What's more important: practicing phasing or meditation?

[Xanth]

So it's possible to be in a meditative state while doing anything, but can the intellect be active while trying to phase? Just had this thought today, I think this may be the biggest problem for me. I can be focusing on the breath but I feel like I do this from an intellectual level and the focus is weak because of this. Is the goal of meditation to be able to switch off the intellect? If that's the case would focusing on emotion or something 'being level' be more effective?

HAHA!  I can tell by this statement that you're extremely left brained... just like myself.
Yes, doing all this from your intellectual side isn't really the best.  I wouldn't say it's your BIGGEST problem, but it is a problem.
It really depends on the form of meditation you've chose.  For example, if you're doing a mental rundown, then shutting down your intellectual side completely might not be a good idea as you need to be able to intellectually interpret the feedback from the rundown, BUT you do want to allow yourself, to a certain extent, get lost within the rundown.  So it's kind of a mental balancing act you're attempting.
The Noticing Exercise might be a bit more attuned to you.  It all comes down to finding a technique or a focus which works for your best method of learning.

[GrumpyRabbit]

you will eventually start getting awaken by vibrations in the middle of your sleep phase, you will become very aware, only your body will be fully asleep, so you can freely get out and explore the non-physical.

This is exactly how it seems to go for me. One thing I will add is that while I was already a meditator (transcendental meditation), I think perhaps the single biggest thing that made this start happening for me was doing the affirmations. I had been reading Robert Bruce's book. I started doing the affirmations, and honestly I think I had only done them a week tops, maybe a little less than a week, and that's all it took. One morning I was tossing and turning, very tired but could not go back to sleep for the life of me. I kept tossing and turning, twilight in and out, never really succumbing. Then suddenly I snapped "awake" because one of my legs was clearly....floating straight up toward the ceiling. Since then I've snapped awake because a limb has floated loose, or the vibrations started, etc. So, during all those times, I wasn't actively *trying* to get out of my body in those moments. The only thing I can pinpoint is that I had clearly verbalized my *intention* for the past week-ish. I did the affirmation as much as possible. 30 mins a day, 60 mins a day, that sort of thing. By gum, I think it worked! I was skeptical that something so simple could be effective, but I'm pretty convinced by now.

[Lumaza]

The only thing I can pinpoint is that I had clearly verbalized my *intention* for the past week-ish. I did the affirmation as much as possible. 30 mins a day, 60 mins a day, that sort of thing. By gum, I think it worked! I was skeptical that something so simple could be effective, but I'm pretty convinced by now.

You would be correct in your assumption here. Everything in this practice here and in life in general revolves around a "focused will and intent. Ask and you will receive, kind of!  You will get "something". It's not always exactly the way you expect it to be though!

[EscapeVelocity]

Like Lumaza said-

Focus, Will and Intent

Any other comment is somewhat superfluous.

Nonetheless, being a bit egoistic I have to add a few comments: Affirmations are greatly effective, their power is almost undefinable...plus they are free! We are, sadly, very computer-like and programmable, if only we would accept and input data this way...

Once we acknowledge our true nature and recognize our innate awareness, the awakening process begins. As GR points out, you begin waking in the middle of the night, maybe only partially, maybe it involves a body limb, tossing and turning, vibrations...its an awareness...and an opportunity to experience awareness from another level or frequency. Once it starts, you eventually realize some new level has been reached. You can try and ignore it, push it under...but it comes back, sooner or later.

It's begun.

[Lumaza]

Once we acknowledge our true nature and recognize our innate awareness, the awakening process begins. As GR points out, you begin waking in the middle of the night, maybe only partially, maybe it involves a body limb, tossing and turning, vibrations...its an awareness...and an opportunity to experience awareness from another level or frequency. Once it starts, you eventually realize some new level has been reached. You can try and ignore it, push it under...but it comes back, sooner or later.

It's begun.

Yes, there is no undoing what is already done. This is why I warn people not to open Pandora's Box if they aren't ready to confront what may lie inside of it it. Once it's open, the "games on" or as you said EV, "it's begun!