Greetings, all! I've skimmed through many a thread here, but because it seems that everyone's experience it so unique in certain ways, I thought I'd give you all an overview of what I'm going through in order to see if I can get any help to improve my technique.
A bit more info: As a child and teenager I used to daydream like mad and had very, VERY vivid dreams growing up that I could remember with striking detail. By the time I was in my teens, lucid dreaming was a normal occurrence for me (though I normally exploited it for sexual reasons), and on a few occasions I even went into vibrations and auditory/visual hallucinations. At the time they scared the bejeesus out of me because I thought it was Satan's power overcoming me, causing me to shake. (I also saw a small black silhouette similar to death on two occasions.) Upon getting older I abandoned my Christian roots, and sadly, with it my imagination. (The power of simply believing in... anything is really taken for granted...) Since making a full circle back to spirituality without the labels, I've been able to make a significant amount of progress back to a lot of the things that seemed to come so naturally for me as a teenager. (I'm 25 now.)
Another thing: I've been a frequent Marijuana smoker for the last 18 months or so, and I've decided to quit my habit in order to move to the next level. While weed has helped me learn to still my mind and meditate, (and brought me back to understanding the spiritual without labels), I've most certainly hit a roadblock in my progression.... I think the use of any outside stimuli (drugs, binural beats or other sounds, visual stimulants, etc...), will cause you to hit a will eventually.
Since stopping 3-4 days ago and getting more serious about a night routine, I've been able to remember much, MUCH more of my dreams and I normally slip into a lucid dream via what I think you guys coin, "Phasing" here. This normally occurs after getting 6-7 hours of rest, getting up at about 5:00 for 10-45 minutes, and going back to sleep.
For the last 3-4 nights I've been able to fall asleep consciously doing this, and I've experienced all the things that Xanth (great book series, BTW) wrote about in the link he provided in Konkey Dong's thread. I can feel my astral/spirit/dream body "peel" away from my physical body, via the sensation of rolling. Once that happens I find my self in darkness, and yes... from that point sounds or sight begin to emerge, etc...
From this point on one of two things tends to happen.
#1: I just float in blackness... sometimes a tunnel like thing will appear with colors and/or sounds and I'll just fall downward... downward... with nothing exciting happening, until/or...
#2: I roll away from my body, or fall for a certain period of time, and find my self on a "floor." Sometimes I feel it before I can even see it, but I *always* push my dream hands through the floor to solidify in my mind that I am dreaming. Because pushing my dream hands through objects is my primary way of making my reality checks, I'm very familiar with this sensation, and is stabilizes me a great deal.
After this, I normally find my self being able to see blips of a bedroom very similar to the one I fell asleep in. Twice I've seen what I have to assume is my body sleeping on the bed (unless my mind simply produces the image of my body and a bed due to reading too many books), but one time I was facing the wrong way (I knew what way I was facing when I phased out.) There are always certain details of the room that are wrong, though, and sometimes, like last night, the room never fully comes into view and I'm left with only semi visibility before awakening in bed again. (This occurs more often if it's still dark outside.)
If I'm able to gain enough clarity, (affirmations like, "Clarity, NOW!" haven't done much for me yet...) I either jump through my window or open/walk through the door to my room... and from that point on I'm almost always in a conscious, lucid dream. Or at least... that's what I'm assuming it is, as I can make characters or objects appear at will (most of the time) when this happens. The scenery dramatically changes, though I still maintain my awareness as I go exploring.
Most of the time I don't feel any vibrations, but last night there was a little as well as some sounds as I disconnected from my body. They seem to come randomly.
So, from what I've explained to you, what is happening to me? Am I on the verge of an OBE/AP and my lack of focus and discipline is causing me to slip into a dream? Why is it that I always start out in a room similar to the one I fell asleep in, but the moment I leave the room everything changes DRAMATICALLY?
I'll start with this and ask for insight before I add anything else. I have some other question I'll hold off on.
Peace and all that.
-K
ETA: I do try to meditate daily using Robert Monroe's Hemi Sync techniques as well. They're teaching me a great deal of tools that I believe are assisting my recall and progression... not to mention my detox... but I've never actually "Phased" while listening to them. (I just got done with Wave I, though... plenty more to go.) They only trance me out or put me into deep meditation.
I hope not everyone here will be intimidated by the length of my post. ^^;;