Hey there man, good set of questions you have there, at first when i started to obe, people thought i was weird, the best advice i can offer, is to share with those who understand you and are on your wavelength, and to accept people for who they are, if they dont believe in it, let it be and let them follow there path, keep reaching and digging deeper and deeper my freind.
holizm...
i can relate to that, i see OBE's as the next step in mans evolution, hence am really passionate about telling people about the phenomena, and why its so important for us to open up the infinate possibilities of consiousness and shed our mundane little lives....
but usually i face mockery, skeptisism and people who simply dont care or think that the OBE is dangerous or is witchcraft.
i feel i can comment on one of your questions though...
"Does it seem like the every time you OBE, you become just a little more alone, isolated, freaky, weird, outcasted, irregular in terms of society - not metaphysically speaking, of course – but mentally and emotionally".
since OBE is such a "cult" concept, its people like everyone on the astral pulse forums who have to take the risk (maybe) of being mocked or being branded a witch etc... to make it a more mainstream idea.
im sure once we all learn to OBE at will, we will certainly teach our kids about it (those who have them) and they will teach theres, and so on...
i also think with the practise of AP comes the mature and more spiritually aware mind, so its not just teaching people how to leave there body, its teaching them a whole new way of being, which i think judging by the atmosphere of the astral pulse forums is as ive said a more mature and aware mind.
these are still early days, but now with the internet, people from all over the world can discuss it together, and think "hey theres something worth investigating in all this"
imagine if there were no internet, how likely is it that you ever meet someone else whos into it?? huh??
the idea and practise of AP can only grow now, with more up-to-date and user friendly books and websites existing.
i think its our job to encourage this kind of "theres more to the miracle of existence than a 9-5 job" attitude in the real world.
I doesnt bother me that i face lonliness and isolation or if im branded a new-age fruitcake, atleast im doing my part in helping man unlock his latent abilities.
I can say that the practise of meditation and AP has made me a better person in many ways, basically because it all entails spending a lot of time with your own mind, and discovering all of your UNCONSIOUS thought processes which dictated your actions,opinions, attitude etc....
hehehe. Im a witch [:P]
I had my first conscious, induced, OBE about 11 years ago – haven't been the same since. I've gotten better with it, although I don't claim to have it al figured out or to be a "master." I had some curious questions for you fellow OBEers. Some of these are obviously related to what I have experienced at times. Just wondering how you see it or what your experiences are.
[:)] How do you feel when walking through a large crowd of people, for example, at the shopping mall? Does it ever dawn on you that 99.9999999% of the people you are encountering are locked onto mainstream societal consciousness and are absolutely oblivious to the realty and experiences that you have become aware of?
[:)] What is it like when you are around family and friends and you realize they are absolutely oblivious to the realty and experiences that you have become aware of?
[:)] How do you keep it bottled up in your head at work all day - is it just your little secret?
[:)] When you meet new people, when you go on dates – how is when you know that person will likely not be able to relate to this very important part of your life?
[:)] Does it seem like the every time you OBE, you become just a little more alone, isolated, freaky, weird, outcasted, irregular in terms of society - not metaphysically speaking, of course – but mentally and emotionally.
[:)] What are some of the ways you have found useful to cope with these issues, if they ever applied to you?