How long did it take you to reach your first OOBE?

[Halfbreed]

i first read about it a couple of months ago... and ive been trying for awhile now and ive only suceeded once, which i kinda felt i cheated and i dont even think i reached the astral plane, it was more like a lucid dream. So im asking how long did it take you guys to successfully AP? and how long did it take?

[Werp Weg Alles]

FOREVER!!! haha literally though, forever, I've never done it...YET!

[Shuriken]

I've never done it before either. It's amazing how much faith me and Werp Weg Alles can have in something we have never done before. If I didn't have a close friend that did this kind of stuff I probably would have gave up already and classified the "astral projecting community" as the same kind of people that insist that they saw elvis or aliens or something.

[Luminoth]

i hear its relly hard to achive form metitating going through lucid dreams is much easyer you probaly messed up and didnt leave the dream world

[projektr]

A few pointers. "Belief" plays a major role in OBE's (Believe with no doubts, and have complete positivity). Don't be too thorough on techniques. Most people who achieve an OBE for the first time usually find themselves successful within an hour or two (or perhaps later during the night). Fear will also play a major role, try and control it. And like most people and authors who advise, brainwash yourself throughout the day on astral projection.
If you follow this instruction thoroughly you will succeed i'm pretty sure.

The idea of an OBE is to stay conscious whilst losing it

GL

[Werp Weg Alles]

You really think that the first time you try you'll get it??  I've been doing this now for a year, and I haven't had one OOBE...YET.  I always put yet there, because I know I'll have one, just not when I'll have one.  But, IMO I think its untrue to say that most first-timers can get it in an hour or two.

[projektr]

Sorry for my incorrect statement. What i meant was a first or so OBE is achieved usually within 1-2 hours. I do not mean you will project on the first attempt (although some claim they have).

Have you tried it for about 2 hours or more? Or did you fall asleep?

[Nay]

I do not recommend trying meditation for more than one hour and that is pushing it, IMO.  You can actually feel drained or get a headache if you push it too much.

[Werp Weg Alles]

Usually I try about an hour a day, and on the contrary to headaches I feel rejuvenated and refreshed, and that makes much more sense that the first one would be achieved with one to two hours of meditation/techniques.

[knightlight]

Took me 3 weeks practicing twice a day.

[kiwibonga]

I agree about not doing it for hours -- if you've been lying there for 30 minutes and still haven't started drifting into an altered state, you're probably too concentrated on the physical. The only way to fail that is beneficial is to fall asleep completely, otherwise you're not going deep enough, and that's not really good practice.

[projektr]

For beginners who can withstand a couple of hours trying to OBE with a strong objective of projecting, then why not. Like i mentioned earlier, don't be too thorough on techniques. As the obvious goes, if you have any medical conditions (temporary or permanent) then it would be recommended not to go ahead with it, your health and well-being is most important.

[Awakened_Mind]

My first OBE occured spontaneously. In fact, I had barely any knowledge that such an ability existed at all.

I woke up one morning in my best explanation where i was not focussed on any one thing in particular. I somehow sensed everything in my bedroom and saw it all at once in a silvery haze. Not in perfect detail but enough to recognise that a set of draws was a set of draws. How I saw the world in this state of being is up for debate amongst all projetors. The crux of this experience for me was the feeling that I was out of my body. This laid a foundation for the concept of astral projection.

My second experience was again spontaneous. This time I could see 360 degrees which, at the time, I did not fully comprehend. I was staring at my little brother who was at my bedroom door and then I fell quickly back into my body and opened my eyes staring directly at him.

Now hopefully what I have so far said has laid a conceptual foundation for you as my first experiences did for me.

Since astral projection can occur spontaneously as well as consciously, it can be explained that conscious projection is gaining some control over an entirely natural process. One need merely look into the vast degree of literature and observe the millions of claims worldwide of projection to see that the "delusion" assumption is entirely false. Or at least, incomplete. Astral Projection is a very real, and NATURAL process.

You'll notice that everyone has their own preferred way of exit. It is obvious in our expression of OBE'S how subjective they are. For some people exit may take a month, 2 weeks or 5 minutes. Whatever method you decide to put into action is not guaranteed to be the one that will assist you in a successful exit the fastest. What is certain however, is that if you put no methods into action your chances of projection will fall dramatically. Just keep trying.

I hope this helps.

-AM

[Psygnus]

It took me 1 week of about 2 - 3 hours of practice at night. I would start at 10pm and usually stop around 12am or 1am. I had gained lots of intrest in the idea of OBE about 4 or 5 weeks prior. I knew of them but never knew they could be self induced. We were Catholics prior to my "mini awakening".  My wife was reading a book called "Conversations with God" and would tell me about all these wonderful ideas she was learning. One day when I came home from work she read me a few paragraphs and it mentioned how we had the ability to leave our bodies. This triggered something in me and lead me to research OBE. a week or 2 later I bought "Astral Dynamics" and read it entirely. I practiced N.E.W. for about a week. Then I started to attempt a full blown OBE. I was very excited and REALLY inspired to make it happen. After some good results from N.E.W. and feeling the symptoms described in the book and web I was convinced that it was possible and that I was on the right track.

My first OBE was the most vivid/clear, visual and auditory OBE experience I have had to date. It was amazing. Once I came out of it I wrote it all down. I think I was helped because right when I separated I saw a clear shadow of a hand casted on the wall. It got scared and jumped straight through the ceiling.

[Steel Hawk]

Took me 10 years, lol. But it was worth it. It will probably take me another 10 years before I get to be a novice at it. I guess I'm a slow learner, and afraid of the spirit world. I have learned a lot though and I'm not disappointed it took so long. It just made me study everything I could. Which was good for me, it changed my lifes path entirely. Life is like a rose, it keeps many secrets and behind each petal there is always a new one. *winks*

[Lysear]

It took me a couple of months before astral projection really permeated my dream conciousness, then i had random projections from dreams, becoming lucid, then feeling the vibrational state. Mostly, when I am out of my body, I cannot open my eyes fully, it is a very similar feeling to when you first wake up to a bright light, you squint. I have an astral squint! It was only 2 nights ago that I conquered this astral squint to some degree. Usually when I have this squint in a dream, it is a hint that I am really in a semi-concious projection.
   Somebody mentioned fear. I believe conquering this fear and commiting a really brave, or michaelic deed (the dude who conquered Ahriman on the spiritual plane according to R. Steiner,) if you will, is one of the key requirments for projection. This requires a real change in perspective and attitude in general, this can only occur over a period of years of enriched living, with an awareness of the spiritual foundations behind everything that is physical. Hope this helps a bit, I do have a tendency to go on a bit. So now I'll stop, this is me stopping. There I stopped. Shite, no I didnt, this is it.