[rXpX]

In some cases I do, well why would i be so interested in this stuff if im scared of it?

[flnastyax]

My view is AP does alter ones psychology and brings one into direct contact with the subconscious. Any repressed emotions or experiences could be found/faced head on. Unless one is prepared for such experiences I do believe some psychological 'damage' could be caused (although I think damage is a strong word).
I also see this in a similar line to psychedelics. Most should know that they can surface latent mental illness or cause trauma, yet all they do is surface the subconscious to a level where the conscious interacts with it (similar to AP but different modes of action and length of effect).
Some might argue that psychedelics leave little to no control. I'd agree with this, but Id also say that most AP experiences (for the majority) have little to no control on our part. We can't do what we want to do, have to 'go with the flow', sometimes don't have our full faculties, sometimes not all our senses, sometimes even experience seeming attacks.
The difference between psychedelics and AP is the duration of effect.
I am very aware of even minute changes in my conscious state (i.e. even the change caused by reading instead of speaking is noticeable to me) and after I project there is always an after-effect when I wake up. A slight fuzziness at my edges which lasts for a few hours after.
I've also a lot of experience of my baseline (Awake) senses being distorted for a while after (deep) practice. Such things as disassociation, and on a few occasions I felt like I was still spinning all day (This caused unpleasant nausea).
Finally, Ap practice (coupled with meditation and energy work) have significantly changed my baseline state of consciousness over the past 10 years. It’s not something I can really quantify, but just sitting and looking at the world shows differences not just on an intellectual level but on a visual/aural level too. It’s like my brain processed these data types slightly differently. Sometimes making things seem almost unreal (like a huge projection). This isn’t a problem as it was a very gradual change over the years.

What I’m getting at is this. People might see the AP as not physical so they can do dangerous things or perhaps take more risks/go against their nature as there are no repercussions. But you are still experiencing all these things with ‘self’ and these experiences are integrated into your personality/mind. If something would cause trauma while baseline, there’s a chance such things could cause trauma when projecting (such as how nightmares can scar people for years). So we should always take things slowly and carefully and perhaps err on the side of caution when faced with threatening situations in the astral.

[layevymed]

to Brettb:
In some cases I do, well why would i be so interested in this stuff if im scared of it? Because your fear puts your attention on it, and attention is interest. If you weren't at least a little bit apprehensive, you probably would think it's boring and wouldn't bother with it. It's just like watching scary movies: All of those that like them- all gravitate towards different scary type of movies- some like 'vampire' type, some 'slasher' type, some 'zombie' like. Guess why? Because there's something in each person's mind that somehow can identify with the bad guy and it's a safe way to experience it- If you're afraid of vampires, you can get over by watching someone being victimized by one (and feel good it's not you) but also you can get some sort of secret thrill imagining you're the one doing the attacking- even if in your conscious life you would think 'no, I would never be like that.' That's why horror movies are so popular. the same with this type of experience. You got to admit, the fear makes it exciting- but you want to watch it- that 'secret thrill' can attract certain things (regardless of origin) so you have to look inside yourself and analyze everything you know about yourself to see if you can handle what can happen.
Even people who project spontaneously and have been doing so since childhood (like me) have to do this- you can see why in my early posts.
So have fun- and be safe.

ps. I have met people who don't like scary movies- and I don't understand them!

[E4qC1qQ5]

When I had my first out of body experience, I was filled with INTENSE fear and the side effects from that day have not left me...2 years later. I thought that I was going to die right there on the spot. I felt intense emotions and on that first night I couldn't even go to sleep. I was afraid of going to sleep because I thought I was going to have an Out of Body Experience instead. Now, 2 years later, I still feel some side effects from my first experiences and I don't regret having those first experiences...(despite intense headaches, body aches, spontaneous constant lucid dreaming) I wouldn't say that I have permanent psychological damage but it was very long term. Once I slowly left the astral world, the feelings and thoughts went away. I am now wanting to go back but in a safer manner then before.

[Erwtbimp]

Chris,

I find it interesting that you say that most APers have little to no control over their experiences. I find it tough to relate to, I guess due to my shaman training. I find that I might not always know where I will enter into the astral realm but I never feel out of control. If things tend to start to get out of control, I can hop (very far) to the horizon, fly off, etc. I have even 'teleported' to somewhere else entirely. I have been in a fight (with an angel) but I never felt that I would not win. I spent most of the fight trying to figure out what the point of the fight was.

Despite that one experience I've never felt that I HAD to do anything while in the astral plane.

Is it normal for APers here to feel such loss of control?

DD

[yahyynzer]

"Love casts out all Fear"

We cannot always control what happens to us (whether in this reality or another), but we can always control how we react to something. The concept of free will..

Like energies attract like.. if you are fearful and think of scary things happening to you then you will most likely attract those types of energies. Radiating energies of love, hope, beauty, fun, silliness etc.. as you begin to travel - even if you don't have complete control over where you travel can help to attract those types of energies - those types of experiences - to travel is a gift.. waiting for us to open.. but we have to be careful, because we might just get exactly what we asked for
Winny

[lerobudrse]

If I were to consciously project then I can imagine that, yes, it would affect me psychologically...big time! It would radically change my whole slant on reality...permanently - especially if I could project regularly. To have your view of reality altered so radically and drastically in such a short space of time is bound to have it's psychological impacts. I could also envisage that it has the potential to be damaging if handled out of care. That's why it's good to be here.

[mincarlie.frymyer]

Dragon's daughter, Fight with an angel? How fascinating. Like the biblical story. Did you wake up feeling worn out from the fight?