Hey everyone, I've decided to join up here after lurking in the shadows for a couple of weeks, this seems like a pretty cruisy place to hang out.

I've been interested in "mystical" stuff for quite a few years now, probably about 5 or 6. My first exposure to lucid dreams was actually through some of the various metaphysical websites that are around. I got stuck in those websites for a couple of years and its taken me that long to realise that most of what is said there turns out to be make-believe fantasy stuff, although I do not deny the possibility that OOBE's may actually occur on a different plane of existance. Up until now, on many mystical and spiritual forums, I have not been able to have a reasonable discussion with anyone that doesn't end up with reccomendations of burning sage on a full moon while a dog barks in the distance, while simultaneously swallowing a silver sword blessed thrice with the olive branch of tranquility. That kind of stuff just doesn't convince me for some reason.

The reason I am attracted to this site is it seems to focus a LOT more on the experience, how to get it, with open discussion on what it means. I'm not a total disbeliever in spirituality, I have seen some things (like the orb of light that me and my wife saw traversing our bedroom one morning), but generally, I would like to be able to discuss and recount experiences in a forum that is at least more subdued on the far-out-explainations scale. Also you guys seem nice.

Anyway I think I've made my point about where I stand on my spiritual beliefs, and I've toadied to the general populace (unashamedly I might add with a grin ), but I've said nothing about my experiences with OBE's/LD's. Well, I have had a few, I can't remember all of them at once because I'm a slacker about keeping diaries of this sort of thing. I find that I remember an experience when its meaning is conveniently relevant to something happening in my life.

My favorite sorts of experiences are those where I have woken up to find myself on top of a soaring mountan peak high above the clouds, with perfect views of the mountain ranges stretching away into the horizon, and down below the clouds at the foot of the mountain a massive ocean surges. Or I might awaken in a forest somewhere, surrounded by trees and birdsong. Often I just leap up into the air and fly around enjoying my freedom, just looking at the majestic perfection of the environment I find myself in. I have had probably about 3 of these experiences that I can remember distinctly as they lasted for minutes, but there are many more fleeting experiences that lasted only a few seconds.

My least favorite experiences are those that involve encounters with strange forces pulling me towards say the door of my house, afraid to see what is outside I wake up. There was one where I woke up in bed and I saw this shadow coming along the hallway outside the door, then this freaky woman in a suit walked right up to me and scared the living [edit] out of me for some reason. One time, when I used to work at a meatworks, I lucid dreamt that I was being processed like one of the animals, bandsaws and all, and boy did it hurt. When I died in that one, I went out of body (strange, an OBE within an OBE), and saw this pulsating luminescant purple squid-like creature de-attaching itself from my body.

Those negative experiences I am starting to think are a product of having an overactive imagination, as well as being filled with demon/neg paranoia that comes from residing at too many mystical discussion forums and listening to the daily discussions about the various possessions and demons sucking energy and so forth. Up until now, my experience has shown that all the demons I have had to face in my dreams have come from nagging self doubts and insecurities which I have had to face one by one. In a sense, the practice of Lucid Dreaming as well as interpreting my dream symbolism has helped me to develop as a person.

More superfiscially, I just want to get out there, fly around the mountains, meet cool fellow-OBEr's, and have a good-old-time.

My other interests are outlined in my profile if by some chance you happen to be interested, so I won't repeat them here.

Anyway, Hello!