OBE - I'm trying

[Hfeline]

Yes, I have, and the most difficult part to work with is the torso.  The expectation of getting my head out is off cuz my focus doesn't leave me body.  It feels kind of warm and staticky where my body parts separate, and at times, there is a little pain from it, it's kind of like a small pinch.

Thank you for your explanation on meditation.  Do you think that it is important to visualize an object, or is that just something people do to maintain their focus?  Or is it a necessary part of visualization training among other things?  It sounds like it is best to simply not think or visualize.  For reference, when I meditate, I do it in five minutes, and will work up to longer stretches.

[Trepkos]

Do you think that it is important to visualize an object, or is that just something people do to maintain their focus? 

It is important to think in terms of processes. And no, it is not important to visualize an object. it increases your focus and power of imagination yes, but the idea of visualizing objects stems from a desire of wanting objects. This is the shadow of greed. The thoughtform "visualizing an object" is accompanied by greed. 

To succeed in meditation, you need two concepts. These are contraction and expansion. Most people are only familiar with contraction. What i mean by contraction of consciousness is focussing your awareness on a point in the black space of your vision. You will not get an impression of contraction because the thoughtform "contraction" is widely used by people. This only means that you have to put more energy in it for it to work properly. This is a paradox. In the end, you expect intuitively that the more people use a thoughtform or method, the more energy is in it and the less effort you have to make to let it work. This is not so. The more people use a method, the more it becomes less powerful. Expansion on the other hand is when you focus your awareness on the whole contour of the black field. Naturally, when you do this, you will get the impression that your black field of vision expands. You get this impression because the thoughtform "expansion" is not widely used, and is therefore more pure. This is your consciousness expanding. If you switch back and forth between these two modes, then you let your consciousness breathe. I only suggest that you take a little more time (make it last a bit longer) for the contraction part of the breathing process because like i said, it is widely used and therefore not so powerful any more.

[astralm]

@Trepkos

I was just wondering if you would mind clarifying something for me.  When you talk about 'contraction' being less powerful are you saying as an individual becomes use to using it, it loses it's power (desensitization) or are you saying that because it is widely used by others around the world this will make it less powerful for an individual from the beginning when they start using it?  Thanks

[Trepkos]

I was just wondering if you would mind clarifying something for me.  When you talk about 'contraction' being less powerful are you saying as an individual becomes use to using it, it loses it's power (desensitization) or are you saying that because it is widely used by others around the world this will make it less powerful for an individual from the beginning when they start using it?

The second one.

I will clarify it further with an analogy. In your house, you have an object, yes? But there are people over the world that possess the same object. This means that there is a connection on the quantum level between these objects. They have the same shape, color, etc... .They are like conductors of energy. If one person has a headache and expresses resentment, and this person is in the neighborhood of the object, then the feeling (electromagnetic energy) of headaches is transmitted through this object to all other identical objects. Then all the persons who possess this object, will get a headache if they are in the neighborhood of the object. But if there are a lot of objects than the energy gets dissipated and no one will feel a thing, and this is my point. The object loses its power.

Remember that the shortest distance between two points is a structural link, not a line.

Again, when a technique is used by many, it simply will not work if the intensity of the desire of the individual for a positive result is not strong enough. And believe me, in this age of information and complexity you have to develop very powerful desires (almost impossible) for a widely used technique to work, because the energy gets dissipated (it spreads to all the people possessing and exericising the technique (the source may not have enough energy for all the users)). That's why it is best to invent something original.

[Hfeline]

I've taken to the practice of moving phantom limbs as a focus during meditation rather than visualizing an object.  I'm still performing 5 minute sessions, and while it's more of a suggestion than a rule right now, I try to perform these session about four times a day. 

Reality check proves to be tenuous at best.  I haven't gotten to a point where I get and go, or where I am standing around a suddenly start checking reality.

[Lumaza]

I've taken to the practice of moving phantom limbs as a focus during meditation rather than visualizing an object.  I'm still performing 5 minute sessions, and while it's more of a suggestion than a rule right now, I try to perform these session about four times a day. 

Reality check proves to be tenuous at best.  I haven't gotten to a point where I get and go, or where I am standing around a suddenly start checking reality.

Here is a different take on "Phantom Limb focus". It works very good. http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/how_exactly_do_you_perform_the_phantom_wiggle_method-t44583.0.html

You will find that you get back from this practice in general what you put into it. I see that you understand this very concept very well Hfeline. Judging by your daily practice that you have already created, you are very close to your achieving your goal. Just remember the whole key of any AP exercise is to lose your focus on your physical body. There are many different ways to achieve that and no one way is more "right" than another. It all comes down to what you are comfortable with.

[astralm]

Here is a different take on "Phantom Limb focus". It works very good. http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/how_exactly_do_you_perform_the_phantom_wiggle_method-t44583.0.html

You will find that you get back from this practice in general what you put into it. I see that you understand this very concept very well Hfeline. Judging by your daily practice that you have already created, you are very close to your achieving your goal. Just remember the whole key of any AP exercise is to lose your focus on your physical body. There are many different ways to achieve that and no one way is more "right" than another. It all comes down to what you are comfortable with.

Thanks Lumaza that post you linked to is very much a worthwhile read.

[Hfeline]

You might be giving me too much credit.  But it is nice to know that I'm on the right track.
When I do phantom limb exercises, sometimes it itches or feels warm, or more commonly, not unlike sympathy pains.

I'm thinking of seeing a hypnotist to help me better reach deeper states consciously.  Feel free to list things I should bring up besides, making sure that s/he is familiar with phasing.

[Hfeline]

It's been a while.  There have been hassles and unfortunate events, and practicing has been the last thing on my mind.  I believe I mentioned picking a book and psychic development.  I tried out several of the techniques, but not with any noticeable change, not until I tried psychometry. 

I'd like to speak up on that a bit, and ask opinions.  First of all, the exercise goes like this:  Touch the colors, learn the colors and repeat the colors without looking.  At first, I was fifty/fifty.  At my best, I managed just under 10 wrong.  At worst, a frustrating 27.  Then predicting by suit. 

At first, during the first attempts, I would get a righteous headache accompanied by heavy dizziness.  I used to do about four rounds, but after starting to learn OBE, I slipped away from it.  I'm trying to pick up the habit again since it is probably more helpful than not, despite my scewed understanding of other people's opinions led me to believe. 

I can probably get a more colorful deck, but I was wondering what would be a good thing to increase the challenge of this exercise?  Feel free to encourage continuing this exercise, or not as your opinion may be.  And feel free to add any notes you feel I should hear.  I'll read through them.