Dream Journals and waking vs sleeping AP help

[tetrabane]

I've been researching astral projection for maybe 6 months now and to be completely honest, astral projection progress has unfortunately been sparse. I eventually decided to take a month break to keep my head off astral projection for a while.While I took my break though, I decided to keep a dream journal.It was amazing what I was missing out on!The dreams I was having were so intricate, so creative, so breathtaking that I began to love going to sleep.I would have a small amount of lucidity in these dreams but otherwise I'd just go along with it. (Basically I knew I was dreaming but I didn't try to question it). Then, as soon as I woke up I'd write everything I remembered down...There would only be a little I'd remember at first, but then suddenly the experiences would rush back to my brain in giant chunks.About 1 to 4 dream chunks I'd say.They'd be filled with lush, detailed landscapes, unique strangers, and amazing events.Grand cities filled with indian spires and dark mountains on the horizon.And I would be there, experiencing it all. It was better than any movie I'd ever seen. I guess I should probably get to the actual point of all this.

Should I try to induce astral projection through dreams or from a waking state?

I tried tactile methods but those didn't work very well.Phasing I had luck with when it came to visualizing, but I couldn't hold my focus long enough.Lucid dreaming seems to be the most promising route for me at this point.Thoughts?

(Oh and sorry about the whole first paragraph.I guess I just got excited about recalling the feelings I felt)

[Xanth]

Sounds like you're having GREAT success with your Dream Journal.
I tried starting one, but I'm too lazy to write anything down when I wake up in the middle of the night.  hehe

In any case, my only method of projection right now is through converting my lucid dreams into projections.
I made an entry on my blog saying how I go about it:

http://unlimitedboundaries.ca/2010/09/01/how-i-convert-a-lucid-dream-into-an-astral-projection/

I hope you find it informative. 

[omcasey]

I loved the first paragraph!, you're a natural writer, the relays of your lucid experiences are going to be phenomenal.

As far as practicing from the wake or dream state, why not both.  Each will enhance the other and likely double your success rate of each.  This is true for me. 

When projecting from a wake state, a great little tool you can use to help keep you teetering on the wake/sleep border long enough for something to begin happening is to hold something really small in your fingers.  I use a pair of stud earrings.  I lay down, rest my hands comfortably on my belly and poke the stem of the earrings between my forefinger and middle finger, like a cigarette, then place my thumb on the studs to hold them there.  Every now again will move my thumb a little to feel for the earrings, just enough to feel them, and to keep me teetering in the right spot rather than falling off to sleep.

One of the really great things in wake induced experiences is what I call WILD Physical Body Phenomena.  Once this part of the event kicks in nothing else is needed to keep me lucid.  These tangible sensations through my body are enough.  All manner of euphoric vibrational energies which literally seem to wring the physicalness out of me- to DEmaterialize me into the non-physical terrain.  Do you ever get anything like this?