Thread: AP Beginner here - couple questions

I've been 'practicing' AP for about 3-4 weeks now and have successfully left my body 4 times (3 of which has been within this past week). I'm having a bit of trouble with a couple things so I thought I might come back to this site for some guidance.

I want to post my dream diary for my first 4 times just in case anyone likes to read and interpret them (by all means, you don't have to so skip to questions if you want).


#1

Spoiler for 1:

To start out what I can remember, I was in my friends apartment playing a game while they watched. Can't remember the game or what about. At one point, while I was supposedly playing the game, it put me in it. Next thing I knew, I was in my room. It felt like I had just waken up but something was different/weird. I got up (which was me leaving my body actually). There was a weird noise going on. It sounded like a mix of rubbing and heavy wind. Kinda like vibrations that were pulsing. I went for my door, but my body felt really heavy like it was fallen asleep. My vision wasn't very good, like I was half closing my eyes and it would close every now and then. I had trouble opening the door, like my hand eye coordination was off, but I remember I'm supposed to get as far away from my body as possible so I hurried up and opened the door fast. I was stumbling as I was walking and going down the stairs, but I never tripped or fell like I felt I would have. As I was walking, I saw weird figures in front of me. Kinda looked like a unfinished model of a person but sometimes it would change very rapidly to more unknown figures. I was in my kitchen and wanted to turn on the lights so I went to where the switch was and flipped it I guess (don't remember exactly) but no lights came on. In fact, It got darker somehow. I remember screaming pretty loudly "turn on the lights". Then, for some reason when I saw the figure in front of me, I initiated a fight with it. I was going pretty hard on it which surprised me. I imagined a protective shield around me which I guess help me not be afraid of whatever I was fighting. Nothing was budging, so I decided it was time to wake up before I got scared. I don't remember how I did that, but I think I fell down at that point and then instantly I was in my bed in the laying position and instantly sat up. Except the noise and body feeling was still the same, I had known I didn't actually wake up. But shortly after realizing that, I really did wake up.

#2

Spoiler for 2:

This happened a couple nights ago but forgot to write it down. Happened the day before the other one.
To start off I was leaving my body by rolling out of bed. I tried to imagine myself in outer space or at the moon. It starting doing the vibration thing but I decided to stop it because I wanted my first teleportation to be somewhere on this earth. I first tried to fly off. I did a running start then jumped towards my wall. I was flying but when I hit the wall it was like it was made of elastic rubber or something and I couldn't completely break through. I then decided to teleport to new Zealand. When it worked, it looked kinda like everything was 8bit, but better looking. I would say like 16 or 32 bit maybe. It looked nice besides being in bits. Then I noticed that the ground was actually platforms and it felt like I was Mario in a platforming game or something. I would have to jump from one moving platform to another. I was on one when it went really high and started flipping over. I fell and fell a really long way down. I looked down as I was falling and saw lava. I decided to try to fly up. It was working but the lava was rising too fast. It caught up and I went back to my bed. I decided to walk out my door and as soon as I did I heard a very vivid song but it wasn't one I recognized or remember. I went to my brothers room because I thought it was coming from there and as soon as I got in his room he woke up and asked why I had eyesockets. I told him everyone does and he looked into his reflection in the wall (??) and that's when I woke up.

#3

Spoiler for 3:

I started off in sleep paralysis. This time it was rather hard to get out. Started with my fingers then my toes and went from there until I could roll out. I rolled out right onto my desk and futon. After that I tried to teleport to new Zealand. I would concentrate hard but it wouldn't finish through. On the last try I visualized a map, and pinpointed new Zealand except I accidentally pin pointed Australia. I thought the teleportation might have gone through, but I was still in my house. I figured I might have just been in a house in new Zealand. I looked through my door knob hole (I had no door knob for the longest time but its recently been put on - I realize that happens in the plane) So I started going downstairs. I kept falling and stumbling. I walked by my parents room and they were awake. I asked if they could see or hear me. They said yes and I walked outside. It was night and the stars were very vivid and there was more than normal. I decided I was still at my house and that meditating under the stars would be a good way to initiate my teleportation. I went around the house and found a chair to sit in. Except when I would go to sit in it, I would fall right through the chair. I tried this several times. At this time I notice my dog was with me. The last time I tried, I fell through and figured i would just lay on the ground. Except the grass seemed to be higher over me and there was a big bat type thing a couple feet higher than me and it was snaring at me. Tried to ignore it but it was a big nuisance. I wasn't scared (I always visualize a bubble around me that always protects me) but I couldn't imagine teleporting with that thing there. So I decided I was in his territory so I got up and tried to move to a difference spot. I don't know what exactly happened next, but something must have because I do remember that I'm pretty sure I initiated waking up. Maybe I had enough of that bat.

#4

Spoiler for 4:

Starting off where the last thing I remember before falling asleep was a scenario where I could chose either to relive the same life over and over again doing whatever I wanted different each time or I could just live the right life once. Felt like I was still awake at that point but it jumped straight to sleep paralysis. This time I just tried to wake up but couldn't. So I went with it. I left the body and tried to imagine myself at new Zealand but it didn't go through. Then I pictured this waterfall picture we used to have and tried to imagine myself there. Tried really hard several times but when I opened my eyes I wouldn't be there. On the last try, I went somewhere but it was completely dark and I came back to my bed right after. I want to say I was underneath the waterfall but really I have no idea. So this time I decided to go downstairs to see my dad. On my way down the stairs, I noticed his light was on so I called out to him. I noticed that when I tried to call out, I wouldn't actually be talking. I tried yelling, but that didn't work either, like I had no voice. I went into his room and he was on the phone and he was crying. This was really weird. I asked him what was wrong (this time my voice was fine) and at first he didn't want to say but then he said he was talking to linda (my aunt) about the baby and he didn't want to admit it but he missed him. Now as soon as I heard this I woke up. No idea what he was talking about. Only thing I could think of was that it was coming from the show the walking dead because I just watched the episode where he lost his baby. I also had dreams about being in the walking dead situation tonight too.

Now for my questions:

What's up with the whole 'jumping' back to my bed/body once I try waking up in projection? Can this occur several times? Seems like it only happens once and then I wake up for real.

I need some help/tips on the whole teleporting thing. I feel like the whole vibration thing 'finishes' but most of the time (9 times outta 10) I'm still in the same spot once I open my eyes. Can anyone help me with some tips on this?

Are objects in the astral physically transparent? By that I mean, I tried sitting in a chair outside during a projection and I kept falling through it.

Is it normal to always feel like I'm stumbling during my first few projections? Also with missing the door knob several times when I tried to grab it. I understand it might be with my astral hand-eye coordination being off because I haven't consciously been using it until now. Just wondering if it goes away once I get used to it.

Do you have a voice in projection? Or is it just mind reading/talking (read that might be the case) ? I noticed when no one is around and I try to talk it feels like I have no voice and I struggle (even though it's not that big of a deal, it's kinda scary having no peace of mind that anyone can hear you if you talk/scream)

I've read somewhere that astral projection is much more frequent if you're laying on your back. I've noticed that 3/4 of the times I have waken up on my back (either from falling asleep on my back or rolling over without realizing). Only once have I projected from my side. I have a snoring problem when I lay on my back so I always wake up from it. It seems to be a problem staying asleep this way. Is it true about laying on your back is easier to project?


I appreciate any and all responses so thanks in advance!

Pretty good for practicing only four weeks. Didn't you exercise others concentration techniques before this? After first accidental projection it took me 4-5 years to make progress and do OBE on my own will. even now after more than thousand OBEs I can't project every time I want. Congratulation

I do it on my back merely because it is much simpler to deeply relax body. What I found I find my hands under my head after OBE... Nearly every time.

Originally Posted by Psionik

Pretty good for practicing only four weeks. Didn't you exercise others concentration techniques before this? After first accidental projection it took me 4-5 years to make progress and do OBE on my own will. even now after more than thousand OBEs I can't project every time I want. Congratulation

I do it on my back merely because it is much simpler to deeply relax body. What I found I find my hands under my head after OBE... Nearly every time.

I try to meditate at least once a week, for about 3-4 months. I've messed with some lucid dreaming a couple months ago but never got to actually control anything. I was really lucid (reality checks and all) but I kinda stopped going lucid when my dreams would turn into nightmares (I contribute most of that to stress and negative thinking during that time period). So I gave up on going lucid 2-3 months ago. About a month and a half ago I went through frequent sleep paralysis (with snakes, and other scary things - also contribute that to finals week and more negative thinking) but at that time I didn't know what astral projection was so I never thought about leaving my body, I just thought I was going to be stuck there for the duration. After seeing a facebook post about sleep paralysis on the EWAO group page, I read the comments about how it lead to astral projection so that's about 4 weeks ago, had success within the week.

I feel like I just naturally have a loose grip on my body. If not naturally, then due to a lot of shroom trips within the last year. Last trip during the summer where I actually had an OOBE (Scared the hell out of me for the whole rest of the trip because I thought I was dead - long story). Not sure how shrooms play into the picture with astral projection, interested though.

Funny about how you said about your hands being under your head. Twice already I woke up from it on my back with my hands held together on my stomach, as if I was praying. When I know I didn't fall asleep like that.

Similar by me when I do LD. I concentrated on LD more recently, because I'm trying dream sharing(no success till now) and I'm now able to have 1-4 LDs a week. However my LDs resembling my OBEs(astral projection, mental projection). I don't exert much will into changing environment because it tend to destabilize dream reality. It is not as profound as in OBE though. I mean, dream is a fantasy, why when I visualize creating portal, or something it throws me out of dream?I feel perfectly fine if I do nearly nothing to adjust dream reality. I can run very fast(like 100km on tens of second) but when I try to fly in such speed something either throws me out(when I force imagination) or I fly slowly(about 20km/h when I don't force it). In OBE(astral) I usually fly at speeds of few tens of km/h, but sometimes I can somehow deform spacetime continuum and can fly at speeds of hundreds of Lightyears per second... And that without imagining it.
I don't think that this is so important. There are differences between OBE and LD and because I was concentrated on OBE(astral projection), I left out the whole imagination thing, as to not affect astral reality. Therefore I'm doing similar things, have similar mindset in doing both.

Sleep paralysis while pleasant, it is not necessary in either LD or OBE. My first OBE scared me too... for a moment. But I lost fear of it fast and tried to duplicate experience soon after first one. Death doesn't scary me, it is a process of dying which could be scary. Once out of body, in astral, I'm indifferent of being dead... More often than not I'm thinking as to not going back, but it is not possible to stay.

Remember, you don't have to be scared of anything. Be concentrated. Don't use thoughts, instead try to think by feelings. Try to be only observer. Observe that snakes or other things, like you are seeing them in TV... Don't be attached to what you feel or see. Your imagination is what is destroying astral reality or adds imagined things.

I think there is faint line between LD and AP(OBE) and that line is imagination, fantasy... I had a few LDs where whole feeling changed from this is a dream to I'm out of body, this is not a dream. But it is hard to change things once imagined.

Originally Posted by Psionik

Similar by me when I do LD. I concentrated on LD more recently, because I'm trying dream sharing(no success till now) and I'm now able to have 1-4 LDs a week. However my LDs resembling my OBEs(astral projection, mental projection). I don't exert much will into changing environment because it tend to destabilize dream reality. It is not as profound as in OBE though. I mean, dream is a fantasy, why when I visualize creating portal, or something it throws me out of dream?I feel perfectly fine if I do nearly nothing to adjust dream reality. I can run very fast(like 100km on tens of second) but when I try to fly in such speed something either throws me out(when I force imagination) or I fly slowly(about 20km/h when I don't force it). In OBE(astral) I usually fly at speeds of few tens of km/h, but sometimes I can somehow deform spacetime continuum and can fly at speeds of hundreds of Lightyears per second... And that without imagining it.
I don't think that this is so important. There are differences between OBE and LD and because I was concentrated on OBE(astral projection), I left out the whole imagination thing, as to not affect astral reality. Therefore I'm doing similar things, have similar mindset in doing both.

Sleep paralysis while pleasant, it is not necessary in either LD or OBE. My first OBE scared me too... for a moment. But I lost fear of it fast and tried to duplicate experience soon after first one. Death doesn't scary me, it is a process of dying which could be scary. Once out of body, in astral, I'm indifferent of being dead... More often than not I'm thinking as to not going back, but it is not possible to stay.

Remember, you don't have to be scared of anything. Be concentrated. Don't use thoughts, instead try to think by feelings. Try to be only observer. Observe that snakes or other things, like you are seeing them in TV... Don't be attached to what you feel or see. Your imagination is what is destroying astral reality or adds imagined things.

I think there is faint line between LD and AP(OBE) and that line is imagination, fantasy... I had a few LDs where whole feeling changed from this is a dream to I'm out of body, this is not a dream. But it is hard to change things once imagined.

So in astral, how would I concentrate on teleporting somewhere else? By feeling as if Im there instead of imagining myself there? I had another projection last night and I tried to go to the moon. The past couple of days, I've even set goals for myself right before I go to sleep for what I'm going to do in astral (1. Moon, 2. Fly, 3. Talk to some people).

Whenever I tried concentrating on being on the moon, I visualized looking up at the moon and imagining myself flying up to it. It seemed like it was actually starting to work. It seemed like I was flying towards the moon really fast. But the closer I got, it was more like I was 'zooming' in on the moon instead of moving towards it. Like it was pixelated the closer I thought I was getting. You know, like if you zoom in a lot on a picture on the computer. I tried several times to get to the moon, but each time it was just 'zooming' in. After failing so many times, I just went downstairs and had a 3 second conversation with my brother and mom while they were watching tv before I woke up.

So, are you going to do an OBE, or to sleep and dream?
I tried a few times teleportation in astral. The results weren't satisfactory. There was one of experiment that I created portal on doors but that target! I got into wild LD very different from normal dream reality I usually live in. Sometimes I used going through wall as portal, I went into wall with expectation I would be in place I wanted be after going out of wall. No such luck. Creating portals needs imagination I think. But I feel being in astral I must be as much passive observer as I can. Imagination is too active for that state. My astral experiences feels more real when I'm not force changes or my will on surrounding. Therefore I'm using usually running or flying. Flying to moon is possible. I was there once, and flown by two other times. Moon is not interesting place. Rock, dust... no life. At least Moon I visited. That zooming is a good start, there is not much you can see as you fly in space. Still pixelation? My moon zoomed, and I also felt movement. It zoomed right into big scenery of dusty land with craters and rocks and hills. It was boring. More interesting was flight into extragalactic space. Galaxies were nice.

But then... My goals are set for communication with any entities I'm capable to meet. To find some new things, thoughts, information... I don't need to go far from my house for that. I need only to find conscious entities not usual somnambulic people

Try to be where you want to be. The space is irrelevant... That would need to stop thinking in normal terms. That could be hard. Because we are not used to be where we want to be when we want to be there... I learnt to be careful about using will in astral.

First try to learn how to stay in astral. As long as possible. Then learn to fly, learn where are borders of what you can do without disturbing astral reality. Teleportation is hard.

Originally Posted by Psionik

So, are you going to do an OBE, or to sleep and dream?
I tried a few times teleportation in astral. The results weren't satisfactory. There was one of experiment that I created portal on doors but that target! I got into wild LD very different from normal dream reality I usually live in. Sometimes I used going through wall as portal, I went into wall with expectation I would be in place I wanted be after going out of wall. No such luck. Creating portals needs imagination I think. But I feel being in astral I must be as much passive observer as I can. Imagination is too active for that state. My astral experiences feels more real when I'm not force changes or my will on surrounding. Therefore I'm using usually running or flying. Flying to moon is possible. I was there once, and flown by two other times. Moon is not interesting place. Rock, dust... no life. At least Moon I visited. That zooming is a good start, there is not much you can see as you fly in space. Still pixelation? My moon zoomed, and I also felt movement. It zoomed right into big scenery of dusty land with craters and rocks and hills. It was boring. More interesting was flight into extragalactic space. Galaxies were nice.

But then... My goals are set for communication with any entities I'm capable to meet. To find some new things, thoughts, information... I don't need to go far from my house for that. I need only to find conscious entities not usual somnambulic people

Try to be where you want to be. The space is irrelevant... That would need to stop thinking in normal terms. That could be hard. Because we are not used to be where we want to be when we want to be there... I learnt to be careful about using will in astral.

First try to learn how to stay in astral. As long as possible. Then learn to fly, learn where are borders of what you can do without disturbing astral reality. Teleportation is hard.

Very interesting. I'm thinking now that if I might have stuck with the strong concentration as I zoomed into the moon, and not have doubted myself, then more would have came from that. But that does make sense about it being harder because I would have to stop thinking in normal terms. Maybe that's why I saw the moon as it was from earth and not as actually being a 3D place as I approached it. I'll take your advice for just trying to stay in astral for as long as possible. It seems like my projections don't last very long (possibly just a minute or two). Maybe because in every projection I try to teleport somewhere and usually fail trying, which might be throwing me out of it faster. Any tips for how to stay in projection longer?

I use state of detachment, state of detached observer... in balance. Now, shadowofwind told yesterday something, I'm thinking about.

Psionik, It seems to me that your astral realm would be defined largely by who you are then you are in it. So if you are alive and open in an animal way, then there will be animals in it. But you probably close that part of yourself, because otherwise you don't know how to stay in your 'astral' state without your passions pulling you out of it.

I can't feel strong emotions and be in state of detachment, balance. I found that the higher level of dimension the harder is to maintain balance. Concentration is essential too, but it shouldn't be forced, should be passive... Try to concentrate on your existence, on being. Try not to exert strong will and changes on surrounding. I had problems with staying longer in OBE till I didn't find correlation between time spend out of body and this. Therefore I think, for longer stays in astral it is essential.
So, I can stay in astral for tens of minutes(subjectively) but my astral seems to be empty of animal life and entities are very sparse to find. That means it is hard for me to find someone to communicate...

If you try to force things, then you are fated to be unbalanced and your travels short. I had yet to find state of mind where I could force things to happen and stay in astral or other dimension. And I don't believe it is possible. My experiences are suggesting that that is not compatible.