how to .?

[Jlrchrd2]

I've been meditating for about a year now and without really knowing what astral projection was i always knew i wanted to "go" somewhere and do something and that meditation was the process leading to that somewhere...so i'm guessing astral travel is the destination. Does anyone have a good method to start out with? i have some fear but i think i'm ready to at least step foot in a method or two.. I'd greatly appreciate any advice or tips!
-J

[Steel Hawk]

I think what helped me when I was first starting out was body awareness exercises. Trying to feel your energy body and try to loosen your etheric double by swaying it back and forth. Also, the terms OBE and Astral Projection often get confused. I don't really care what's right or wrong but in my book:

OBE = Etheric Plane Projection -- e.g. your still in the physical world but not in your body
Astral Projection = Your no longer in the physical world and not in your body

Each one has it's own best method, but nothing is guaranteed. The best technique for you is the technique that works.

How do you determine which one might work the best?

1. Close Eyes.
2. Imagine the following and try to limit it to one sense (sight, hearing, tasting, feeling, smelling)

• A) SEE that you are pulling yourself up a rope
• B) FEEL that you are pulling yourself up a rope with your eyes closed
• C) HEAR a faint voice or ringing noise growing louder
• D) SMELL the fresh scent of cookies growing stronger
• E) TASTE sweet strawberries getting sweeter

3. Based on A-E will determine you natural affinity to any technique. Which ever one is experienced the most realistic AND that you can hold the LONGEST will be the type of technique you need.

Preparation

You should start doing these exercises during the work / school day while practicing AP/OBE during the early morning or late evening.

1. Energy Work / Breathing / Yoga. The "Energy Circuit" by Robert Bruce is an excellent example. This also works by enhancing your affinity for "FEELING" AP/OBE techniques.

2. Visualization. Try picturing an apple in your head, hold the image for as long as you can. Now spin it around, make it shine and be reflective. Experiment with different visualizations, imagine how it would look, taste, feel, how it smells.

Secondary: The easiest and most important to increase your "SEEING", take mental snap shots of what you see now. Close your eyes and try to recreate the scene. Open them see what things you missed. You can do this for 10 seconds at random parts of the day.

3. Fear. You said you have fear. Having fear is dangerous to your success, it means there's a good chance you'll freak out when you finally experience something "OMG THIS IS REAL I'M FREAKING DYING!" and abort the projection. Do you understand how realistic this work is? Trust me you don't. Drill it into your head that it will feel as real as this does now.

Your first time out can be so real and confusing that you don't even realize your out. Not everyone (including me) sees when the first start projecting. This can lead to you thinking that a ghost has decided to pick your real body out of bed and you are now floating 10 feet in the air. You may and probably will hear voices as realistic as real voices. Your heart may feel like it's beating so fast that if you don't stop it will explode.

4. Be prepared to die. Seriously, decide if this is worth dying over. In fact know that you will die. It needs to be that strong for you to push on. Accept it. You don't have to, like everyone else getting half way out and freaking out is a normal way for people to learn. But if you can be one of the few that goes past this then you will get further faster. You won't really die (probably), but you'll think you're going to.

5. What is meditation? My version is shutting your mind up for random thoughts. You need this ability and it helps when you're trying to remain calm.

6. Program the subconscious nightly, pray or affirm that you are ready to have an OBE -- or just have the overwhelming desire to do so. Does this step help or not? I don't know but I did it.

Technique

1. Clear Mind.
2. Achieve Body Paralysis.
3. Use appropriate technique from above. You should know 10 of them. Experiment.

All techniques engage the imagination, I think the brain decides that nobody is home once we start focusing on the imagination while the body has been disengaged / in paralysis.

4. Do not try too hard. The technique you come should be like when a dream first starts, it's interesting and engulfs your mind.

You still probably won't be able to "get out" yet, only when the vibrations hit (you'll know when that happens) should you really push your trying -- you have about a 10-30 second window before they stop. If you miss it then you miss it -- too bad try again tomorrow.

Good luck,

Everything I said is wrong.

[Lionheart]

 If you don't like the rope or climbing out of the body technique you could try turning your eyes upwards and just focus on noticing. Just make sure that you don't turn your eyes too much upwards, otherwise you will get a brain/eye spasm. I find Phasing to be much easier and quicker than actually climbing out. It all has to do on your focal point anyways.

[light487]

I actually find looking "down" towards my chest works better for me.. just seem to get "deeper" into my consciousness looking in that direction.

One thing I am wondering about the "rolling out" technique is.. should I try to move as if I was moving my physical body? Or should I be imagining/willing/thinking my body to roll over?