Heart Beating

[sqprx]

I find the biggest obstacle to a conscious exit to be my heart beating. I had 1 AP so far and I find it extremely hard to initiate another one.
Every single time I get close, I feel vibrations and lightness in my body, I start to get this floating sensation, but my heart starts to bump like I'm sprinting or something. It's really distracting because my attention tends to shift to my heart beating.
Can something be done about it? Is it a common phenomenon and how do you guys deal with it?
THanks

[Contenteo]

A lot claim it is an excited heart Chakra. IDK if you talk in that language or not.
I don't believe in that concept, but you could try focusing 'that' energy up to your crown, or building it up through the other 'Chakras.' That would be one strategy

IMO, I find that it is also connected with heavy breathing. Meaning that I find it is my body freaking out because I have slowed down my oxygen intake, thus it is trying to make up for the new loss of oxygen or perceived loss of oxygen because of my new breathing pattern.
The strategy here would be to focus on your breath. Use it to control your heart rate. Slow your breathing way down and use long heavy air intakes push yourself deeper and deeper.

So, hell, even imagine focusing that energy upwards, whynot, if it works, it works.

Either way, I find a step back helps you take two forward.

Cheers,
Contenteo

[Szaxx]

Hi,
Something to try to reduce heart rate. When focusing on your breathing its the rest between breaths that your attention needs to be aimed at. With this you breathe in and out naturally but hold one cycle every so  often. Eventually every other breath will be missing.
This will help your meditation greatly, its occupied your focus and stopped the mind chatter while the mind awake is kept in focus.
Its reduced your metabolic rate and started a higher CO2 saturation. This helps you to lose the body and your conciousness will feel more in just your head.
Your focus level is not in the physical so dont think of it.
Give it a few tries. Use a binaural or pink noise with this if your environment is transientially noisy.
See you on the other side.

[desert-rat]

Some a.p. rituals use the circulation of white light  through the chakras . Hear are the chakras http://aznewage.startlogic.com/chakras.htm   desert rat

[Stookie_]

A lot claim it is an excited heart Chakra. IDK if you talk in that language or not.
I don't believe in that concept...

In my experience, I've found that both can happen - You can have an increased heart-rate from the excitement and/or slow breathing, but it's also common for the heart chakra to start going insane. I can tell the difference between this and my actual heart, because the chakra pulsing is 100 times more intense, and if it was my heart doing that it I would probably be dead. In fact, when I was first going for fully conscious OBE's I would get to this state (chakra, not heart) and start to freak-out and abort. I finally got to where no matter what happened, I was going to stay calm and push through telling myself "the worst that can happen is you're going to die". And I didn't. I know that sounds morbid, but it's now my mantra when confronting fear.

I don't know exactly what the OP is experiencing, but I wanted to share my own experiences with it.

[bluelily]

I've known other people who've had it and I've had the rapid strong heartbeat many times, so I think it might be a common thing - but it's never my physical heart acting up. It's probably just one of those things some people can experience during the transition that's perfectly safe, just distracting/scary/annoying/etc. Why it happens, I don't know. Maybe it's the chakra like some people say... Or maybe it could be the physical heart in some cases, possibly fear/excitement related or something.

If feeling your heart beat like that makes you nervous that something's wrong, that can put a stop to things. If it worries you then maybe you could get a hold of a heart rate monitor and see what your pulse is doing while this is happening. I've heard of people who have done this and their pulse was fine.

Sounds like the main problem for you is that it's distracting. Very understandable, it can get really 'loud' for me at times. So if that's the problem you're having, work on that. At least that's what's worked for me in the past - ignoring it, basically, and focusing on what I'm supposed to be doing (visualising, mantra'ing, noticing, whatever). Maybe acknowledging it for a split second then going right back. It's hard at first but gets easier with stronger concentration, similar thing to learning to ignore an itch. I read something in a post here recently about someone who used an affirmation for this sort of thing, about not letting it interfere or something - which I'm sure might work too (and blends well with the ignoring and re-focusing approach, bringing more mental 'force' behind it if that makes sense) so that's definitely something I want to try next time something bothers me.

[sqprx]

Thank you all for your feedback.

I've noticed that my increased heart rate while attempting to phase is caused by anxiety, just like I'm about to give a public speech in front of big audience. Today I tried morning OBE - I told myself that I wake up in the middle of the night and try to exit - I did and I almost succeeded and the funny thing is my heartbeat was completely normal even in the presence of intense vibrations. I think it's because I was half asleep and too concentrated to a be anxious about it - everything seemed completely natural, I had no fear whatsoever.

I guess the take-home message for myself here is fear and anxiety is the biggest obstacle to OBE. Strong intention "I do it no matter what" takes you where you never been before.
Also when you try to morning project - it's a LOT easier and the level of anxiety associated with the "unknown territory" of OBE tends to be much much lower or nonexistent.

[Contenteo]

It's so true. I had my first projection as soon as I gave up trying to project. One Sunday morning all the cards were in the right place, and viola, there I was.   

Anxiety and self created pressure for results has to been a large impeding factor for beginners.

Hmm, this seems to carry over to life in general as well if you really think about it.

Cheers,
Contenteo