What did I do?

[lucidexplorer]

I haven't yet astral projected (that I know of), and I've only lucid dreamed a couple of times. About a year ago I started getting into this, and after getting very close and experiencing some things before separation when attempting to project, I freaked out, and it has taken me this long to get back into trying and overcome that fear.

For the past week or two I've altered my daily routine to hopefully increase my chances of a lucid dream, and I've also made several attempts at a conscious astral projection. Many times I've gotten to the point of my heart rate rapidly increasing, my eyes fluttering, and a pulling feeling or disorientation. Till a few days ago I had never gotten past this part.

But recently I had begun to relax on my couch, laying lengthwise and sitting up a little. I relaxed as deeply as I could, trying to put my body to sleep, then I envisioned myself (or more like, reoriented my perception) as laying the opposite direction on the couch. Whenever I do something like this I notice a pull in the direction that I'm imagining.

This time I stuck with it. I kept imagining what I would see and feel if I were laying the other direction. The pull got stronger and the heart rate symptoms, etc, got more intense. I managed to maintain my concentration and then in an instant the symptoms stopped. It was no longer a struggle to envision myself in this new orientation. I could still feel and sense my body, but in my mind I was experiencing both orientations with ease. All I felt and heard now was an intense buzzing/vibrating at a point on the top of my head. I still felt that if I opened my eyes or attempted to move, that my body would react and I would be pulled out of it.

So what did I do? Did I project? What should/could I have done at this point? It was pretty bizarre, but I felt like I had made a new step forward, since I've never made it beyond the heart beat/eye fluttering/dizziness symptoms before.

[AAAAAAAA]

Yup. you were closer. The vibrations mean that you're almost ready to get out.

[Xanth]

I haven't yet astral projected (that I know of), and I've only lucid dreamed a couple of times.

The bolded part means you HAVE projected. 
So now you know you can and have done it.

About a year ago I started getting into this, and after getting very close and experiencing some things before separation when attempting to project, I freaked out, and it has taken me this long to get back into trying and overcome that fear.

You'll definitely have to learn to push on past that if you wish to progress.  THIS is your test.

For the past week or two I've altered my daily routine to hopefully increase my chances of a lucid dream,

Here is an article I wrote for my website giving you some tips on how you can increase the chances of becoming aware while you're already sleep.
http://www.unlimitedboundaries.ca/2012/02/13/how-to-increase-your-chances-of-having-lucid-awareness-experiences-lucid-dreams/

and I've also made several attempts at a conscious astral projection. Many times I've gotten to the point of my heart rate rapidly increasing, my eyes fluttering, and a pulling feeling or disorientation. Till a few days ago I had never gotten past this part.

That's the fear test I've spoke about above. 

But recently I had begun to relax on my couch, laying lengthwise and sitting up a little. I relaxed as deeply as I could, trying to put my body to sleep, then I envisioned myself (or more like, reoriented my perception) as laying the opposite direction on the couch. Whenever I do something like this I notice a pull in the direction that I'm imagining.

This time I stuck with it. I kept imagining what I would see and feel if I were laying the other direction. The pull got stronger and the heart rate symptoms, etc, got more intense. I managed to maintain my concentration and then in an instant the symptoms stopped. It was no longer a struggle to envision myself in this new orientation. I could still feel and sense my body, but in my mind I was experiencing both orientations with ease. All I felt and heard now was an intense buzzing/vibrating at a point on the top of my head. I still felt that if I opened my eyes or attempted to move, that my body would react and I would be pulled out of it.

So what did I do? Did I project? What should/could I have done at this point? It was pretty bizarre, but I felt like I had made a new step forward, since I've never made it beyond the heart beat/eye fluttering/dizziness symptoms before.

Let's start with this statement, "Whatever you can experience is real."
What does that mean?  Well, it means that if you experienced yourself in two different orientations... then that was real.  Obviously someone staring at your physical body while you are experiencing this would venomously disagree with you.  LoL  But then, that doesn't mean anything, because YOU HAD the experience.  It's real.

They're all signs that you're going about this the right way.  What you need now is to deepen that awareness... move it deeper, further away from everything physical.  Keep focusing on what you're doing though, you're doing fine.    Ignore the heart beat/eye fluttering/dizziness stuff... ALLOW yourself to move past it.

[lucidexplorer]

Xanth -
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I'll keep at it. At this point I've gotten so used to all the strange symptoms that I actually welcome it, because I know that means I'm going in the right direction. At first it threw me off quite a bit, but now I know what to expect. The thing that really messed with me a year ago was not only the rapid heartbeat, but on one occasion I experienced the old hag, where I suddenly felt massive pressure on my chest, and another time when I felt pulling on my ankles. A year later I'm much more determined than before, so I'll be sure to report back when I finally have my first astral experience.

[Szaxx]

Have a read,

http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences/everything_you_could_ever_want_to_know_about_sleep_paralysis-t38734.0.html

[Xanth]

Xanth -
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I'll keep at it. At this point I've gotten so used to all the strange symptoms that I actually welcome it, because I know that means I'm going in the right direction. At first it threw me off quite a bit, but now I know what to expect. The thing that really messed with me a year ago was not only the rapid heartbeat, but on one occasion I experienced the old hag, where I suddenly felt massive pressure on my chest, and another time when I felt pulling on my ankles. A year later I'm much more determined than before, so I'll be sure to report back when I finally have my first astral experience.

As Szaxx suggests, read that thread about sleep paralysis.

It's the source of the "old hag" stuff you read about.  It's nothing more than you becoming aware of the sensation of a COMPLETELY RELAXED body.  It's something you've never felt before... feels like a lead blanket over you, making it FEEL like something is on your chest.  Just stay calm and you'll be fine.