MAP Day 64 - Looking for advice

[mlgarton]

Hi, I have been faithfully working through MAP for over 2 months now. I try to do at least the minimum amount of practice every day. However, I probably do less exit techniques than suggested because I don't always have enough time during my meditation session. On weekdays, I usually only have 30 - 40 minutes for meditation. I can do more during the time I am supposed to be sleeping but then I'll end up with a sleep deficit and I won't remember as many dreams, etc. I have only had one OBE so far during this program and that happened spontaneously during the night while sleeping. In that projection, I didn't even end up in the real-time zone. My body felt like it floated away and I ended up some where in the Astral. Prior to this program, I had 3 OBEs within a 3 week period about a year ago while doing visualizations & affirmations prior to sleep. In all 3 of those, I would always come out of my body in the real-time zone. Since that time and especially during this program, I have had many instances of vibrations with no projection and at least one partial projection. These all occur in the middle of the night.

There has been a big change in the nature of the energy movements that I feel in this program compared to a year ago. A year ago, I would feel slight to moderate full body vibrations prior to having an OBE. Then I would need to make an effort to leave my body (rolling out). During this program, what I mostly feel is the activation of a Chakra or a creeping energy / pressure that moves upward from my base. The creeping energy / pressure can be very uncomfortable and I often end up flinching and that ends the experience.

Another problem that I am having with this program is that I don't feel like I am getting any results with the exit techniques (which may be why I don't spend a large amount of time on them). I don't feel like I am in a deep enough trance where anything can happen. I do think that I am in at least a light trance but all my OBEs usually happen at a deeper level. I have read advice on this forum saying that it is better to go deeper than a light trance (which contradicts the book). I have to say that I agree since it seems very, very hard to make anything happen in a light trance.

At this point, I plan to pause the MAP program and focus on getting into a deeper trance. It seems pointless to keep practicing new exit techniques when there is no hope of them actually working. Can anyone offer any advice regarding the problems I am having (e.g. not having a deep enough trance, painful energy movements, etc.)? Does it seem unusual that I have had so little success by Day 64 even though I have prior OBE experience? I just don't understand why I had so much success a year ago with less effort and so little success since then. I am not afraid to project and I am not afraid of any of the exit symptoms. All of my OBEs have been positive experiences. Actually, I am more afraid of failure than anything else.

thanks,

Matt

[CFTraveler]

Hi Matt and welcome to the forums.
I took a look at my MAP book (day 64) and found that you are in the beginning of learning exit techniques- there are many exit techniques to go through before you find the one that suits you best. However, I will try to answer your questions and advise your questions as you have written them.
The energy sensations you describe could be Kundalini activation. For some reason, some people activate their Kundalini circuits through energy work, so this may be part of what is happening to you. Other than that, doing energy work in trance amplifies the sensations, and it may be that you are having some feedback when you are doing the work in trance. Other than that, the intensification of sensations after practice is unusual- the usual thing that happens is that after some practice the sensations become less intense, not more.
However, if the energy sensations are happening upon the exit, this is an indication that you are very close to a conscious exit.

At this point, I plan to pause the MAP program and focus on getting into a deeper trance. This is a perfectly good thing to do. I recommend that when you are done doing the energy body loosening exercises and are 'ready for the exit'- go into a 'noticing' exercise that I like to do- (called 'Triangle Method' by a fellow named Birm, who developed it before I did, but independently of me a few years ago)- observe the nothingness in front of your eyes, and just gaze. At the same time, focus on the earhiss that is heard when it's quiet and late at night. Focus intently on the earhiss until you can identify several components of the earhiss, and pick a tone (I don't pick the highest, but some people do) and just listen, remembering to observe the space in front of you.) At some point you will start to see and hear things (various things, aka hypnagogics, but also voices, etc.). When you get to this point, pick an exit technique that will be compatible with your symptom. These vary, so you should try many various techniques.


It seems pointless to keep practicing new exit techniques when there is no hope of them actually working. I disagree, because when you get to an exit symptom, trying the wrong one for the symptom may foil your attempts, but you can't pick and choose if you are not familiar with all of them. Remember this is a practice, and should be approached as such- you don't study law school as you try cases, you learn all the possible things that can happen, graduate, and then try cases- with all the proper knowledge and techniques.


Does it seem unusual that I have had so little success by Day 64 even though I have prior OBE experience? No, it's a 90 day program. If your previous experience was spontaneous, it's a different experience, with different situations that will arise from your efforts, projection being one of them.


Actually, I am more afraid of failure than anything else. I believe this, especially considering what you wrote above about learning new exit techs with no expectation of success. However I do believe in deepening the trance before trying the exit. I hope you'll try the tech I wrote about and incorporate it in your practice, and let us know how it works.

[mlgarton]

Thanks for the response. Let me clarify a few things I said. I normally meditate in the afternoon or evening (I do this in a reclining chair). Sometimes, I'll do it while lying in bed at night or I'll get up early in the morning and do it in my chair. It's good to do it at these times but then I'll end up being tired so it's hard to do this on a regular basis. So, most of my regular practice occurs during waking hours. When I mentioned the energy sensations, these happen spontaneously or after I have meditated while lying in bed (always at night in bed). They don't occur as a result of my regular practice. Yes, I thought about Kundalini but they do seem to be associated with having an OBE. The one OBE that I had occurred in this way. I felt the energy / pressure creeping up my body until it reached my head and everything got darker. Then I felt my body floating away. I got up from my lying down position and I was some where else (in the Astral). I have had similiar sensations occur several other times where I would end up flinching in dis-comfort which would cause me to break out of trance and the movement would stop. However, even after being fully awake, I would still feel the after-effects of the energy in the area where it was occurring. I am curious to know if this could still be kundalini or something else.

I will try out the technique that you mentioned. After reading this forum, I am already trying to look for hypnagogic imagery prior to practicing exit techniques. So far, I only reach this point a few times during each meditation but then I'll fall back into a lighter trance. Sorry to sound so negative about the exit techniques, I only said that because I normally don't get much of a reaction when I do them but I think that has more to do with not being in a deep enough trance. I do plan to keep trying and to continue even after I am finished with the program.