Step-By-Step Guide to Having an OBE

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[Whirlwind]

The following is an except from Robert A. Monroe's first book, Journeys Out of the Body:

THE FEAR BARRIER

There is one great obstacle to the investigation of the Second Body and
the environment in which it operates. Perhaps it is the only major
barrier. It seems to be present in all people, without exception. It may
be hidden by layers of inhibition and conditioning, but when these are
stripped away, the obstacle remains. This is the barrier of blind, un-
reasoning fear. Given only small impetus, it turns to panic, and then to
terror. If you consciously pass the fear barrier, you will have passed a
milestone in your investigation, I am reasonably sure that this barrier is
passed unconsciously by many of us each night. When that part of us beyond
our consciousness takes over, it is not inhibited by fear, although it seems to
be influenced by the thought and action of the conscious mind. It seems to be
accustomed to operating beyond the fear barrier, and understands better the
rules of existence in this other world. When the conscious mind shuts down for
the night, this Super Mind (soul?) takes over.

The investigative process relative to the Second Body and its
environment appears to be a melding or blending of the conscious with
this Super Mind. If this is accomplished, the fear barrier is overcome.
The fear barrier is many-faceted. The most fearless of us think it does
not exist, until, much to our own surprise, we encounter it within
ourselves. First and foremost, there is the death fear. Because
separation from the physical body is much like what is expected at
death, early reactions to the experience are automatic. You think, "Get
back in the physical, quickly! You are dying! Life is there, in the
physical; get back in!"

These reactions appear in spite of any intellectual or emotional
training. Only after repeating the process eighteen to twenty times did
I finally gather enough courage (and curiosity) to stay out more than a
few seconds and observe objectively. The death fear was either
sublimated or assuaged by familiarity. Others who have tried the
technique have stopped after the first or second experience, unable to
suppress this first aspect of the barrier.

The second aspect of the fear barrier is also linked with the death
fear: will I be able to return to the physical or to get back "in." With
no guidelines or specific instructions, this remained a prime fear of
mine for several years, until I found a simple answer that made it work
every time. Mine was a matter of rationalization. I had been "out"
several hundred times, and the evidence showed that I was able to return
safely one way or another. Therefore, the probability was that I would
return safely the next time also.

The third basic fear was fear of the unknown. The rules and dangers of
our physical environment can be determined to a reasonable degree. We
have spent our lifetime building up reflexes to cope with them. Now,
suddenly, here is another, completely different set of rules, another
world of entirely different possibilities, populated by beings who seem
to know all of them. You have no rule book, no road map, no book of
etiquette, no applicable courses in physics and chemistry, no
incontrovertible authority you can turn to for advice and answers. Many
a missionary has been lulled in a remote land under just such
conditions!

I must confess that this third fear still crops up, and with
justification. The unknown is still to a great degree unknown. Such
penetration as I have made has brought forth pitifully few unalterable
and consistent rules, I can say only that, to date, I have survived
these expeditions. There is so much that I do not comprehend or
understand, and more that is beyond my ability to do so.

Another fear is the consequent effects on the physical body as well as
on the conscious mind of participation and experimentation in this form
of activity. This too is very real, as our history, at least to my
knowledge, does not seem to contain accurate reporting of this area. We
have studies on paranoia, schizophrenia, phobias, epilepsy, alcoholism,
sleeping sickness, acne, virus diseases, etc., but no assembled body of
objective data on the pathology of the Second Body.

I do not know how to circumvent the fear barrier, except by cautious
initial steps that create familiarity bit by bit as you proceed. I hope
this writing in its entirety will provide the psychological "step" over
the barrier. It may help to recognize conditions and patterns that are
familiar in that at least one person has had similar experiences and
survived.

The following are the necessary procedural developments.

1.   RELAXATION
The ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first
step itself. It is deliberately generated, and is both physical and
mental. Included with the condition of relaxation must be the relief
from any sense of time urgency. You cannot be in a hurry. No pending
appointments or anticipated calls for your services or attention must
clutter up your thoughts. Impatience of any sort can effectively stifle
your prospects for success.
There are many techniques available for obtaining this kind of
relaxation, and a number of good books cover the subject Simply select
the method that works best for you. There are three general methods that
seem to work, two of which are applicable in these exercises.
Auto- or self-hypnosis. Most self-study books offer this method in
different versions. Again, it is a matter of which is most effective for
you individually. The most efficient and speediest way is to learn self-
hypnosis through the training of an experienced hypnotist. He can set up
posthypnotic suggestion that will bring immediate results. However,
select a tutor with care. Responsible practitioners are rare, and
neophytes numerous. Forms of meditation can be converted to effective
relaxation.

Borderland sleep state. This is perhaps the easiest and most natural
method and usually ensures relaxation of both body and mind
simultaneously. The difficulty here lies in the maintenance of that
delicate "edge" between sleep and complete wakefulness. AH too often,
you simply fall asleep- and that ends the experiment for the moment.
By practice, conscious awareness can be taken up to this borderland
state, into it, and through it, to your destination. There is no way to
achieve it that I know of other than practice. The technique is as
follows: he down, preferably when you are tired and sleepy. As you
become relaxed and start to drift off into sleep, hold your mental
attention on something, anything, with your eyes closed. Once you can
hold the borderland state indefinitely without falling asleep, you have
passed the first stage. It is, however, a normal pattern to fall asleep
many times in the process of this consciousness deepening. You will not
be able to help yourself, but do not let this discourage you. It is not
an overnight process. You will know you are successful when you become
bored and expect something more to happen.

If attempts to remain at the borderland state make you nervous, this too
is a normal reaction. The conscious mind seems to resent sharing the
authority it has during wakeful-ness. If this occurs, break the
relaxation, get up and walk around, exercise, and lie down again. If
this does not relieve the nervousness, go to sleep and try another time.
You are just not in the mood.

When your "fixative," the picture thought you have been holding, slips
away and you find yourself thinking of something else, you are close to
completion of Condition A.

Once you have achieved Condition A-the ability to hold calmly in the
borderland state indefinitely with your mind on an exclusive thought-you
are ready for the next step. Condition B is similar, but with the
concentration eliminated. Do not think of anything, but remain poised
between wakefulness and sleep. Simply look through your closed eyes at
the blackness ahead of you. Do nothing more. After a number of these
exercises, you may hallucinate "mind pictures," or light patterns. These
seem to have no great significance, and may merely be forms of neural
discharge. I can remember, for example, attempting to achieve this state
after watching a football game on TV for several hours. All I saw were mind
pictures of football players tackling, running, passing, etc. It took at least a
half hour for the pattern to fade away. These mind pictures are apparently
related to your visual concentration in the preceding eight or ten hours. The
more intense the concentration, the longer it seems to take to eliminate the
impressions.

You have accomplished Condition B when you are able to lie indefinitely
after the impressions have faded away, with no nervousness, and seeing
nothing but blackness.

Condition C is a systematic deepening of consciousness while in the B
state. This is approached by carefully letting go of your rigid hold on
the borderland sleep edge and drifting deeper little by little during
each exercise. You will learn to establish degrees, of this deepening of
consciousness by "going down" to a given level and returning at will.
You will recognize these degrees by the shutting down of various sensory
mechanism inputs. The sense of touch apparently goes first. You seem to
have no feeling in any part of your body. Smell and taste soon follow.
The auditory signals are next, and the last to fade out is vision.
(Sometimes the last two are reversed; I suspect that the reason for
vision being last is that the exercise calls for the use of the visual
network, even in blackness.)

Condition D is the achievement of C when one is fully rested and
refreshed, rather than tired and sleepy, at the beginning of the
exercise. This is quite important, and not nearly as easy to achieve as
it is to write about. To enter the relaxation state full of energy and
wakefulness is great insurance for maintaining conscious control. The
best approach to take in the early attempts at the Condition D exercise
is to start it immediately after you wake up from a nap or a night's
sleep. Start the exercise before you move around in bed physically,
while your body is still relaxed from sleep and your mind is fully
alert. Don't take too many liquids before sleeping, and you won't have
the immediate need to empty your bladder upon awakening.
Induction by drugs. None of the relaxation-producing drugs that are
readily available seem to help. Barbiturates force a loss of conscious
control and only bring a confused state in deeper consciousness. The
same is true, to a lesser degree, of tranquilizers. Relaxation is
obtained, but at the cost of perception. Alcohol in any form brings
similar effects. More exotic compounds such as the alkaloids and
hallucinogens may be more productive, I have not had enough experience
or contact with these to offer an opinion or even an educated guess. It
would seem that far-reaching research is indicated for these.
I have utilized all three methods, and rejected drug relaxation quite
early as it resulted in both too much loss of conscious control and
distorted perception. In the first technique, hypnotic induction tapes
were specially prepared for the experiments. They were quite useful and
effective. The borderland sleep state techniques have been employed most
often. In spite of the complicated-sounding procedure, it is the most
natural method for me.

2.  STATE OF VIBRATION
The generation of this effect is the most critical of all. The
subjective sensory impression it creates is described elsewhere. Once it
is achieved, you will certainly not have to be told you've been
successful, and you will have passed another major hurdle.
All that can be given are clues. At the present level of knowledge, it
is not known why these things work. It is much like turning a switch to
obtain light without having any idea of what the switch does, where the
electricity comes from, or why and how it acts upon a bulb enclosing
tungsten filaments.

At the least, all of the material contained herein has been established
as empirically as possible. Aside from the principal human laboratory- this
writer-several other individuals have tried the pattern. Suffice it
to say that they have obtained positive results.
Aids to the vibrational state. Lie down, in whatever position is most
conducive to your state of relaxation, but with your body along a north-
south axis, with your head to magnetic north. Loosen any clothes you may
be wearing. Keep covered so that you feel just slightly wanner than is
generally comfortable for you. Remove any jewelry or metal objects close
to or touching your skin. Be sure that your arms, legs, and neck will
relax in a position that will not impede circulation. Darken the room
enough to ensure that no light can be seen through your eyelids. Do not
use a completely blacked-out room, as you will then have no visual point
of reference.

Absolute requisites. Ensure without question that you will not be
disturbed in any way, either by direct physical intervention, a phone
ringing, or other interrupting noises. Do not set a time limit or a
deadline. The time you spend in the experiment is not more valuably
spent elsewhere and you should have nothing impending that might cut
short this activity.

Achieve the state of relaxation. Do this by whatever method you have
found workable in your own individual case. Work to Condition D or its
equivalent, and hold at the deepest level of relaxation possible without
weakening your consciousness. When you have taken as much time as you
need to be sure you have obtained this, mentally repeat, "I will
consciously perceive and remember all that I encounter during this
relaxation period. I will recall in detail when I am completely awake
only those matters that will be beneficial to my physical and mental
being." Say this mentally five times. Then begin breathing through your
half-opened mouth.

Establish the vibration waves. As you continue breathing through your
half-opened mouth, concentrate on the blackness in front of your closed
eyes. Look first into the blackness at a spot a foot away from your
forehead. Now move your point of concentration to three feet away, and
then six feet. Hold for a while until the point is firmly established.
From there, turn the point 90° upward, on a line parallel to the body
axis and reaching out above the head. Reach for the vibrations at that
spot. When you find them, mentally pull them back into your head.
This simple description must pose many questions. Reach out with what?
Pull -what back into your head? Let us try another method of
explanation. Begin a mental concentration, as if two lines were
extending from the outer sides of your closed eyes. Think of them as
converging at a point a foot away from your forehead. Visualize a
resistance or pressure when these two lines meet, as if two charged
electric wires were joined, or poles of a magnet forced together. Now
extend this juncture outward to about three feet, or the length of your
arm outstretched. Due to the angular difference, the pressure pattern is
altered. A compression of the space (forces?) between the converging
lines must result, and the pressure must therefore increase to maintain
the convergence. After the three-foot length has been established and
held, extend the intersection point out to six feet away from your head,
or 30°. (So that you can properly visualize the exact angle that
represents 30°, it may help to mark off a 30° angle by protractor on
paper and memorize bow it looks.)

Once you have learned to establish and maintain the 30° angle outward
(or roughly six feet away), bend the point of intersection 90° (or in an
"L") upward in the direction of your head but parallel to the axis of
your body. You "reach" with this point of intersection. Stretch or reach
with this point more and more, until you obtain a reaction. Again, you
will know when you obtain it It is as if a surging, hissing,
rhythmically pulsating wave of fiery sparks comes roaring into your
head. From there it seems to sweep throughout your body, making it
rigid and immobile. Once you have learned the process, or the concept, it
will not be necessary to go through the entire routine. You need only to think of
the vibrations while in a relaxed state, and they come into being. A
conditioned reflex has been established, or a neuron path that can be
followed again and again, Again, it is not a technique that can be
achieved the first time it is tried. The probability of success
increases with each successive effort. The more often you attempt it,
the more likely you are to have positive results. However, once you have
succeeded, it is not always repeatable at will. There are still many
variables that interfere which have yet to be isolated and identified.
But it does "work" often enough to be subject to continued study.

3.   CONTROL  OF  VIBRATIONS
When you have obtained the vibrational state, there are definite
guidelines to follow. The utilization of this condition under conscious
control is the goal you are seeking. To accomplish this, there are
careful procedures to observe. They should, of course, be followed in
sequence, in the order presented.

There is no evidence to indicate that this vibrational state has a
deleterious effect on either the mind or the physical body. Here, then,
are some procedures that can be applied systematically. They are a
distillate of literally hundreds of trial-and-error experiments.
Acclimatization and accommodation. This is a way of saying that you
should let yourself get accustomed to the feel of this unusual
condition. All fear and panic must be eliminated when you feel waves
like an electric shock without pain permeating your body. The best
method seems to be to do nothing when they occur. Lie quietly and
objectively analyze them until they fade away of their own accord. This
usually takes place in about five minutes. After several such
experiences, you will realize you are not being electrocuted. Try to
avoid panicky struggling to break the paralytic condition. You can break
it by sitting up with great force of will, but you will be disappointed
with yourself for doing so. After all, this was what you were trying to
achieve.

Manipulation and modulation. Once you have eliminated the fear
reactions, you are ready for control steps. First, mentally "direct" the
vibrations into a ring, or force them all into your head. Then mentally
push them down along your body to your toes, then back up to your head.
Start them sweeping in a wave over your body rhythmically, from head to
toes and then back again. After you have given the wave momentum, let it
proceed of its own accord until it fades away. It should take about ten
seconds-five down, five back-for the wave to make the complete circuit,
from head to toes and back. Practice this until the vibration wave
begins instantly upon mental command, and moves steadily until fade-out.
By this time, you will have noticed the "roughness" of the vibrations at
times, as if your body is being severely shaken right down to the
molecular or atomic level. This may be somewhat uncomfortable, and you
will feel a desire to "smooth" them out. This is accomplished by
"pulsing" them mentally to increase their frequency. Their original
vibratory rate seems to be on the order of some twenty-seven cycles per
second (this is the rate of the vibration itself, not the head-to-toe
frequency). The pattern responds to this pulsing command very subtly and
slowly at first. Your first indication of success is when the vibrations
no longer seem rough and shaking. You are well on your way to control
when they produce a steady, solid effect.

It is essential that you learn and apply this speed-up process. The
faster vibration effect is the form that permits disassociation from the
physical. Once you have set the momentum of the speed-up, the
acceleration seems to take place automatically. Eventually, you may sense
the vibrations only as they begin. They will increase their frequency-like a
motor starting up-until the frequency is so high that you are unable to
perceive it. At this phase, the sensory effect is one
of body warmth, slightly tingling, but not excessively so. Consistent
achievement of this stage is the sign that you are ready for the first
physical disassociation experiments. Another word of warning is in order
here. Beyond this point, I believe you cannot turn back. Ultimately, you
will be committed to the reality of this other existence. How this will
affect your personality, your daily life, your future, and your
philosophies rests entirely with you as an individual. For once you have
been "opened" to this other reality, you cannot completely shut it out
again, try as you might. The pressure of material affairs may sublimate
it for a time, but it will return. You cannot always stay on guard
against its reopening. As you start to sleep or awaken, when you merely
relax, the vibrational surge may come without call. You can shut it off,
of course, but eventually you become too tired to bother-and you are off
on another excursion. You sense that you are fighting against yourself.
And who wants to fight one's self-at the price of a good night's sleep!

4. THE SEPARATION PROCESS
After you have achieved the state of vibration and some control of your
stage of relaxation, one additional factor must be considered. It is
probable that you have already obtained it, since it is ordinarily a
product of the previous exercises. However, it should be emphasized.
This factor is thought control. In the state of vibration, you are
apparently subject to every thought, both willful and involuntary, that
crosses your mind. Thus you must be as close to "no thought" or "single
thought" (concentration) as possible. If one stray idea passes through
your mind, you respond instantly, and sometimes in an undesirable
manner. I suspect that one is never completely free of such misdirection.
At least I have not been, which may account for the many
inexplicable trips to places and people I do not know. They seem to be
triggered by thoughts or ideas I didn't realize I had, below the
conscious level. The only approach is to do the best you can.
With this in mind, the first practices of disassociating the Second from
the physical body should be limited in time and action. What follows is
designed basically as a familiarization and orientation technique which
should permit an approach to disassociation without fear or concern.
Release of extremities. This serves to acquaint you with the sensation
of the Second Body without full commitment. After relaxation and
creation of the vibration state, work with either your right or left
hand and arm, one at a time. This is important, as it will be your first
affirmation of the reality of the Second. With one hand, reach for any
object-floor, wall, door, or whatever-that you remember as being beyond
the reach of your physical arm. Reach for that object. Make the reaching
process neither upward nor downward, but out in the direction your arm
is pointing. Reach as if you were stretching your arm, not raising or
lowering it. A variation is simply to reach out with the hand and arm in
the same manner with no special object in mind. Often this method is
better, as you then have no preconceived idea of what you will "feel."
When you reach out in this fashion and feel nothing, push your hand a
little farther. Keep pushing gently, as if stretching your arm, until
your hand encounters some material object. If the vibration pattern is
in effect, it will work, and your hand will eventually feel or touch
something. When it does, examine with your sense of touch the physical
details of the object. Feel for any cracks, grooves, or unusual details
which you will later be able to identify. At this point, nothing will
seem unusual. Your sensory mechanisms will tell you that you are
touching the object with your physical hand.

Here, then, is your first test. After acquainting yourself with the
object with your outstretched hand, straighten out your hand and push
against the object with your fingertips. You will encounter resistance
at first. Push a little harder, and gently overcome the resistance you
feel. At this point, your hand will seem to go right through the object.
Keep pushing until your hand is completely through the object and meets
some other physical object. Identify the second object by touch. Then
carefully withdraw your hand, back through the first object, and slowly
back to normal, so that it feels as if it is where it "belongs."
With this, decrease the vibrations. The best way to do this is slowly to
attempt to move the physical body. Think of the physical body, and open
your physical eyes. Bring back your physical senses, deliberately.
Once the vibrations have faded away completely, lie still for a few
minutes for full and complete return. Then get up and make a notation of
the object which you "felt," locating it relative to the position of
your hand and arm when you were lying down. Note the details of both the
first and second objects which you felt. Having done this, compare your
description with the actual first object Make special note of small
details which you could not have seen from a distance. Physically feel the
object to compare it with what you felt under the vibrations.

Examine the second object in the same manner. You may not have been
consciously aware of its presence or position prior to the experiment.
This too is important Test the line of direction from the place where
your physical hand lay, through the first object and up to the second.
Is it a straight line?

Check your results. Was the first object you touched physically located
at a distance it would have been absolutely impossible to reach without
physical movement? Did the details of the object-especially the minute
details-coincide with the notes you have made? Make the same comparison
for the second object.

If your answers are affirmative, you have had your first success. If the
facts do not check out, try again another day. Almost without
qualification, if you have produced the vibrational state, you can
perform this exercise.

You can also practice the following quite easily. After producing the
vibrational state, lying on your back, arms either at your sides or on
your chest, gently lift your arms without looking at them and touch your
fingers together. Do this quite casually, abstractedly, and remember the
sensory results. Once you have clasped your hands above your chest, look
at them first with your closed eyes. If you have moved easily enough,
you will see both physical and non-physical arms. Your physical arms
will be at rest at your sides or upon your chest. The sensory
impressions will be with the non-physical arms and hands above your
physical body. You should test this phenomenon as many times as you
wish, however you desire. Prove to yourself that you are moving not your
physical arms, but something else. Do it by whatever means are necessary
to give you full assurance of this reality.

It is important always to return your non-physical arms to full
conjunction with their physical counterparts before "shutting off" the
vibration state. Although there may be no severe aftereffect if this is
not done, I think it best not to find out in the early stages.

Disassociation technique. The simplest method to use in separating from
the physical is the "lift-out" procedure. The intent here is not to
travel to far-off places, but to get acquainted with the sensation in
your own room, with familiar surroundings. The reason for this is that
the first true experience will then be examined and explored with
identifiable points of reference.

In order to assist in this orientation, it is better that these first
complete disassociation exercises be conducted during daylight. Test for
yourself your needs in regard to the amount of light in the room. Avoid
using an electric light if possible.

To establish the condition, achieve the vibrational state, and maintain
complete control of your thought processes. You are going to stay only
in the confines of your familiar room. Think of getting lighter, of
floating upward, of how nice it would be to float upward. Be sure to
think how nice it would be, as the subjective associated thought is most
important. You want to do this because it is something you will respond
to emotionally; you react even before the act, in anticipation. If you
continue to hold only these thoughts, you will disassociate and float
gently upward from your physical. You may not achieve it the first time,
or the second. But quite surely, if you have accomplished the preceding
exercises, you will achieve it.

A second method is the "rotation" technique, which has been mentioned
elsewhere. Under the same prescribed conditions, slowly try to turn
over, just as if you were turning over in bed to be more comfortable.
Make no attempt to help yourself rotate with either arms or legs. Start
turning by twisting the top of your body, your head and shoulders,
first. By all means move slowly, exerting gentle but firm pressure. If
you do not, you may become loose and actually spin like a log rolling
in water before you can alter the pressure. Such action is disconcerting
only because you may lose all orientation and be forced to find your way
back carefully in rotation juncture.

The ease with which you begin to turn, with no friction or sense of
weight, will inform you that you have begun to succeed in
disassociating. As this happens, turn slowly until you feel that you
have moved 180° (i.e., face to face with your physical body). It is
uncanny how you will recognize this position. This 180° about face is
merely two 90° turns, and without orientation, it is easy to sense,
Once you are in the 180° position, stop the rotation merely by thinking
of doing so. Without hesitation, think of floating upward, backing up
away from the physical body. Again, if you have reached the vibrational
state successfully, this method will surely bring results.

Of the two separation techniques, the first should be tried before the
second. Then, after both have been examined and tested, the one that
seems easiest to you should be utilized. Local experiments and
familiarization. Once you have succeeded in the separation process, it
is most important for your own objective continuity that you remain in
complete control. The only possible way to do this seems to be by
staying close to the physical in the early stages. Whatever you may feel
emotionally, keep in close proximity to the physical.

This admonition is made not because of any known danger, but so that you
will maintain a step-by-step familiarity and thus perceive for yourself
exactly what is taking place. Wild, uncontrolled trips at this stage may
well produce uncomfortable situations and conditions that will force you
to re-learn much of what you have already achieved. The process of
mental acclimation will be different from any you have ever consciously
experienced The gradual adaptation will greatly enhance your peace of
mind and confidence.

At this point, the principal exercise is to return. Keep your separation
distance no more than three feet away, hovering over the physical. Do
not make any attempt at this time to move laterally or farther "up." How
do you know how far away you are? Again, this is something you sense.
Your vision now is zero. You have conditioned yourself not to open your
eyes, and let them remain closed for the moment. Stay close to the
physical. The mental concept of this will keep you in proper range.
For the next three or four exercises, do nothing but practice getting
"out" and returning to the physical. To return under these conditions,
merely "think" yourself back into the physical, and you will return. If
you have used the first method of separation, the reintegration is
relatively simple. When you are back in exact alignment, you will be
able to move any portion of the physical body and reactivate any or all
of your physical senses. Each time you return, open your physical eyes
and physically sit up so that you know you are completely "back
together." This is to ensure orientation, to instill confidence that you
can return at will, and most important, to assure yourself of continued
contact with the material world in which you now belong. Whatever you
believe, this reassurance is most necessary.
If you have applied the rotation method, move slowly back toward the
physical, again by thinking of it, and when you feel you have made
complete contact, start your rotation back 180° to conjunction with the
physical. It seems to make no difference whether you continue the circle
of rotation or reverse and turn back in a motion opposite to that which
helped you release.

In both techniques, there seems to be a slight, click-like jerk when you
are again in conjunction with the physical. An exact description of this
sensation is quite difficult, but you will recognize it. Always wait a
few moments before sitting up after you have returned, primarily to
avoid any possible uneasiness. Give yourself some time to readjust to
the physical environment. The physical act of sitting up provides
evidence of continuity in a demonstrable form; you will know that you can
consciously, willfully act in a physical movement interspersed with
experiments in the non-physical environment and retain conscious
awareness throughout the process.

You will have completed the cycle when you are able to separate, return
to the physical, sit up and note the time, go back to the separation
process, and return to the physical a second time, all without loss of
conscious continuity. The notation of the clock reading will help in
this.

The next step in familiarization is to separate to a slightly farther
distance, applying the same procedures. Any distance up to ten feet will
do. Always keep mental concentration on a single purpose without stray
thought patterns, especially in these extended exercises. After you have
become accustomed to the feeling of being more "apart," mentally tell
yourself that you can see. Do not think of the act of opening your eyes,
as this may well transmit you to the physical and diminish the
vibrational state. Instead, think of seeing, that you can see-and you
will see. There will be no sensation of eye opening. The blackness will
just disappear suddenly. At first, your seeing maybe dim, as if in half-
light, indistinct or myopic. It is not known at present why this is so,
but with use, your vision will become more sharp.

The first sight of your physical body lying below you should not be
unnerving if you have applied the previous exercises. After you are
satisfied that it is "you" lying there, visually examine the room from
the perspective of your position. Mentally move slightly in one
direction or another, slowly and never violently. Move your arms and
legs to reassure yourself of your mobility. Roll around and cavort in
the new element if you wish, always staying within the prescribed range
of the physical.

At this stage, you may be filled with strong desires which can be almost
overwhelming. This is the greatest problem you may face at the moment.
These desires, appearing unannounced and unexpectedly, are subjective
and emotional, and can easily submerge the deductive reasoning position
you have built up so carefully. The most important clue is to understand
that they must not be labeled evil or wrong. They simply exist, and you
must learn to cope with them. The rule is do not deny the existence of
these desires. Recognize them as a deep, integral part of you that
cannot be "thought" away. Until you do this, you will be unable to
control them.

These desires include freedom (to revel in the release from physical
limitations and gravitational effects), sexual contact (first with a
loved one, then at a strictly sensory level), religious ecstasy
(varying, based upon the intensity of early life conditioning), and
others that may originate in unusual environmental experiences of the
individual. The belief held here is that everyone will have these
subjective desires despite the most stringent discipline and self-
analysis. What we speak of are those elements far below surface
consciousness that comprise your own fundamental character and
personality. As has been explained earlier, these elements emerge
because you are no longer just a conscious, intellectual self. You are,
perhaps for the first time, an entirety. Every part of you will be heard
from and must be considered in any action you take. The trick is to keep
the conscious, reasoning you (the one most cognizant of the physical
world) in a dominant position. It isn't easy.

Therefore, you will run into problems if you attempt a denial of self.
Instead, you must accept these sometimes surprising drives for what they
are-a part of you-and go on about your business. You cannot eliminate
them, but you can set them aside for the moment. Offer the promise of
future fulfillment, and you will have no resistance. These needs can
understand diversion, as they have been subjected to it for as long as you have lived!
When you have reasonably dealt with these other parts of you, and have
demonstrated this to your satisfaction five to seven times in a near-
separation condition (in the same room at close vicinity), you are ready
for more distant and specific voyages. All of the foregoing presumes
that you have overcome most of the fears you have encountered up to this
stage. If you have not, repeat the exercises which produce fear until
familiarity washes it away.

Infallible return signal. As noted, the fear of being unable to re-enter
the physical is a basic deterrent to leaving the body. In my early
experimentation, I encountered this problem many times. Happily, a
solution was found whenever this difficulty presented itself. After
careful analysis of hundreds of tests, an infallible technique was
evolved. The only guarantee that can be given is that it has continued
to work for me.

First, if you have difficulty, don't panic. Above all, keep your
rational thought processes dominant. Terror only aggravates the
situation. Internalize this simple formula, and call upon it: to return
to the physical from wherever you are, think of your physical body.
Mentally begin to move some part of your physical body. Move a finger or
a toe. Physically take a deep, deliberate breath of air. Reactivate your
five physical senses, or any one of them. Move your jaw. Swallow, or
move your tongue. Any act that must involve physical motion or use of
physical energy will work. If one doesn't immediately take effect, try
another. Without question, some such thought action will bring you back
into the physical. It is merely a question of which one works best with
you.

When this technique is applied, return is virtually immediate. It is an
automatic direction finder and rocket blast combined. Reintegration
seems to be instantaneous when this is used. However, this immediate-
return method eliminates your power of choice or decision. Once it is
put into effect, you cannot stop it. You will return to the physical
without any opportunity to know what is happening, and how it is taking
place. Thus it should be thought of as an emergency reserve measure
rather than a consistent step in your methodology.

Under ordinary conditions, you should think of or feel the direction and
location of your physical body. Then, with no urgency and in a calm,
willful manner, start to return.

The mechanics of movement. Now that you have set up the proper controls,
including the emergency return signal, you are ready for the most
momentous step of all: to "go" to a distant point and return. It is
definitely not advisable deliberately to attempt this exercise before
you have completed all previous tests and are at ease with them. It is
quite possible that you may have inadvertently gone to a distant point
during the early stages. If this is the case, you can recognize the
importance of following a procedure.

First, set your "aiming point" Remember the rule: you must "go" to a
person, not to a place. It may be possible to achieve the latter if you
have a deep emotional attachment to the locale, but the experiments to
date have shown little success along this line. This, of course, may be
due to the personality of the writer.

Select the person (living) whom you desire to visit. Choose someone you
know quite well. Do not inform this person that you are making the test
This is most important so as to rule out any suggestion on his or her
part Make this selection before you enter the vibrational state and
before you start your relaxation process.

Establish relaxation and the vibrational state. Use your chosen method
to separate. Move away to near distance, six or seven feet from the
physical. With your vision still in "blackness," cautiously "think" of
the person whom you plan to visit. Think not only of the name, but of the personality and character of the person. Do not try to visualize a
physical being, for it is the reflection of the inner person that will
attract you, rather than the physical attributes.
As you think in this pattern, turn yourself around slowly in a 360°
rotation. Somewhere in the circuit, you will "feel" the right direction.
It is an intuitive thing, a sureness that attracts you like a gentle
magnet. Even so, you can check for verification. Go past this point in
your turn, and come back to it. Again, you will sense it very strongly.
Stop, facing this direction. Think that you have vision, and begin to
see.

To give yourself motion toward your destination, employ a total Second
Body version of the "stretch," which you practiced in your first
exercise with hand and arm. The easiest method is to place your non-
physical arms over your head, thumbs latched together like a diver about
to plunge into water. With your arms in this position, think of the
person you wish to visit and stretch your body in that direction. You
may move fast or slowly, depending upon the effort of this stretching
action. The harder you "stretch," the faster you go. At your
destination, you will automatically stop stretching without realizing it
To return, apply a similar method. Think of your physical body, reach
out and stretch, and you will return promptly. Usually no more is
required than this. There is some speculation regarding the necessity of
keeping your arms in the diver's position. Originally, it was assumed
that this stance would break a path or ward off any encountered objects
with the hands rather than the head. It does help create the stretching
action better than keeping the arms at the sides.

There you have it. The foregoing may seem ritualistic, but it is not
intended to. It may appear no better than the magic formula of the
Middle Ages. To date, there are no explanations of why the technique
works. Perhaps in the years to come, interested and curious physicists,
chemists, neurologists, and other scientists will develop workable
theories to fit the action. If enough people undertake to examine it
empirically, perhaps a new science will result.

In the meantime, the boundaries can disappear for you, too, if you have
courage and patience. The only way you can accept and know this extended
reality is to experience it yourself.

Good luck!