About visualization

[fatfooty]

Are visualization skills required to do astral projection?
Please help because I'm unable to visualize things. All I see when I close my eyes is darkness

[Phildan1]

Hello! You need to use your mind for visualize a scene, which you create. Of course we see blackness, but you need to use your mind and not your eyes. Your mind needs to create something, which switches on the projection. I'm practicing the same : ) Others who have more visual skills, will see colors, shapes on their screen, and some people just not seeing anything, but it is not necessary. This is a mental act, which is not physical.

Get a random place in your mind - sandy beach, grassy countryside etc. - and make a simple scene where you go in the grass for example and interact with some objects around you, feel them if you want but not overdoing, because it will strain you or wake your mind up really. Just keep it simple and enough attractive to watch that and not your body.

I hope it helps.

[Szaxx]

Nope, you only need to stay aware of yourself as a concious point in the darkness. If you can ignore the darkness as well as all other senses this will speed things up.
You go to sleep ignoring everything that you'd normally sense and if you can keep your awareness intact your body will fall asleep as its already programmed to do so. You'll start off becoming aware of a dream scene and you'll have your full awareness. Once this occurs (many attempts may be required) you can stop the dream scene and this will put you in another grainy darkness that had a feel of depth to it.
At this point you only need to think of something and it'll manifest as here thoughts do all the driving.
It sounds easy, it can be if you have no fears (important as they'll manifest) and not doubt yourself being able to succeed. This can stop you as its a thought that'll manifest.
That's the basics and lots of practice is required.
You may feel your not breathing and your heart is racing like crazy, ignore these as they'll be your first tests to overcome. An overwhelming emotion of any type should also be ignored as this too is another test. These are pointers you'll find along the way to success.
Avoid thinking of the body, this in itself is your get out clause in any experience.

[fatfooty]

Thank you guys for replying. I started my serious attempts on astral projection yesterday in the morning around 10:00. I hope it doesn't take too long. But I think I'll keep trying everyday for at least one year. I think I have the time this year, I got no job after all Yesterday I felt my heart beating like strong beats but I didn't make it to the sleep paralysis or the vibrations stages. I kept telling myself that I'm aware and I need to keep my calm. But I felt some weak vibrations or itching sensations in my legs and that's all! Is there a required duration for a practicing session? I spent like 15-25 minutes.

[Phildan1]

I'm doing it since 9 months : ) My session times are around 50 minutes. Don't give up, even if you have months of unsuccessful attempts and don't force it. Just implement it to your days. I don't work too, so we have plenty of time to practice - if the hotness of summer goes away lol.

I experienced the most symptoms too in the beginning. Strong heartbeat which is not your heart, floating parts, itching, restless muscles and a few more like heatwave which is the only sign for me that I know I'm close. So theres no recommended time, it depends on the individual I guess.

My type is the detailed one so I needed to pass every "stages" and after that you will be more familiar with them. Even if you are scared or easily distracted, you will not care about any body sensations and you will have more mental attention on the process itself. I'm just saying these from my experiences.

[fatfooty]

Hello! You need to use your mind for visualize a scene, which you create. Of course we see blackness, but you need to use your mind and not your eyes. Your mind needs to create something, which switches on the projection. I'm practicing the same : ) Others who have more visual skills, will see colors, shapes on their screen, and some people just not seeing anything, but it is not necessary. This is a mental act, which is not physical.

Get a random place in your mind - sandy beach, grassy countryside etc. - and make a simple scene where you go in the grass for example and interact with some objects around you, feel them if you want but not overdoing, because it will strain you or wake your mind up really. Just keep it simple and enough attractive to watch that and not your body.

I hope it helps.

Is visualization same as seeing but with your eyes closed? I mean do you visualize things in colors and in details?

[Phildan1]

There are some talented guys, who can see that way if eyes are closed and do the mental work. I think most of us can't se anything and no, this work is done without your eyes - it is physical and needs to be relaxed and not move.

If you are doing it right and it is enough engaging, you could see it more vividly. I can explain it as I experience it. It is mental work and it runs in the background. You defocus your eyes and use your imagination to make a scenery. It's purpose is to detach from the physical enough to make the projection reflex happen. I'm the kind of practice a lot to see the results, so give yourself enough time : ) But as Szaxx said, it could become a dream scene.
If you PM me I can help you further from my early days experiences, and see what is ok with your attempts. But I still can't achieve full conscious projections yet so there's no need to hurry in this practice.

[fatfooty]

There are some talented guys, who can see that way if eyes are closed and do the mental work. I think most of us can't se anything and no, this work is done without your eyes - it is physical and needs to be relaxed and not move.

If you are doing it right and it is enough engaging, you could see it more vividly. I can explain it as I experience it. It is mental work and it runs in the background. You defocus your eyes and use your imagination to make a scenery. It's purpose is to detach from the physical enough to make the projection reflex happen. I'm the kind of practice a lot to see the results, so give yourself enough time : ) But as Szaxx said, it could become a dream scene.
If you PM me I can help you further from my early days experiences, and see what is ok with your attempts. But I still can't achieve full conscious projections yet so there's no need to hurry in this practice.

Thank you sir good day to you

[Xanth]

Are visualization skills required to do astral projection?
Please help because I'm unable to visualize things. All I see when I close my eyes is darkness

All you *SEE* is blackness?  That's fine. 
You're making the same mistake most people do... "visualization" has nothing to do with physically SEEING what you're visualizing.

Read this:  http://www.astraldynamics.com.au/content.php?205-Part-2-NO-Visualization

It's probably one of the few things Robert Bruce and I wholefully seem to agree upon.  LoL

[Lumaza]

 Everyone can visualize. Start with a simple geometric shape like a square. Close your eyes and see a square. Now a triangle, now a circle. There, that's visualizing.
Here's a simple method to help you with more. Always start with something easy though, because if you can't see results with something easy, you will likely give up on this whole idea period. There's no race here.  You do get back what you put into it though.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/the_doorway-t46013.0.html

[Astralsuzy]

Are visualization skills required to do astral projection?
Please help because I'm unable to visualize things. All I see when I close my eyes is darkness

Visualising is not required to ap but it can help.   It does not matter how bad you are at visualising you can just do your best and still ap from it.    I am extremely bad at visualising and I ap from it.   

[Positive3]

Still don't get difference between imagination and visualisation , for example when i imagine my city and flying in the streets and like my visiion is real copy of city is it visualisation or imagining ?

[ThaomasOfGrey]

I don't know if there really is a difference between imagination and visualization. It may just be semantics, however, there is something real there potentially. I can pretend as if there are things behind my closed eyes, but it isn't the same as imaging that you are living another life somewhere. If you are calm and lucky you may slowly witness the transition of that type of imagination into a dream. I think that doing the other type works for projection too but I haven't done it.

[serge]

Are visualization skills required to do astral projection?
Please help because I'm unable to visualize things. All I see when I close my eyes is darkness

I believe that by visualization experts mean indeed the art of creating targeted  images in the mind. Like you I do not find this easy . However, creating specific images may not be all there is. I find that with my eyes closed and my mind reasonably empty ,images pop up spontaneously before my «inner eye». I do not have control over these images, nor would I want to interfere. Such images involve landscapes and people mirroring my waking memory. I understand why experts want us to be able to construct specific images. However, my sense is that we have to place ourselves in the position of passive observers if we want to explore other planes of being.

[Szaxx]

Don't expect an image as real as you'd see with your eyes to appear with a couple of attempts, it doesn't, like any skill, getting proficiency requires a lot of training.
To start, simply imagining an image is enough. You see nothing but blackness but you hold your image in mind. To develop this into a crystal clear image you need to be deep in the phase where thoughts start to manifest. At this point your body may have already gone to sleep and perhaps the vibrations have been sensed.
This deep, it's easy to create a scene and jump into it.
Getting there can take a long time.
Practice makes perfect.

[Xanth]

Still don't get difference between imagination and visualisation , for example when i imagine my city and flying in the streets and like my visiion is real copy of city is it visualisation or imagining ?

Exactly why people are confused.  Just like "AP" and "LD" are the same thing... "imagination" and "visualization" are the same thing.

Remember, there's nothing "visual" about visualization.  You don't SEE what you're visualizing.  You "perceive" it.

It's like if I asked you to remember a happy memory of you in the past.  When you remember it, you don't SEE it... you perceive it. 

Once you go from perceiving something to SEEING it, then you're no longer visualizing, you've now moved into something more akin to remote viewing.

[Positive3]

So that means i perceive it not by image but by something else?

[fatfooty]

Whenever I try to remember someone I know 's face with my eyes closed, I SEE nothing but darkness. But I can somehow perceive a blurry picture of him or her. I can also tell the details of their face. Is this like visualization?

[Szaxx]

The visual in visualisation is so you see the point sort of. Not actually seeing it. You can see sense in someone's comments as you understand what they are saying. In this you percieve what they are getting at. Or you'd comment ' I see what you mean'.

[Nameless]

Hi fatfooty. Imagine you are seeing the Earth from outer space. Imagine it as round but not perfectly so. Imagine it is mostly blue and green. Now imagine you see the figure of a man or a woman standing on top of the Earth. All you see is a silhouette.

Anyone can do this but you most likely saw nothing with your eyes except the writing on your screen as you were reading this. That is visualization, it is just a very poor choice of words.

[Lumaza]

I find that with my eyes closed and my mind reasonably empty ,images pop up spontaneously before my «inner eye». I do not have control over these images, nor would I want to interfere. Such images involve landscapes and people mirroring my waking memory.

Hi Serge. Your statement above is the definition of Phasing. You could jump start the process though by using your imagination. But soon, the scene will take on it's own life. That is when you need to hold your focus on the scenario at hand, which in turn takes your focus away from your physical body and "allows" your consciousness the opportunity to explore without a "vessel" to worry about.

Phasing occurs when you allow yourself to be immersed in a scenario outside of this physical reality.

I have a technique that makes it so much easier whereas I simply focus on my physical body/form at first. Then I watch as it disappears piece by piece. Once it is gone from site, the only thing left is consciousness. That technique is great for removing pain as well.

I think people make the act of visualizing harder than it is. Think of your favorite hobby or sport. Think of a certain "word". Now close your eyes and view it. It's that easy. You don' have to get into creating elaborate fully vivid things. Start easy with something like a geometric shape or a apple, banana, etc. The key is to learn to "hold" that focus. Watching a candle burn in a dark room is great for this because if done long enough, a imprint of the flame/burning candle is created that can be seen immediately after you close your eyes.

[fatfooty]

Watching a candle burn in a dark room is great for this because if done long enough, a imprint of the flame/burning candle is created that can be seen immediately after you close your eyes.

After I sun gaze and close my eyes I see a blueish flame in the center of my head. I didn't try the candle technique though.

[Nameless]

Phasing occurs when you allow yourself to be immersed in a scenario outside of this physical reality.

Watching a candle burn in a dark room is great for this because if done long enough, a imprint of the flame/burning candle is created that can be seen immediately after you close your eyes.

Ah ha, thanks for the definition of Phasing.

The other night our power was out for several hours. I lit a lantern and just sat and stared at the shadows. That worked really really well.

[Szaxx]

Interesting thought watching the dancing shadows. You'd be able to add false images giving character to the dancing shadows as the flame licks the air around it.
I might try this when the opportunity arises.

[Nameless]

Interesting thought watching the dancing shadows. You'd be able to add false images giving character to the dancing shadows as the flame licks the air around it.
I might try this when the opportunity arises.

Definitely try it! I wasn't. Just sitting in the dark watching the shadows dance and BAM - I was out there. What I want more than anything is understanding of the images.

ETA - my fingers can't type