Xanth explained to me the basics of phasing a couple years ago on IRC. I eventually read his PDF book and I thought I had understood the concepts. However, as I have come to expect, once you experience it by yourself, you realize the actual thing is much more complex and difficult to describe. In spite of Xanth's great advice, I still find myself lost in some aspects.
I have found that the method that best works for me is to just let all the hypnagogic stuff converge until I have completely phased away from my physical sensory inputs. At that point I find myself somewhere else. Sometimes I lack color vision, and most commonly sense of touch and smell. I usually have good sight and hearing, which is how my non-lucid dreams usually are. This, however, is a very delicate state. I'm completely unaware of my body and my physical surroundings, but as soon as the scene gets to a certain level of complexity I unvoluntarily try to focus on it, my physical eyes move and I lose it. I sometimes get a sudden falling sensation which is also very difficult to ignore (my body reflexes just react to it), and completely impossible to predict whether it's going to happen or not.
I have no trouble at all keeping the "noticing" mental state for almost an hour when I meditate, but when I "phase" like this, by "going to sleep" without going to sleep, I just can't control it past a certain point. The scene gets engaging to a point I just react, and I feel it's not even me reacting, but my dream self (which I understand as a sign that I'm doing well with respect to "letting stuff just happen"). Often I'm just like "Whoa! What did just happen? I didn't do anything! Why did I get kicked out?!". I find it difficult to describe, but I hope someone with experience on this will recognize what I'm talking about.
Am I doing something right? What am I doing wrong? The falling sensation and the "shifting" sensation on my eyes are the key to what I'm trying to describe.
Thank you for your thoughts guys!
Yoy may be reacting too soon.
Have a read of this,
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/the_astral_blueprint-t38729.0.html
Comments welcome. :-D
Thanks for you answer! I had already read it. It's a very well thought-out article and certainly very interesting. You may be right that I might be reacting too soon. The problem is, I don't know how to deal with this particular problem. The falling sensation, for instance. I think I remember Xanth talking about it either in one of his writings or somewhere else, so I know it's not something only I'm experiencing. But I don't know how to ignore something like that. It's a pretty strong reflex at a physical level.
Maybe these are what you call "mini dreams" in that text? I have had natural or SP-induced OBEs before, but this is completely new territory for me. I'd like to be able to control how and when I'm going to go out to a certain degree.
I will try to ignore this bursting phasing episodes and see if there's something a bit more solid down the road.
You probably just need to experience the falling sensation a few more times to become comfortable with it.
You will have to trust every "step" or repeat it until you do. :-)
Heya, the others are bang on really.
Just keep experiencing... keep learning... keep tweaking and finding what works for you. :)
You sound like you're doing just fine. Go with the flow, where ever it takes you.
If the falling feels like sky diving or the famous rollercoaster, use it.
It's rare I get this now as I'm already inside something I've created but on a slow night, it's a sure way to get an experience. You need to become comfortable with it. React with its feel.
Play a mind game where you imagine being in some situation that feels the same. I used sky diving as it lasts so long and once a scene developed around my thoughts, I manipulated it to be various locations. You end up flying in the scene.
It's nothing to fear, it's actually a bonus. It's definately got a real feel to it.
Use it to your advantage and think of flying in the clouds or similar.
It's a way out of the physical being handed to you on a plate.
A gift of sorts.
Yeah, I thought about it. It's so sudden though, that it catches me completely by suprise :D
Thank you guys for all the comments. Will keep on trying!