astrozombie
Jedi
I understand that Astral Projection (AP) and having intentional out of body experiences (OOBE) is frowned upon here in general and even though I think there is no wrong way to get to the right place, there are many pitfalls, u-turns, and re-routes that can be avoided by following proven paths such as the one dominant one presented, endorsed and followed by the majority of the members here. In fact, I find it very complimentary to my own and if I had some time traveling abilities, I would have no problem with never of having had my first OOBE. The OOBE is not important in the least, the lessons are and there are many ways to reach the same lesson.
It is not my intentions to change anyone's mind about AP or OOBE but after reading through many posts, I have noticed that there are lots of people that are finding themselves unintentionally in the various stages that usually precede these experiences. Many of the people are frightened and the advice they are given is insufficient. I'm not saying that mine is any better but at least it comes from years of personal experience and research.
I want to just address some of the most common concerns that people have when they find themselves in these situations.
While I am personally grateful for having been placed on my personal path, I understand that it is not for everyone. To find any benefit from AP, you will have to let go of your ego and fears. This is not easy and can have a negative effect on people who jump in half-heartedly or scare easily.
The truth, as I have come to see it, is that you are "tapping" into a "higher consciousness system" that we are not currently interfaced to interact with, i.e., we are in physical bodies. Experimenting with AP even, if you believe you are unsuccessful, can still open yourself to other phenomena that are interwoven with this state of consciousness that you attempted to reach. You may have premonitions or precognitive visions.
Many people have reported that they just suddenly know something and it turns out to be true. While that in and of itself may not seem scary, it forces most people out of their comfort zones and directly confronts some of there fast held beliefs about how they think reality works.
Then there is the aspect of having to suddenly deal with seeing spirits and beings that you never really believed existed. This isn't very common but it happens often enough that it needs to be addressed. So if you are not comfortable with any of that, than AP is definitely not for you because you will scare yourself away from any of the benefits while having to deal with the negatives.
So now you know that AP is not for you but what do you do if it occurs spontaneously or you awake only to find yourself in the state of sleep paralysis (SP)?
First, you need to understand a little about SP. It is a natural state that we all go through every night so that we do not physically act out our dreams and hurt our self or someone else. It is not a true state of paralysis as your brain can still receive input from external stimuli. We are normally not meant to ever be consciously aware of the process but it happens. Following the diet suggestions here and applying the breathing techniques will help most people to get a full night's rest so that they don't wake up frequently, thus increasing the odds of finding yourself in this state. Avoid sleeping on your back if you can.
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.
Many people often feel or sense a "presence" in the room. This creates a conundrum for me. Since I am a believer of Alien abductions and such, I can't dismiss that this is the state that we are most often taken advantage of but I can say that it is most likely not the case for the vast majority of us. I have found myself in SP many times and E.T. can just as easily be Kermit the Frog once the panicking stops and I get control of the situation. We can get caught up in a fear-loop where we "sense" something negative and then manifest it visually while we are still in a semi-dream state.
So educate yourself about SP, it's that simple. In the moment, even the most knowledgeable people on the subject, can do very little to stop that sudden panic response but knowledge can turn a very frightening event into something that you can almost instantly dismiss and return to sleep. If that doesn't sound reasonable to you, then please feel free to check for "aliens" because like I said, even I believe they can sometimes be there.
If you do not panic in the SP state and you find yourself curious of the "vibrations", do not experiment with them or just let them occur. They are not dangerous but if you do not want to AP, you need to stop them by focusing on moving your body. Your big toe will work if that's all you can manage.
The reason I say this is because these "vibrations" are like a sign post that say "nest stop ahead: OOBE".
Unfortunately for those who do not want to have the experience, you can "awake" only to find yourself right in the middle of one. It is very important that you do not panic. You are very susceptible to your fears and you will manifest the unholiest of the unholy if you get carried away. Understand that these are mental projections of your own fears and you can't be harmed but you are in a state of consciousness where you can manifest whatever it is that is on your mind. If you are not frightened than you may end up seeing your long lost puppy or maybe grandma. Who knows, I've seen so much but I wouldn't dare say that I have seen it all.
Anyways, you want to stop the experience, remember? Unfortunately extreme fright and panic are not always enough nor is actual excitement and joy. Those emotions will stop you from having an intentional OOBE almost every time but are no match, it seems, for the spontaneous OOBE.
If you find that you are able to see yourself sleeping, go ahead and lie down on it. Before you know it, you will "wiggle" yourself back in.
If you are in never-never land and have no idea where your physical body is, then just think about it. Ignore everything else that you are "seeing" and concentrate on your physical body. You will almost instantly find yourself there.
Now understand that I am in speaking in metaphors that I don't necessarily believe in. I don't think that we are actually leaving our bodies and going anywhere for that matter. We are experiencing a different state of consciousness in which time and space do not exist.
If you find anything that I have said offensive or counter to your current path, please understand that I am not evangelizing here. I am just trying to give people some practical tips to help them out of a situation that they don't want to be in. If you prefer soul or spirit over consciousness, that's fine and acceptable. Remember, that even words themselves are metaphors and unless we want to reinvent a perfectly fine language, we each have to go with something that we believe will get the message across. :)
It is not my intentions to change anyone's mind about AP or OOBE but after reading through many posts, I have noticed that there are lots of people that are finding themselves unintentionally in the various stages that usually precede these experiences. Many of the people are frightened and the advice they are given is insufficient. I'm not saying that mine is any better but at least it comes from years of personal experience and research.
I want to just address some of the most common concerns that people have when they find themselves in these situations.
While I am personally grateful for having been placed on my personal path, I understand that it is not for everyone. To find any benefit from AP, you will have to let go of your ego and fears. This is not easy and can have a negative effect on people who jump in half-heartedly or scare easily.
The truth, as I have come to see it, is that you are "tapping" into a "higher consciousness system" that we are not currently interfaced to interact with, i.e., we are in physical bodies. Experimenting with AP even, if you believe you are unsuccessful, can still open yourself to other phenomena that are interwoven with this state of consciousness that you attempted to reach. You may have premonitions or precognitive visions.
Many people have reported that they just suddenly know something and it turns out to be true. While that in and of itself may not seem scary, it forces most people out of their comfort zones and directly confronts some of there fast held beliefs about how they think reality works.
Then there is the aspect of having to suddenly deal with seeing spirits and beings that you never really believed existed. This isn't very common but it happens often enough that it needs to be addressed. So if you are not comfortable with any of that, than AP is definitely not for you because you will scare yourself away from any of the benefits while having to deal with the negatives.
So now you know that AP is not for you but what do you do if it occurs spontaneously or you awake only to find yourself in the state of sleep paralysis (SP)?
First, you need to understand a little about SP. It is a natural state that we all go through every night so that we do not physically act out our dreams and hurt our self or someone else. It is not a true state of paralysis as your brain can still receive input from external stimuli. We are normally not meant to ever be consciously aware of the process but it happens. Following the diet suggestions here and applying the breathing techniques will help most people to get a full night's rest so that they don't wake up frequently, thus increasing the odds of finding yourself in this state. Avoid sleeping on your back if you can.
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.
Many people often feel or sense a "presence" in the room. This creates a conundrum for me. Since I am a believer of Alien abductions and such, I can't dismiss that this is the state that we are most often taken advantage of but I can say that it is most likely not the case for the vast majority of us. I have found myself in SP many times and E.T. can just as easily be Kermit the Frog once the panicking stops and I get control of the situation. We can get caught up in a fear-loop where we "sense" something negative and then manifest it visually while we are still in a semi-dream state.
So educate yourself about SP, it's that simple. In the moment, even the most knowledgeable people on the subject, can do very little to stop that sudden panic response but knowledge can turn a very frightening event into something that you can almost instantly dismiss and return to sleep. If that doesn't sound reasonable to you, then please feel free to check for "aliens" because like I said, even I believe they can sometimes be there.
If you do not panic in the SP state and you find yourself curious of the "vibrations", do not experiment with them or just let them occur. They are not dangerous but if you do not want to AP, you need to stop them by focusing on moving your body. Your big toe will work if that's all you can manage.
The reason I say this is because these "vibrations" are like a sign post that say "nest stop ahead: OOBE".
Unfortunately for those who do not want to have the experience, you can "awake" only to find yourself right in the middle of one. It is very important that you do not panic. You are very susceptible to your fears and you will manifest the unholiest of the unholy if you get carried away. Understand that these are mental projections of your own fears and you can't be harmed but you are in a state of consciousness where you can manifest whatever it is that is on your mind. If you are not frightened than you may end up seeing your long lost puppy or maybe grandma. Who knows, I've seen so much but I wouldn't dare say that I have seen it all.
Anyways, you want to stop the experience, remember? Unfortunately extreme fright and panic are not always enough nor is actual excitement and joy. Those emotions will stop you from having an intentional OOBE almost every time but are no match, it seems, for the spontaneous OOBE.
If you find that you are able to see yourself sleeping, go ahead and lie down on it. Before you know it, you will "wiggle" yourself back in.
If you are in never-never land and have no idea where your physical body is, then just think about it. Ignore everything else that you are "seeing" and concentrate on your physical body. You will almost instantly find yourself there.
Now understand that I am in speaking in metaphors that I don't necessarily believe in. I don't think that we are actually leaving our bodies and going anywhere for that matter. We are experiencing a different state of consciousness in which time and space do not exist.
If you find anything that I have said offensive or counter to your current path, please understand that I am not evangelizing here. I am just trying to give people some practical tips to help them out of a situation that they don't want to be in. If you prefer soul or spirit over consciousness, that's fine and acceptable. Remember, that even words themselves are metaphors and unless we want to reinvent a perfectly fine language, we each have to go with something that we believe will get the message across. :)