Lucid dream or Astral projection?

[birdland11]

Hello,Please excuse my rambling, disjointed sentences and length of post I have been having some things happening lately and i wonder if anyone has experienced anything similar. I have always been interested in lucid dreams. I have read a ton of books about it and always wanted to have them but never got around to putting in the work, ( dream journal, affirmations etc) so I have never really had any. Only a few times did I realize I was dreaming and just start flying, but I would always wake up. So, I also am very interested in astral projection. I have never had an astral projection, I'm still not even sure its a real thing, but lately I think I might be doing both! Ok here's what happens. I go to bed late, about 5am. I sleep about 5 hours wake up for 3 then go back to sleep for about 3 hours. In that 3 hour nap some crazy stuff has been happening. I lay down, (this will only happen if i'm on my left side) and start to drift off, then I feel the falling feeling real hard and my heart feels like its racing and I try to roll out of my body off the edge of the bed. So I roll out onto the floor. I dont have a body but my perspective is shorter, like 4ft tall. Now when i finally reach this point, ( which happens almost every day) all I want to do is walk through a wall or turn around and look at myself. But I cant! I am physically unable to turn back around in that direction, I feel a straining in my non existent neck.when I try to walk through the wall i cant either, i just walk right into it. I can open the door and walk into the other room and look around just fine, but I cannot ever look at myself! Today however, I commanded myself to turn around, and it worked but the blankets where over my head, (which they were not in reality) and when i try to move them I ( in reality, in bed) was fighting to hold back the blankets! Thats it, then I wake up for real. What is this? Is it a lucid dream? Astral projection? I know its more than just a dream, because I have control and can command things, But I am freaked out that I cant see myself. Which makes me think its not Astral projection. Please give me your opinions and advice on this. I would love to get better at it and have a better waking life because of it. Thank you

[Highlander]

Not sure this is the right thread for this sort of thing, but here's my answer anyhow. ...Only a few times did I realize I was dreaming and just start flying, but I would always wake up. So, I also am very interested in astral projection. I have never had an astral projection, I'm still not even sure its a real thing, but lately I think I might be doing both! Ok here's what happens. Firstly, I'm not an expert on AP. Some people argue the actual experience itself may be all down to LD. Who knows? I keep an open mind about it. However on reading you post (inc. quote above) then I would say that you can, and have had lucid dreams because from your very own words you 'realize I was dreaming'. ...Ok here's what happens. I go to bed late, about 5am. I sleep about 5 hours wake up for 3 then go back to sleep for about 3 hours. In that 3 hour nap some crazy stuff has been happening. I lay down, (this will only happen if i'm on my left side) and start to drift off, then I feel the falling feeling real hard and my heart feels like its racing and I try to roll out of my body off the edge of the bed. So I roll out onto the floor. Also it seems that you are a bit acomplished in doing WBTB and WILD as well. Read up on those, although it seems to be working for you. Record your experiences in the form of a journal. I had one (of many) of those bedroom 'experiences' after attempting WILD this week. Just after I had a DILD where I became lucid. I was only 3ft tall. So like you I often wonder about 'AP' and lucid dreams. The only way to answer it is more (personal) research and experiences. I did read (relating to LD rather than AP) that to actually 'do' something in the 'dream' then you had to 'believe' you could do it by having no doubt in your mind whatsoever. I find this easier said than done - I suppose this is when experience and practice helps. Just make sure you do some sort of RC as you tend to get a lot of FA's that involve bedrooms, etc. So in summing up - sorry I can't answer regarding the AP question. Good luck however.

[Skalm]

I think you should watch this. Spirit Science 9 - Astral Projection - YouTube Lucid Dreaming and Astral Projection are actually the same thing. I really wish people would finally accept this fact. I wouldn't talk about Astral Projection in this section, I'd go here: Beyond Dreaming You'll find people will be more interested. Good luck!

[gab]

It's kinda hard to tell if it was a lucid dream or OBE. Some people believe, they the same thing. Some, who experienced it, believe them to be similar, but not the same thing. I think it's up to you to read up on the subject and see, which description best matches your experience. Happy dreams I'm moving this to Beyond dreaming, just because you expressed your interest in AP/OBEs as well as lucid dreaming.

[birdland11]

Thank you! I will watch that video.