some words about chakra stimulation

[jayselect]

Bravo my friend, excellent words I must say. I was wondering if you have any good techniques, or exercises to help the mind become more focused.

I have recently heard of the staring at the candle(or whatever object you may choose) technique, and then after studying it intensly closing the eyes to focus and visualize the object mentally.

Any thoughts?

[chupacabra]

When you say don't tense up, do you mean physically? the reason I ask is that I can't maintain any kind of focus unless I exert some intense mental effort. If I try to just acknowledge thoughts as they come and just let them go I find myself in pre-sleep la la land and back at square one. So can one have an OBE by sort of force of will? Because the "just letting it happen" technique aint gonna work for me.

How do you know when you're succesfully stimulating your chakras? i can feel my energy body big time but never feel any individual chakra sensations.

[Chris]

quote:Originally posted by chupacabra

When you say don't tense up, do you mean physically? the reason I ask is that I can't maintain any kind of focus unless I exert some intense mental effort. If I try to just acknowledge thoughts as they come and just let them go I find myself in pre-sleep la la land and back at square one. So can one have an OBE by sort of force of will? Because the "just letting it happen" technique aint gonna work for me.

How do you know when you're succesfully stimulating your chakras? i can feel my energy body big time but never feel any individual chakra sensations.

Chupacabra,

Yes, not tensing means physically. It means isolating your energies. For example, try tensing your right fist into a ball as tight as possible, but NOT tense up most of the rest of your body.  Focus intensly on making your fist squeeze and be solid without tensing the other muscles of your body. Basically, you must learn how to disassociate mental focus, pressure, and strength from physical body reactions. This takes time and practice.

As to force of will... controlled OBE's will happen proportional to your will and focus. Shear strength of will focused in the right way is what will cause a purposeful OBE. Accidental OBE's happen either from natural processes or through help from higher sources. Having an OBE of your own will requires strong will power, focus, and control. Control is very important. Let's consider a small example.

2 men are very strong. They are both attempting to achieve the same goal which is driving a nail into a board. The first man screams in rage, tenses all his muscles, raises the hammer high and swings... he is so out of control he misses the nail and busts the board apart. He is strong... indeed he may be stronger than the other man, but the second man relaxes completely, raises his arm and focuses his entire mind on hitting the nail and puts just a little more effort behind it than gravity alone will provide and he drives the nail into the wood easily. He has controlled focus of strength rather than pure uncontrolled strength.

Develop the ability to isolate movement of your consciousness, focus, and strength. The martial arts are a good way to develope this, as well as many other sports and mental games.

Thirdly, you will have less mental strength and focus if you are low on energy. Eat a balanced diet, and do regular energy raising and conditioning of your energy body so that everything is in balance and nothing is detracting from your mental strength and focus.

chris

[Chris]

As to ways to develop strong mental strength and focus there are a wide variety of ways including as i've mentioned the martial arts (as my personal favorite). However, almost every aspect of your life can provide an opportunity to strengthen your mental focus. Are you a mentally lazy person who never finishes projects you start? Do you easily allow things to destract you from things you should be focussed on (work, home, school)? Do you easily shrink away from confrontation? Do you give up easy under pressures?
When you feel like giving up at ANYTHING, push yourself farther and FOCUS. You will become stronger all around.

Chris

[chupacabra]

You're speakin' to me my brutha. Thanks a lot. Your words are much appreciated.

[Deva]

You've hit it right on the nail Chris.  Focus and balance between the 2 bodies is absolutely key!

[Tombo]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Since you seem to have done a lot of Energy work you might help me with the following question.

In a lot of Yoga books as well was other sources is said, that stimulating the chakras leads to special abilities. For example raising of the kundalini, seeing spirituel beings with your phyical body, having enhanced sensory power, having more spontenous LD and OBE and so on.

Can you verify any of these things? Did stimulating chakras have other effects then strengthening your focus?

Cheers Tom

[Chris]

quote:Originally posted by tombodenmann

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Since you seem to have done a lot of Energy work you might help me with the following question.

In a lot of Yoga books as well was other sources is said, that stimulating the chakras leads to special abilities. For example raising of the kundalini, seeing spirituel beings with your phyical body, having enhanced sensory power, having more spontenous LD and OBE and so on.

Can you verify any of these things? Did stimulating chakras have other effects then strengthening your focus?

Cheers Tom

Tom,

When doing "energy work" as Robert Describes or even your own brand of it, you are always stimulating chakras either minor or major. I have ALWAYS found that stimulating regions of the 2nd body leads to varying experiences and abilities. However, that being said, rather than encouraging anyone to stimulate any one chakra, I would encourage you to work on the ENTIRE 2nd (energy) body. Get it "smooth", "balanced", "expanded", and "flowing". This will naturally move you forward in your own personal evolution. It is very important that you do NOT EXPECT anything. Your expectations will block your progress. Do not expect to have the exact same abilities as another person. We are all individuals and as such our abilities and experiences will be expressed in an individual way.

This was illustrated to me in an experience I had in which I left my body, but I could not see. All I could see was a dull greyness. As I was pondering why I couldn't see (because usually I can see fine) I heard a voice clearly say to me, "Chris, you are expecting what is not there. You are no longer in the earth zone." and the idea was communicated to me that the reason I could not see was that my expectations were wrong. I was for some dumb reason expecting to see the city around me down below or some view of the earth. My own wrong expectations kept me blind to what was really there. So then I let go and opened myself to what was "really" there to be seen and suddenly I could see.

How many times in life do we let our expectations blind us to what actually exists around us and in other people? Let go of as many expectations as possible. Accept who you are for what and who you are, where you are now in your growth... accept and don't expect.  You will grow and experience at your own rate. Some of your experiences will parallel other peoples experiences because the principles are the same, but some of your experiences and lack there of will be unique to your own condition. More important that having this experience or having that ability is simply to learn to see yourself and everything around more truly and purely. To me one of the greatest benefits to meditation is not leaving my body. In fact I do not spend much time in the "real-time" zone usually anymore. The biggest benefit is that it helps me see myself more clearly and become a better person. If that is not one of your major goals, you will be impeded by your own self-denial. Self-honesty is an absolutely requisite in gaining control over these processes.

Ok, I'll step down off my soap box now and let you guys discuss.

chris

[Deva]

I don't like meditation much because it does tend to keep you in the body.

[Chris]

quote:Originally posted by Deva

I don't like meditation much because it does tend to keep you in the body.

For some reason I find that statement a little peculiar. Maybe it's because in my mind anything having to do with mental focus is a form of meditation so that the word meditation is actually a very broad category. So, when you say you don't like meditation what exactly are you referring to since it seems you practice some form of meditation?


chris

[Tombo]

Chris,

I think it's an important point to let expectations go. I do practice an hour meditation daily, I do this without any expectations. I just watch my breath and try to observe without to judge.
On the other side I must respeak you a little. I believe some expectations are needed to motivate myself. i need the expectation of having an OBE to motivate me doing OBE-exercises.
Same with energy work. If I can not expect certain things I just won't gather enough willpower and energy to do it. Since I'm heavy into meditation I need a good reason to find the extra time to work on my chakras as well.
Therefore I would really appreciate it if you could become a bit more concrete on what effects the energy work had for you. I will not expect the same effects but It would certainly inspire me.
Cause if I do not have any good reason to believe that energy work is worth the time, I simply won't do it.
Cheers Tom

[quetzalcoatl]

Here's an exercise for strengthening concentration and focus that I discovered or was given to me in a dream.  

Imagine a metallic ball about the size of a marble.  It is being pulled away from you by a magnet.  I usually visualize this in front of my forhead a foot or two to start.  (It might help to visualize a string attached to it)  Try to hold it steady with your mind.  Once you are able to keep it there increase the strength of the magnet that is pulling on it.  Play around with various distances and move the ball between 2 and six feet away from you.  Let it go out/ reel it back.  Play around with it.

[Chris]

Tom,

You seem sincere enough in your efforts to meditate and doing so on a daily basis is very commendable. However, it does seem you are missing the point. Like any person, I communicate my thoughts in a way that makes sense to me. I am not perfect and I do not know everyone here perfectly. So, I have to choose the best words I know to describe things to people. Rather than attempting to debate those words I would encourage you develop your common sense and look for the true reasonable and deeper meanings of them. Human language is an imprecise thing and it will never be precisely what you want or would like. Obviously, we do and will have certain expectations. The simple point was that expectations sometimes blind us, so we need to be more aware of them and letting them go when they do inhibit us. Awareness of ourselves is key.

As to motivation I'll tell you my thoughts. I am a martial arts instructor. I have found that lasting motivation usually comes from the individual themselves and not from without. Thus, it should matter not what I say or don't say. If you truly seek truth, you will be motivated to seek it, and do that which is necessary to find it regardless of what I would share with you. I will tell you that the discovery of these truths is a personal thing. What help you receive from the outside will be some small encouragement, but you WILL NOT discover truth without a sincere strong internal motivation of your own.

Additionally, in the martial arts I will not always share and/or demonstrate all of my experiences and abilities to just anyone because not everyone is ready to comprehend or deal with them. It is the same with any sort of knowledge. Once someone demonstrates an ability to understand something, I will then share it. Otherwise, a lot of times it is simply a wasted effort.

I'm happy to share certain things on a public level and other things on a personal level with individuals who demonstrate the appropriate motivation, maturity, and readiness for them. Regardless, it is I who will decide what I will and will not share.

Chris

[Chris]

P.S. to Tom

True belief comes AFTER experience, not before. Thus, one must simply decide be motivated to search, and once something is found one will believe and gain more motivation.

[Hyperblu]

Thanx  for sharing your info.
nw i can understand  more clearly than ever what is my problems and why i keep failing.

Big thanks!!!

[SmileySpirit14]

CHRIS, on like your 3rd paragraph, you said something about moving TO your toe....? you mean like you can hear your thoughts in your toe like you can in your head??? on a different part, you were saying "are you easily distracted". umm... i am VERY easily distracted...especially with things like school work! in my mind im saying "DO YOUR WORK!" over and over, but if im honest with my self, i try to look for any excuse to stall. So your saying stuff like that is not good for meditating.looks like i need to improve my 'focusing' skills. any more tips?[:I]

[Chris]

quote:Originally posted by SmileySpirit14

CHRIS, on like your 3rd paragraph, you said something about moving TO your toe....? you mean like you can hear your thoughts in your toe like you can in your head??? on a different part, you were saying "are you easily distracted". umm... i am VERY easily distracted...especially with things like school work! in my mind im saying "DO YOUR WORK!" over and over, but if im honest with my self, i try to look for any excuse to stall. So your saying stuff like that is not good for meditating.looks like i need to improve my 'focusing' skills. any more tips?[:I]

No I simply mean feeling the toe or focussing attention on the feeling in the toe as completely as possible.

Being easily distracted is a difficult thing to overcome, and it does demonstrate a mind that operates at a different strength of focus. Regular practice of meditation will increase your attention span and likewise forcing yourself to pay more attention in class and when studying will help your meditation.

Also, if boredom is a big factor for you, try doing something that requires a lot of focus but is fun for you. Again another big reason I like the martial arts. If you don't pay attention you loose and sometimes get hurt. If you really like playing basketball don't play around with it... try increasing your focus and attention while playing basketball. Do this at anything you find fun. It will help improve your ability during meditation.

[Tombo]

Chris
I do agree with 99% of what you said. I maybe really missed the point a little, after all english is not my mother language.
But still I do not get what the big deal is about sharing some concrete experience related with energy work. Of course if you don't want to, that's fine with me.
I just don't see the big deal. People share their experiences they have with certain OBE exercises, I shared my experiences I had with LD. I Believe the more precise we share our experiences the better we can help each other reach our goals. I don't think it helps to mystify things, but maybe I'm missunderstanding you.
I honestly don't believe I need to do energy work to find truth, thats what I meditate for. Thats why I asked what effects energy work had for you, to help me decide whether I should do it or not.
My goals related to energy work would be more modest. does it help me with: having more LD, opening the thirth eye, having spontanous OBE?
I'm very well aware that you just can talk from your personnel experiences. Everybody needs the verify things for themselfs and thats what I will do. i take posts from other people as signs on the way, helping me to decide were to go. But in the end I have to go there and see for myself.
Anyways thanks for your help, Tom

[Deva]

Chris,
by meditation, I mean an inward focusing.  I find it doesn't help me with obes.

Also i agree with you about the revealing of info.  It's pointless to reveal details when you know the person has not reached a certain level of understanding.  I come across fakes who claim they know what they're talking about but really don't. That's my opinion.

[Chris]

quote:Originally posted by tombodenmann

Chris
I do agree with 99% of what you said. I maybe really missed the point a little, after all english is not my mother language.
But still I do not get what the big deal is about sharing some concrete experience related with energy work. Of course if you don't want to, that's fine with me.
I just don't see the big deal. People share their experiences they have with certain OBE exercises, I shared my experiences I had with LD. I Believe the more precise we share our experiences the better we can help each other reach our goals. I don't think it helps to mystify things, but maybe I'm missunderstanding you.
I honestly don't believe I need to do energy work to find truth, thats what I meditate for. Thats why I asked what effects energy work had for you, to help me decide whether I should do it or not.
My goals related to energy work would be more modest. does it help me with: having more LD, opening the thirth eye, having spontanous OBE?
I'm very well aware that you just can talk from your personnel experiences. Everybody needs the verify things for themselfs and thats what I will do. i take posts from other people as signs on the way, helping me to decide were to go. But in the end I have to go there and see for myself.
Anyways thanks for your help, Tom

Tom, I find your response sincere. The best way I can help you understand is relate some other experiences of mine. On several occasions when out of body and in the company of guides and higher beings I have asked them question after question. Their response to me has always been the same. They usually will give me a LITTLE BIT here and there to help me. However, they do not just spill everything out to me in one big mass for me to absorbe. Additionally, many times whether or not I receive the answers to certain questions depends upon my own true inner desire to seek it out and know it. In essence EASY answers or EASY information do not strengthen the mind of the individual. There is a reason why every piece of knowing is not just thrown about even if you can't see exactly why until after you have come to gain that knowledge.

I don't know if you are a teacher of some sort... but if you have ever spent anytime teaching anyone about anything of some depth you will understand you do not just throw all the information out at once, and you do not let the student guide the lesson with their questions. A teacher with insight guides the lesson as they see what the student is ready to receive. I do not mean you are my student, but truly we are are students of one another are we not?

Secondly, some knowledge and experiences are entrusted to me to be communicated to others in a responsible way. For example, let's say you were given some knowledge about how to create a bomb much more powerful than a nuclear bomb and you could build it with common household products (this is an extreme example). The people who gave you that knowledge gave it to you because they felt YOU were ready for it and would use it responsibly. However, someone comes along and says, "hey man would you tell me some stuff that you know about bombs?". You are unsure whether this person is ready and responsible enough to deal with some of the knowledge you were given so you say, "Well... I can tell you some principles I've learned about them.". Depending on how the person responds to certain small pieces of information you give them, the principles you understand, and as you get to know them you determine whether they are responseible, you will share more of what you know. Otherwise, you will be reluctant, because if the people who entrusted the information to you found out that you were just spewing information out that should not just be spewed out to anyone, they would STOP GIVING YOU information that YOU WANT from them. You would be acting unresponsibly and that would be detrimental to your own growth and search for truth. In this way I hope you can understand that I am careful with what I selectively will share with people. I will be honest in saying that there are only a very few people on this board I would share some of my higher experiences with.

Tom, you say you share your experiences with others. Do you share all of your experiences to just anyone? Have you had a lot of higher level experiences? If you yourself learn how to be more discreate in what you share with others, you will find more information given to you. This was one very important lesson I learned a few years back.

Those others here who have reached some of the higher levels of experience will also be reluctant to share some of their experiences publically... even in this type of forum. It's just part of the way it works. However, I encourage you to keep seeking and growing and what you need will come at the time you need it.

[Tombo]

quote:Originally posted by Chris

Tom, I find your response sincere. The best way I can help you understand is relate some other experiences of mine. On several occasions when out of body and in the company of guides and higher beings I have asked them question after question. Their response to me has always been the same. They usually will give me a LITTLE BIT here and there to help me. However, they do not just spill everything out to me in one big mass for me to absorbe. Additionally, many times whether or not I receive the answers to certain questions depends upon my own true inner desire to seek it out and know it. In essence EASY answers or EASY information do not strengthen the mind of the individual. There is a reason why every piece of knowing is not just thrown about even if you can't see exactly why until after you have come to gain that knowledge.

I don't know if you are a teacher of some sort... but if you have ever spent anytime teaching anyone about anything of some depth you will understand you do not just throw all the information out at once, and you do not let the student guide the lesson with their questions. A teacher with insight guides the lesson as they see what the student is ready to receive. I do not mean you are my student, but truly we are are students of one another are we not?

Secondly, some knowledge and experiences are entrusted to me to be communicated to others in a responsible way. For example, let's say you were given some knowledge about how to create a bomb much more powerful than a nuclear bomb and you could build it with common household products (this is an extreme example). The people who gave you that knowledge gave it to you because they felt YOU were ready for it and would use it responsibly. However, someone comes along and says, "hey man would you tell me some stuff that you know about bombs?". You are unsure whether this person is ready and responsible enough to deal with some of the knowledge you were given so you say, "Well... I can tell you some principles I've learned about them.". Depending on how the person responds to certain small pieces of information you give them, the principles you understand, and as you get to know them you determine whether they are responseible, you will share more of what you know. Otherwise, you will be reluctant, because if the people who entrusted the information to you found out that you were just spewing information out that should not just be spewed out to anyone, they would STOP GIVING YOU information that YOU WANT from them. You would be acting unresponsibly and that would be detrimental to your own growth and search for truth. In this way I hope you can understand that I am careful with what I selectively will share with people. I will be honest in saying that there are only a very few people on this board I would share some of my higher experiences with.

Tom, you say you share your experiences with others. Do you share all of your experiences to just anyone? Have you had a lot of higher level experiences? If you yourself learn how to be more discreate in what you share with others, you will find more information given to you. This was one very important lesson I learned a few years back.

Those others here who have reached some of the higher levels of experience will also be reluctant to share some of their experiences publically... even in this type of forum. It's just part of the way it works. However, I encourage you to keep seeking and growing and what you need will come at the time you need it.

O.k. i think I getting it.[] And no I didn't have higher lever experiences (As far as I can remember[])
I have about one LD a week and I had 2 OBe's were I consciously experienced the exit. I had maybe 3 special experiences were i could experience "solving of all questions "as I would describe it. That's about it.
well, I wouldn't have any problems beeing your student you seem to be very responsible-minded.... And yeah as a matter of fact,  i teach quite often. I give alot of banjo lessons and physic private lessons as well as fitness instructions. You teach my how to OBE at will and i teach you how to Play Banjo like Earl Scruggs or lift 200 puonds[]

regarding my "stage of development"  and keeping in mind that I tend to get frustrated once i feel like I'm not progressing. what kind of adivice would you give. would you advise me to do energy work?
All the best Tom

[Chris]

quote:Originally posted by tombodenmann

O.k. i think I getting it.[] And no I didn't have higher lever experiences (As far as I can remember[])
I have about one LD a week and I had 2 OBe's were I consciously experienced the exit. I had maybe 3 special experiences were i could experience "solving of all questions "as I would describe it. That's about it.
well, I wouldn't have any problems beeing your student you seem to be very responsible-minded.... And yeah as a matter of fact,  i teach quite often. I give alot of banjo lessons and physic private lessons as well as fitness instructions. You teach my how to OBE at will and i teach you how to Play Banjo like Earl Scruggs or lift 200 puonds[]

regarding my "stage of development"  and keeping in mind that I tend to get frustrated once i feel like I'm not progressing. what kind of adivice would you give. would you advise me to do energy work?
All the best Tom

Tom,

Early in my own meditation and energy work I also would get frustrated at times. It would feel like I had progressed and accomplished something and then it would feel like that was it and I had hit a brick wall or my development had stopped. However, that was far from the truth. My feelings were a result of my own impatience, and lack of deep sensitivity to my own growth (mentally, emotionally, and physically).

Here's and example you would understand. When doing weight training or any other kind of training, it is necessary to allow periods of rest for your body to recuperate and assimilate everything you have done to it. The period of rest varies for each person and the amount of exertion or change induced by the work out. Without rest, your muscles will not heal and truly grow stronger.  In a similar sense think of your spiritual growth and awakening this way. For me it has ALWAYS been the case that I will grow in a quick spurt to a new level and then it will seemingly plateau (level off) for a period of time. That period of time ranges from a couple weeks to a few months. During that time that I have plateau'd my mind, energetic body, and other aspects of myself are still assimilating the growth I have just gone through. Additionally, experiences in my life and other factors are preparing me for my next jump. So, in reality, I am still growing, but just in other ways during that period. My growth has always continued like this.

So, I learned in time that I just had to ACCEPT who and what I am at any given time, and that I have my own appropriate rate or tolerance for growth. Acceptance is a very important thing. Without acceptance there can be no peace and without peace of mind your growth will also be inhibited. It's a semi catch 22. So, if there is any one suggestion I would offer you is to try and simply accept who you are for what you are and where you are at in your growth at any moment. Do not try to FORCE yourself to grow faster than you should. Try to find or feel where you are at and how much more you need to push to grow.  Yes, it is necessary to exert some force to grow, but too much force at the wrong time can be detrimental. So, on a personal level you need to feel out your limitations... know yourself... see yourself as clearly as possible and accept yourself. See the small changes as well as the large. Sometimes the small changes in you can be the most profound and meaningful to you later in life.

For example, perhaps you have not yet acheived conscious control of OBE. However, in one of your lucid dreams or spontaneous obe's you encounter a situation that teaches you a small important lesson about yourself. This small important lesson is about your personality and since you now clearly see this aspect of your personality it is easier for you to change it and so you do begin to change it. Six months later you are a little different person and since you changed that aspect of your personality, you meet the woman you are supposed to marry in this life. Without that change in your personality, she would not have been attracted to you.  

I used that example because it is something that happened to me and continues to happen. Some of my growth is in regard to the astral and control of my energy and focus, and other aspects of my growth (sometimes more important) have to do with who I am as a person.  One of the most important things I believe meditation and energy work can help a person to truly realize is that we are all connected. Love cannot truly be understood until you start to fully realize and experience that we are truly all connected. Doing energy work alone will help you to connect to subtle energies (your second body), and you will find yourself more easily knowing how people feel and sometimes what they think. This will make you a more empathetic person who is able to understand other people feelings better. Because you now understand their feelings better, you will tend to stop doing things you may have done before that hurt peoples feelings. You did not hurt their feelings on purpose... you hurt them because you did not realize the effect your actions had on them. But now that you can feel more empathy, you realize your mistake and change.

To me, this type of change is much more important than learning how to have OBE's at will. The OBE's are a by product of your growth and also a tool to help your growth... they are not the main purpose.

[smooth]

hello chris

I have recently heard of the staring at the candle(or whatever object you may choose) technique, and then after studying it intensly closing the eyes to focus and visualize the object mentally.
i am just coping somthing some one posted because i also wont to know if this works or not?

[Chris]

quote:Originally posted by smooth

hello chris

I have recently heard of the staring at the candle(or whatever object you may choose) technique, and then after studying it intensly closing the eyes to focus and visualize the object mentally.
i am just coping somthing some one posted because i also wont to know if this works or not?

hmmm... whether it works or not depends on what exactly you are trying to accomplish? What is your goal?

chris

[Tombo]

quote:Originally posted by Chris

Tom,

Early in my own meditation and energy work I also would get frustrated at times. It would feel like I had progressed and accomplished something and then it would feel like that was it and I had hit a brick wall or my development had stopped. However, that was far from the truth. My feelings were a result of my own impatience, and lack of deep sensitivity to my own growth (mentally, emotionally, and physically).

Here's and example you would understand. When doing weight training or any other kind of training, it is necessary to allow periods of rest for your body to recuperate and assimilate everything you have done to it. The period of rest varies for each person and the amount of exertion or change induced by the work out. Without rest, your muscles will not heal and truly grow stronger.  In a similar sense think of your spiritual growth and awakening this way. For me it has ALWAYS been the case that I will grow in a quick spurt to a new level and then it will seemingly plateau (level off) for a period of time. That period of time ranges from a couple weeks to a few months. During that time that I have plateau'd my mind, energetic body, and other aspects of myself are still assimilating the growth I have just gone through. Additionally, experiences in my life and other factors are preparing me for my next jump. So, in reality, I am still growing, but just in other ways during that period. My growth has always continued like this.

So, I learned in time that I just had to ACCEPT who and what I am at any given time, and that I have my own appropriate rate or tolerance for growth. Acceptance is a very important thing. Without acceptance there can be no peace and without peace of mind your growth will also be inhibited. It's a semi catch 22. So, if there is any one suggestion I would offer you is to try and simply accept who you are for what you are and where you are at in your growth at any moment. Do not try to FORCE yourself to grow faster than you should. Try to find or feel where you are at and how much more you need to push to grow.  Yes, it is necessary to exert some force to grow, but too much force at the wrong time can be detrimental. So, on a personal level you need to feel out your limitations... know yourself... see yourself as clearly as possible and accept yourself. See the small changes as well as the large. Sometimes the small changes in you can be the most profound and meaningful to you later in life.

For example, perhaps you have not yet acheived conscious control of OBE. However, in one of your lucid dreams or spontaneous obe's you encounter a situation that teaches you a small important lesson about yourself. This small important lesson is about your personality and since you now clearly see this aspect of your personality it is easier for you to change it and so you do begin to change it. Six months later you are a little different person and since you changed that aspect of your personality, you meet the woman you are supposed to marry in this life. Without that change in your personality, she would not have been attracted to you.  

I used that example because it is something that happened to me and continues to happen. Some of my growth is in regard to the astral and control of my energy and focus, and other aspects of my growth (sometimes more important) have to do with who I am as a person.  One of the most important things I believe meditation and energy work can help a person to truly realize is that we are all connected. Love cannot truly be understood until you start to fully realize and experience that we are truly all connected. Doing energy work alone will help you to connect to subtle energies (your second body), and you will find yourself more easily knowing how people feel and sometimes what they think. This will make you a more empathetic person who is able to understand other people feelings better. Because you now understand their feelings better, you will tend to stop doing things you may have done before that hurt peoples feelings. You did not hurt their feelings on purpose... you hurt them because you did not realize the effect your actions had on them. But now that you can feel more empathy, you realize your mistake and change.

To me, this type of change is much more important than learning how to have OBE's at will. The OBE's are a by product of your growth and also a tool to help your growth... they are not the main purpose.

Chris,
Thanks for your detailed explanations. After beeing stock in my meditation the last couple of months  a made a significant progress last week. I'm much more able now to accept  a situation whatever it may be. i found that whenever a situation is unpleasant it provides a chance to grow cause it shows you a aspect of yourself that is limiting your freedom. I think the points you mentioned are very important and i now that meditation is exactly helping my with that. Being more aware of myself and how i interact with others. So therefore I have the impression that meditation and energy work kind of have similar effects. is that your opinion as well?
After all I must admitt that answer is kind of hard to swallow for me. cause I hoped for something like: "Yeah, do 6 months of energy work, and then I'll be able to livitate at will" to state it in an extrem way. I know that that isn't like a wise spirituell goal. But to be honest I'm still fascinated with the paranormal.  Well I assume You did consciously leave it up to myself, if I should do energy work or not. Maybe I'm just not mature enough to accept that answer.....[]

Cheers Tom