be really grateful for any help & answers.

Thanks all

Iggy.

[Selski]

Hi Iggy

Welcome to the Forums and thank you for your comprehensive first post.  I appreciate your comments about the terminology – sometimes reading what you are supposed to experience can be very detrimental.

Your experiences sound a lot like mine.  I've been having OBEs for about 2 years now.  I had terrible trouble with sight early on (for about a year).  It still bugs me, but it's getting better.  I've had all sorts of partial sight – tunnel vision, sight where I can't look anywhere but straight ahead, sight where it feels as if I'm wearing glasses that are very smeared and when I take off my astral glasses, I can't see a thing!  Very annoying.

I also have the majority of my OBEs when coming round from afternoon naps.  

Your past experiences are very normal, in my opinion.  I have "spontaneous" OBEs on average once a week.  I still don't really know how or why they happen to me, but I have a very strong desire to have them, which I think makes a big difference.

The sound of keeping a yawn in – there are all sorts of sounds associated with OBEs.  I hear music (as if someone has left a radio on in the garden), or shuffling noises, all sorts really.  Over the months, I've learned to recognise them for what they are.

It all makes sense.  What has happened is that you have found yourself in something called the Real Time Zone, or the RTZ for short.  It's where the majority of classic OBEs are carried out.  It's like an imprint of the physical world, but not quite.  You may find that you are in your room, but a window is in the wrong place, or there's a blue cat sitting on your wardrobe, that kind of thing.

Why can't you do it any more?  Gosh, who knows.  Perhaps because you had other priorities for a number of years and then when you wanted them again, you craved them too much?  I know that having a carefree attitude can be beneficial.  When I had my first OBE, I was desperate to have my second.  It took a month.  I got to the point where I thought to myself, "OK, it's not going to happen, it was a one-off, I'll just forget it all then."  The following day, I had my second OBE.  It's like that sometimes.

I hope this helps in some way.  

Sarah

[Kodemaster]

Hello Iggy:

Before I clicked on this post and read it, this immediately came to mind: Exercise. For some reason, exercise greatly increases my ability to project. I rarely project if I'm not working out...but if I get back into my routine, back comes my ability to project.

How often are you working out? Did you recently go back to the routine you had when you were working? If so, then you're probably out of practice from 10 years of not exercising, and the return to working out has brought back your ability to project.

It takes time to start projecting again. It's like playing an instrument that you haven't touched in 10 years...you remember kind of how to play it, but it takes a long time to iron out the rust.

The more you exercise, the better you will be able to project. Usually (for me anyways) it first comes back in the form of vivid dreams...Eventually I start to project again...but it does take time.

Good luck,

Jeni

[Kodemaster]

P.S. Welcome to the forum!

[Ta_alos]

Hi,
  It could be sometime of energy over load or blockage.  You say you have been projecting a long time. No doubt in your many years of experiences you've had some interesting things happen to you!
   As we progress through life.. specially with projection we tend to learn more about ourselves and our vibrationary level tends to raise.  Perhaps you hit a spot in which either you have gone to far to fast.... or a second theory i have is maybe you are on the outer edges of a new vibrationary level and there is a peice of you holding you back.. either a fear.. or a trauma....
    Don't forget.. we project when we are sleeping whether we are aware or not... somehow.. some part of you has shut itself down...  
    I have heard of people with blockages from previous lives... if the problem becomes a persistant one.. u may wanna try a past life regression therapy session..

[Astral Practitioner]

Ta_alos it feels like I have meet you before. Let me make this simple for you. What I have learnt is that the physical body reflects on the etheric body and the same way vice versa. So if you work out and have a healthy physical body you create a healthy etheric body. When you might think that this workout is making me tired it is actually creating a higher energy freshold each and every time. It's energy training.  The end result is energy increase not decrease. Who knew that exercise effects the physic parts? If you make a healthy etheric body by energy development and chakra awakening you create a longer physical life. The new energy levels- noun physical will give you more endurance stamina when it comes back towards exercise or whatever sports you play.  Allot of obe experiences are caused by energy body being stimulated in some way. This is the evidence for your etheric body stimulation. The reason for your obe absence is your loss of interest which leads to obe practice abuse. Also no more etheric body stimulation means no more power for obe projection wants.

[Ta_alos]

I suppose I was refering to the idea that as we change and evolve so does our mind and the way it operates.   Sometimes there may be the need to slow down or we might experience something of a hiatous because there is something slowing us down from fully awakening on the higher level of awareness we are encroaching upon.

 Met me before?? Anythings Possible... There is another member here going by the name Telos???  Other than that.. I'm not sure...  Did u post about a man that went by the name Opheil ??

[Gandalf]

I too can go through what I call 'dry spells' where nothing happens for weeks or months. Although I admit years seems a very long time.

I think it is to do with lifestyle change and a changed focus which put your mind on physical things. Everyone is different you see. For some that would serve to increase obes, in others to reduce them. Like stress for example. Stress can serve to increase obe (like with me for example) or reduce them.

The good news is, if you really start practicisng, you CAN get going with your obe work again, but you have to be *convinced* that you CAN do it.

I think you have managed to convince yourself that you have lost the ability, therefore this belief will go on to further the situation ie a self re-inforcing spiral.
You need to break out of it and say.. yes I CAN do it.. I did it for years and I can do it again. Once you *truly* convince yourself of this the obes will return.

Doug

[Gandalf]

Yes the dream journal is one of those secret methods that not many people know about but really works for me.

After a few days your 'normal' dreams start becoming much more involved and detailed and before you know it many of these convert into 'proper' lucid dreams and obe/astral experiences.

I need to get my journal going again too. This weekend!

Doug