what do you think? :)

[Purplemoon]

Hello dreamers ... The other week (daytime) I was a bit sleepy, so I went to my room & just sat on my bed, & looked in the mirror & thought of nothing. I watched my face change, colours appear, I heard that if you looked you might see the outline of your astral body. I felt aware of my energy but that is not an unusual thing & after a bit, I just curled up on my bed & went to sleep. I have not ever tried to astral project - I have heard of it in passing but it isn't something I have conciously attempted. So anyway, I wake up & I realise I am trying to leave my body - it is like a heavy pulse beating ... the pull of water you swirl in a cup, like a vortex - and on that pull I am trying to leave my body. And then in almost fractured strobe movement (buzzy) I floated above my actual body - - I thought okayyy & looked & all I could see was grey (with like bubbles) & then I thought is this ok? leaving? where am I going? what if I forget my body? - I wasn't afraid - I was glad I knew how to 'launch' properly but then I got distracted (I think fear) & thudded back in. Do you think this sounds like Astral projection, is it normal that it would happen without me conciously trying to have an experience. I have had a kind of OBE experience before, whilst I was awake, where I left my body but it was more of a memory & not as 'knowing' as the one I had the other day. This was very real, almost violent the way I was trying to get out! Thanks for any feedback xx

[no-Name]

Although I've never experienced astral projection firsthand, I have heard accounts similar to yours. I've moved this to the beyond dreaming section, where OBEs, astral projection and other supernatural topics might be discussed. It's usually a fairly personal experience, astral projection; only you would really know if it was AP or just a dream. Good luck :]

[Xetrov]

Hey Puprplemoon, I have had some interesting experiences too whilst meditating and looking into a mirror. Your face kinda starts to morph after a while if you focus on one point. I guess most of this would be your brain starting to play tricks on you, but maybe there is some truth in seeing auras, who knows. As to your OBE-like experience, I am of the conviction that they are experiences that happen inside our minds, not outside our actual physical bodies (others disagree on that of course). The mind is just such an extremely powerful tool that it would have no problem at all to simulate an experience that would to the observer feel and look totally like an OBE. I have had several, and they were extremely convincing OBE-look-a-like, but I still think they are "just" transition periods where you are conscious of slipping from a waking state into a dreaming one, where your brain makes it look like you are going out of body. But all you quite literally do is slipping into your internally created dream body. Normally we are not aware while this happens, but if we are it can be a very powerful experience. Hope this helps .

[Purplemoon]

Hey Puprplemoon, I have had some interesting experiences too whilst meditating and looking into a mirror. Your face kinda starts to morph after a while if you focus on one point. I guess most of this would be your brain starting to play tricks on you, but maybe there is some truth in seeing auras, who knows. As to your OBE-like experience, I am of the conviction that they are experiences that happen inside our minds, not outside our actual physical bodies (others disagree on that of course). The mind is just such an extremely powerful tool that it would have no problem at all to simulate an experience that would to the observer feel and look totally like an OBE. I have had several, and they were extremely convincing OBE-look-a-like, but I still think they are "just" transition periods where you are conscious of slipping from a waking state into a dreaming one, where your brain makes it look like you are going out of body. But all you quite literally do is slipping into your internally created dream body. Normally we are not aware while this happens, but if we are it can be a very powerful experience. Hope this helps . hey xetrov thanks for replying to me ... I always feel now that if I try to meditate, I start to shake & then it feels like pressure on my middle & then like in my chest but lower like a churning kind of vortex swirly bit. And then my ears hurt because my ears are straining & then i realise its because they are trying to listen in my inner ear & then I hear the wind & also pipes (over the hills & far away)! I agree with you about the power of our minds, it was only that it seemed so physical & the fact that I felt like i dragged my body back & when i 'landed' it kind of hurt & I almost felt a bit queasy because of all that deep-rooted swirling. But I felt good that I was alive & swirlin The other kind of OBE I had, it was whilst something not good was happening to me - so I saw a little kind of bubble/light in my 'minds-eye' in the corner with a dragonfly at its centre - & after that I felt like I detached from my body & flew near it & was looking back at myself & felt ok because I was safe from what was happening. Thats ok, I'm happy if I just created that illusion for myself, it was comforting. I felt as though it was like a symbol of protection, like a guardian of my spirit ... & then my 'essence' left my body & looked back & I felt safe that although the physical shell could be harmed - my inner self was not confined to the physical limits When things like that happen, you can't easily flick them away like a soggy cornflake. From whence came this experience ... will the earth still spin its orbit have happy dreams x

[IrisRavenstar]

Maybe I'm strange, but I do not ever TRY to have a certain experience. I don't do exercises for OBE's or Lucid Dreams. I don't try to be psychic. These things just happen, quite often enough, on their own. In puzzling about this for a few days, why everyone is doing all these exercises to bring on lucid dreams, I find I still don't get it. I've not gotten it in other communities as well. As a Gnostic Christian, I look at all these things as part of my spiritual growth, thus under guidelines given for the Gifts of the Spirit in 1st Corinthians 12-14. According to those scriptures, and I'm not trying for a religious discussion, just explaining why I haven't needed exercises, it may be because I believe what it says there: that the SPIRIT apportions each of these gifts as the SPIRIT wills. IOW, they are gifts that are given to us, not something we can just, well, take... Make sense? For me, it was more like these things initially were opening up without any notion or idea or seeking those experiences. I was seeking GOD, but not psychic experiences and lucid and precognitive dreams, and all the rest. It sort of came with the God package, I guess. For me. And then my dreams told me to accept it, and got me over the fear of it, and here I am. I am. Here. I'm also heading off to sleep now, for probably obvious reasons.

[Purplemoon]

Maybe I'm strange, but I do not ever TRY to have a certain experience. I don't do exercises for OBE's or Lucid Dreams. I don't try to be psychic. These things just happen, quite often enough, on their own. In puzzling about this for a few days, why everyone is doing all these exercises to bring on lucid dreams, I find I still don't get it. I've not gotten it in other communities as well. As a Gnostic Christian, I look at all these things as part of my spiritual growth, thus under guidelines given for the Gifts of the Spirit in 1st Corinthians 12-14. According to those scriptures, and I'm not trying for a religious discussion, just explaining why I haven't needed exercises, it may be because I believe what it says there: that the SPIRIT apportions each of these gifts as the SPIRIT wills. IOW, they are gifts that are given to us, not something we can just, well, take... Make sense? For me, it was more like these things initially were opening up without any notion or idea or seeking those experiences. I was seeking GOD, but not psychic experiences and lucid and precognitive dreams, and all the rest. It sort of came with the God package, I guess. For me. And then my dreams told me to accept it, and got me over the fear of it, and here I am. I am. Here. I'm also heading off to sleep now, for probably obvious reasons. Hi Iris, Thanks for your interesting reply ... that doesn't sound strange to me I have never actively tried to do anything either but things just happen & that feels natural to me - I also feel that my intention is to seek truth/god & these other things are like ripples that act to deepen my awareness. If its meant to be experienced, it will happen. If we have open hearts we can cause a shift in our perception, allowing that experience to flow freely. Also its a good idea not to become fixated on trying to make something happen, as the less likely it seems that will be fulfilled in a healthy way, as i feel maybe too much attachment to a desire can cause peace & harmony to disappear. Take care x

[Xetrov]

I always feel now that if I try to meditate, I start to shake & then it feels like pressure on my middle & then like in my chest but lower like a churning kind of vortex swirly bit. And then my ears hurt because my ears are straining & then i realise its because they are trying to listen in my inner ear & then I hear the wind & also pipes (over the hills & far away)! Lol, if I meditate deeper on my inner energies I usually sneeze just one time quite loud... yeah we all got our own peculiarities I guess . What comes to my mind in reading your experience is possible energy blockades in your lower chakras due to emotional issues. Meditating on that can help a whole lot, is my experience... being open to yourself and try not to fall into illusions of the mind. But I might be wrong of course. The vortex kind of energy and the inner ear sounds are usually a good sign I think, since they are signs that you are succesfully focussing on your inner energies/self. Might be worth exploring more in those areas! my inner self was not confined to the physical limits Exactly, thats a great insight Maybe I'm strange, but I do not ever TRY to have a certain experience. I don't do exercises for OBE's or Lucid Dreams. I don't try to be psychic. These things just happen, quite often enough, on their own. In puzzling about this for a few days, why everyone is doing all these exercises to bring on lucid dreams, I find I still don't get it. I've not gotten it in other communities as well. That is because no single individual is the same. There are those who feel best going with the flow, others feel better if they take some degree of "control" over their experiences and go from there. There is also not a good or bad here, only thing I always say is go with what feels best to you. If its meant to be experienced, it will happen. Yes and this counts as well for those who go with the flow as those who feel more need of "control". I use "" here since to my experience whatever we do, there is only one flow of time and hence any control we exercise is rather illusionary but still a useful experience. This does not mean that control is uneffective but that whatever happens due to the control is also meant to be experienced.

[Purplemoon]

Hi, thanks for the feedback ... firstly, I only just realised the little fly bug thing on my screen was actually yours - ooo there it is again *flicks* I think you are right about emotions etc & I think I have also fallen into illusions of my mind ... as a few months ago I started having basically night terrors ... its not like I have ever been scared of monsters or external demons & i'm supposed to be quite grown up now haha but sometimes when I would go to sleep I would just feel all the energy in the room & everything was so fast & suffocating - i am not scared of feeling energy, just it felt invasive & bad... but I realise that the negativity was inside me & as I was dealing with that I was probably projecting it into a real-time experience. A few times I have to watch myself i don't flip out in the dark because I can get feeling a bit hyper sensitive ... but hopefully i am not holding on to too many things now, I hope to be 'lighter'. But its ok, I don't mind the good vibes & know they exist ... like the air in the room there is energy that looks like the static on a tv when it’s tuned to a dead channel, only it’s not black and white, it’s clear or invisible - you can kind of see it better at night ... but I can see it in the day, though more disturbing with all the activity. But like today I went for a walk outside, haven't been for quite a while & I could see all this energy buzzing off things & it was like white fire above the grass & also energy waves, which were clear but to look at them you could see rainbow colours faintly ... almost like the tails of swimming jelly fish but thats ok because its happy vibes ... I just got to keep my chakras clear & let the light in, so I don't start adding my own blocked illusions. I am actually doing reiki 1 attunement at the weekend, so I hope that will help raise & clear my energies too x

[IrisRavenstar]

Hi Purplemoon, It's amazing how similar your interests on your profile are to mine! Yes, I think that the sense of forcing something is an issue for me too, and it seems to block my flow with Spirit if I try to do that. The bug caught me too... I thought it was one of the little ants that come in sometimes, that live under my brick patio, where I guess it's comparatively dry. I sprinkle cinnamon on the doorstep to deter them, but I haven't refreshed it for a few days, so they're baaaack. I'll sprinkle more tomorrow after it dries out a bit here. Rainy and humid today. As for you last post, that's great you're taking Reiki I! It was the best thing I ever did for myself, seriously. I have been doing self-Reiki and meditation at bedtime again, in bed, and sleeping so much better for it. I seem to be dreaming more of the kinds of dreams I like best as well. And I'm less achy in the mornings after I do that. So I think it has a real influence on a lot of things. Do you use any kind of shielding before you go to bed? I'm constantly disturbed by psychic connections during the night if I don't. It's better when I do. Not everything inside is part of me! From your descriptions of your energy percerptions, you might want to consider it. I see the energy in the air sometimes too, especially when it's hot outside. Almost like ripples in water.