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The exit sensations result because of a complication of consciousness that results from an awake mind inside of an asleep body. Those sensations indicate that the projectable double is being generated and can thus be projected from the body. If I'm not reaching a suitably relaxed state of body and mind for my projectable double to form, I can't very well project it.

All of this going off of the work of Robert Bruce, which I tend to find very accurate.

If there was a way to project without dealing with the earthquake effect of the projection sensations then I would be all over that, but I've never heard of such a thing. Nothing that I would consider to be true out of body travel, anyway.

The cold is seriously affecting my drive to do anything related to this, but I've been trying. I managed to finally get the projection reflex to kick in last night for the first time in what must have been a couple weeks.

Physical tension prevented exit. I really need to work on that. I still have a few days.

I think it was a night or two ago that I was able to see through my eyelids in trance again, however this was not "perfect" vision as I had experienced before. This was all monochrome, tan-colored, and I could only see very close to me. The things that stood out the most were me being able to see my arms and legs in front of me, even though there was a blanket over them.

I tried today for an attempt and aborted after almost an hour. I don't think I'm relaxing enough, physically and mentally, in order to attain the effects I was getting towards the start of this project. I've been having a *very* hard time attaining deep vibrations and I'm not positive as to why. I think it has to do with the relaxation, as I mentioned above, but I suspect it could also be because of heavy drinking on New Years messing with my energy, or something esoteric like that.

Even though OWO '09 was supposed to officially end yesterday (January 10th) I'm still going to continue my OBE efforts, although maybe not as passionately as I have been. It has occurred to me to just stop trying for a week or two and then come back to it. I'm thinking that I may just be burnt out with it all. I've done more trances in the last month than I've done in the last year of my life, if not the last two years.

I don't know if I'll continue to update this thread, but if I have any major breakthroughs then rest assured that you all will be on the list of people to be informed.

Just for the record, it's three-and-a-half years later and I still haven't mastered conscious out-of-body travel. I'm currently working with the techniques of William Buhlman.

Buhlman's techniques focus on immersive visualization similar to Robert Bruce's techniques but Buhlman emphasizes the necessity of directing consciousness away from the physical body in order to actually leave the body. Right now I'm just trying to get back to the ease with which I used to get vibrations.

This may help.

By Von Dee Knight

Astral projection, One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is fear. Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some way as a result of their projection. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Canterbury Institute, renowned for its occult studies, executed an experiment in projection involving over 2,000 people. None of them were hurt in any way by this, and now, three years later, none have complained of any newly arising problems.

Once you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting, you should begin Monroe's techniques, step by step.

Step one: Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself" to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes both physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3.... until 50 or 100) are known to work well.

Step two: Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnagogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any method of doing this. One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken again. With practice, you can learn to control the Hypnagogic state without using your arm. Another method is to concentrate on an object. When other images start to enter your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state. Passively watch these images. This will also help you maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A.

Step three: Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. observe your field of vision through your closed eyes. Do nothing more for a while. Simply look through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front of you. After a while, you may notice light patterns. These are simply neural discharges. They have no specific effect. Ignore them. When they cease, one has entered what Monroe calls Condition B. From here, one must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation. You are almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts. The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D. This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal fatigue. To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning or after a short nap.

Step Four: Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of the technique, and also the most vague. Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset of projection. They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or as is electricity is being shot through the body. /their cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral body trying to leave the physical one. For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the following directions:

1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin.

2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but do not shut out all light.

3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head pointed toward magnetic north.

4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable.

5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.

6. Enter a state of relaxation

7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your well-being. Repeat this five times.

8. Proceed to breath through your half-open mouth.

9. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you.

10. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point of mental reference to six feet.

11. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line parallel to your body axis up and above your head. Focus there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them back into your body. Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you will know when you have achieved contact with them.

Step five: Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational waves from head to foot. To produce this wave effect, concentrate of the vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body. Practice this until you can induce these waves on command. Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are ready to leave the body.

Step six: Begin with a partial separation. The key here is thought control. Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you to lose control of the state. Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body". Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed. Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment. Lie quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise will prepare you for full separation.

Step seven: Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods for this. One method is to lift out of the body. To do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after entering this vibrational state. Think about how nice it would be to float upward. Keep this thought in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will occur naturally at this point.

Another method is the "Rotation method" or "roll-out" technique. When you have achieved the vibrational state, try to roll over as if you were turning over in bed. /do not attempt to roll over physically. Try to twist your body from the top and virtually roll over into your second body right out of your physical self. At this point, you will be out of the body but next to it. Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself floating above the body. Monroe suggests you begin with the lift-out method, but argues that both are equally efficacious...V

Silva Mind Control Method
(Sarafiel Angelus Oooohhh... this method would make it easier to get into higher dimensions. That can be really disorienting at first. If you try this... just relax and let the imagery come to you. If you end up higher, there will be a number of directions unknown to your poor material brain. You will need to learn to rely on your soul to see for you. Don't try to conceptualize this as a place like HERE. Try to see it for what it is... a place where things don't necessarily make sense in the way the MATERIAL plane does. Thank you. Very good methods here.)
Quiet your mind. Clear your thoughts.

In your mind say:

"I'm going to count down from 3 to 1, visualizing each number on a white orb suspended in the air above my head. When I reach the third and final "1" my body will be deeply relaxed. I will have no awareness of physical sensations. I will not perceive any physical discomfort. My consciousness will be focused on my astral body.

Now visualize a white orb suspended in the air above your head. Mentally focus on the orb. I visualize a number "3" on the face of the orb. The numbers can be any color. They may vary with each experience. Visualize the 3 three times: three number "3's" on the orb. Your body is completely relaxed. You are losing awareness of your physical body.

Then repeat the visualization with three number "2's." You are into greater relaxation. Now visualize the "1's." You are losing awareness of physical sensations. Your consciousness will be in your astral body.

Repeat this using the number "1's" three times. Your consciousness is now in your astral body.

This could involve training for several sessions. You may also find audio tapes that take you down into these altered states as well. You're getting better and faster as you go along each time.

There is no set agenda for how often you practice astral projection or any other out-of-body technique. It soon becomes fun. It is like a deep meditation.

Now the key is to remain conscious while your body is asleep. Different thoughts may pull you from your focus as the mind loves to chatter. Just push these thoughts away.