Last night (think I was close)

[Afterdark]

I try astral projection off and on, sometimes I get discouraged, but last night sparked my interest yet again.  

I had taken a nap during the day and I was feeling that strange "Maybe I can stay up, maybe sleep" kind of state.  It was 10pm and I didn't get much sleep the night before.  I figured that I would try to AP for the hell of it (my last attempt only being a few days ago).  I think overall my entire 'attempt' took an hour or two.  I laid down and simply stayed still for a long time as usual, trying to get my body to fall asleep.  After a while I noticed my consciousness starting to 'move'.  Hard to explain, kind of like I was moving around behind my eyelids, like I had my eyes closed while on a boat.  I can't remember how things came about, but after a while I felt a rush.  I can't remember how to explain it...that's funny, this was my main purpose of coming here and writing this now.  I felt like something amazing was about to happen, like I was either going to be pulled extremely hard or hit by something really hard.  I could almost see things behind my eyelids.  I wish I wrote down how it felt after it happened...I remembered other things but I can't recall now.  At one point (before this happened) I was visualizing my consciousness as a ball outside my body that had a magnetic attraction and was pulling me towards it.  I think this helped induce the rocking motions.  

Any advice?  I wanted to try getting out at the 'rush' part but I felt like it still wasn't a deep enough state even though that is probably the farthest I've ever been.  

-Edit:  On a side note, I felt a sense of fulfillment in that state.  During day to day life I feel a need for something spiritual, something more than the "real world".  I felt like I was on the brink of achieving something.  It felt amazing.  I also though to myself..."Wow, I'm going to AP!  They're not lying!" haha

[Tiny]

Dear afterdark,

I would recommend to have no expectations and no waiting for exit sensations otherwise they can break one's focus.

The best way to deepen trance I found is to focus on ambient sounds. If there is complete silence focus on that silence or the ringing in the ears if you have some. Focus should be easy and pressureless and if it becomes an agony, let go and reality check. Externalize as many senses as you can. This will also make one's astral body loose so one can project. Ironically, deep trance is not necessary at all for projection but it helps, it is only that astral body loosening that one aquires through externalization of awareness that creates the right condition for the astral body to project.


kind regards,

Paul

[Xanth]

Sensations of movement are a great trigger for the trance state and AP reflexes.
Anything that keeps your attention away from your physical body is perfect.
How much time usually happens between your attempts?
You say you don't practice too much?
You just might be a natural... with some more time, you'll be out and about. 

[Afterdark]

Dear afterdark,
I would recommend to have no expectations and no waiting for exit sensations otherwise they can break one's focus.
The best way to deepen trance I found is to focus on ambient sounds. If there is complete silence focus on that silence or the ringing in the ears if you have some. Focus should be easy and pressureless and if it becomes an agony, let go and reality check. Externalize as many senses as you can. This will also make one's astral body loose so one can project. Ironically, deep trance is not necessary at all for projection but it helps, it is only that astral body loosening that one aquires through externalization of awareness that creates the right condition for the astral body to project.
kind regards,
Paul

I never have completely silence, due to my dad and little brother sleeping with the tv on in the next room.  Apparently they can't sleep without it on, which is ridiculous since it keeps you awake.  Anyways, you're right I was focusing on expecting something to happen.  I was also looking for that sound, the high pitched sound everyone talks about, I might have heard something but maybe it was just too much focus on finding it.  I have to keep that in mind tonight, thanks for the tip.

Sensations of movement are a great trigger for the trance state and AP reflexes.
Anything that keeps your attention away from your physical body is perfect.
How much time usually happens between your attempts?
You say you don't practice too much?
You just might be a natural... with some more time, you'll be out and about. 

As long as I wait long enough and just relax the movements come, I've been able to get those for quite a while now.  Time varies between my attempts, some weeks I'll do many nights in a row, and sometimes I go weeks doing nothing.  It depends on how tired I am too, sometimes I get tired and don't feel like attempting and AP, I just want to go to sleep.  I went a long time without getting much, so I kind of put it off because its frustrating sometimes to lay there for an hour and have nothing happen, or the noises (TV in house, cars going by).  I didn't mention that, the cars that drive by my house suck bigtime, its a relatively quiet street then a car comes driving down (my window is only a few yards from the street) and the headlights bother me even though my curtains. 
But its not that big of a deal, it bothers me just as much as an itch when I have to scratch it.  I lose focus, but I can simply continue in the same state after it goes away/scratch the itch.

I wouldn't say I'm a natural, before I ever attempted astral projection I was into meditation and I can reach some pretty deep states sitting down.  Most of my success comes from being able to focus my mind on nothing/completely blank it.  Unlike people who have trouble doing this, I have poor imagery skills so it comes rather easy for me.  Something that stopped me from APing while I was meditating was the thought that I might go to sleep laying down.  haha!  But its fine, I always sleep on my side or stomache, its almost impossible for me to sleep laying flat on my back (which I attempt APing in).