[Clesylafabada]

...Like staring at a light source for a moment and then focusing on the remaining image after you close your eyes? Can anyone share an experience? I think I'm going to give it a try tonight

[flnastyax]

I haven't heard of this technique, but I have used a similar one which I read about in "Astral Doorways" by J H Brennan.
It consists of making cards (white background) with a coloured shape on them (square, triangle circle etc). Each shape has a specific colour and meaning.
These cards are then stared at for a few minutes. This leaves an imprint (Afterimage) on the eyes in the complimentary colour of the shape.
This shape is then used in a visualisation. You see it as a door and visualise your hand stretching out, opening it and then walking through the door.
This was the first technique I ever tried and it worked first time.
Each ‘doorway’ is supposed to lead to a specific area of the astral.
In my own experience, the imagery wasn’t absolute. It was more like an overlay visualisation – not a total sensory immersion experience. But the experience was cohesive and structured.

[ensuppono]

I haven't heard of this technique, but I have used a similar one which I read about in "Astral Doorways" by J H Brennan.
It consists of making cards (white background) with a coloured shape on them (square, triangle circle etc). Each shape has a specific colour and meaning.
These cards are then stared at for a few minutes. This leaves an imprint (Afterimage) on the eyes in the complimentary colour of the shape.
This shape is then used in a visualisation. You see it as a door and visualise your hand stretching out, opening it and then walking through the door.
This was the first technique I ever tried and it worked first time.
Each ‘doorway’ is supposed to lead to a specific area of the astral.
In my own experience, the imagery wasn’t absolute. It was more like an overlay visualisation – not a total sensory immersion experience. But the experience was cohesive and structured.

Can you explain in more detail? What happened when you imaged the doorway?

[flnastyax]

Can you explain in more detail? What happened when you imaged the doorway?

I think the card I used was a red triangle on a white background. I stared at the card long enough for it to leave an imprint on my eyes.
I closed my eyes and visualised the imprint as a door (Trying to change the complementary colour back to red), trying to reinforce this I sort of mixed a visual and tactile visualisation of my arm going out, taking hold of a door handle and then opening the door.
I pictured the door getting larger as I got closer; I stepped through it and shut it behind me.
I think I had to repeat this visualisation a few times to reinforce it enough. Then a solid visualisation appeared. I was still in my bedroom with body awareness but I was in this new place too. It seemed to be a labyrinth of some sort, with blue tiled walls. As I walked around there were large bubbles/orbs (Around 2 foot diameter) floating around head level. They had objects, and symbols inside them. The ones I remember seemed to contain bright green leaves.
I just wandered around for a while before leaving.

That night I had a lucid dream too centred on such a door way. But the doorway disappeared and I remember worrying that I might be stuck there (I thought I was in the astral planes in the lucid dream).

The symbols on the cards supposedly have meanings behind them to do with tides in the astral.

[shihoodiacarf]

I had a similar experience minus the use of the card last night. There werent any spheres though. Maybe the triangle is like a key?

[ensuppono]

Well, I know what I'll be doing (trying to do) tonight.

[Clesylafabada]

Thanx for the tip Chris, I migh try that. I believe I also read about it somewhere before. Last night I simply stared at a light and then put forth full focus on the remaining image and my body never got relaxed so quick before. I can't quite seem to make out of my body yet, but I always feel the fall/floating/swaying sensations when I try to move my etheric-self, so I know I'm making progress. Anyone have some advice on how I make the exit complete?

[Shemker394]

And how long does this take after one has the visualization till the exit? Did one just sit down or lie down and… off you go?

I think the book I got the technique from was around the second I'd ever read on AP so the idea of consious projection was new to me.
During the experience described above I was actually kneeling by my bed at the time, so no relaxation techniques had been used.
There was no exit as such, it was more a true phasing. It took a few times to strengthen the visualisation of the door (or reduce awareness of external sensory perception?)
All my spotanious OBEs have had very noticable exit sensations, but the above was gentle, from being in my room to having the experience filling a larger part of my attention/sences.

[Plulpangepler]

Popov wrote some good posts on using after images (phosphenes) here:

http://www.saltcube.com/out-of-body/cha ... 2&p=0#5671

http://www.saltcube.com/out-of-body/cha ... 2&p=0#5676