Am I astral projecting ?

Lately I've been taking a quick 40 minute nap when I get home from work to help unwind and relax. In that time, almost reliably, I'll experience the sensation that I"m moving out of my body into a void. At this point, I typically become lucid and notice that any sort of thought manifests into the void. Sometimes I'll play around with the sensation of falling through space, rotating extremely fast, flying up and around, moving through walls, moving things with my mind....or try and gently concentrate on relaxing/focusing as it's typically scary at first.

My main question is, this whole process of being in the void is typically painful and I wonder why. There are loud sounds and everything seems very charged with a painful electricity. I have read little bits in the forum to know that this is part of the process of separating the astral body from the physical one, right? But for me, it seems like i'm never fully able to let go of the physical body, and thus am stuck in this kinda painful lucid experience until my alarm clock goes off.

Maybe i'm holding onto my phsyical body out of fear, or other reasons unknown even to myself. In general I was just looking for comments/suggestions.

Thanks!
Jraven. :-P

Hello and welcome!
Looks to me that you´re describing self induced sleep paralysis, rather than a state of lucidity. It is however totally possible to use the WILD technique during that state, if you find a way around the high pitched noises and the uncomfortable sensations. When i do it, i usually start seeing irregular patterns while my vision slowly fades to light grey or violet. My body goes numb, and about then, i'm able to enter lucidity.

Jraven, as cheesy as this sounds its kind of like being in the Matrix. Don't think about letting go of your physical self, Know you are.
Astral projecting or experiencing an OBE is really just a play on your perspective. Try this; Think about yourself, perhaps just sitting reading this message, now do you see through your eyes or do you see yourself as if watching a movie. If you see a movie that you're in then you are having, basically, an OBE. Not neccessarily something transcendental, but an OBE all the same. Perspective. Remember it is your mind you're entering, you can control it you just have to see what works for you.
Oh and yeah, try the WILDS technique.
Subrosa

I really appreciate the comments and suggestions. I think i'll just try to experience whatever's going on for what it is, rather than trying to manipulate it/make it into something else. Maybe letting go isn't a matter of visualizing a release...but one just occuring when I'm ready.

Thanks!