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dreaming90
14th May 2012, 05:06 PM
Many people do not realize how much a healthy diet can enrich astral projection. I suspect that some beginners who get "stuck" at a certain stage in trance/projection practice are stuck because of an unhealthy diet.

I personally have benefited from a healthier diet in many aspects of my life, including AP. I would like to take a minute to talk about how you can change your eating habits to support your practice of AP. Ideally, you will be able to project faster and with greater ease, and the experience itself will be more memorable and vivid.

First of all, things that help AP:

- Veggies! They are like little bundles of projectiony goodness. Many of us living in Western societies do not get enough vegetables for healthy living, let alone healthy projecting. (I had a friend in high school who had to take "vegetable pills" because he didn't eat enough vegetables. He was ill often and prone to bad moods, which I believe was related to his poor diet.)

I suggest that you buy some frozen or fresh veggies, cook a few servings, and store them in the fridge. Have a serving with every meal, including breakfast. Many people are used to the bland taste of processed food, so the earthy taste of veggies may take some getting used to. Just quickly eat your veggies before the rest of your meal. This is how I had to start out. With time, you will get used to the taste. I have actually started to prefer the taste of veggies over the processed foods I used to eat.

- Water. Lots of folks aren't as hydrated as they should be to ensure good health. Buy a water bottle and keep it full. Ensure that you take sips throughout the day. If your urine is clear, you've probably had a bit too much. A slight tinge of yellow is best.

- Organic food. A lot of the stuff you buy at the grocery store has preservatives-- artificial chemicals that have subtle, long-term effects on quality of consciousness and general health. Check the ingredients list of the foods you buy at the grocery store, and reduce or eliminate your intake of "fast food."

Now for things that hurt:

- Junk food. Candy and soda are very bad for AP. There are plenty of "gurus" out there that are always condemning alcohol and caffeine, but they never talk about Projection Enemy #1-- sugar! Sugar clouds your consciousness more than any other common food.

As far as projection goes, I believe that sugar is worse than alcohol. Its effects are more subtle and long-term, so it's harder to notice, but the effects are certainly there.

Have you ever seen small children after they eat candy? They tend to misbehave and are more prone to impulsive decisions. I know several parents who were having problems with their small child's behavior, and when they decided to cut back on sugar, the problems disappeared entirely.

I don't want to give the impression that you need to give up on sugar altogether. AP is awesome, but so is enjoying your life. I would advise, though, that you cut back on the candy and soda.

When I was about 18, I drank six cans of soda a day and had a candy bar every morning. At the time I thought it was great. But I started having unpleasant symptoms-- stomach aches, headaches, and general fatigue. I eliminated all my soda and candy intake in hopes of improving my health. Within a few days, I felt absolutely amazing-- like cobwebs had been taken out of my brain.

- Red meat. White meat is better, no meat is best. Tofu is a good meat substitute. I believe that being a vegetarian significantly raises one's vibrations. If you choose to eliminate your meat intake, be sure that you eat plenty of dark, leafy greens (spinach, kale) and take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Some of you may notice that the Eskimo people (Inuit and Yupik) maintain active shamanic cultures while eating nothing but red meat. I believe this is because there are other factors that loosen the connection between the physical and etheric bodies, such as the daily struggle for survival and respect for animal life. This allows shamans to AP even while subsisting on nothing but raw meat.

- Caffeine and alcohol. It's okay if you have a few cups of coffee in the morning as long as you are projecting later in the day. As for alcohol, it's okay to drink in moderation (1 glass of wine or beer a day), just make sure that you aren't under the influence during your projection attempt.

In summary:

- Have a serving of veggies with every meal, including breakfast.
- Drink water throughout the day.
- Purchase food that has little or no preservatives.
- Cut back on sugary junk food like soda and candy. Ideally, sugar should be eliminated from your diet.
- Avoid red meat. White meat is better, no meat is best.
- Consume caffeine and alcohol in moderation. Ensure you are not under the influence of these chemicals during a projection attempt.

Expect to see an improvement within a few days. Expect big improvement in four to six months.

Happy projecting!

AstralCody
15th May 2012, 03:20 AM
dreaming-

Thanks for this! This is good stuff... I been lifting weights and starting to eat alot healthier. It's hard sometimes... I went to Chilis tonight. I had fries, boneless buffalo wings, and 1 soda. I don't have much soda anymore just on special occasions. I had a beer last night too. Just one...

I noticed I was projecting alot more when I got these things at the store called steamers. It's like frozen veggies in a bag. Pasta... etc. I been drinking tons of water. Are bananas and apples good? I snack on those alot. I am actually trying to get rid of chocolate all together. Just a soda once in a while. Diet soda... I know the aspartame is no good... Do you recommend any other sodas I can get that are more natural? I am very open to all this if it helps me AP, and dream better.

PS: Good topic! Thanks dreaming.
-Cody

ButterflyWoman
15th May 2012, 08:35 AM
All very sensible advice, and I certainly am in favour of cutting back on processed foods and increasing intake of vegetables and other whole foods. I'd also advise watching the level of fat you consume, and paying attention to what sort of fat you're eating (healthy fat, such as from avacado, or not-so-healthy fat, such as saturated oils and animal fats). Also learning a bit about Glycemic Index Loading is very helpful; having your blood sugar going up and down isn't good for you (which can happen even on a healthy diet if you eat high-GI foods like certain potatoes, breads, etc.)

I would, however, add some caution with regard to cutting out red meat without having a viable alternative for getting iron. This means either supplementation or eating rather a lot of spinach, chard, kale, and similar high-iron vegetables.

We're not big meat eaters in our household, though we do eat meat. A few months back, I decided we should cut down on beef for various personal and environmental reasons. Very slowly, in fact, so slowly that I wasn't aware of what was happening, I became anemic. My lactose intolerance got worse and worse (again, not a big dairy eater, but I do like milk in my coffee and I sometimes eat cereal with milk, and I cook with it), I became more and more fatigued, eventually I started to get quite bad dizzy spells, which culminated with me taking a tumble and bashing up my leg and lower back pretty well (I just got dizzy at the wrong time and place and fell!). While I was pondering what on earth was going on with me, I suddenly realised, duh, these are symptoms of anemia. I hadn't been anemic for a long time, and it came on so slowly that I didn't pick up on it. As soon as I started supplementing and increased my intake of red meat (I prefer free-range pork for various reasons), I felt fine.

So while I'm not knocking vegetarian diets or cutting back on red meat, I just wanted to offer a bit of caution. You MUST be careful, and you should have a basic understanding of where/how to get the nutrients you need (protein, iron and other minerals, healthy fats, etc.). Balance is the key. :)

Sinera
15th May 2012, 09:47 AM
dreaming90,

What is your advice regarding sugar: not to eat sweets at all or is the time (span) of ingestion relevant? We all know the body needs sugar anyway (e.g. glucose for the brain is vital) and we have sugar in 'almost' everything, but I assume your advice is really related more to 'sweets' and heavy candy stuff in general.

So the question is: If I want to project during the night, will it, according to your experiences, be enough to stop ingesting it from the afternoon / early evening onwards? In other words: eat some sweeter stuff in the morning and then gradually do some more sugar-free diet towards the end of the day (e.g. sometimes I only eat fruit in the evening, although they can have lots of sugar too...)? I'm asking because I love to eat bread with Nutella in the morning. :D:redface:

Or is there no such thing as short-term abstinention effect for spiritual purposes? Is it even best to stay completely sugar-free, say, in the evening?

dreaming90
15th May 2012, 11:24 AM
dreaming90,
What is your advice regarding sugar: not to eat sweets at all or is the time (span) of ingestion relevant? We all know the body needs sugar anyway (e.g. glucose for the brain is vital) and we have sugar in 'almost' everything, but I assume your advice is really related more to 'sweets' and heavy candy stuff in general.

So the question is: If I want to project during the night, will it, according to your experiences, be enough to stop ingesting it from the afternoon / early evening onwards? In other words: eat some sweeter stuff in the morning and then gradually do some more sugar-free diet towards the end of the day (e.g. sometimes I only eat fruit in the evening, although they can have lots of sugar too...)? I'm asking because I love to eat bread with Nutella in the morning. :D:redface:

Or is there no such thing as short-term abstinention effect for spiritual purposes? Is it even best to stay completely sugar-free, say, in the evening?
Yes I'm referring to processed sugar. I've never had a problem with fruits-- I like to have a cupful of blueberries every day. I think it might be a glycemic index thing.

As for nutella, I like it too. :D If you aren't eating a lot of processed foods and other sugars, and you aren't hitting any big walls with your projection practice, I'd say you are fine. I'm not sure if an evening sugar fast would have any big effects, but you can certainly try it-- if it works well, that would be good to know!

Sometimes I shrug my shoulders and pop open a can of soda. I think it's okay to sit down and enjoy "forbidden fruits" once in a while.

her crow
16th May 2012, 07:38 AM
Avoid red meat. White meat is better, no meat is best.
can you please explain how meat hinders my spiritual abilities? I have been eating all kinds of meat my whole life, and never felt it was holding me back in any aspect. however I would give it up easily, if anyone could actually explain in what way is vegetarian/vegan way better for my body and mind. I would appreciate if you shared your insights.

Sinera
16th May 2012, 08:37 AM
can you please explain how meat hinders my spiritual abilities? I have been eating all kinds of meat my whole life, and never felt it was holding me back in any aspect. however I would give it up easily, if anyone could actually explain in what way is vegetarian/vegan way better for my body and mind. I would appreciate if you shared your insights.
If it does not hinder your spiritual abilities then it is alright to keep up your eating habits as they are, imo.

But did you say that so far you didn't try it for yourself? So, have you ever tried and then observed any effects? I think it is necessary that we all make our own experiences, then observe and analyse. We are all our own metaphysical scientists, so to speak. Yes there are also many theories why it is to boost your spirituality and many many people report on it (some only say it makes them feel 'lighter' and that is already enough for them), but it need not necessarily apply to every human (alike).

So if I were you I would just try it out myself over a certain period of time (should be more than a few weeks though to account for long-term effects) and then make an assessment how it works for you.

CFTraveler
16th May 2012, 01:51 PM
can you please explain how meat hinders my spiritual abilities? I have been eating all kinds of meat my whole life, and never felt it was holding me back in any aspect. however I would give it up easily, if anyone could actually explain in what way is vegetarian/vegan way better for my body and mind. I would appreciate if you shared your insights.
I think the subject of meat is too controversial to just simply put it in a category, because IMO it depends on what you consider 'abilities' to be.
I was a vegetarian for many years and the first thing that happened when I ate a hamburger was that I had an OBE after months of nothing.
It has been said that in the area of projection, any high-protein meal (doesn't have to be meat) a few hours before an attempt will hinder your endeavors- this is because all the blood is in your stomach digesting the heavy meal, and it follows that the energy that could be used to shoot you out is being used otherwise.
But the question of meat is a little more complicated than it seems on the surface.
Some people believe that eating meat is wrong because a living thing is killed (sometimes cruelly) and they see vegetarianism as a better alternative, although plants are also alive, and even though as far as we can tell they don't suffer the way we do (their nervous system is different than ours)- however, there have been reports that plants react chemically to acts of violence. (Please don't make me cite this, I'm sure there's loads of contradictory evidence regarding this, so I'll just say that it's been claimed so.)- so when a person is going into spirituality in general there is the central question about how the universe works and what our place in it is- and this is a personal thing- for some people eating meat is tantamount to a sin, for others it's in the participation with nature.
So, what I'm trying to say, is "It's complicated and personal" and leave it at that.

dreaming90
16th May 2012, 03:58 PM
I have no specific insights on how avoiding meat helps projection, but I do know that there was a noticeable improvement when I went vegetarian.

The buddha was a major proponent of vegetarianism and I wonder if such a diet had subtle effects on meditative states of consciousness. Then again, Tibetan Buddhists are generally not vegetarian (vegetables are scarce in Tibet).

I recommend cutting out meat for, say, a week and seeing if you notice any improvements. For the record I think avoiding junk food and eating veggies is more important than cutting out meat. As always, YMMV

her crow
17th May 2012, 06:22 AM
thanks for your replies.

I suppose it is possible to try avoiding meat for a week and see how that works for me. however I have heard that if this period is longer then you need to somehow substitute the missing substances with some other specific foods, so your body can continue functioning without glitches. I guess I would have to see a diet specialist for that, right?

Sinera
17th May 2012, 10:49 AM
A possible lack of Vitamin B12 is an issue always mentioned. It can cause anemia, but only in the long run. As with every nutritional strategy or diet you can 'do it wrong' and this does not exclude a vegetarian or vegan diet.
To be save, you might use some VB12-supplements here, although it should be said that generally in your liver you have a high storage amount that may last for years before you get negative effects. Also, make sure you eat lots of different fruits, veggies during the day in order to maintain essential nutritional diversity. Also, many starting vegetarians make the mistake to eat too many dairy products then as a replacement. This is not recommendable at all.

dreaming90
17th May 2012, 11:39 AM
Yes, a vitamin B12 supplement is a good idea. Dark leafy greens like kale and spinach are recommended as well. I'm actually going to update my original post with this information...

This blog has good tips:

http://www.meatlessmama.com/2009/09/tips.html

LPCF
10th June 2012, 11:29 AM
My dear wife and I have been vegan for over a year, and vegetarian before that. This was a personal, ethical decision based upon our belief in avoiding the killing of sentient animals - althought CFT is correct that plants have been shown to have an elementary form of awareness (I can' t remember the research, either!).

BW is correct about taking care in changing diets. From day one, we ensured that we had adequate B12 (via Marmite!) and iron (via correct vegetables). We get plenty of protein from soya; my wife makes soya yogurt in a yogurt maker. We buy organic soya with vegetable calcium (from seaweed). We are also fortunate here in France to have a very large garden where we can grow our own fruit and vegetables.

Does that make one more "spiritual"? A good question. As CFT says, it is up to each person to find his/her answer to that. All I can say is that we have never been healthier, our cholesterol levels have dropped dramatically and we feel our consciences are clearer. This has helped me personally with projection. But as I said, each person must seek her/his own way, perhaps with guidance from HS.

Crystalcave13
17th June 2012, 04:01 AM
So you're saying If I drink coffee in the middle of my energy work sessions or meditation sessions to achieve OOBE's, then it can hinder and block my progress/attempts at doing so?

ButterflyWoman
17th June 2012, 05:15 AM
I assume you're addressing dreaming90, the originator of this thread, but as I was also participating in the thread, and I have some thoughts on caffeine, I'm going to chime in.

I don't personally find caffeine to be especially problematic for energy work, but meditation does require a level of concentration and stillness, and caffeine can make some people (myself included) anxious and restless, so if you're not very good at taming your chattering mind, it can be problematic. Note that caffeine is not only in coffee, but also in most teas (including green tea, though it's less in green tea than in black tea), a number of carbonated drinks (Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, etc.), and chocolate.

Doing energy work actually made me much more sensitive to caffeine. I really have to limit my exposure to it now. If I have too much, I get all kinds of unpleasant reactions (heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, headaches, etc.) I do still consume caffeine, but I'm really careful about how much and how frequently, because I have to be.

I don't want to come across as being anti-caffeine, because I'm not, but I am very much in favour of knowing what drug it is you're taking, and what effect it's likely to have on you, physically as well as metaphysically. Caffeine is strong central nervous system stimulant, and a much stronger drug than most people realise, and it's worth paying attention to how much you consume and how often.

Crystalcave13
17th June 2012, 07:48 AM
Got it, thanks.