Some tips for getting out of sleep paralysis and the spontaneous OOBE

astrozombie said:
Believe me when I say that all is great with me in so far as what has been discussed. No apologies needed as you have all been most accurate, scarily accurate.

This thread actually has made me feel more welcomed then all the specific welcomes in my intro post combined. :) :D :)

I'm glad it's been of help, as well as you feel welcomed.
 
Wait a minute! I'm a bit late to this post... wish I could have found it when it was more active. Regardless, I think I have something to add.

One: Who is saying that astral projection, out of body or sleep paralysis is bad? The C's have given warnings. I'm a sailor and people are constantly warning of the dangers of sailing, yet I still sail... safely and with great joy.

Two: Why would you frame your initial advice in such a fear-based manner? I see waking sleep paralysis as a wonderful opportunity to explore my various states of consciousness. I'm excited when it happens.

Three: There are dozens of books written by those who've astral projected and induced out of body experiences hundreds of times without any physical problems, other than the occassional fright when they encountered something they didn't understand, which happens in every facet of existence. That's how we learn...

This is the point: Knowledge Protects. I think it is far more prudent to point people in the direction of good books on the subject (such as Secrets of the Soul by William Buhlman and any of Robert Monroe's books) rather than framing it as something terrifying and to be avoided.

UNDERSTAND: I am not advocating anyone engage in APs or OBEs! I simply noticed a lot of fear-based thoughts in this thread and want to remind people that "learning is fun" and to not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I don't know why the C's gave the warnings that they did, but I think a more productive thread would involve learning and understanding these phenomena, if and what the benefits are (as well as the pitfalls) and whether we can get something spiritually beneficial from engaging in these activities. I've had several experiences, never felt any terror and was always disappointed when they ended so soon.

That's my two cents. Thanks for listening and kind regards to all :)
 
Hi OneLittleBird,
It's not fear-based if you read well the thread, there is a difference between being careful and being fearful. Sailors know well about the dangers of the sea, they do not sail with ignorance as do most of obe aficionados.

Many here have had Obe experiences and other related phenomena, often accidentally btw. Obsessing about it is a distraction from the real work on consciousness. It fun sometimes, but there is little to lean from it apart being aware at some point that there are other aspects of reality than the material framework. From that realization one can choose to go further or to stay in the realm of the experience, which is but a step, in one's journey. OSIT
 
Hello mkrnhr,

I agree with you that it's about being careful, not fearful... no argument there.
I also agree that obsession, like anything not taken in moderation, can potentially stall our growth. We agree.
Who's to say there is little to learn from it, though? I don't know. That's the point; is there something to learn from it? Is not the psychomantium a version of astral projection? I haven't seen any evidence that it's a waste of time.

Please understand that I'm not challenging you... in fact, I really appreciate the reply. I just scratch my head when anyone steers others away from APs or OBEs, because I truly don't understand what the big deal is.

Don't get me wrong, I sympathize with those who experience such phenomena and don't understand what's happening... that can be scary. I think a little education on the matter would help me and countless others. My only gripe is when people focus on the strange entities that one might encounter while in an experience or other allusions of mishaps. That's like saying don't go into the forest, there are things that scurry or you might trip on a branch. My point of view is that the forest is a beautiful place and you should learn about it... and the critters within... and how to be safe whilst within.

Which brings me to my point (sorry so long), what CAN go wrong? My experience is that it is quite difficult to induce an out of body experience and it generally only lasts a few moments at best... and the slightest loss of focus, rising of fear or discomfort ends it immediately without any physical afliction.

So, I guess I'm back to trying to understand why the C's made their warnings, if those warnings were specific to those individuals they were warning and if they could elaborate on their opinion of APs and OBEs or if anyone else has an opinion on the merits or otherwise of such.

Again, sorry this ran so long... I'm working on making my points shorter :)
 
OneLittleBird said:
Who's to say there is little to learn from it, though? I don't know. That's the point; is there something to learn from it? Is not the psychomantium a version of astral projection? I haven't seen any evidence that it's a waste of time.

As far as I am aware, the psychomantium experiment was in reference to Laura, who had decades of prior experience researching and learning about various aspects of our reality through "ordinary" methods.

This brings one to the question - what is the purpose of engaging in such activities as deliberately induced oobe and astral projection? If it is for the "coolness" factor, escaping from 3D reality and experience chasing, then not much needs to be discussed here as the objective of this forum is quite different from such pursuits. One is of course free to choose to do what he likes and talk about such experiences elsewhere - there are many places in the internet which indulge in such activities.

If one brings up the point that such an activity is for gaining knowledge, then the obvious question would be "have you tried the well-established ordinary methods of learning about our reality, and have you learned what you can about the astral/psychic domain through reading what has been reported by others?" Some books in the parapsychology area have been suggested here (section on esotericism and parapsychology). It would make logical sense to get acquainted with established methods of gaining knowledge in these areas before jumping in to not-so-ordinary methods - osit.

[quote author=OneLittleBird]
I just scratch my head when anyone steers others away from APs or OBEs, because I truly don't understand what the big deal is.
[/quote]

There are good reasons for such warnings. It would become obvious if one takes the time to read some of the material related to parapsychology.

[quote author=OneLittleBird]
Don't get me wrong, I sympathize with those who experience such phenomena and don't understand what's happening... that can be scary. I think a little education on the matter would help me and countless others. My only gripe is when people focus on the strange entities that one might encounter while in an experience or other allusions of mishaps. That's like saying don't go into the forest, there are things that scurry or you might trip on a branch. My point of view is that the forest is a beautiful place and you should learn about it... and the critters within... and how to be safe whilst within.
[/quote]

Taking the forest analogy first, have you spent time in a forest which is known to contain big predators for any significant length of time? Personally, I have not, but I have had the opportunity to hear the experience of someone who has done back-country safari in the African savannahs. He was knowledgeable about outdoor life before the safari. After the safari, he came back with a totally new appreciation and respect for nature and life. According to him, people who encounter the immensity of an African savannah on an up-close and personal level lose any romantic notion about nature. The way of life there - the complex predator-prey relationships and the constant vigilance and awareness required to increase chances of survival often brings about a new outlook. People who live permanently in this environment are not paranoid, but they are very much grounded in the reality of both the beauty and the danger there, and above all have a visceral (instead of intellectual) realization of the uncertainty of life. So no, they would not worry about tripping on a branch, but they would tell you that even after generations of accumulated knowledge about the wild, the best of them always prepare to meet with lethal danger every time they go out in the savannahs.

Coming back to the topic of astral projection, the forest analogy is not really valid. This is because unlike the savannahs where life has been studied and experienced through countless human generations, there is not much authentic material accumulated about this world. Some of that material does talk about denizens who have their home in that astral realm. Among others, there are ostensibly entities in these realms which are far more cunning and intelligent than human beings. A deliberately undertaken stroll in the astral realm is therefore likely to be far more dangerous compared to a stroll in the savannahs. Animals in the savannah would just kill a human being - but rules in the astral savannahs are apparently different and we do not have much understanding about them.

[quote author=OneLittleBird]
Which brings me to my point (sorry so long), what CAN go wrong?
[/quote]

Spirit attachment, demonic possession are a couple of possibilities. Among the recommended books on parapsychology, there is one book "Hostage to the Devil" by Malachi Martin which does describe a case of a professor who specialized in astral projections. May be worth a read.

fwiw
 
@obyvatel
Thanks for the reply.
We all have decades of experience of the various aspects of our reality through "ordinary" methods. The fact that we're having this discussion means that we've got at least a basic grasp of the various aspects of reality. And by this point, we've probably been asking questions about said reality for a few decades. I have.

My post(s) are not designed with ego in mind... no "coolness" factor. I simply felt like self-induced OBEs or APs were being presented in an overly biased way and I wanted to put the brakes on and see if there is something we're all missing here. And I think this is as good a forum as any to discuss such a topic (keeping in mind that I didn't even bring up this topic), considering the vast array of subjects that ARE discussed.

By the way, I have spent considerable amounts of time in the forest... more accurately grizzly country... I'm from Montana and am very aware of bears, mountain lions and the infamous whiptail man-eating cave squirrel (if you hear it coming, it's already too late).

I will see if I can find the book you recommend. However, I am not convinced the risks are worth turning away from these other avenues of consciousness exploration. And like the stubborn, dogged fool I am, I will continue to explore that which interests me and report what I discover or parish trying.

It's the soul that matters, afterall :)
 
OneLittleBird said:
However, I am not convinced the risks are worth turning away from these other avenues of consciousness exploration. And like the stubborn, dogged fool I am, I will continue to explore that which interests me and report what I discover or parish trying.

As was suggested to the original poster, reports of astral travel are best done elsewhere as the focus area of this forum is different.
 
@obyvatel
Again, I'm not clear on why this forum is not open to the topic of OBEs and APs... if that is, indeed, the position of the moderators... considering the vast array of esoteric topics covered. Said phenomena isn't even a large part of my spiritual quest (for one, I haven't had a great deal of success with it, but it's fascinating, none the less). I just don't understand what I'm missing here. Why the prevailing attitude toward going out of body?

Anyway, I'll drop the subject while here.

Kind Regards
 
OneLittleBird said:
Again, I'm not clear on why this forum is not open to the topic of OBEs and APs... if that is, indeed, the position of the moderators... considering the vast array of esoteric topics covered. Said phenomena isn't even a large part of my spiritual quest (for one, I haven't had a great deal of success with it, but it's fascinating, none the less). I just don't understand what I'm missing here. Why the prevailing attitude toward going out of body?

It's not that we are not open to such a topic, we're very aware of it and found that it is counterproductive to the aim of this forum when one is trying to focus so much on it. Such experiences are subjective and can be "entertaining," nothing more.

Please read carefully the Forum Guideline to understand the purpose of this forum.
 
" Some of the most common symptoms of SP are the inability to move right away. There is a sense of something heavy pushing you down which can make it feel like it is hard to breathe. People often feel "vibrations" or the sensation of electricity running through them. Science doesn't have a reasonable explanation for those sensations so your belief is as good as any. "

SP happened to me one saturday morning when I awoke on my back. With eyes still closed I could hear a feint electrical sound below my head. When I tried to turn over and couldnt I panicked and opened my eyes. I didnt feel any pressure upon me but boy did my body feel like a lump of rock. I dont recall any problems breathing but then again, my mind was on something more important - my body.

After a while - seconds or minutes - I felt dizzy with a feeling of rising upwards towards the ceiling. I closed my eyes in terror and then found I could feel my body again laying in the bed. First, the legs and then the rest.

Ive never got out of bed so fast on a saturday morning! :)
 
Here's a few quotes that make me think that sleep paralysis with "dark figures" might be thought center related:

Approaching Infinity said:
This is called "sleep paralysis", and it's pretty common. As you are new to the board, I recommend you take a look around and see the kind of topics we discuss. As you'll see, we tend to discuss some pretty "weird" stuff by conventional standards. In the case of sleep paralysis, I don't think there is necessarily anything out of the ordinary about it. However, I have noticed that many accounts of sleep paralysis have a "dark figure" and a feeling of foreboding, while others do not. If there is any reality to these figures outside of the mind of the person experiencing such events, perhaps these "beings" manipulate or even induce such a state for their own purposes?

Perceval said:
Thought I'd post a little excerpt from the Wave Vol 2 here, which includes an event experienced by Laura.

...I realized that there were three spidery type creatures pulling and tugging on me... At this point, one of them placed his hand on my head and a powerful paralysis began to spread over me from the head down...

Q: (L) I also seemed to be aware of several dark, spider-like figures lined up by the side of the bed. Was this an accurate impression.

A: Those could be described as specific thought center projections.

...

The above made me think of the idea of STO vs STS 'polarity' and the idea that a person needs to achieve at least 51% STO to be a 'candidate'. I was thinking that this experience Laura had was perhaps representative of the point where, as result of life experiences and choices etc., the two opposing aspects of her nature (i.e. 3D human nature) had reached 'parity' and a choice had to be made, or, at least, a fight had to be put up against the negative "thought center" if the positive STO path was to be further pursued.

From _http://chscarlett.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/shadow-people-shadow-spiders-shadow-beings-other-worlds-part-1/

...I call it the Twilight but a more technical word is Hypnagogia. Basically, it is known as a sleep paralysis which has the attention of many doctors and scientists who are studying it. The easiest way to describe it is, you go to bed, close your eyes, go to sleep. Only you do not go to sleep nor are you fully awake. You are stuck somewhere in between the state of sleep and the state of being awake...

Even though they can interact with their normal environments, not everything is the same. It is as though they are lingering between two worlds. Their subconscious mind is in equal balance with their conscious mind. Meaning, they are open to whatever may come, eyes open beyond the veil but their conscious minds do not have the draw backs to jerk them out of it or to prevent them from seeing, experiencing and interacting with whatever may be. This is when people experience the Shadow Beings, Spiders or other types of Other Worldly phenomena. It is NOT the only time, but this is a common one as well as a wide spreading one...
 
Bluelamp said:
...I call it the Twilight but a more technical word is Hypnagogia. Basically, it is known as a sleep paralysis which has the attention of many doctors and scientists who are studying it. The easiest way to describe it is, you go to bed, close your eyes, go to sleep. Only you do not go to sleep nor are you fully awake. You are stuck somewhere in between the state of sleep and the state of being awake...

Even though they can interact with their normal environments, not everything is the same. It is as though they are lingering between two worlds. Their subconscious mind is in equal balance with their conscious mind. Meaning, they are open to whatever may come, eyes open beyond the veil but their conscious minds do not have the draw backs to jerk them out of it or to prevent them from seeing, experiencing and interacting with whatever may be. This is when people experience the Shadow Beings, Spiders or other types of Other Worldly phenomena. It is NOT the only time, but this is a common one as well as a wide spreading one...

Connecting this with the idea of spirit attachment, there's a possibility we're just more perceptive of attachments in a SP state. It follows that attachments being negative would appear dark and shadowy and makes sense too that many of these because of that would relish in seeing their "hosts" in states of terror.

OneLittleBird said:
Said phenomena isn't even a large part of my spiritual quest (for one, I haven't had a great deal of success with it, but it's fascinating, none the less). I just don't understand what I'm missing here. Why the prevailing attitude toward going out of body?

When you consider that most people may have spirit attachments, and these attachments would be more influential to us while in these states, you'd be wise not to want to induce them. My view is that it's often about escape, that's the carrot - in other words it's a way to avoid the here and now. That mix is one of being highly open to being manipulated, and if you're easier to manipulate and you're inadvertently inviting it, changes are, you are already and might not know it or at least the extent of it.
 
Great information!

I promised I'd drop the subject, so I'll just say that the more we know about something, the more we dispel the fears associated with it.

On another note, I picked up Ouspensky's In Search of the Miraculous and Castaneda's The Teachings of Don Juan to expand my understanding. Laura and this forum advise these, so maybe I'll fill in some puzzle pieces with them.

Kind regards to all :)
 
Back
Top Bottom