[Daleman1984]

Alright, I have tried everything, but I still can't seem to make it out of my body consciously. So I've decided to post exactly what I've been doing so far, and obviously there has to be something I'm doing wrong, so I'll just say what I've been doing so far.

I start by getting in a relaxed position (normally I do this on my back). I breathe steadily and deeply with my eyes closed imagining myself going down on an elevator on my exhales. After a while I recognize the feelings of being in a trance-state (eg. heaviness, and feeling my whole body feel a bit numb) and after a while of being in a trance state I start to feel vibrations in my legs and/or in my chest and eventually both. Then I start to feel like...it's weird its like I feel like I am out of my body and in it at the same exact time. Like I can feel the presence of my astral body, but I can still partially feel my physical body. Just a little bit, but my astral body is still in my phsycial body. Then I start to feel like I'm floating upward toward this weird blob thats like a blue light, and so I try to imagine that I'm pulling myself out with the rope, but for some reason I can't feel my visual hands pulling myself up with the rope. Why is this? After my failed attempt I feel like the activities in my body slow down and stop and then I come out of it.

This happened to me this morning, and I fell asleep shortly after. I woke up an hour or so later and randomly the vibrations started again, and this time I felt a little bit closer to having a full exit, but then it just stopped again. What's going on? Why can I never seem to make a conscious exit?

All of you folks here seem really advanced and stuff, and talk about astral projection as if it's second nature, and I'm sure to most of you it is. So why is it SO hard for me? So in the whole process, is there something that I should be doing differently? I'm all out of ideas. I've even been trying with the binural beats program I downloaded the other day. Any suggestions would be marvelous, and thank you for your time and your help so far

[invest7manager]

Didn't you post this somewhere else? I thought I remembered talking about this. Anyway, for one thing, there aren't any experts here. There isn't anyone that I know of who has an OBE on every attempt. I don't know about Robert, I don't remember if he's said he can or not, but he would definitely be qualified as an expert. People post their successes because their non-successes aren't as interesting. So, you get a kind of skewed version of the whole truth. I apologize if there is anyone who gets out 100% of the time. You just haven't announced yourself.

Sounds to me like you are doing everything right, if there is an actual "right" way. Which, I don't believe there is. Whatever works is fine. And, I believe I remember reading somewhere that Robert said that many times, people have OBE'd, but don't realize it. It's not exactly what they were expecting.

So, this is just my opinion, so don't take it for fact, please. When you feel your astral body, and also are aware of your physical body, that is called bi-location. Your consciousness can be in 2 places at once. Actually, it can be in a lot more than that, but we won't go there for now. If you "feel" like you are floating up, you very well could be. Or, it could be the phase right before that when your energy body is loosened. I can't say for sure, since I can't feel what you're feeling.

The long and short of it is that you are making good progress. Your only problem is becoming discouraged. Keep it up, things are progressing, and before you know it, you'll be giving others advice. Just like the rest of us who can't do it every time.

[uchetrip]

Every time you fall asleep, you pass through that exact gate you need to pass through when you want to have an OBE. The problem is, when you do, you are usually not conscious. So in order to have the OBE, you need to not only become conscious in the sleep state, you need to be fairly comfortable with this.

Trying to do the rope or other visualizations right away is not really going to get you anywhere unless you already have a certain amount of control over your consciousness when all senses are disabled.

The single most important exercise is what Robert Peterson refers to as Hypnogogic play, Robert Monroe's arm technique, Edison's "rock drop."

Using any method that you like, try to walk the fine line between awake and asleep until you are able to hold onto it and stay there. The one way to do this is to fall asleep and wake up many times in quick succession, try 10 or 20 times a night for 2 weeks.

There's a variety of ways you can do this... Keep your forearm up as you fall asleep, when you doze off, it'll fall, calling you back into alertness. Listen to a tape that alternates between talking and small (20 second) periods of silence, making sure the talking parts are loud enough to wake you up. Set alarms that'll prevent you from sleeping for more than a few minutes at a time.

It'll tire you out, and that's not always compatible with a modern lifestyle, but you won't ever get anything more systematic... Your dreams will be more vivid, you'll have visions, lucid dreams, and spontaneous OBEs out the wazoo... You've got the intention and the dedication... I'm sure you can do it in less than a week. I give you 3 days. Good luck.

[Daleman1984]

I appreciate the help from both of you. I certainly hope I haven't already posted this, and if I did, I am really sorry. I'm a part of another forum like this and if I did post it on here, I probably thought I posted it on the other one. I remember my bilocation experiences as the mind-split effect (as described by Robert Bruce) but maybe that's something different.

So kiwibonga, what you're saying is I have to be almost to the point where I'm sleeping and be able to stay there in order to project? Man...that's gonna be hard but this is something I realllly want to be able to do and I'm gonna keep trying. I really appreciate all of your help guys really, and thanks for the encouragement. If anyone else has any suggestions for me...please post them!

I'm having huge difficulties visualizing things once the vibrations start...so I don't know what to do. Can i try NOT to project even with the vibrations going?

[Bobdilan]

dont think about anything

[Cucoulkrory]

I have to admit, the stage you are at is quite common for an average beginner (like myself) and yes, i've experienced everything you've described, but still can't make it out. When you feel, you are getting close, your overexcitement and eagerness keep you too alert. quite often i found myself with a tensed neck (trying hard to get out and actually physically respond to my desire) that shouldn't happen. Sometimes i may feel my astral hands alone floating, other times i feel my whole body sinking in my bed.

dont think about anything thaaat's a good one. A random thought may spoil everything for it (as it has done a 100 times for me).

visualizations right away is not really going to get you anywhere unless you already have a certain amount of control over your consciousness when all senses are disabled. Actually i'm beginning to think, the exit techniques are not that helpful, all you need is the right state of mind, everything else will come by itself or you'll know what to do.

Your only problem is becoming discouraged. That's the biggest issue i'm facing right now. It prevents me from making any progress, too. In less than a week i got all those funny symptoms while trying to project, since then i didn't get a step closer.

Motivation is a lot here... this is all on mental level, and if you're losing faith, you're losing hope and thus stopping yourself from achieving your goal. I've been trying to exit for over a month and now i'm starting to lose interest, hope, faith, desire, etc... I know that some people are trying for a few years with no success (then they obviously give up )
Your enthusiasm and inspiration come from success, your success comes from enthusiasm and inspiration... It's up to you which end to start from.

[+++Poguru+++]

Alright, I have tried everything, but I still can't seem to make it out of my body consciously. So I've decided to post exactly what I've been doing so far, and obviously there has to be something I'm doing wrong, so I'll just say what I've been doing so far.

As Tempest said before, no one is an expert here-however I'll give you my .02.

I start by getting in a relaxed position (normally I do this on my back). I breathe steadily and deeply with my eyes closed imagining myself going down on an elevator on my exhales. After a while I recognize the feelings of being in a trance-state (eg. heaviness, and feeling my whole body feel a bit numb) and after a while of being in a trance state I start to feel vibrations in my legs and/or in my chest and eventually both. Then I start to feel like...it's weird its like I feel like I am out of my body and in it at the same exact time. Like I can feel the presence of my astral body, but I can still partially feel my physical body. Just a little bit, but my astral body is still in my phsycial body. So far so good. You are prob. bilocating-in place.
Then I start to feel like I'm floating upward toward this weird blob thats like a blue light, and so I try to imagine that I'm pulling myself out with the rope, but for some reason I can't feel my visual hands pulling myself up with the rope. Ok, this is where I would do something different. IMO rope is for when you're feeling vibrations but are going nowhere. The rope is to get you 'up', but you're already going up. By diverting your focus into awareness hands and the rope tech, IMO you are losing the 'window' to get out. If you feel yourself coming up, then follow the feeling- imagine the blue blob is sucking you up, and go with it. Like catching a wave, like falling. You've already got the momentum, don't divert it to something else.

Why is this? After my failed attempt I feel like the activities in my body slow down and stop and then I come out of it. If you 'run out of steam' do some energy raising and deep breaths, and you might just get exit sensations back.
This happened to me this morning, and I fell asleep shortly after. I woke up an hour or so later and randomly the vibrations started again, and this time I felt a little bit closer to having a full exit, but then it just stopped again. What's going on? Why can I never seem to make a conscious exit? Like I said before, your consciousness determines where you go. If you are already going up and decide to do something else that would make you go down, you are redirecting yourself back to your body. There are various exit techniques that work for different exit symptoms. Try to use different types, and remember to go with the flow.
All of you folks here seem really advanced and stuff, and talk about astral projection as if it's second nature, and I'm sure to most of you it is. No, it's just that some of us have more experience. And frankly, you sound like a natural projector who is having 'technical difficulties'. In other words, once you relax and go with what feels right, you'll be out in no time.
You're welcome.

[+++Poguru+++]

I would like to add a few things:
First of all, these are the exit techs that work for me. Not everything works for everybody. Notice they vary with symptoms.

1- If I'm having vibrations (heavy) but am still in-body, I try rope. If it doesn't work, I wait for hypnagogics. Then ask for help. If this doesn't work, but am fully in trance (seeing things, etc.) I try to get up. It works about 95% of the time, and I'm always surprised when it does.
2-If I'm not having vibrations, but have a feeling of movement associated with an exit, then I go with the movement. Rocking, falling forward, Having some sort of fit-like movement (lateral rocking; very disconcerting). I find the rhythm, then go with it. It works rather well. Sometimes I 'click out' but come back quickly to.
3-No exit symptoms whatsoever, but mild hypnagogics. I listen to my ear hiss and try to capture the images. Once I start to separate tones and can focus on the lower one (don't ask me why), the images slow down and I can focus on whichever I want. Then I can merge into it.
How the merging happens- Once I see the image clearly, and it's in front of me (as opposed to flying by) it becomes 3-d, and I focus on the space of it, on an object to the far back of it. Then I will feel forward movement, and will 'fall into' the scene. I consider this one phasing.

I hope this is somehow helpful to someone.

[invest7manager]

Definitely listen to CF. She is the closest thing we've got, posting on a regular basis, to an expert.

[invest7manager]

It occured to me, CF, that the way you play with your ear hisses could be the same as a binaural beat balancing the two brain hemispheres. You should write a book, "Balancing Your Hisses"!

[usaguedriedax]

Or... 'Finding a Balance - Hiss or Herss' Note: I wanted to say 'Finding a Balance - Hiss or Hertss' but figured the double pun might go astray...

[+++Poguru+++]

Ahh, I didn't know you spoke Parseltongue. Yessss.....

[cinggooft]

Alright, I have tried everything, but I still can't seem to make it out of my body consciously. So I've decided to post exactly what I've been doing so far, and obviously there has to be something I'm doing wrong, so I'll just say what I've been doing so far.

I start by getting in a relaxed position (normally I do this on my back). I breathe steadily and deeply with my eyes closed imagining myself going down on an elevator on my exhales. After a while I recognize the feelings of being in a trance-state (eg. heaviness, and feeling my whole body feel a bit numb) and after a while of being in a trance state I start to feel vibrations in my legs and/or in my chest and eventually both. Then I start to feel like...it's weird its like I feel like I am out of my body and in it at the same exact time. Like I can feel the presence of my astral body, but I can still partially feel my physical body. Just a little bit, but my astral body is still in my phsycial body. Then I start to feel like I'm floating upward toward this weird blob thats like a blue light, and so I try to imagine that I'm pulling myself out with the rope, but for some reason I can't feel my visual hands pulling myself up with the rope. Why is this? After my failed attempt I feel like the activities in my body slow down and stop and then I come out of it.

This happened to me this morning, and I fell asleep shortly after. I woke up an hour or so later and randomly the vibrations started again, and this time I felt a little bit closer to having a full exit, but then it just stopped again. What's going on? Why can I never seem to make a conscious exit?

All of you folks here seem really advanced and stuff, and talk about astral projection as if it's second nature, and I'm sure to most of you it is. So why is it SO hard for me? So in the whole process, is there something that I should be doing differently? I'm all out of ideas. I've even been trying with the binural beats program I downloaded the other day. Any suggestions would be marvelous, and thank you for your time and your help so far

Hey Rain!

Fear not! I'm having the EXACT same problem as you lol, though I have actually had two OBE's, one a conscious exit (well kind of) and one from a Lucid Dream, thing is the conscious exit one was in the middle of the night when I'd woke-up and was falling back to sleep and it kinda just happened, since then I've been trying every night to have a conscious exit projection but still no luck. I can reach the trance and vibrational stage quite easily but as for the actual getting out bit I'm hopeless at lol. I've been trying quite a few different techniques from 'Astral Dynamics' to get out and I know I'm coming on but just not quite there yet. Also like you, when the vibrations come on real strong I find it hard to keep climbing the rope as I sort of loose my focus from destraction, also the fact that your body is falling asleep doesn't help your focus with climbing the rope, well I don't think so anyway.

Maybe we're not in deep enough trance? Energy work can cause vibrations but you need to be deep in trance before you can actually exit, so concentrate on that bit more.

Remember, we're further along the line than you think. We're so nearly there, all we have to do is master the exit tech and we should crack it I've only been at this a month so I class myself as doing really well to get to this stage.

Don't give up and keep us posted, we can do this lol

Good Luck!

PS: How long have you been trying?

[Daleman1984]

Hey Enlightenment I really appreciate the enthusiastic encouragement! It's strangely relieving to know that someone is exactly where I am with this! Man we'll get this we will. I always figured that I WAS in the deep trance state...so maybe not? I didn't know you could get vibrations without the trance. Wow I guess I was pretty far off on a lot, but I'm going to keep trying! this is something I feel I need to be able to do for myself and for others. I'm a poor college student with no financial means to travel to see my girlfriend whose in school in Washington DC while I'm in Chicago I have to make this work. I just need to see her beautiful face again. And also my dog who lives in Cali with my mom

do you think a dog would be able to see me in my astral from if i rpojected to him?

[cemDrymnVem]

At least several minutes, however, should be spent on the deep physical relaxation part at the start--longer for beginners. I cannot overemphasize the importance of deep physical relaxation to the projection process. If you have never had a conscious-exit projection before, but have made several unsuccessful attempts, I recommend spending thirty minutes or more on deep physical relaxation. That's from Astral Dynamics, page 259. Robert Bruce emphasizes several times in AD that lack of deep physical relaxation seems to be the biggest barrier to successfully projecting for most people. Once you get situated and take a few deep breaths, follow a progressive relaxation sequence like the one at the link or the one RB gives in AD, and do it multiple times.

Additionally, it could help to raise some energy with a full body circuit and stimulate each of your chakras before you start with Rope or whatever exit technique you're going to use.

The "Full Sequence" RB gives for a projection attempt in AD is basically:

1. Deep physical relaxation exercise (10 minutes at least!)
2. Stimulate hands and feet and do full body circuit for a few minutes
3. Induce a trance state
4. Stimulate each chakra (don't overdo this part)
5. Raise more energy if needed
6. Use an exit technique

Good luck! If it doesn't work, don't despair; if you do the full sequence, you're at least getting some energy work out of it, along with good relaxation practice, so if you try it regularly you'll get better.

[Daleman1984]

Thanks for the advice! But I didn't realize you had to stimulate all of the chakras first...eek. I don't know how to do that. How long do you think that takes to learn?

[cinggooft]

Hey Enlightenment I really appreciate the enthusiastic encouragement! It's strangely relieving to know that someone is exactly where I am with this! Man we'll get this we will. I always figured that I WAS in the deep trance state...so maybe not? I didn't know you could get vibrations without the trance. Wow I guess I was pretty far off on a lot, but I'm going to keep trying! this is something I feel I need to be able to do for myself and for others. I'm a poor college student with no financial means to travel to see my girlfriend whose in school in Washington DC while I'm in Chicago I have to make this work. I just need to see her beautiful face again. And also my dog who lives in Cali with my mom

do you think a dog would be able to see me in my astral from if i rpojected to him?

Hey, no worries

If you project into the RTZ (Real-Time Zone) and go and see your dog there is a good chance he/she will be able to see you. I imagine it would be like seeing a Ghost and animals are great with stuff like that, they seem to sense most things, so I'm sure you'll get some reaction from your dog Again, it is something I want to try (we're quite alike lol) but the two OBE's I've had haven't been long enough and I haven't been able to get myself down to my kitchen where my dog sleeps to try it out, but it's on my list so if I do it I'll let you know the outcome (if you don't beat me to it)

Good Luck Buddy

PS: I had a terrible session last night, didn't even reach vibrational state and gave myself a headache in the process lol.

[cinggooft]

Thanks for the advice! But I didn't realize you had to stimulate all of the chakras first...eek. I don't know how to do that. How long do you think that takes to learn?

You don't have to. Stimulating your Chakras is just another way to get the Energy flowing = to quicker vibrations, I think I don't normally do it, the two times I've had OBE's I didn't do it.

I honestly think it's the trance state me and you should be working on - going into deeper trance. That's my opinion anyway, but as you know I am no expert

[cemDrymnVem]

Thanks for the advice! But I didn't realize you had to stimulate all of the chakras first...eek. I don't know how to do that. How long do you think that takes to learn?

It's not necessary, it's just helpful. If you don't have Astral Dynamics or Mastering Astral Projection, you can find information on stimulating chakras (which RB also refers to as "primary energy centers") in RB's free Treatise on Astral Projection.

If you're already practicing NEW stuff, then it's simple and easy to learn. Basically you just draw energy up through your legs into the first chakra (starting from the base/root chakra and working up to the crown) a few times, then stimulate it directly a bit. Then move on to the next chakra and do each one at a time.

[Daleman1984]

Ok, also there are a few things that I have been confused about. Is there a way to choose to control whether you project to the astral plane or if you project to the RTZ? i think i'd rather project to the real-timze zone but is there something special you have to do to not end up in the astral plane?