I've had about 4 or 5 OBEs while sleeping. They were very powerful. However, when I try to induce them from a waking state I have yet to succeed.
I usually lie on my back and enter the trance state. After a while a tension builds in my body and I lie on my side. By that time I either fall asleep or stay awake with no results. My question is this:
Since all my sleeping OBEs have happened while in a sleeping position (on my side or front), shouldn't I try to have my waking state experiments lying on my side? It makes sense actually since lying on my back only results in body tension after a while and I end up going to my side anyway. Lying on my side is the only time I experience hypnogogic imagery too.
I'd like some feedback on body position for OBE.
For me position doesnt seem to matter. I have read that you shouldnt be on your left side... I could never find an explanation as to why. I have woke up before in sleep paralysis on my left side before though and was able to induce an OBE from it.
I would say do what works best for you, and what feels right.
i read that most people lie on their backs because they tend to fall asleep while on their sides or in a more comfortable postion
Resting on my back is the best way that I've induced the OBE. However, what ever position you are sleeping in does not mean you can't project. I've found myself awaking after the OBE resting on my stomach, right/left side of my body. Basically, it comes down to what is comfortable for you.
This also goes for North-South-East-West sleeping positioning. Some people say that they are able to produce more OBE's by sleeping with their head pointing North, others say the opposite. In my findings, it didn't matter what direction I was pointing I still projected.
Tvos
The north-south orientation thing seems to be a common suggestion (with the head pointing north)... in fact I mention it in my ebook as another tip that may help induce OBEs, but in my own experience it didn seem to matter which direction my head was facing, whether or not I was laying straight, on my back, on my side or whatever.
I assume that the north-south sugestion arises because of the assumed electromagnetic connection to OBEs. Actually, I did have a VERY vivid OBE that arose because I was essentially sleeping inside a big (520 foot long) electromagnet for a few nights (my ship when we were getting depermed) That OBE by far was the most intense!!! So who knows... maybe pointing north and aligning to north-south does help... at least a bit.