interesting series of experiences

[knightlight]

I put this method in the technique central sticky, but I wanted to elaborate here.

I lay in bed last night wondering how to tell if I am OBE or not.  I have had a few experiences before, many many lucid dreams, but getting into the RTZ is almost impossible for me.  I don't really like the RTZ that much, but its something I haven't fully explored yet.  I remember reading people suggesting a crumpled ball of paper on my chest so if I am in the RTZ I will sit up and it will fall through me, or not be there.  I didn't want to use paper because I figured perhaps it would roll off or I would roll on my side if I fell asleep and then when I got "out" I wouldn't be able to tell without any doubt.  I decided to draw a C on my right index finger.  I thought it could represent my consciousness and if I managed to check it enough maybe it would change or disappear when I was in the RTZ.  I tried to get out for a while and fell asleep.  I woke up and quickly checked it, naturally it was still there, same C.  I uttered a grunt of dismay and rolled over and fell back asleep.

I awoke again and raised my hand and looked at it.  The C was gone, I rotated my finger and on the top of my finger there was a series of interlocking C's drawn in weird chromatic ink.  My jaw dropped.  I looked around and everything seemed normal.  I stood up and I began to float and passed through my door.  The only way I can describe my expression is   .  If there was a mind imploding emoticon I would use that.  The level of detail and stability was very high for the RTZ, even though many things in my apartment had changed.  I circled around for a while and decided to wake myself up.  I woke up and checked the C, it was still there.

At this point my heart was racing and I almost couldn't fall back asleep.  Never in my 3 years of OBE attempts had I exited without knowing it into the RTZ.  I always had a theory that my attempts where successful sometimes, but I never bothered to get up and check because I had nothing to tell me I was in the RTZ and just thought I was still laying in my bed.  I fell back asleep and had a really strange F2 experience.  It wasn't triggered by the C but it was cool anyway.  I woke and checked again, but this time I couldn't move my arm.  I got the sense that my arm was moving, but I couldn't see it move and I began to have sleep paralysis.  I relaxed into and entered the RTZ again!!  I highly suggest this method to anyone who is struggling.

[mrpete]

ignore me

[knightlight]

I dont think ive ever had an obe where I was naked.  I am usually in my pajamas, or am a point of consciousness without a body in the RTZ and in F2 my apparel varies, but is usually something from my wardrobe.  

Go to the FAQ's section and check out the pieces on phasing and focus levels to learn more about F2 and beyond.

[Timothy Yuen]

This is a very effective and simple RTZ technique...I've used a version of it on occasion.  I had a recent scar on my hand and I would check that every time I would wake up.  When I noticed that it was different than my physical scar, I got up and went about the RTZ.  The "looking at the hands" technique is another variant of this.

I think the only thing I would do to this technique is to change the letter/symbol every now and then--eventually, your mind can recreate your trigger after it gets used to using it (much like the looking at the hands technique...my hands haven't melted or changed in RTZ in a couple of years as I kept studying them day after day, so I no longer use that technique).

Tim

[knightlight]

Yeah I have come to the same conclusion about changing the symbol as well.  I haven't had any success with this technique after the first night I used it, but it worked so well that first night its bound to work again.  I just have to gain enough lucidity to check it in dreams, that would open up a whole new area for me to use as a platform for projection.

[jason]

That's a good idea-the writing on your hand thing.It would also be useful to contact astral beings who give their name to you as a symbol.

I'm going to try this.

Or,how about the mandala-like symbols that Robert Bruce talks about in Astral Dynamics.The symbol on the cover and the back of the book is apparently an astral portal.

[knightlight]

Thats funny that you mention being given symbols in the astral because the other night I dreamt of recieving a flyer with a symbol on it inviting me to a rally of some kind and then later on that night after I had woken up and sat up playing video games for a while I drifted off again and found myself driving to work in F2 and passed a girl holding a flag with the symbol on it.  Maybe I will try that even though the symbol is rather large and 2 colors....    and my drawing skills arent the best.

[Quo Animo]

Can this work for lucid dreaming too?

[knightlight]

I am certain that it will work for any situation as long as you remember to look for the symbol.

[Almost Solid]

Just MHO, but if the symbol changes, that would be lucid dreaming. If it's gone, AP.

[knightlight]

I dont put much of a seperation in my mind between lucid dreams and OBE's.  I am a firm believer in the 4 focus model, and both lucid dreams and AP happen for me inside of Focus 2.  I really cant tell the difference and I dont like to sit around and debate whether my obe was an LD or AP or what have you.  I just like to keep it simple I guess.