Problems with swallowing?

[Nay]

I have had this problem and the only advise I can give from my experience, is just swallow and keep going.  It's a pretty natural reflex so it shouldn't effect the state you are in too much.  

Just have to stick with it and eventually as time goes on it wont bother you.[]

Nay []

[widfis]

Nay i appreciate the quick advice!
the only problem with swallowing is as i am trying to place my awareness elsewhere than my body i find that every time i swallow it is as if i pull my awareness right back into it, therefore hindering the pressure i am putting on my projectable double to initiate exit... which leads me to wonder if it works to lay on your stomach instead of your back because i would be ok with laying on my stomach and drooling onto my pillow cause its for a better cause?

[Coffee]

The sensation in your throat might not be physical, in which case you should ignore it completely.  It says that in mr. bruce's treatise on OOBE.

[The AlphaOmega]

Try sitting up instead.

[PDB]

Hi, I'm also having this problem and my advice is whatever you do, don't try to avoid swallowing altogether. If you do, you'll find out it REALLY pulls you back into your body cause you'll be more focussed on your saliva than on projecting.

In my experiencie, I've noticed I'm not very successful in my AP attempts when I lie on my stomach. Actually, I find it much easier if I'm lying on my back, but that's just me.

I haven't been able to completely sort out this problem yet, but I'd take Nay's advice and just try to go with the reflex, treating it as if it wasn't something to go by.

Best regards,

Pablo.

[Jeff_Mash]

Hi Widfis.....

I used to have this problem too, and both Nay and PDB have some good advice.

First, if you feel like you need to swallow, DO IT.  Trying to ignore your bodies signals is only going to distract you further than simply swallowing and getting over it.

Imagine it like stretching a rubber band.  If you stretch a rubber band as far as it can go, it will get real tight and almost break, right?  Well, if you relax the rubber band, and then stretch it again, you'll see that it goes a little bit further the next time.  Why?  Because it's already been stretched out, and it now has some more slack to stretch.

A crude analogy, but I see your situation as the same type of thing.  When you're preparing to have an OBE, you're stretching the rubber band.  You feel like you've gotten real far, but then you need to swallow.  When you do, the rubber band goes back to it's unstretched state.  AKA you feel like you've broken your progress and have to start all the way over.

However, after swallowing, if you pick back up where you left off, you will see that not only will you get to your previous state quickly, but you can take it a little bit farther this time.

Another thing to ask is what position are you doing this in?  I try to do this on my back, with my head slightly elevated.  Some days, the saliva problem is there.  Other days, I don't notice it.  One thing is for sure....if you THINK about it, then you'll have to do it!

Look at it this way. You don't have problems swallowing when you try to sleep, right?  You don't lay there and go, "Damn, I gotta swallow again!"  Of course not!  So just "pretend" that your body is going to sleep and let it run it's course.  Just be a passive observer and don't try and control anything.

[alt0xFF]

Also make sure to brush your teeth AND TONGUE thoroughly, all the way to the back before you attemt a projection - that will initially increase salivation, but later it will be significantly reduced.

If you keep the head elevated, the swallowing reflex is much easier and smoother, as opposed to head being aligned with the spine.

[LapSiLap]

I had this problem before but not now anymore. It's because I have problem relaxing my eyes nowadays. I think about it all the time which makes me forget about the saliva.
Hmm .. a weird solution for the swallowing =P

[widfis]

Hey- I am so close to astral projection but something keeps getting in my way-
I lay on my back in my bed in a deep relaxed state after stretching and then i do a little bit of tactile imaging and then start to use various exit techniques such as awareness bouncing...but right when i feel i am on the brink of an exit i feel the need to SWALLOW because some saliva has built up that needs to be swallowed...
Does anyone else have this problem??
If anyone can help me out on solving this it would be greatly appreciated!