How hard/narrow of focus do you use for the visuals when noticing/phasing?

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AForceGhost

Hi all, long time lurker/first time poster here!

I'm having a bit of trouble and could use some help from experienced phasers. I believe I'm able to consistently hit a deep Focus 10 state (according to Major Tom's F10 article) to the point where I start getting this deep purple wash of color that sometimes keeps moving into a contracting/small circle pattern. I know this is the clouded fog of color usually associated with F10.

I find though, that if I try to relax into perceiving it, I just end up losing it and go back to the dark blackness that comes about in an earlier F10 state. On the other hand, any attempt to really stay with it usually causes me to tense or engage too much and I become to aware of my physical body (I'm very kinesthetic to begin with, which I believe is complicating this for me), which also pulls me out of it.

How do you proceed with the visuals in a way that allows Focus 10 to progress naturally to the Focus 12 state? This transition is really sticking it to me!

Lumaza

Quote from: AForceGhost on May 22, 2021, 21:06:15
How do you proceed with the visuals in a way that allows Focus 10 to progress naturally to the Focus 12 state? This transition is really sticking it to me!
Welcome! I'm glad you stepped out of the shadows and decided to join us!  :-)

Start your session with a mental affirmation stating that "you release your focus over your physical body". Then move into Focus 10. Next, allow your curiosity to draw you deeper into the purple haze. Many times I find that haze will begin to spin, kind of like a "Vortex". When you see it, keep your focus on it and only it. Remember, you already stated that you had released your focus over your physical body, so it should no longer be a issue. Only return your focus back to your physical body when you are ready to conclude the session.

Sitting back and "observing" like you are, without moving forward, shows that you haven't quite handled your "fear" yet. I go into "observer mode" when I first find myself in a actual full blown scene. It has nothing to do with fear though. I do that to fully take in what I am seeing before I engage it further.

Just know, all of this gets better with time and practice!  :-)
"The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence."  Nicolai Tesla

AForceGhost

Quote from: Lumaza on May 22, 2021, 21:28:46
Welcome! I'm glad you stepped out of the shadows and decided to join us!  :-)

Thank you! Looking forward to the community! And thanks for your insightful response! I think I can get pulled into the fear when transitions/sensations happen I'm not familiar with. Sometimes I think it's also my meditation background choosing to remain mindful and open instead of concentrated and engaged. I'll keep exploring this moving forward!

Ok, so when I let go of the physical and put my full focus behind my eyes, I can narrow in through this balancing act between relaxing/opening up my mind, and focusing/clearly engaging with whatever I'm seeing/sensing behind my eyes or in my mental space. The problem is, sometimes there's nothing to see. The purple cloud doesn't come but it feels like I'm sucked into this deep F10 state. My ears are muted, my body is numb, there's ringing in my ears, and it feels like there's this pressure in the top of my head and at times in my brow. But it's just dark black.

If I catch self thinking of any of those things, I relax and recommit to the sense behind my eyes. I stay engaged, but it's like there's nothing to engage with.

I can get stuck in this state for 50+ mins without anything changing. Any advice to get the visuals kick started?

Sometimes I just wish there was something  stable to pay attention to instead of trying to make something out of the blackness. (There's maybe an occasional shape, shadow, or color thing here or there, but it fades as quick as it comes.) Engaging with just the blackness for so long gets so boring. When this happens I find it very easy to get distracted by how my body feels instead, because it's stable and at least seems like something is going on.

EscapeVelocity

Welcome to the Pulse, AForceGhost!

I was going to quote Lumaza from his last reply in his Doorway thread, but I see he even beat me to a response here, lol. I will offer a kind of summary that speaks to the process and includes the Monroe Focus terminology that you are familiar with.

This Astral Projection/OOBE/Phasing process is very organic and often changing by its nature, which can make your search for a "method" or an "entrance" a somewhat elusive and moving target. It can be difficult to find that technique that works and once you do find one, you think that's it. But it's not; for many of us, a technique will work for awhile and then it quits working and we are challenged to find another. This seems to be a teaching process for us to continue expanding our knowledge and skillset.

So the essential key seems to be that in every session, we start with a game plan, but we remain open to changing that plan...radically, if we have to. We may start a session wanting and expecting a "classic" OBE, the type where you feel Sleep Paralysis and vibrations and float out like a ghost into your local reality. But maybe those kinesthetic sensations fail to appear and other "exit sensations" instead are experienced. In your case, it appears that you are wanting/expecting a "Phasing" exit and those generally don't involve any physical sensations other than some subtle visual cues. So Lumaza's point is to go into "Observer Mode" and relax your mind, your thinking and dispassionately observe the spatial field within your Mind's Eye. If it's the deep purple wash of color (which I have gotten many times), then let that small area within it rotate and contract as you describe...relax and let it develop and it may well pull you into it and send you into a scene. And like Lu said, it will likely be a scenario with a plotline already developed and your job is to not resist and just follow the plot as best you can, because it is also likely a lesson or form of teaching.

We always should start a session with a game plan, starting with an affirmation such as Lumaza suggested. Keep it simple early on, but where do you want to go, who do you want to visit? But your default always needs to be open to being taken or shown something other than what your session purpose was, and you will be put into a scenario that offers an opportunity to learn something more important than your initial intention. So we have to remain open, otherwise we get lost in frustration and confusion.

So, where you are presently in F10 seems certainly deep enough to me to make use of the portals that may appear, you need to recognize them and simply let them develop. That purple wash contracting and tightening sounds like a portal or vortex forming to me. You can go from there, no need to move to F12. Actually, I think it's quite likely that the 'dark blackness' you mentioned is probably what we call the Void and is a great place to relax in or use as a launch point. Look for star points or similar areas like the purple wash that begin to swirl or coalesce and draw you toward them. Relax, gently observe and go! It is a delicate mental balance to learn.

Oh yeah, if that 'black darkness' is the Void, then that is Focus 15...so again I wouldn't worry so much about F12. And none of these Focus levels are hard and fixed points in consciousness; they describe a range within consciousness...so one day you can be in a high or deep F15 and the next day only manage a low F15; so don't get hung up on that, just work from wherever you are.

If you feel stuck in that F10 state, try asking a mental question and see if you get a response. If not, then start a Rundown- a simple visualization with movement and rhythm to it, like skiing or flying or dancing. This acts to "prime the pump" and can get things started.

Adventure awaits!
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
                                                          -O. Wilde

Lumaza

 Excellent reply EV!  :-)

I was just logging in here to say that he should check out my Doorway thread because this exactly what I was talking about there. Teaching how to move forward into that "welcoming" darkness. I even describe the sensations that you are dealing with when you talk about "head or 3rd eye" pressure. I call it the "exploding head syndrome". It can get quite intense, but once you get past it, you are "there". You will find that you are no longer seeing, like with the eyes, you seem to be experiencing and are amid a vast expanse all around you.
Here is a link to my Doorway thread. You can read the whole thing if you wish. But it has become much more simplified in the last 3 pages or so. The first pages of the thread were basically all about technique. After that I went more into what to do when you found yourself "there", using my own experiences for reference.

http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/the_doorway-t46013.225.html
"The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence."  Nicolai Tesla

AForceGhost

Quote from: EscapeVelocity on May 22, 2021, 22:22:51
Welcome to the Pulse, AForceGhost!
Thank you! Nice to meet you. Thank you for the incredibly thoughtful response as well! I'll be reading it multiple times to makes sure I fully ingest the finer points. :)

Quote from: EscapeVelocity on May 22, 2021, 22:22:51
This Astral Projection/OOBE/Phasing process is very organic and often changing by its nature, which can make your search for a "method" or an "entrance" a somewhat elusive and moving target. It can be difficult to find that technique that works and once you do find one, you think that's it. But it's not; for many of us, a technique will work for awhile and then it quits working and we are challenged to find another. This seems to be a teaching process for us to continue expanding our knowledge and skillset.
I have definitely read about this happening! I think I get torn between the classic route and the phasing route. My only experiences have been the classic route, and they've happened spontaneously waking up in the middle of the night. I've never been able to get them consciously or through the WILD method. I'm a sleep baby and fall asleep far too easily. So the phasing method has been particularly alluring to me.

Quote from: EscapeVelocity on May 22, 2021, 22:22:51
Lumaza's point is to go into "Observer Mode" and relax your mind, your thinking and dispassionately observe the spatial field within your Mind's Eye. If it's the deep purple wash of color (which I have gotten many times), then let that small area within it rotate and contract as you describe...relax and let it develop and it may well pull you into it and send you into a scene. And like Lu said, it will likely be a scenario with a plotline already developed and your job is to not resist and just follow the plot as best you can, because it is also likely a lesson or form of teaching.

I thought Lumaza was suggesting to only relax fully into "observer mode" when I could see a full astral scene appear before stepping into it? Perhaps I'm still struggling with either too much focus/attention, or too passive/observational, and haven't quite found the sweet spot yet. Attention and focus seems to jettison me to a deep F10, but the passive approach seems to bring on the purple clouds better.

Quote from: EscapeVelocity on May 22, 2021, 22:22:51
So, where you are presently in F10 seems certainly deep enough to me to make use of the portals that may appear, you need to recognize them and simply let them develop. That purple wash contracting and tightening sounds like a portal or vortex forming to me. You can go from there, no need to move to F12. Actually, I think it's quite likely that the 'dark blackness' you mentioned is probably what we call the Void and is a great place to relax in or use as a launch point. Look for star points or similar areas like the purple wash that begin to swirl or coalesce and draw you toward them. Relax, gently observe and go! It is a delicate mental balance to learn.

Oh yeah, if that 'black darkness' is the Void, then that is Focus 15...so again I wouldn't worry so much about F12. And none of these Focus levels are hard and fixed points in consciousness; they describe a range within consciousness...so one day you can be in a high or deep F15 and the next day only manage a low F15; so don't get hung up on that, just work from wherever you are.

If you feel stuck in that F10 state, try asking a mental question and see if you get a response. If not, then start a Rundown- a simple visualization with movement and rhythm to it, like skiing or flying or dancing. This acts to "prime the pump" and can get things started.

Adventure awaits!
Ok, I thought the 3D blackness was Focus 21 and Focus 15 was just wear things seemed to hang in a place void of time/space. The void state/3D Blackness/Astral Bridge was pretty much F21?

On that note, how spacious should that feel? There have been a few times where it feels like the blackness becomes a blank movie screen. It feels like it moves away from me and I'm looking at a black screen. It's almost like I can see/sense a space between me the observer, and the black screen. But it doesn't last long before it returns to normal. Nor does it feel particularly spacious like a vast void or anything. I sometimes still have body awareness when this happens too, so I've been dismissing this as a strange visual phenomenon.

I am aware you can fluidly move from F10 to F21 without observing F12 or F15, but maybe I've just been taking it so slow and expecting to play out so linearly that I've been missing the forest for the trees?

AForceGhost

Quote from: Lumaza on May 22, 2021, 22:39:31
I was just logging in here to say that he should check out my Doorway thread because this exactly what I was talking about there. Teaching how to move forward into that "welcoming" darkness. I even describe the sensations that you are dealing with when you talk about "head or 3rd eye" pressure. I call it the "exploding head syndrome". It can get quite intense, but once you get past it, you are "there". You will find that you are no longer seeing, like with the eyes, you seem to be experiencing and are amid a vast expanse all around you.
Here is a link to my Doorway thread. You can read the whole thing if you wish. But it has become much more simplified in the last 3 pages or so. The first pages of the thread were basically all about technique. After that I went more into what to do when you found yourself "there", using my own experiences for reference.

I will 100% be checking that out! Thanks for linking that for me!

About the head sensation...bear with me, this is so hard to articulate. And is never as active in the moment as trying to recall and explain it.

It feels like I can completely relax and continue to "let go" of anything physical or thought related. I can prevent dullness/sluggishness from affecting my mental quality because of my meditation background. But then there's this point, a bit inside my skull, but near the top of my head, where it feels like it just wants to expand and be free. Sometimes it's in my brow first, and then moves to my crown. But it always ends at the crown. When I focus on that point, and just keep letting go when necessary, at some point it feels like I've "made it" to that spot in my head. It doesn't feel as pressurized and alluring. But then it wants to expand. This is usually around a deeper F10 state, going by other sensations.

I can relax with it and be one with it at that point, like my awareness is there with it in that space, but I can't seem to let it expand. It just feels like it wants to, like I'm on the cusp of something, like every part of me screams to just be free. My heavy, numb physical body feels like an anchor, and I just can't seem to shed it and expand and be free. Any thoughts on how to let that progress? I imagine it's some tactile sensation equivalent of the visual phasing approach and that expansion is moving into an F12 or even F21 state of awareness. But I can't seem to get that switch to occur.

Nameless

Quote from: AForceGhost on May 22, 2021, 23:10:09
...There have been a few times where it feels like the blackness becomes a blank movie screen. It feels like it moves away from me and I'm looking at a black screen. It's almost like I can see/sense a space between me the observer, and the black screen.

Oooo la la, very good! That is exactly where you need to be. Keep following that blank movie screen.

And Hi, welcome to the Pulse. Great info from Lumaza and EscapeVelocity. Glad to have you aboard.
Remember, You came here to this physical earth to experience it in its physical form. NPR will always be there.

AForceGhost

Quote from: Nameless on May 22, 2021, 23:31:18
Oooo la la, very good! That is exactly where you need to be. Keep following that blank movie screen.

And Hi, welcome to the Pulse. Great info from Lumaza and EscapeVelocity. Glad to have you aboard.

Hello! Nice to meet you as well! I'm already blown away by all the support and insightful comments I've had in such a short amount of time!

How do I stay with that screen effect? Once it happens the shift in perspective of having space/distance between me and the screen is obvious. It's not a huge vast space, but a noticeable one. Totally different than how I expected the void to feel. But the second I look back at the screen it comes right back and the space/screen effect is gone within seconds!

EscapeVelocity

Torn between the classic route and the phasing route...that's a reasonable reaction; so try for one or the other and just remain open to either.

Since you fall asleep so easily, make sure to set an intention for a DILD most every night. Be sure to explore all your options.

Try all the methods that interest you; it's like doing a comprehensive physical workout and can only serve to strengthen your abilities.

The balance between passive observance and directed engagement is a delicate one and it can change between experiences and even within. It serves to teach us a very fine understanding and 'maneuverability' and 'dexterity' within our own consciousness. It's a quite personal balance and has to be learned through personal effort. the best we can offer is suggestions of what to look for, but you already show an excellent aptitude for what you need to look for in the nuance and subtle nature of these experiences. Sometimes you wait for the scene to materialize, other times you need to give it a gentle 'push'...

One of the most experienced Trainers at TMI told me that F15 was the Void. IDK. I actually thought like you at the time that F21 seemed more in line with the Void...so that could be a discussion for another time.

So, the more you post I can see that you have made some excellent distinctions that can further these discussions. There is a difference between the Void and the flat, black non-spatial blank screen you describe. So maybe your early F10 darkness is what we refer to as the mental/movie screen? and not the 3D blackness which is the Void. The Void definitely has depth, texture and a tremendous spatial quality. Thinking about it at the moment, maybe the former is a 'low' level Void experience and the latter a 'high' level Void experience? In any case, the mental screen can be used to imprint your visualization or a Rundown into it and follow it and see what develops. A good Void experience offers even more opportunities and a really deep one is rather mind-blowing.

Too linear. Yes, I was the same...it's a new quality of thinking that you will love to discover! The forest for the trees, lol! Yes!

The fact that you are already sensing the subtle qualities within these experiences says to me that you will be a quick learner. Be confident and go!

Maybe ask for a tour of the solar system

PS- That sensation of energy movement between the brow chakra and the crown. I had that early on, so maybe it is part of opening that channel a bit further. Someone with more knowledge in that area like Omcasey might give us further ideas...



Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
                                                          -O. Wilde

Lumaza

Quote from: AForceGhost on May 22, 2021, 23:17:51
I can relax with it and be one with it at that point, like my awareness is there with it in that space, but I can't seem to let it expand. It just feels like it wants to, like I'm on the cusp of something, like every part of me screams to just be free. My heavy, numb physical body feels like an anchor, and I just can't seem to shed it and expand and be free. Any thoughts on how to let that progress? I imagine it's some tactile sensation equivalent of the visual phasing approach and that expansion is moving into an F12 or even F21 state of awareness. But I can't seem to get that switch to occur.
Like the others said, "That is exactly where you want to be". You are doing fine!  :-)

To further help you I need to know, "are you looking for a "exit", as in a OBE? Phasing doesn't normally lead to a OBE (Out of Body Experience), as in the meaning of that term. Very rarely do I actually feel any kind of physical exit while I Phase. I do feel "etheric motion" though. I use that "etheric motion" to propel my myself deeper into the process at hand.

When ! was new, I listened to a Gateway walkthrough on youtube. I never really fully understood the levels. I have targeted Doorways with the Focus levels just to see what is there. I had a easier time understanding Frank Kepple's 4 Focus levels, (which you can find on this Forum in the Stickies). From there I formulated my own Focus levels. I brought it down to 3 easy to understand sections.
#1, Physical focus: I just started my session and am closing my eyes to the blackness behind them. At this point, I can feel my body and especially the direction of my physical eyes.
#2 Almost there: This is when I am starting to feel depth. the blackness is taking on more a flat screen design and once in awhile I see very brief Hypnagogic Imagery. I have lost feeling of my body though, especially because I am not focused on it, lol. Then something happens and I reach the next Focus level. This something could be a drop in the eyes, the "exploding head syndrome", a bright light or just a message (from who, I don't know)  that I am almost "there". Many times while using my techniques in my Doorway thread, I will just all of a sudden realize that the shift is about to or has already occurred and that now it is time to move on and explore.
#3 There: Success. I have crossed the veil/border and now am experiencing the expanse that lies beyond it. If I wish, this is the chance to see a direct intent. Any imagery will normally blossom to become a full blown experience or I can just bask in the expanse and "be".

Get in the mindset of seeing the darkness as a Cave/Hall/Cavern, etc.. Something that you can enter. You will find that that really pay off.  It's a mental conditioning of sorts!  :-)
"The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence."  Nicolai Tesla

Bob_the_floater

Welcome AForceGhost!

Not an experienced phaser, but here's my 2 cents.

First off, it's nice to see someone else mentioning the deep purple wash of color, I experienced the same in the beginning and still do but to a lesser degree now.

Quote
I find though, that if I try to relax into perceiving it, I just end up losing it and go back to the dark blackness that comes about in an earlier F10 state.

It has helped me keeping a wide peripheral gaze, try to observe the entire field of view without focusing on anything.

Quote
Ok, so when I let go of the physical and put my full focus behind my eyes, I can narrow in through this balancing act between relaxing/opening up my mind, and focusing/clearly engaging with whatever I'm seeing/sensing behind my eyes or in my mental space. The problem is, sometimes there's nothing to see. The purple cloud doesn't come but it feels like I'm sucked into this deep F10 state. My ears are muted, my body is numb, there's ringing in my ears, and it feels like there's this pressure in the top of my head and at times in my brow. But it's just dark black.

If I catch self thinking of any of those things, I relax and recommit to the sense behind my eyes. I stay engaged, but it's like there's nothing to engage with.

Pressure on top of the head at the brow and nasal bridge, numb body and ringing ears, feels like getting close to something happening but nothing does. Yep been there, in my case it lasted around a month but it newer really lead directly to anything, and eventually stopped occurring.

Quote
I can get stuck in this state for 50+ mins without anything changing. Any advice to get the visuals kick started?

I've had some success by keeping the mind busy with some form of visualizing. For instance a white ball of light traveling in a horizontal figure 8/infinity symbol in the head with crossing point at the pineal gland, after that got trivial I added a second ball going in the opposite direction then a second figure 8 rotated 90 degrees and so on..

Another thing that worked was visualizing standing outside in the yard and looking around, a first noticing the big things, like, there's that tree over there, the neighbors rooftop etc. After a while it's like the mind starts filling in the smaller stuff, like the colors of the flowers the tree branches swaying in the wind, till the point of it almost feeling like you are really there. Then walking around the house, down the street..

The downside to this though in my experience is getting to immersed in it and eventually drift off to sleep, it's a sort of balancing act I guess.

But in the end IMO it's "just" a matter of practice, practice, practice. Taking the meditation/body relaxation to a new level and finding out what works for YOU. I've found that the smallest things can have a big impact. For instance, I watched a YT video about 3rd eye activation, one of the things was to close the eyes and look up. As the girl in the video demonstrated this her eyelids twitched rapidly, but when I tried it that didn't happen. Turned out I was closing my eyes to hard, so I started paying attention to relaxing the muscles around the eyes (and face in general), which significantly brought down the time to get to the colors/patterns (hypnagogic imagery).

I'll stop blabbering here :-D
Hopefully, the greed and exploitation of certain of mankind can no longer suppress that which is truth. -Richard E. Byrd

Lumaza

Quote from: Bob_the_floater on May 23, 2021, 02:54:30
It has helped me keeping a wide peripheral gaze, try to observe the entire field of view without focusing on anything.
Bob, that's exactly what it is like when you hit the "expanse", You aren't viewing through the physical eyes anymore, your awareness is open up like some giant peripheral gaze. What you are doing will prepare you for the "main event" that is soon to come!  8-)

QuoteI've had some success by keeping the mind busy with some form of visualizing. For instance a white ball of light traveling in a horizontal figure 8/infinity symbol in the head with crossing point at the pineal gland, after that got trivial I added a second ball going in the opposite direction then a second figure 8 rotated 90 degrees and so on..
Once again, another excellent focus technique. Motion based visualization is very effective. Do you ever feel a "etheric tug" to one side or another? If you do, you would love my technique that I made in this thread here. It really taught me quite a bit and helped me learn to navigate my NPR destinations. I wrote this under my prior name "Lionheart" that I used years ago here. A lot of it came as a result of Robert Bruce's NEW technique. Learning how to manipulate that "etheric energy" was very useful.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/how_exactly_do_you_perform_the_phantom_wiggle_method-t44583.0.html

QuoteThe downside to this though in my experience is getting to immersed in it and eventually drift off to sleep, it's a sort of balancing act I guess.
it really is a balancing act and like EV said, it's a personal one too. There is only so far that a technique that you may have read will take you. Then you have to "adapt and hone it" to what works for yourself on personal level.

QuoteI'll stop blabbering here :-D
No don't. You are doing great. Keep it up. You guys both have something in common here and your replies to each other are very valuable, especially at this time in your "evolution"!  :-)

It's nice to get advise from the many experienced Members here. Sometimes two or more people having the same problems can help more than the experienced Members can. Everything right now is new and fresh to you. I have found though that the more experienced people and even Authors, can kind of lose touch on those special moments and all the challenges that they had when they were new as well. I know I have been guilty of that. That's why lately in my Doorway thread I have been slowing the process down so I can relive and also be aware of every little thing that occurs during the process. We talk a lot about technique. But don't really get into explaining the things that occur during said technique.  There are things that get overlooked.
"The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence."  Nicolai Tesla

Bob_the_floater

Quote from: Lumaza on May 23, 2021, 04:27:09
Once again, another excellent focus technique. Motion based visualization is very effective. Do you ever feel a "etheric tug" to one side or another? If you do, you would love my technique that I made in this thread here. It really taught me quite a bit and helped me learn to navigate my NPR destinations. I wrote this under my prior name "Lionheart" that I used years ago here. A lot of it came as a result of Robert Bruce's NEW technique. Learning how to manipulate that "etheric energy" was very useful.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/how_exactly_do_you_perform_the_phantom_wiggle_method-t44583.0.html

"etheric tug" is a rarity for me, used a rocking technique (like being on a swing or hammock) in the past many years ago but didn't stick with it for long. I'll give your technique from the link a go.

BTW tried the waving hand thing from the thread you linked to, talk about getting strange sensations in the hands lol :-D I will have to play around with that some more.
Hopefully, the greed and exploitation of certain of mankind can no longer suppress that which is truth. -Richard E. Byrd

Lumaza

Quote from: Bob_the_floater on May 23, 2021, 10:28:06
"etheric tug" is a rarity for me, used a rocking technique (like being on a swing or hammock) in the past many years ago but didn't stick with it for long. I'll give your technique from the link a go.

BTW tried the waving hand thing from the thread you linked to, talk about getting strange sensations in the hands lol :-D I will have to play around with that some more.
Bob, the reason I really like the "Phantom Wiggle" technique is that it helps people new to this practice learn to "hold" their focus on one thing and also gives them a taste of "Etheric body motion. Both of those skills will aid them tremendously if they wish to continue pursuing this practice further.

When I talked above about "overlooking things", I said that I was guilty of that too. Today in my own Phase soak session, I once again had the exploding head thing happening again. I have mentioned in the past the intensity of the experience, but for some reason left out the part about the glowing light that gets stronger and stronger. Today, I was stuck in that "light field" until I realized that I had been omitting in in our discussions lately. Once I realized that, I could finally cross the barrier. Being stuck in that stage for so long was really taxing. I had to muster all of my will to just continue the session.

After I got through the "veil" I found myself in a small row boat. The current was pulling me forward. I could see I was in some kind of Cave. At first it felt tight, like the walls were close by. But soon it opened to a giant Cavern. There were cave entrances as far as I could see. The Cavern walls were really high and the cave entrances seemed to be at all different levels. I could have chose any one of them to explore, but decided to just stay the course and enjoy the boat ride. At no time did I engage a focus of forward movement or even "intend" to experience what I did. What appeared just appeared and I went with the flow, per se!  :-)
"The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence."  Nicolai Tesla

AForceGhost

@EscapeVelocity

Quote from: EscapeVelocity on May 22, 2021, 23:52:22
Torn between the classic route and the phasing route...that's a reasonable reaction; so try for one or the other and just remain open to either.

Since you fall asleep so easily, make sure to set an intention for a DILD most every night. Be sure to explore all your options.

Try all the methods that interest you; it's like doing a comprehensive physical workout and can only serve to strengthen your abilities.

The balance between passive observance and directed engagement is a delicate one and it can change between experiences and even within. It serves to teach us a very fine understanding and 'maneuverability' and 'dexterity' within our own consciousness. It's a quite personal balance and has to be learned through personal effort. the best we can offer is suggestions of what to look for, but you already show an excellent aptitude for what you need to look for in the nuance and subtle nature of these experiences. Sometimes you wait for the scene to materialize, other times you need to give it a gentle 'push'...

I really need to pick up my dream journal again! I'm terrible at remembering my dreams. Having some reality check throughout the day would probably be a good idea too. But thank you! I have a pretty decent meditation background, so I feel a lot of effort/letting go lessons apply here very well. The trick I'm struggling with now is how to phase into a different reality kinesthetically instead of visually. The visuals just don't seem to be a natural route for me, where the sense of expansion is more likely. How do you know when to let it unfold vs give it a delicate push? Any signs for you that help you differentiate?

QuoteSo, the more you post I can see that you have made some excellent distinctions that can further these discussions. There is a difference between the Void and the flat, black non-spatial blank screen you describe. So maybe your early F10 darkness is what we refer to as the mental/movie screen? and not the 3D blackness which is the Void. The Void definitely has depth, texture and a tremendous spatial quality. Thinking about it at the moment, maybe the former is a 'low' level Void experience and the latter a 'high' level Void experience? In any case, the mental screen can be used to imprint your visualization or a Rundown into it and follow it and see what develops. A good Void experience offers even more opportunities and a really deep one is rather mind-blowing.

Hmm I like the idea of a light F21 vs a "hard" F21. Basically treat it like it's a range of depth that we can access. I'm just having difficulty getting any visuals to show up on the screen, or to fully disconnect from the physical, despite lying there super still and not breathing (or just barely). Even my physical sense of expansion only seems to go so far. Maybe it's just a matter of practice? Maybe I'm doing everything right, it just takes time?

____________________________________

@Lumaza

QuoteTo further help you I need to know, "are you looking for a "exit", as in a OBE? Phasing doesn't normally lead to a OBE (Out of Body Experience), as in the meaning of that term. Very rarely do I actually feel any kind of physical exit while I Phase. I do feel "etheric motion" though. I use that "etheric motion" to propel my myself deeper into the process at hand.

I'm definitely thinking more along the lines of Frank Kepple's phasing model (though the visual route doesn't seem to be natural to me), but I am open to any physical/classic signs as well. I don't get much past just a purple swatch of color with occasional shadowy movements. Lately, I've been trying to bring a kinesthetic sense to that phasing model to see if it makes more sense to me. So far, I've found grounding things in a felt sense let's me anchor my attention more and become more fixated on it than just visual input.

QuoteI brought it down to 3 easy to understand sections.
#1, Physical focus: I just started my session and am closing my eyes to the blackness behind them. At this point, I can feel my body and especially the direction of my physical eyes.
#2 Almost there: This is when I am starting to feel depth. the blackness is taking on more a flat screen design and once in awhile I see very brief Hypnagogic Imagery. I have lost feeling of my body though, especially because I am not focused on it, lol. Then something happens and I reach the next Focus level. This something could be a drop in the eyes, the "exploding head syndrome", a bright light or just a message (from who, I don't know)  that I am almost "there". Many times while using my techniques in my Doorway thread, I will just all of a sudden realize that the shift is about to or has already occurred and that now it is time to move on and explore.
#3 There: Success. I have crossed the veil/border and now am experiencing the expanse that lies beyond it. If I wish, this is the chance to see a direct intent. Any imagery will normally blossom to become a full blown experience or I can just bask in the expanse and "be".

I tend to do this as my routine:
1. Close my eyes and start to relax. Eventually I run though an old Buddhist meditative technique known as the Jhanas. Long story short, but I emerge from these in a very relaxed, mentally still, light F10 state I'd say. (very much in line with your #1)

2. I further let go and keep my mind on the feeling of relaxation. I'm quite good at staying mentally aware while I just let go. At some point, it feels like my body becomes even more heavy, relaxed, disaccoiated, etc. Almost like I was floating or expanded. Not in the usual astral sense where I've lost all connection to my body, but in the sense of expanded awareness. Every now and then I'll become very aware of needing to swallow, or my attention will be pulled back to my breath which feels like it's stopped, which causes me to have this overwhelming need to take a breath. I do so gently and then move on and let it go so it doesn't pull me away too much. (I'd say this is very in line to your #2, but I just feel so much that it's harder for me to not think of my body than you. You seem to ultimately end up "deeper" than I do by the time you finish #2)

3. Once I feel light and expanded, I try to either drive my consciousness inwards by sensing the hypnogogic shapes/patterns/lights/visuals I'm expecting to see around an F12 state (which doesn't really work), or I try to focus on a feeling of expansion, which I find I can't really do. Sometimes I can keep with a mental sense of movement, but it feels mental and I'm distinctly aware of my body on the bed while I'm with the movement. I'll cycle different things for a bit, and when I hit the point that I feel like ending, I'll go back to relaxing, recharge, and try again.

All 3 steps will last anywhere from 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Can you catch anything that I might be missing? Or just need more practice? I will say, I'm not expecting any particular route to unfold, I'm open to it developing as it does. I'm trying to engage and work with whatever I get, it just seems to be limited and never develops beyond a certain point.

____________________________________

@Bob_the_Floater

QuoteWelcome AForceGhost! [...] Pressure on top of the head at the brow and nasal bridge, numb body and ringing ears, feels like getting close to something happening but nothing does. Yep been there, in my case it lasted around a month but it newer really lead directly to anything, and eventually stopped occurring.

Nice to meet you too! I'm curious to hear more about how your practice has progressed. We seem to be having a lot of similar symptoms. Feeling like you're on the cusp of something just for it to never lead anywhere, or the visuals that never morph further, or the physical sensations that never do anything are all too familiar to me. You say it stopped working, did something else happen? Have you navigated around it at all?

QuoteI'll stop blabbering here grin

Please don't apologize for blabbering! Very much enjoyed reading and relating to your thoughts!

Lumaza

Quote from: AForceGhost on May 25, 2021, 19:50:31
@Lumaza

I'm definitely thinking more along the lines of Frank Kepple's phasing model (though the visual route doesn't seem to be natural to me), but I am open to any physical/classic signs as well. I don't get much past just a purple swatch of color with occasional shadowy movements. Lately, I've been trying to bring a kinesthetic sense to that phasing model to see if it makes more sense to me. So far, I've found grounding things in a felt sense let's me anchor my attention more and become more fixated on it than just visual input.
Did you read the link I posted above to the "Phantom Wiggle" technique. It is based solely on "Kinesthetics". You don't have to visualize anything. All you have to do is feel the motion of the movements. It's based on "Tactile" focused approach to Phasing. It can lead to actual "OBEs", as in an actual "exit" from the body. You are aware of your body, but it's not your "physical body", it's all about your "Etheric" one. Every single on of those motions/directions you experience a day. How many times do you turn right or left in a day? How many times do you stand up or sit down? or How many times do you move forward, like, walking, driving, etc.? All those things are ingrained in your mind. I read how people have a problem focusing on that, but they don't realize that they naturally utilize the 6 directions many times a day.

QuoteI tend to do this as my routine:
1. Close my eyes and start to relax. Eventually I run though an old Buddhist meditative technique known as the Jhanas. Long story short, but I emerge from these in a very relaxed, mentally still, light F10 state I'd say. (very much in line with your #1)

2. I further let go and keep my mind on the feeling of relaxation. I'm quite good at staying mentally aware while I just let go. At some point, it feels like my body becomes even more heavy, relaxed, disaccoiated, etc. Almost like I was floating or expanded. Not in the usual astral sense where I've lost all connection to my body, but in the sense of expanded awareness. Every now and then I'll become very aware of needing to swallow, or my attention will be pulled back to my breath which feels like it's stopped, which causes me to have this overwhelming need to take a breath. I do so gently and then move on and let it go so it doesn't pull me away too much. (I'd say this is very in line to your #2, but I just feel so much that it's harder for me to not think of my body than you. You seem to ultimately end up "deeper" than I do by the time you finish #2)

3. Once I feel light and expanded, I try to either drive my consciousness inwards by sensing the hypnogogic shapes/patterns/lights/visuals I'm expecting to see around an F12 state (which doesn't really work), or I try to focus on a feeling of expansion, which I find I can't really do. Sometimes I can keep with a mental sense of movement, but it feels mental and I'm distinctly aware of my body on the bed while I'm with the movement. I'll cycle different things for a bit, and when I hit the point that I feel like ending, I'll go back to relaxing, recharge, and try again.

All 3 steps will last anywhere from 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Can you catch anything that I might be missing? Or just need more practice? I will say, I'm not expecting any particular route to unfold, I'm open to it developing as it does. I'm trying to engage and work with whatever I get, it just seems to be limited and never develops beyond a certain point.
I had the same path you did. The thing is, someone or something stepped in to aid me. I would sit down to do a session and 5 minutes in I am having problems with swallowing. Then came the itching. Then the eyelids that either flickered or felt like they were opening. It was very annoying. Now I realize that that was my physical body's attempt to keep me focused on my physical body. Believe it or not, your physical body will fight with all of it's ammunition to keep you physical focused. Why? Because we are physical Beings. At least that is what we have been taught all of our lives. So now, we have to find a way to change that program.

My change came when I began having all kinds of visuals, while doing Robert Bruce's NEW. I watched as a bunch of little Pac Man like characters gobbled my body up, starting with my toes. The next time I attempted to Phase, I was shown my body outlined in white chalk, like some kind of murder scene. Further Phase sessions then pressed the importance of mentally disassociating myself from my body. I have used all kinds of creative ways to do that, like unzipping my "Human suit". Once that body was gone, the flood gates opened and I could finally hold a strong non physical focus.  

Now, I can disassociate from my physical body quite easily. When I do my Phase session, I am lying in my bathtub with a rubber bath pillow behind my neck and my legs halfway up the wall. I am about 6'2 and my bathtub is 58" from wall to wall. My head, up to my face, is underwater, so my legs are crammed in the tub. Yet, 2 minutes in, I can't feel anything anymore. I am in Phase mode.

When reading your approach to this, I get the feeling that you are being a bit too "mechanical" in your process. You do a technique you have read up on and then have a "expectation" that "this" is going happen. I used to fight it as well. That's why it took me an hour to an hour and half to see anything worthy of my effort. It was one step forward two steps back the entire way. I was fighting myself. I would have something occur and either get too excited or for some reason wonder what was happening with my physical body. Was there vibrations? What was that sound? I couldn't turn it off. Then I found that I needed another way. I needed to turn the "monkey mind" off or at least divert it something else. That's when I began working on keeping it busy until the shift naturally occurred. I soon found out, it didn't take an hour or hour and half to do. Sometimes it was mere minutes before I would be experiencing something that was not of my design.

You are doing fine. Just ease up the pressure you are putting on yourself. Learn to "allow" what's going to happen to happen. Go with the flow and lose the expectations. This advise is coming from someone that had to learn the hard way as well. I have been at this for almost 10 years now.

AForce, I just found this post that I made from in the past on this Forum where I describe more about the "disassociation" experience that I went through. My name at the time on this Forum was "Lionheart". I am posting this link because the "Cycling" process in it is very useful to those that want more of Kinesthetic" approach. There is also some great discussions found there as well that you may find useful!  :-)
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_astral_consciousness/lding_for_idiots_sensations_initiated_lucid_dream_sild-t36757.0.html;msg303105#msg303105
"The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence."  Nicolai Tesla

EscapeVelocity

Following on Lumaza's excellent advice, I will add some additional ideas. His expertise on a variety of OBE techniques , many of which he has devised on his own, speak to the subtle distinctions most of us have to discover and realize on our own.
Success seems to depend not just on finding a workable technique, but it can also demand a certain amount of prior work.  So this can involve correctly stating your intention in a positive affirmation. It can also involve energy work such as the Robert Bruce NEW method, which I also found benefit from. It can also involve some healing that needs time to take place, such as the two days of intense purple energy I went through at the beginning of a week long Monroe course before I started getting the experiences I expected. During that time, I continually found myself in purple and violet energies which I realized were healing in nature and after 7 hours of sessions, finally began to resolve into visual experiences that I could relate to more directly. You reported that "purple wash", so there may be something similar for you.

If disconnecting awareness from the physical is an issue for you, then maybe trying another method for the specific level of relaxation of awareness might be tried. Try setting your wake up alarm for two hours earlier than usual and use the time to try a session. Or try the Wake Back To Bed technique (WBTB) and sleep for 2/3 hours, then get up and occupy yourself for an hour with some simple task like reading, then try your session.

In either of these methods, when you do, let yourself go...just set your intention and if you fall through the level of awareness and conscious control and fall asleep a few times, then so be it. But at some point you will likely find that sweet spot and an experience will unfold.

Some ideas.
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
                                                          -O. Wilde

Bob_the_floater

Quote from: AForceGhost on May 25, 2021, 19:50:31
Nice to meet you too! I'm curious to hear more about how your practice has progressed. We seem to be having a lot of similar symptoms. Feeling like you're on the cusp of something just for it to never lead anywhere, or the visuals that never morph further, or the physical sensations that never do anything are all too familiar to me. You say it stopped working, did something else happen? Have you navigated around it at all?

A quick rundown of my progress so far:

In the beginning the classic method of mind awake body asleep worked, and lead to the vibrations and
projection. Basically just lying completely still while trying to keep the mind blank(meditating) for hours at a time, usually while listening to some binaural beats (this one has worked for me, it's pretty raw and may not be everyone's cup of tea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgdVfILNJb8). Had limited visuals at this point, mostly dark purple. Only got to the vibrations from a wake state one time though, would "always" click out/fall asleep and then wake up in the vibrational state.

After the above stopped working, I had a few LD's/OBE's here and there without trying, but sadly the
vibrations appears to have stopped.

For a period of time I then experienced partial sleep paralysis(numb body), pressure on top of the head and at the nasal bridge when trying to project. And as you say 'Feeling like you're on the cusp of something just for it to never lead anywhere'.

Then the visuals really started to appear and the dark purple began being replaced with white and bright
purple/pink. At first tiny dots like distant stars and later cool looking patterns like white plasma floating
around, or a black area floating across with this Mandelbrot looking stuff in white/bright purple on the
trailing edge (also seen a big friendly wolf face staring at me quite a few times lol, no idea what that's
about). From there I began getting "overloads" or "exploding head" as Lu has mentioned. I my case it starts with small white flashes in the peripheral, eventually everything turns white and I either get "knocked out" of the meditative state or click out(this went on for a month or two, almost gave up hope of getting past it). The feeling of this "overload" is really intensive, to me it feels like your about to pass out. Recently I've managed to get past it on two occasions while staying conscious, the first time leading to the void I guess (a calm, silent blackness with a little 3d feeling to it, but not in it nor just looking at it), second time to golden yellow visuals. But then in my session this morning I got to the everything turns white part but no overload this time, I wonder what's next..
Hopefully, the greed and exploitation of certain of mankind can no longer suppress that which is truth. -Richard E. Byrd

Xanth

Quote from: AForceGhost on May 22, 2021, 22:18:23
I can get stuck in this state for 50+ mins without anything changing. Any advice to get the visuals kick started?

Sometimes I just wish there was something  stable to pay attention to instead of trying to make something out of the blackness. (There's maybe an occasional shape, shadow, or color thing here or there, but it fades as quick as it comes.) Engaging with just the blackness for so long gets so boring. When this happens I find it very easy to get distracted by how my body feels instead, because it's stable and at least seems like something is going on.
If I may interject for a second, I'd say experiment with that.  If you can "get stuck" in the void for 50+ minutes, I'd say play with that.  Enjoy it even!
Play with the idea of HOW to get those visuals going.  It's all on you at that point.  Try thinking about a fun memory you have, try to go back into it.  Go from there.  :)

As you're "getting there", just focus on the changes you see happening in front of you.  It's not so much engaging with the blackness as it is about you just accepting what you're seeing and "allowing" it to become a scene.  :)