Hi, just introducing myself

[Kupe]

It would be remiss if I didn't start by introducing myself formally

A kiwi by birth, I'm now in Australia. The last time I checked, I was 74 years old

Around my mid 50's, a voice from nowhere simply said "there has to be more to life than this" and that was the start of trying to explore what that voice meant. After innumerable dead-ends, I stumbled upon the original teachings of the Buddha and took Jhana meditation as far as it can be taken. But even that didn't fully satisfy the inner demand for "tell me more". I knew that directly experiencing is worth a thousand books and quite by accident, out-of-body caught my attention. Like most, I checked out what Mr Google and YouTube had to say on the topic (not much of worth) then Robert Munroe, Tom Campbell - then Frank Kepple and his 2002-era postings on this forum. With Frank, I found a kindred belief that extremism is nowhere as good as the middle way (the Buddha astral travelled, incidentally). I took Frank's advice that the Gateway's wave 1, track 2 is a lot more efficient than other approaches, and I can now quite comfortably access the non-physical - but having got there, I'm like a fish out of water.

Enough from me. I look forward to conversations with you all

Mike

[EscapeVelocity]

So I am guessing an islander, now a mainlander, lol...my North American unaware assumption...

I really would love to get down there and visit...sounds like two great countries...and peoples.

So, it reads great that some of the Monroe tracks have worked for you, but the fish out of water part...what do you mean by that?

If you have found access to the Non-Physical, then that wonderful realization leads to Where do I want to go? You have many members here who can give varied and quality advice.  I'm much more a middle way person (like your Buddhist way) if that helps...so please don't hesitate to ask a more specific question.

If you have found a personal route to the NP, then congratulations, and then what is the next question you want answered? What's the process?

The answer is usually fairly straightforward and convoluted at the same time...it's probably in front of all of us, all of our lives. I am constantly challenged by the inconsistency, irony and humor that the Universe presents...

61 here, the learning doesn't end as long as we keep asking...

[Kupe]

Thanks for the reply. The "fish out of water" is possibly Kiwi idiot - it means I'm not in control of where I find myself. My first trip got me amongst the stars - I could get closer to things etc. A very responsive environment. Since then, the stars are there, sometimes the responsiveness has been there, the vision is blurry and while stars are visible and there is depth to the perception, they're far off. I seem stuck. I wonder whether I'm stuck in the RTZ or void, and if that's the case I'd appreciate pointers as to how to escape and return to the expansiveness of the Astral proper.

[Lumaza]

 Welcome Mike. It is nice to see another new face here, especially one that has reaped the rewards from all of their hard work, determination and focused will.

I am 59 years old. Like many others that have been members on this Forum, in my mid-forties and with others here, their fifties, we seem to have been given a wakeup call of sorts. Although throughout our lives, we were never strangers to the paranormal and non-physical side of life, it wasn't until later on in our lives that we were really given, mostly through a "spontaneous" experience, a brief "sneak peek" of what lies beyond the veil. Some of us got a taste while younger, but then "life happened" and we got caught up in it. Could it be that it returns later on in our lives because we either have more time to explore it further or are now deemed mature enough to finally see the truth? Who knows. I see though that many of the "old schoolers", such as myself, are not strangers at all to the concept of hard work and determination to achieve the goals we set upon ourselves. Today unfortunately, I see a lot of people that just "try" something because it is the "flavor of the day". Kind of like a "Tik-Tok" experiment. I have learned that you get out of this what you put into it.

Through all the years of my nonphysical experiences, the thing I have come to learn is that "I know nothing". Just when I think I know what is going on, everything changes. You will constantly be challenged to "roll with the changes". You have to be a "Chameleon" and learn to adapt to what the NPR is throwing at you.

Years ago, I created this thread "Tests, Quests and Challenges" to help explain that concept a bit more in detail.
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences/tests_quests_and_challenges-t46546.0.html;msg361831#msg361831

[EscapeVelocity]

There are a lot of great threads with really useful information such as the one Lumaza just provided.

It sounds like you may be in the Void, which initially looks a fair amount like outer space. The Void is an excellent destination in and of itself; very relaxing, contemplative, and it can be a transition point to nearly anywhere you intend to go. The Void has some unique characteristics to notice. It can seem rather flat and matte black, but with an odd depth to it that you sense as a sort of "feel", a depth that almost feels like staring into a vetvet-like darkness. The points of light are not stars apparently but represent destinations or even "conditions", and often just observing in a direction, one of those lights will catch your attention and if you allow it, you can be pretty much "pulled" into it and find yourself in an experience.

The fact that you find yourself there, or anywhere, with nothing apparent to indicate what's going on is often a signal of sorts. You can try "intending" to go to a destination of your choice. If nothing happens, you can ask Why? out loud, or you can ask What am I supposed to learn here? Often the environment will respond in some way, sometimes speaking, other times giving you a slight hint so that you realize the answer on your own. If you choose to get pulled into a starpoint, just go with the flow of wherever you end up; it will be a learning experience designed just for you.

Talk about immersive, intuitive learning environments...buckle your seatbelt!

[LightBeam]

Welcome, Kupe! Australia is on my bucket list to visit, especially the Great Barrier Reef.

You have made great progress finding your way into the NP. Perhaps to improve your awareness, you can experiment now with increasing your intent through nightly affirmations to remain aware and to designate a point of destination. Imagine it and visualize yourself being there, walking around, touching things, etc as you fall asleep every night.

EV and Lumaza gave you some great suggestions. There is also so much to read here from other people's experiences, in depth discussions about philosophy, life, spirituality, law of attraction, ETs, the multiverse, etc. Feel free to respond to old topics and ask questions if you would like. And above all, have fun!

[Lumaza]

I seem stuck. I wonder whether I'm stuck in the RTZ or void, and if that's the case I'd appreciate pointers as to how to escape and return to the expansiveness of the Astral proper.

This is when you need to focus deeper into the abyss before your eyes. Think of it as a hallway, tunnel, etc., that you just "will yourself" into. "Allow" the imagery to grow. "Passively observe it" at first until you find that you are immersed in it. Then there is nothing else to do, you are already there, so go interact with your new surroundings! 

[Kupe]

Thank you all for your individual word of encouragement and support. This is not the first time in my journey towards knowing that I have felt "stuck" - and it won't be my last!  All things change, so "stuckness" will turn to success, at which point I will wonder what all the fuss was about. I firmly believe that that the less we get in our own way, the more likely we will experience success. My problem is most likely to not being relaxed enough at critical points of the exit process. When I look deeply within, two concepts are causing disquiet/fear to arise and upset the applecart: paralysis and vibrations. Both, I suspect are the unintended consequences of book authors and video creators being creative in their descriptions. Neither concept need be dramatic: I encounter paralysis whenever I get to deep meditation, and vibrations are a natural part of working with energy and have never alarmed me before. So, with your collective encouragement, I will press on. I will keep you all informed of what the outcome will be,

Mike

[Lumaza]

 The vibrations and sleep paralysis are par for the course. At least when we are "newer" to this practice itself. My first completely consciously aware experience involved a simple candle staring process. After 15 mins of staring at the candle flame, I blew the candle out then closed my eyes and immediately saw the imprint of the candle there. I then just observed it, until all of a sudden, I began experiencing vibrations, which soon got quite intense! There was an extremely loud sound that accompanied the vibrations. I could swear that a Helicopter was landing on my home. It felt like I was in a earthquake. Then everything went silent, and I could see my immediate surroundings. I was hooked. That was one of the coolest things I have had ever felt. That and the time I was sleeping in my bed. I had awoken to sleep paralysis and just saw it through. By seeing it through, I mean I "allowed" it to completely overcome me. The next thing I know my legs are being raised and I am being cork screwed up through my roof. I had to abort that one though. It was a bit too much to handle at the time. Many of my sleep paralysis episodes led to me being dragged down my hallway and out my patio window. Why, I have never understood. I guess it was to get my attention and boy did it ever, lol!

When I talk of "passively observing", I am not talking solely of a visual sense. I mean you have to passively observe the process at hand. You know now that the vibrations are nothing to be feared, the same as with the sleep paralysis. The problem is, in the beginning that sense of "knowing" still gets trumped by the fear. It gets better with more practice. Every new experience creates another new experience. It gets pretty bizarre too, lol!

[Kupe]

Good evening all from Oz
How many times have you have had clarity appear after a period of being lost? Just experienced one. I read Frank's notes near the top of the FAQ and decided to try that version of phasing. In those FAQ posts, he talked of noticing the blackness until the sense of "here" shifted from being in my bedroom to being in the blackness and the sense of "there" which was the blackness shifted to being my bedroom. That's exactly what happened. Once in the "blackness as here", I kept noticing and started to feel a sensation like mild in-flight turbulence you get in an aircraft, when it hits up and down drafts. Those sensations were vibratory in nature, but certainly not alarming. They passed after a minute of so, and quiet stillness took over. I had no inclination to peek out through my eyelids - just as well, because they felt glued together!

At this point, I have a question: what do you say in your mind to get to, say Frank's Consciousness 2 - even to the "reserved for me" area within Consciousness 2 he asserts exists!. Another question: I have some expectation of seeing things in technicolor, but Robert Peterson says no, that sight=sensing objects rather than seeing outlines of shapes, and no colour. What's your experience of seeing things visually?

At some point, I set a desire to go to consciousness 3, to wherever there are some people. Had the sensation of moving but saw no people. I did notice however that the blackness had become a "heavy greyness" that had a texture to it.

About this time, people walked past our house talking loudly, our dogs barked and the "there" that was my bedroom became my "here", my eyelids became instantly unglued. I was back in the physical.

I certainly am grateful to Frank, and commend his model for its elegant simplicity. It most certainly worksx!

I would really appreciate you feedback on the couple of questions I posed.

Mike

[Lumaza]

 Hello again Kupe. It looks like you are doing great. Don't rush it though. It's like a "fine wine", you need to give it time to age a bit!

My answers to y9our questions were already given in my above statement.

What do I do to reach a good "Focus 2 state" and what do I mentally intend?
I passively observe all the way through the process until it is time to interact. By doing that, the depth will come on naturally. What are my thoughts during this time? Everything and anything. I have learned how to still have the "monkey mind", but instead of it being a hinderance, I use it to my advantage. How? By creating imaginary imagery and allowing it the freedom to take on it's own life.

The expectations. They need to be dropped for now. Don't expect anything. Experience all that is shown to you. Robert Monroe, Frank, Robert Peterson, etc. can give you a blueprint to help you navigate your way "there". But that's as far as it goes. You need to go see what "you" see. Don your "explorer's cap" and allow your curiosity to steer the ship.

Many times, when I first start out, the images I see have a ghostly or grainy look to them. But that is only while using the "Noticing" technique.  If I am using my "Doorway" tech, my imaginary focus target is already in color. When it begins to take on it's own life, it is still in color. Example, I can use a simple red box to visualize. Soon that red box may start spinning, growing or morphing into a completely new thing all together. When that occurs, I just passively observe it until a whole scene begins to appear. The same thing happens when visualizing my "Happy place". Mine is a tranquil Tropical Island setting. I normally will begin by just visualizing white sand by my feet. Slowly I will raise my vision and take in more of what this place has to offer. Pretty soon it is a full-blown scenario. When I was new, this used to take some time, about 45 mins to an hour, sometimes an hour and half before my focus was dead set on my new surroundings. That was because I was getting in the way of the process. There was itches, problem with excess saliva and swallowing, problems with the sensation that my "real" eyelids were opening. One by one I had to deal with all of those "contentions". It seemed like a constant battle, until one day it wasn't anymore. Tom Campbell puts it this way, "It is a very simple process, but it is us, ourselves that get in the way and make it difficult". Our conscious minds have been programmed to keep our system "physical" while we are here in this physical existence. Conscious OBEs and Phasing go against that programming.

Every night when we fall asleep we end up in a non-local state of consciousness. We are not consciously aware of that though. We call that "Dreaming". In OBEs and Phasing, we are experiencing that non-local state of consciousness while completely aware of it. That is the only difference.

[EscapeVelocity]

"How many times have you had clarity appear after a period of being lost?"

In my own case, I would say many times, most of the time and nearly all of the time, lol. If I am understanding your question correctly. That's part of the charm, mystery and wonder of exploring the Non-Physical (NP). I think it is also an indication of what Kurt Leland describes as your NP senses coming online or becoming activated. When we are NP, we are not getting input through any of our five physical senses, but we are getting plenty of information; just in new ways that we have to learn to interpret and understand. I think those moments of clarity are signs of our realization and internal understanding of new information. I generally refer to it as the Intuitional sense, in that I just recognize a kind of certitude with a new insight I have realized. Some other NP senses that Leland describes and I have generally confirmed are the Relational sense (who or what energy am I encountering?), the Navigational sense (where the hell am I and how did I get here?), the Communication sense (she's not speaking, so is this telepathy?) to name a few...

You ask about getting to Frank's F2 or the "reserved for me" area, also what you referred to earlier as the Astral Proper.

This gets into a discussion/debate over Models of Reality and honestly, it's a subjective, personal interpretation. I am happy to discuss from most any interpretive Model and my own current Model basically follows the Theosophic multiple energy bodies idea (Physical, Etheric, Astral, Mental, Causal, etc.) because that was the literature that early on made sense to me and it largely paralleled my experiences. Within that Model was also some discussion that the Astral Plane/Dimension was divided into two general areas of consciousness, the personal and largely subconscious part of our nature, and then the Astral Proper, which is the larger community, generally known as the immediate Afterlife environment that most of us enter at physical death. There was or is, also, the idea that, as a still-incarnated, would-be Astral traveller, you are not automatically granted entrance into the Astral Proper; you have to earn your way in. I don't pretend to know the absolute truth to this question, but my experience has shown me that there is some degree of truth to the statement, and it makes sense. Just like you don't take an immature child to the opera, without expecting an embarrassing tantrum, the Astral Community, and maybe more emphatically, the "System" does not allow you in until you demonstrate a certain level of maturity and manners. This is probably why control of emotions is so highly stressed in much of the literature and certain semi-mythical constructs exist such as the Gatekeeper, the Guardian, the Watcher, the Dweller on the Threshold. Many people have described similar encounters. Another Gatekeeper or Threshold event is an Initiation event, which is what I underwent and marked a significant shift in my experiences.

Prior to my Initiation event, most of my experiences were dream, lucid dream, Etheric/RTZ excursions, Personal Astral (where most of my environments and character encounters were largely supplied by my subconscious), Astral Simulations (immersive learning environments) and some occasional excursions into what I think and realize was the wider community of the Astral Proper. But again, that's just the trajectory of my experience and entirely based on my subjective interpretation. And it's only in after the fact, that I can look back and realize just 'where' each of these experiences fits.

There is also the question of front-loading a person's expectations, and I am trying to guard against that, but any discussion of these ideas runs the risk. So, I'm trying to lay out a set of possible reasons and conditions that you may be encountering, an idea of context. We use the phrase 'baby steps' a lot here. The learning is a series of innumerable, small steps and it is often very frustrating, especially in the beginning; in fact, learning patience and dealing with the frustration may be some of the earliest lessons.

So, as I wrote in an earlier post, you can be in the Void, the darkness or the grayness (btw noticing the shift from black to gray and the texture is noticing the shift in energy, nice insight) and you can mentally announce or 'Intend' your destination or where you want to go or whom you want to visit...and if nothing happens, then it is likely a sign that you should stop and pay attention to your present environment; there is something important to learn right then and right there. If nothing seems to be happening, a good default Intention to try is 'Show me the next best lesson I need to learn'.

Seeing visually and in technicolor...yes, absolutely. But keep in mind, you are not seeing the old-fashioned way, with physical eyes. In the NP, you are sensing energies with your mind. At some point, you will learn to convert the sensing of energies into a visual context. Early on, it may be black & white, or it may be foggy or out of focus. Other times it will be full technicolor, even 125% full, wraparound technicolor!

You are doing fine, so keep up with your current method for awhile. It can feel agonizingly slow, at times. Your experiences will soon take off.

EV

[Kodemaster]

Welcome! I'm glad you are here!

[Kupe]

Hi everyone
Please forgive me for not responding individually, but I really do appreciate your words of encouragement and suggestions to help me move past my "stuckness". I am the better for taking your words on board.
@lumaza - yes, our posts crossed. Thank you for your observation that we tend to get in our own way - I certainly over-think things and that can work against me. I'm learning that the simple trumps the complicated! Your "Don the explorer!" phrase fits my screen name perfectly - Kupe was the Polynesian explorer who, against the odds, set sail and discovered New Zealand
@EV - you also talked of the "explorer's mindset" which is really appropriate given that it is the mind that holds the key to any inner journey exploring what you termed "models of reality"
@Kodemaster - thank you for your welcome

In another post above, I warbled on about reading Frank's post to the site on 18February2005 in which he wrote "we place a veil between the place we call "here" and the place we call "there" for the purposes of our experience" For some reason, that cascaded into a myriad of thoughts that that led to my becoming "unstuck" Had Frank been able, I feel he would have explained exactly what he was pointing to.

Which brings me to a question. I am aware that I am very much a newcomer both to this site and to the endeavour of inner journeying, but I think I can add to that comment of Frank's and make the issue of access other reality states much more achievable, especially to those who are not electrical engineers! Would it be presumptuous of me to add on to the body of work that, quite rightfully, belongs to Frank?

I would value your response.

Mike

[Lumaza]

- Kupe was the Polynesian explorer who, against the odds, set sail and discovered New Zealand

Your name shows your determination to succeed. That great to see. Many people go into this practice with the attitude that "I'll give it a go and see what happens". They don't necessarily have a strong goal to succeed. they are just "curious". They are normally given a "sneak peek" of what could be. But that is as far it goes. The real work starts and they abort and go onto the next thing that has grabs their focus.

In another post above, I warbled on about reading Frank's post to the site on 18February2005 in which he wrote "we place a veil between the place we call "here" and the place we call "there" for the purposes of our experience" For some reason, that cascaded into a myriad of thoughts that that led to my becoming "unstuck" Had Frank been able, I feel he would have explained exactly what he was pointing to.

Which brings me to a question. I am aware that I am very much a newcomer both to this site and to the endeavour of inner journeying, but I think I can add to that comment of Frank's and make the issue of access other reality states much more achievable, especially to those who are not electrical engineers! Would it be presumptuous of me to add on to the body of work that, quite rightfully, belongs to Frank?

As you see by the enormous number of posts that Frank made here, he got the same questions again and again. We here on the Pulse still get the same questions over and over again. Why? Because most people will experience similar things, examples, exit symptoms, such as vibrations, sleep paralysis, all kinds of things. Xanth once said in a post here on the Pulse that "If you are experiencing it, chance are someone else has as well". If you stick around here long enough, you will see what i mean. Hopefully you do. For a while now the Astral Pulse, lost its "pulse".
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences/exit_symptomssignposts-t46206.0.html

You are more than welcome to add any helpful advice that you can give. Astral Projection has been around since man has. There is evidence that the Egyptians used it quite frequently (Book of the Dead/Mystery Schools). Then there is Annie Bessant, Helena Blavatsky and many others from the past. Kurt Leland did a fantastic video on the Annie Besant's philosophy in regard to the non-physical realms and the characteristics of those that venture there. See the link below for that. Accessing non-physical realms is a practice in Buddhism/Hinduism, all different cultures. Each of these people wrote about the "non-physical", as they themselves saw and experienced it.  Robert Monroe was used to working with frequencies, since he worked with and then owned Radio and Cable TV companies.  So, he created his Hemi-sync and his programs built on that. Many things that you read in Astral related books have been said before. Some Authors give credit to the person that said it, others will just use it to fit their own narrative. So, share away. We are all ears here!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA12Xd3Zq0I&t=4s
This link goes to one of Kurt Leland's most recent talks. I didn't even know this one existed until now. See the good that comes from helping others. Thanks for that Kupe! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYkjaqfOvvo

[Kupe]

Thank you Lumaza, for your helpful suggestions and for the link you provided - in one of your responses there, you also mentioned "here" and "there".

In the hope that those reading might be wondering what's so important to me at least about those two commonly-used words, I will describe what I do, how it works and why. I'm not an electrical engineer as were both Robert Munroe and Frank Kepple, so my description of the process will reflect that - I am decidedly non-tech. I'm also a teacher who had to explain seemingly-complicated concepts to teenagers who need the complicated made easy to follow! I'll get my thoughts in order and start writing in the next few days. I'm likely to write several smaller posts rather than one potentially overwhelming one, if you'll grant me that liberty.

I personally struggled with the concept of "lifting" and "separating" from the body. I tried it, had minor success but never went anywhere. It was hard work and raised too many inner fears to persevere with. I also struggled with the logic of it all - too fraught, too complicated. Others can make the "lifting out of the body" process work brilliantly. I couldn't- and so Frank's description of "phase shifting" gave me an alternate way of accessing the universe. The posts I've promised are aimed at those who have also struggled with the concept of separating in any way from the body.

In the meantime, thank you for the encouragement to share

Mike

[tides2dust]

Hi Mike,

Great introductory thread. And, I would think even the so called experts of this realm would welcome additional data. I don't claim mastery, I rather enjoy knowing how much of this territory is unexplored, what others find in common and how others were able to navigate these experiences in unique ways- ways that would surprise even the ones so versed in the field. As "common" as the astral/mental is, it is uncommon in that the territory is mostly subconscious/unconscious with regards to societal acceptance. And, I find that people too vested in their belief systems don't allow the myriad of ways in which we can all, "get there." A different type of being stuck if you know what I mean.

I'm getting the expression, "there are multiple ways to skin a cat"

"Variety is the spice of life"

Bringing your understanding to the fore is a part of the collaborative process that we should all enjoy. So please, don't worry.

I really like the quote you provided.

In another post above, I warbled on about reading Frank's post to the site on 18February2005 in which he wrote "we place a veil between the place we call "here" and the place we call "there" for the purposes of our experience" For some reason, that cascaded into a myriad of thoughts that that led to my becoming "unstuck" Had Frank been able, I feel he would have explained exactly what he was pointing to.

Which brings me to a question. I am aware that I am very much a newcomer both to this site and to the endeavour of inner journeying, but I think I can add to that comment of Frank's and make the issue of access other reality states much more achievable, especially to those who are not electrical engineers! Would it be presumptuous of me to add on to the body of work that, quite rightfully, belongs to Frank?

I would value your response.

Mike

So that's my response, to the quote above. And I see you're already moving on. Good.   I look forward to your contributions.

I am but a child in this vast mostly *unaware* realm. Here's to us becoming aware... And learning to make peace with our temporal experience with these 3D bodies granted to us by our gracious Host.

[Nameless]

Hi Kupe, Nameless here. I just want to welcome you to the Pulse and thank you for all your contributions so far. I haven't already jumped in here because I have so been enjoying the back and forth conversation going I haven't wanted to interrupt the flow. I encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts and experience as I think we are all rather loving your intelligent input. Please do add your own take and knowledge. All the members you have interacted with so far are very intelligent individuals with some amazing insights.

You seem to have an innate ability to bring out the best responses. Continue on and know I am not the only one following along on this journey and we are all learning each and everyday from each other.

Many hugs to you.

[Kupe]

Before I start,a "thank you" to both tides2dust and Nameless for your encouragement and kind thoughts. Much appreciated.

**********

I'm taking this line from Frank as my starting point "we place a veil between the place we call "here" and the place we call "there" for the purposes of our experience" I'm typing on a tablet, so please excuse any typos!

What I intent to cover in this post is what this comment sparked, in relation to "astral travel". My hope is that it may make our entry to the astral a bit less fraught. Personally, my access to the astral had been using the Gateway Experience's Focus 10 (wave 1, track 2) which I was followed by techniques aimed at separating the energy body from the physical.This got close but was difficult, involved way too much mental effort and was downright frightening at times. So I gave up on that and almost straight away started reading about "phasing" through reading Robert Munroe's Ultimate Journey, following up that with. Google search which led me to this site, where I discovered what Frank Kepple had written. The quote above from Frank was in one of the last he wrote on this sit and to me

I am not an electrical engineer and therefore approached this concept of phasing from a different angle. I have a back-story involving some pretty deep meditation, and I have come to know that which we call "the mind". I had, in meditation gone beyond what Frank called the real time zone, without realizing what it was - simply, I wasn't looking for the astral, so I never found it! But after reading Frank's comment above, I wondered whether I could use a meditation approach to get to what I call the "celestial". I found that I could very get to all states of consciousness reliably and quickly - without fearful noises, lots of effort and the like. I'm going to detail is the approach I used.

In another post, I will go into more detail about what "meditation approach" means. I promise that it's not difficult or complex to pick up and it is a wonderful process to use if we want to be really good explorers.

But before we go much further, I have to emphasize that you should forget any notion of anything physical traveling anywhere. That approach, as Frank was wont to say politely is a mystical nonsense. There is something traveling - that's for sure, but it is non-physical. Where it does the traveling is another story that I will leave for the moment

The only attributes you'll need in order to undertake the "phasing" journey I'm about to explain is an open mind, a jaunty air of detachment and an insatiable curiosity. Let's face it, the universe is immense, and every square inch of it has something to teach us, delight us, puzzle us. And we're learning through direct experience, not second hand through books, the internet or, God forbid, through YouTube!

So let's go! Imagine that you're in the physical place you go to for your "astral journeys. For me, that's my bedroom, where I sit in an aluminum high-backed beach lounge chair (cost me $49 from Kmart and folds up to fit in the car). It needs to be high-backed to support my head, it's comfortable enough to have me sit for 2hours or more). Why a chair? If I lie down on a bed, phlegm will invariably start running down my throat and I'll start imagining that I will choke or drown! What you use is up to you,

In my chair, I squirm about until I am comfortable, then I lightly close my eyes. At about this point you would start the Wave 1, track 2 "Introduction to Focus 10" track. I no longer use that. Suffice to say that the relaxation procedure that Robert Munroe takes you through in that track is very good. If you do use this track, I would "bail out" of it he says something along the lines of "Relax and enjoy..." and come back after the next paragraph.

My "mindscape" (what I see) will resemble the "static" you'll see on a TV that has lost the signal. I take 2 or 3 deep breaths in then out to get the ball rolling, then simply breathe normally. As you breathe, you'll see the mindscape change. Now you'll see definite movement, the odd "shooting star perhaps, even a few larger rotating blobs that move their way across the screen, No matter what you see, remember: be disinterested, be curious, say nothing - even in your inner voice - like Ike "wow" or "what's that?". Become totally absorbed in what you're seeing - it will be continually changing and morphing into something else that you'll notice is there now, but wasn't before.

Now it's time to talk about awareness. This can get complicated, but to keep it simple, I'm going to say that awareness is moving a bit of consciousness to a particular place. As humans we can concurrently place awareness in more than one place at a time, and that's what we're going to do now.

As your lightly closed eyes are looking at the scene in front of them, and without averting your eyes from that scene they're becoming absorbed in, turn your inner attention to just below where your belly button. You don't to be exactly anywhere there, just as long as you're in region of where your belly button is. Now keep your attention there. Not a heavy, concentrated attention - more the delicate touch of a butterfly landing on a leaf. It's a focussed awareness and NOT a concentrated awareness! You'll find that after a while a sensation of descending will start. Some describe this as a "falling" sensation. I liken it to being in a lift that is slowly making it way down from the fourth floor towards the ground. The lift, to begin with, may move quickly - if it does, it is a sign that your state of relaxation is quickly deepening. No matter whether descending quickly or slowly, stay it. The descent will stop when it want to.

Once the lift has stopped, shift awareness back to the mindscape. Hopefully, the T. static will have gone, replaced with a 3D vista of bigger blobs and even stars. This is Franks 3rd level of consciousness. if that's where you want to be, then don't move- wait a little while and let that 3D mindscape stabilise. Then - and only then, ask yourself "where am I" If the answer that you give to yourself is "here" then you can be confident that you're where you are supposed to be. Then open your eyes, let it all sink in that you are here.

In other words, in your room sitting in your meditation chair (or lying on the bed, you were "here" in the physical realm. At that time the astral mindscape was "there" - where you wanted to get to
Now when you step out of the lift, the mindscape is "here" and the "there" is in the room in the physical realm

(If you peek and there is a 2-dimensional look and feel to the display, and that's what you expected to see, then follow the process described in the last paragraph. If it's not what you expected, put you awareness back on to the belly button with the inner intent "wrong floor, I need the next floor down" and wait for that "lift is descending" feeling. Let the "going down" feeling stop when it wants to, cautiously peek. If you're new to this is you might get on and off that lift any number of times. Remember that this is all about relaxation, and you'd simply tried to move too quickly for your mind, which is not yet relaxed enough to do what you expect of it. Be patient, be gentle with your expectations. No matter, if you step out of the lift, the observations above this paragraph still apply.

Play around with this. You'll see that exploration is really a chain of "here's" and "there's" that interchange all of the time. If you're at the 3D display, get back on the lift and descend it some more (remember that each time you descend you're taking the mind to a deeper level. I must also point out that what you may wish to explore may not be fulfilled by the greater consciousness system which always considers whether fulfilling a request is in your best interests at that time. That's short for: there may be a reason beyond yourself why something won't work for you!

How to get back? With my inner voice, I simply say "take me home". I'm somehow put in the lift and I gently return. When the lift stops, I ask "where am I? The knowing arises that I am, indeed in my room. I yawn, stretch and express gratitude

This has been a lot to take in. I would be delighted to have questions requesting more detail and any constructive criticism on any particular point of the process.

Mike

[Lumaza]

But before we go much further, I have to emphasize that you should forget any notion of anything physical traveling anywhere. That approach, as Frank was wont to say politely is a mystical nonsense. There is something traveling - that's for sure, but it is non-physical. Where it does the traveling is another story that I will leave for the moment

You are correct, there is nothing "physical" traveling. I find it is your "point of consciousness" that is moving deeper within.

The only attributes you'll need in order to undertake the "phasing" journey I'm about to explain is an open mind, a jaunty air of detachment and an insatiable curiosity. Let's face it, the universe is immense, and every square inch of it has something to teach us, delight us, puzzle us. And we're learning through direct experience, not second hand through books, the internet or, God forbid, through YouTube!

That "jaunty air of detachment", I call mental disassociation. An "insatiable curiosity" and deep sense of adventure will definitely take you far in this practice. It can be your "catalyst for success".

So let's go! Imagine that you're in the physical place you go to for your "astral journeys. For me, that's my bedroom, where I sit in an aluminum high-backed beach lounge chair (cost me $49 from Kmart and folds up to fit in the car). It needs to be high-backed to support my head, it's comfortable enough to have me sit for 2hours or more). Why a chair? If I lie down on a bed, phlegm will invariably start running down my throat and I'll start imagining that I will choke or drown!

I had that problem with the phlegm as well. Even while sitting in a chair it was a problem. Why? Because I was still too "physically oriented". The physical will fight tooth and nail to keep you here in the physical. I got over it by learning how to deepen my "non-physical focus".

As your lightly closed eyes are looking at the scene in front of them, and without averting your eyes from that scene they're becoming absorbed in, turn your inner attention to just below where your belly button. You don't to be exactly anywhere there, just as long as you're in region of where your belly button is. Now keep your attention there. Not a heavy, concentrated attention - more the delicate touch of a butterfly landing on a leaf. It's a focused awareness and NOT a concentrated awareness! You'll find that after a while a sensation of descending will start. Some describe this as a "falling" sensation. I liken it to being in a lift that is slowly making it way down from the fourth floor towards the ground. The lift, to begin with, may move quickly - if it does, it is a sign that your state of relaxation is quickly deepening. No matter whether descending quickly or slowly, stay it. The descent will stop when it want to.

Here is my first question. I just completed what I call my Phase soak. It is basically phasing while lying in the hot water in my bathtub. I find that it enhances the level of relaxation that is needed to pin -point and hold my NP (non-physical) focus. You said that you target your awareness at an area just below your belly button, which could be either the "Sacral" or "Root Chakra". Is there a purpose for your choice here? I make and sell Art in that I make in Renaissance Faires, State Fairs and other shows. I utilize the natural elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water into my work. Each of those elements is represented by the directions, North, South, East and West. So, I learned how to work that into my phase sessions as well. I use targeted awareness every time I phase. Sometimes it is the 3rd eye, sometimes the Heart chakra, it all depends on what feels right at the time. But nothing takes me deeper quicker than initiating the feeling of movement, either directional or just simply a forward motion, this is akin to the feeling one gets while in a driving simulation. Everyone has been in a vehicle, so I would say emulating a driving simulation would be the easiest on to do. Even viewing the darkness before your closed eyes as a hallway, cave corridor that one can explore will do wonders.

Once the lift has stopped, shift awareness back to the mindscape. Hopefully, the T. static will have gone, replaced with a 3D vista of bigger blobs and even stars. This is Franks 3rd level of consciousness. if that's where you want to be, then don't move- wait a little while and let that 3D mindscape stabilise. Then - and only then, ask yourself "where am I" If the answer that you give to yourself is "here" then you can be confident that you're where you are supposed to be. Then open your eyes, let it all sink in that you are here.

Next question, "open your eyes". You kind of lost me there. Are you opening your physical eyes or what would be your "etheric" eyes?

(If you peek and there is a 2-dimensional look and feel to the display, and that's what you expected to see, then follow the process described in the last paragraph. If it's not what you expected, put you awareness back on to the belly button with the inner intent "wrong floor, I need the next floor down" and wait for that "lift is descending" feeling. Let the "going down" feeling stop when it wants to, cautiously peek. If you're new to this is you might get on and off that lift any number of times. Remember that this is all about relaxation, and you'd simply tried to move too quickly for your mind, which is not yet relaxed enough to do what you expect of it. Be patient, be gentle with your expectations. No matter, if you step out of the lift, the observations above this paragraph still apply.

Szaxx, another Moderator and member here years ago called the "elevator" sensation "a slow vortex experience". Some people utilize the focus of bouncing up and down on trampoline. Some people like the Hot Air balloon tech, which is "lifting and rising". I wrote a thread here years on a easy to do "rocket launching" approach.  

I got tired of quoting everything individually, the last comment I wanted to make was when you said not to use your "mental voice" in the beginning. I concur with that. I can't tell you how many times a session was destroyed by my mental voice when things were about to happen. The simple thought of "here we go" or any kind of narration ends the adventure then and there. That's when I learned the importance of "passively observing " everything in the beginning with an air of curiosity.

I enjoyed your write-up. Thank you for sharing here Kupe. I also look forward to reading your thread on Meditation that you said you will make here in the future. I will use your technique for a while. That's the only way you can give anything a fair shake. There are tons of ways to get into a good deep "non-physical focus". I remember reading a thread here in the past that was from another website that had a list of over 100 ways to have a OBE. It was over 100 targets to focus your awareness on though. That itself tells you the most important part of this practice and that is learning to and finding a way to target your focus on anything other than your physical self. Not only to target but to "hold" that focused awareness on that target that you have chosen.

[Kupe]

Than you Lamaza, for your questions

It is indeed that "point of consciousness" that travels UNLESS your expectation is that body with arms and legs comes along. In a nutshell, that is why a lot of folk who expect a body to be involved persevere with a "floating up" or rolling over" or some other technique that is fear-inducing and frequently associated with noises, vibrations and the like.

Really our expectation of what the purpose of an OOBE is defines the nature of the experience we enjoy. If the intent we form in our mind is to fly over our suburb, then what comes along for the ride is probably what we expect to come along - a body with limbs. That's perfectly fine. My intend is to find the answer to the original observation that started me down the path, which was "there's got to be more to life than this" I know in theory and through other experiences the answer to that question , but not through DIRECT experience. I am exploring to find that experience and can ONLY succeed as a "point of consciousness" that is 100% awareness in real time of that experience. I'd be horrified if my arms and legs came along for the trip 😀

Disassociation from what? The body. That is true on the physical plane. In the non-physical there is ONLY consciousness. I am most definitely not disassociating from that! I am jaunty because I am no longer attached to a body! I am detached 😀. Sorry, I should have used another expression

The key to phasing is relaxation. A hot tub is a wonderful way to relax, and you could definitely go to "there" from the tub! I'd only be worried about sliding beneath the warm water! There is another issue: assuming you were off voyaging amongst the stars, your body would want to get out of the tun when the water got cold - that would surely call you back!

You're right; any linkage to the physical will return you. That need not be thinking of your body. Thinking of the day ahead curtailed my voyage this morning - not completely out but far removed from where I was before that pesky thought! Similarly, any "I've only got 30 minutes for this voyage" will result in a tension that will not end with an optimal voyage. The mind needs to be focused on only one thing: the voyage about to start or that is in progress.

If the relaxation is deep enough, open both eyes. After the lift has stopped descending, I cautiously peek. If the scene in front of one peeking eye is stable, in 3D and enticing, I throw caution to the winds and open both eyes, blink a few times to become accustomed to the vista and keep them open from then on. Unless my intuition tells me it would be better to close them. That happens when I get back into the lift to go somewhere else, or when I say "I'd like to go home now please"

Thank you so much for your penetrating questions.

My next post will not be on meditation but will follow on from your observation that it is the "point of consciousness" which travels. That is an important ball to keep rolling. So I will delay the post on meditation a little bit

Cheers
Mike

[Kupe]

I've written two detailed posts. I've just finished a journey and, not having by journal with me, I've written my recollections directly into the computer. I thought it might put a more "human face" to what I've previously posted. This is pure "stream of consciousness" stuff - written just after the event with no interpretations overlaid.

It's now 5:30 am, and I've no paper or pen here, and I want to get my thoughts down on what I've just experienced. I started the journey about an hour ago, a bit after 4am. Settled quickly, sitting on the floor propped up against the wall, pillows behind me and a light blanket over me. Very comfortable. I went deeply from the get-go - into an area that felt where I was a few days before. It felt welcoming, familiar almost. Established there for bit, then went deeper and followed (what, I have no idea as I couldn't discern a shape, but I was being led on, eventually into a slowly rotating, pulsing darkness that seemed to visually buffet me on all sides with swirls of quickly moving clouds. I was never moved by these, although they (the clouds) enveloped me, appearing from one side then disappearing on the other side. I noted a deep throbbing, pulsating noise within (these are known to me and occur when I'm either in the Jhanas, or when in voyaging I'm moving deeper and like today, moving other than in a life, like being drawn into something. They appeared from all directions and were of subtly contrasting colours - so I sensed that I was moving through an aperture. As I did, I had the feeling of moving quickly. Whatever, the aperture  suddenly opened up into a light lavender coloured vastness, almost as if I had popped out from a tube into an endless vastness.Wow! Pinpricks of light were everywhere, but they weren't moving - they were just suspended in the light lavender. The throbbing noise ceased. Absolute silence. Majestic.

I think that I was a bit overwhelmed by that, because I was suddenly plunged back into blackness. I thought that I had been ejected through thinking about something "back there". Perhaps I was, perhaps not. Anyway, the blackness turned into the now more familiar vista of black blobs (not whispy cloud patterns) that seemed to almost by design appear, move and get in the way of a clearly intensely white source of light that radiated shafts of that light outwards. The effect to me was that the blackness was purposefully getting in the way of obtaining a clear view of that brightness. So I intended "into the light" and then played a sort of "cats and mice" game with clouds that appeared to obstruct what I wanted to see. What started to appear around this time were quick and small dashes of colour: green and red as I recall. Playing that game drew me increasingly closer to that light which certainly got closer and brighter. But I never quite got there! Perhaps next time.

During the cat and mice game, the nature of the "obstructions" started to change and I got a few fleeting but very detailed images of what can only be described as "built structures" of some kind. They would appear, and quickly then be replaced by a whispy cloud. I also recall that at one point an image popped up of another built structure that seemed to be of a house, clad with horizontal boards and a vine growing over a verandah. I think there were people standing under the verandah. It was coloured in sepia tones, like an olden days photograph. I was shown those for a reason. I have no idea at this time what that might be.

Then suddenly I sensed a movement within - a sound movement rather than a physical one and I knew that I'd been shown enough. This time, no traveling back in a lift. No sensation of moving, but a knowing that the voyage had ended. Sure enough, it had - but the astral was still there in 3D in front of my open eyes. I noticed that last night and again this morning when I awoke and looked into the darkness of me room: the 3D vista was there. Beckoning. Reminding me that, as consciousness in this human body, we can be concurrently in both the physical and the non-physical.

I expressed gratitude.

Mike

[Lumaza]

It is indeed that "point of consciousness" that travels UNLESS your expectation is that body with arms and legs comes along. In a nutshell, that is why a lot of folk who expect a body to be involved persevere with a "floating up" or rolling over" or some other technique that is fear-inducing and frequently associated with noises, vibrations and the like.

I always travel in the NP as a single point of consciousness. That is indeed my "chosen vehicle"!  

Disassociation from what? The body. That is true on the physical plane. In the non-physical there is ONLY consciousness. I am most definitely not disassociating from that! I am jaunty because I am no longer attached to a body! I am detached 😀. Sorry, I should have used another expression

Disassociated from any physical focus whatsoever. Because I use the same method often, just the preparedness of filling the bath with water, has already started the Phasing process. I guess you could say it works like a ritual of sorts.  Any kind of ritual you use will achieve the goal of some level of preparedness of what you wish to achieve.

The key to phasing is relaxation. A hot tub is a wonderful way to relax, and you could definitely go to "there" from the tub! I'd only be worried about sliding beneath the warm water! There is another issue: assuming you were off voyaging amongst the stars, your body would want to get out of the tun when the water got cold - that would surely call you back!

I am a 6 ft 2 inch frame crammed into about a 5ft bathtub. Yet, after a few minutes of Phasing, I know longer feel that inconvenience. ...and yes, I have come "to" a few times and found that the water was much cooler than it was when I started the session. There are some people though that utilize ice water to Meditate. There is a gentleman in Sweden I think that has made that a thing now.
Edit: The man's name is Wim Hof and he is Dutch, not Swedish.

[Lumaza]

 Your adventure sounds like quite the wild ride! 

That is one of them that makes you hold onto the reins, no matter where it is going and really trust. It can really challenge you, to see how far you will allow it to go. You really need to be experienced in passively observing to achieve that. Sometimes it gets too intense, and I have to abort it. That will normally happen when things start really spinning and spiraling. Giving true meaning to the term "spiraling out of control". There is only so much of that that I can take.

[tides2dust]

Huh, neat. This whole time I've been calling "Point of consciousness"

"Point of awareness"

Ultimately it's the same... But I've always called it this because I see consciousness as all there is. Typically my awareness resides nestled in the mind, behind the eyes(or so it thinks... Sometimes it is slightly further back and just above that).

Even though I am aware a "body" is not always necessary for an "out of body" experience- I still seem to rely on creating this astral body, which may be(at this point) a pattern I am accustomed to.

We are so heavily attached to our immediate senses and this personality, that it seems I(at times) will create(unknowingly) an elaborate system(like an energetic body) in order to help my conscious self understand I am no longer observing from the physical 3D body.

I suppose this is why recall, or an actual experience can be confusing when your point of awareness or "point consciousness" is warping from one thing to another and some of us(who are new or not well versed in this realm) cling to definitions and understanding derived from a world where the observer/PoA is accustomed to being associated with its physical host body.

Thanks for letting me chase my tail a little...

And I appreciate the expanded commentary!