My first OBE exit symptoms experience

[ChadRad]

Right now im too excited to sleep. For seven weeks ive been following the instruction in Mastering Astal Projection, and tonight things got 'real'! I went through the usual routine laid out in the book, and although i sometimes skip the chakra work, i stimulated each one tonight. I had a song stuck in my head through the whole session, which lasted about 45 mins. Every few minutes i would focus on my breathing and push the noise out, but it would return as soon as i stopped. After entering a trance, i started climbing rope. I got bored with that pretty quickly, and started chasm crossing technique for about 10 mins. Getting bored again, i simply used the third eye trigger, and immediatley had the feeling that i should float out through my third eye, which i did. I floated out, then up a tunnel of light for maybe 3 seconds, and the exit symptoms started full blast. Two things seem strange to me about it though. As soon as the exit started, it felt EXTREMELY familiar. I immediatley recognized this feeling, even though ive never consciously projected before. It just felt like id done this before. And although i felt like i was being electrocuted by a powerline while laying behind a jet engine, i found the sensation to be totally euphoric, maybe even mildly erotic. At this point i just lay there trying to continue floating up, which i couldnt. I tried 3 other exit techniques, but couldnt focus at all. The symptoms lasted maybe a min then started to fade. I tried running through exit techniques again, but couldnt focus on them. I totally blew that exit for some unknown reason. So after writing Mr. Bruce on facebook about my first experience, i lay down again for another try. Now let me say that my whole life ive had this ability to stimulate something in my body at will. Ive always thought i could release adrenaline or something. But now i know. I can trigger the exit symptoms mildly at will. Its like a reflex. I feel like im squeezing something in my body somewhere, but have never been able to pinpoint it. The result is like adrenaline, or eletricity shooting from head to toe, which leaves me shaking. Maybe thats what i recognized?... Anyway, i ran through the relaxation drill quickly and settled in, then did some breathwork. I spent maybe 5 mins preparing this second time. Then i just triggered that 'reflex', which immediately brought on the symptoms a second time. I did the third eye trigger, and induced strong sensations, but blew that exit too. All in all, its been a good night. Im gonna skim through Astral Dynamics, and go through some past chapters in Mastering Projection to make sure i didnt miss something. I think maybe i focused on the symptoms too much. I cant wait to try again tommorow night! Now i really know this wasnt a waste of time, and i learned something about myself. If anyone knows what im saying about this 'reflex', then tell me! Im sure im not the only one who can do it. :D

[SiriusTraveler]

Aswesome story! Glad for you. I really want to know that "reflex".

[CFTraveler]

At this point i just lay there trying to continue floating up, which i couldnt. I tried 3 other exit techniques, but couldnt focus at all. The symptoms lasted maybe a min then started to fade. I tried running through exit techniques again, You were trying to exit after having exited. What you needed to do was to try to get away from your body, because you already were out of body. If this happens again, where you are out but too close to your body, imagine you're swimming or floating like a balloon and head for the door, even if blind. 'Swim', or try to focus on somewhere else (like the other corner of the room) and you will get away.

[ChadRad]

You were trying to exit after having exited. What you needed to do was to try to get away from your body, because you already were out of body. If this happens again, where you are out but too close to your body, imagine you're swimming or floating like a balloon and head for the door, even if blind. 'Swim', or try to focus on somewhere else (like the other corner of the room) and you will get away.

Really?! I didnt think i exited because of 1 thing, i had my eyes closed the whole time, and i thought once i had exited that i would instantly begin to see. Thanks though, im gonna try again tonight, and ill take all the advice i can get.

[dreaming90]

Really?! I didnt think i exited because of 1 thing, i had my eyes closed the whole time, and i thought once i had exited that i would instantly begin to see. Thanks though, im gonna try again tonight, and ill take all the advice i can get.
You won't necessarily begin to "see" right away, especially at first. Next time you feel floaty but can't see, try a firm affirmation like "Clarity now!" Or imagine your astral eyes opening.

Sounds like you had a great experience! I remember my first exit sensations. I passed through a tunnel of light and then felt vibrations, like you described. The familiar feeling was probably the result of having projected or died many times in the past. :)

[SiriusTraveler]

Aggree with dreaming90 about the familiar feeling. YOu know this, you have don this many times before. Unlike me, who didnt have that feeling at all when I had my first experience, also racing through a tunnel of static noice ending up in space (the Void). I think I'v done this many times to but never got that familiar feeling.

dreaming90: So your saying that when feeling floaty you may have exited the body already? I have felt floaty many times.. must try what your saying here. Darn!

[CFTraveler]

Aggree with dreaming90 about the familiar feeling. YOu know this, you have don this many times before. Unlike me, who didnt have that feeling at all when I had my first experience, also racing through a tunnel of static noice ending up in space (the Void). I think I'v done this many times to but never got that familiar feeling.

dreaming90: So your saying that when feeling floaty you may have exited the body already? I have felt floaty many times.. must try what your saying here. Darn! I'm the one who said it, not just because of the 'floaty feeling' (that does indicate projection has happened, even if it's located 'inside' the body) but because " I floated out, then up a tunnel of light for maybe 3 seconds, and the exit symptoms started full blast. " this indicates a full exit, even if not very far.
And as it's been indicated previously, if you're too close to your physical body, you're more than likely to be blind (because of the feedback from your physical eyes) so you need to get away from it.

[ChadRad]

" I floated out, then up a tunnel of light for maybe 3 seconds, and the exit symptoms started full blast. " this indicates a full exit

No guys, when i " floated out" i was in trance and imagined it as an part of the exit technique, i didnt actually do it.

Thanks for all the great comments guys, im so close! Now i can induce the vibrations but gotta figure out what to do from there. Looking through past threads, i see some mistakes i was making, like using exit techniques before the vibrations; i thought thats how you bring on the vibrational state.

CFTraveler, i saw a comment you made in another thread about sleep paralysis. When entering the trance state, you say you need to enter paralysis before inducing the vibrations because it will make the exit easier? Ive never experienced sleep paralysis before and it sounds like something thats not easy to learn. In MAP, pg 147, Mr Bruce talks about levels of trance and says projection becomes possible from light trance. Rereading that chapter, i dont see anything that states sleep paralysis accompanies full trance. Do i have this all wrong?


Shoot me some tips guys, im off to work and cant wait to get home for another try!:D

[CFTraveler]

Hi Chad.
First of all, to me, sleep paralysis is not what you want to project- you want full trance. This may include paralysis (or rather, dissociation from the body) but not necessarily. This is not the same as sleep paralysis*.

When you induce a projection you want to get yourself to the point in which your mind is awake and aware, but your body 'doesn't exist'- full dissociation. Yes, you can exit from a light trance, but if you're just starting out, the feedback from body awareness will cause the problems you had indicated before- discomfort and movement; trying an exit technique will cause you to move your body and break the trance, and other things may be distracting. Eventually you can exit while mobile, but I don't recommend it to someone that's starting out.
Now, this may seem contradictory, but try not to think of your body after you're done with the relaxation and breath awareness (or any other exercise you're using to go into trance)- while in that stage of your attempt- it's ok (and actually advisable) to have body awareness, but at a certain point you have to move attention away from your body and into your mind.
I'm not saying 'wait 'til you're numb to try to exit', because that puts you in body awareness- instead I'm saying, when you start to 'lose' it, then it's the time to do an energy body loosening technique, and then move into an observing/listening exercise, looking for cues that are not 'body' oriented before you start any exit technique, active or passive.

Now:

when i " floated out" i was in trance and imagined it as an part of the exit technique, i didnt actually do it. Instead of using your visual imagination to 'float', I want you to use it as a 'memory' exercise. If you have a pool, recollect what it is to feel like you're floating up from the bottom to the top- it's not a 'seeing yourself somewhere else doing it', it's putting you in first person experience mode- because you want to experience it happening to you. I do think this is better as a 'loosening' exercise than an exit technique, unless you're in deep trance. Then in itself it can get you out.

Another thing I see that always bothers me- everybody seems to assume vibrations always happen or are necessary for the exit. The truth is that vibrations almost always happen to people when they are starting out (at the exit, not to provoke an exit) but some people never feel vibrations, and with some people (like me) they smooth out with experience and almost never happen again. Then they need other cues to know they're 'ready' to exit, such as visuals and noises, but these also are slippery.
So what I say is please be sure you are in a deep enough trance before you try an exit (even an energy body loosening exercise before the exit) and stay in the 'zone' even if you think you're done trying, long enough to make sure it didn't work.

ps. *Sleep paralysis is different than trance dissociation- sleep paralysis happens after you've been sleeping for some time, and are waking up in REM. Sometimes you wake up but your body isn't reactivated, and you see what you were dreaming, but you can't move, and all kinds of unpleasantness can happen. It's a different brainstate than trance, but often confused with each other due to the similarity of the body's unresponsiveness.

[dreaming90]

Now:
Instead of using your visual imagination to 'float', I want you to use it as a 'memory' exercise. If you have a pool, recollect what it is to feel like you're floating up from the bottom to the top- it's not a 'seeing yourself somewhere else doing it', it's putting you in first person experience mode- because you want to experience it happening to you. I do think this is better as a 'loosening' exercise than an exit technique, unless you're in deep trance. Then in itself it can get you out.

That's a good point. Monroe had his first OOBE when thinking about how nice it would be to take the glider out to fly the next day, and up he went.

Some good information on mind awake/body asleep (Focus 10) can be found in Fred Aardema's article here:

http://www.explorations-in-consciousness.com/focus10.html

This article more or less assumes that you are using Hemi-Sync to reach Focus 10, but Hemi-Sync is not at all necessary, as you have figured out by using MAP. :)

[ChadRad]

Well thanks for the help guys. I was really hopeful about this try tonight, but no exit yet. I started the session absolutely exhausted and was in a light trance even as i was starting my breathwork, but thats common for me. I took my trance as deep as i could, spent almost 30 mins on deepening it alone. I skipped all the visualization and just focused on feeling what i was doing, and it really seemed to help. As i was deepening the trance, i could feel a strong dissociation and feel i was far away from myself. Towards the end of my trance work, i had the feeling that id already projected. When i thought this, i did the third eye trigger and absolutely nothing happened. I was completely unable to induce any exit symptoms at all. I was reassured by this and spent nearly 45 mins trying various exit techniques. I spent a lot of time feeling myself float away but nothing happened. I tried feeling myself swim away or roll out and some other loosening techniques with no luck. The whole time i really felt like i was already out but just couldnt see. I couldnt gain sight, couldnt get the feeling my double was even inching away from the physical, anything. All i can say is that for a while i was convinced i was out but then again i may just not understand the difference in that and the feeling of total dissociation from that level of trance. I have been able to induce strong exit symptoms several times per day as well and couldnt do it tonight which was another reason i felt i was already out. I think im just gonna take a break and focus on trance and energy work for a couple of days and try again next week. Maybe i just need a break. I must say that i came out of that one really disheartened bc i thought tonight was the night, and i had some good advice to start with tonight, but oh well. Thanks again yall.

[SiriusTraveler]

Sounds like my trance sessions haha. Although I'm not toally exhausted. Better luck next time!

[CFTraveler]

couldnt get the feeling my double was even inching away from the physical, anything. You usually feel as if you're drifting, not something else drifting. Anyway, when this happens, don't roll over and go to sleep, get up and walk around. You'd be surprised.

[ChadRad]

Been having some weird dreams the past few nights and my sessions are evolving. Been dreaming of being high up in trees, on ladders, falling, but no flying. Lots of water too, like swimming and splashing. I dreamed i was dreaming, saw fire and energy flying everywhere and then i saw rippling water, reminded me of a portal, or maybe my third eye. Noise too, people shouting at me, actually a lot of shouting from people i know, calling my name and stuff. Weird stuff. Also my trance work is excellent. Inducing very deep trances really quickly and getting exit sensations without energy body loosening or exit techniques. Experienced a new sensation last night. Just deep in trance and observing my ear hiss, felt like a bomb went off all of a sudden and heard an engine revving and got the strangest pulsating whole body waves. Light heart chakra throbbing then the waves just moved down to my feet and stayed there forever. Ive been trying to get out, swim and fly and crawl and float but nothing yet. I know im close, i can feel it! I hate being a newbie, im ready to fly!

[CFTraveler]

It's all good news, you're definitely coming along.

[dreaming90]

Been having some weird dreams the past few nights and my sessions are evolving. Been dreaming of being high up in trees, on ladders, falling, but no flying. Lots of water too, like swimming and splashing. I dreamed i was dreaming, saw fire and energy flying everywhere and then i saw rippling water, reminded me of a portal, or maybe my third eye. Noise too, people shouting at me, actually a lot of shouting from people i know, calling my name and stuff. Weird stuff. Also my trance work is excellent. Inducing very deep trances really quickly and getting exit sensations without energy body loosening or exit techniques. Experienced a new sensation last night. Just deep in trance and observing my ear hiss, felt like a bomb went off all of a sudden and heard an engine revving and got the strangest pulsating whole body waves. Light heart chakra throbbing then the waves just moved down to my feet and stayed there forever. Ive been trying to get out, swim and fly and crawl and float but nothing yet. I know im close, i can feel it! I hate being a newbie, im ready to fly!

Sounds like you are experiencing the vibrational state while sleeping, that's a very good sign! Keep up the good work.

[ChadRad]

Sounds like you are experiencing the vibrational state while sleeping, that's a very good sign! Keep up the good work.

Hey thanks! Ya know, i sleep face down, but the past week ive been waking up laying on my back. This coincides with the weird dreams. Whats that all about? I know in MAP Robert says to reprogram yourself to sleep on your back, but i havent even tried. It just started happening on its own. Cant wait for tonights session, hope i get out and about! :D

[CFTraveler]

Where in MAP does he say that?

[ChadRad]

Where in MAP does he say that?

CFT, you know how long it took me to reread MAP and find that? Haha! Its in week 4, page 110, 2nd paragraph.

[CFTraveler]

CFT, you know how long it took me to reread MAP and find that? Haha! Its in week 4, page 110, 2nd paragraph. Ok I found it. I can't say that I agree with it (He does say it's anecdotal evidence)- in my experience, anyway.

[ChadRad]

Ok I found it. I can't say that I agree with it (He does say it's anecdotal evidence)- in my experience, anyway.

Does that mean you project while laying face down?

[CFTraveler]

Lol no, I don't project laying down either- I project on a recliner.
I keep sleeping and projecting separate, to avoid cross-programming.

[Luke]

Aswesome story! Glad for you. I really want to know that "reflex".
Hi, My name is Luke, I just bought the map and am finally ready to dive in. So here i am, I too have this reflex within me, I have been able to activate it ever since i was a child. It is the same feeling as falling and if i try to maintain it, I will get the shakes.At the moment, I use it to relax my body during meditation. No one can give me an answer to what it is and no one I know can do it. I can do it anywhere, any time..Also when i do this with eyes shut, if i really pulse hard, i get a flash of white light....ok eyes shut, pulse hard, its as though you are about to open your eyes to look at a flash light but you only open them slightly for a split second to let a tiny flash of light in the bottom of my eye sockets...
Any thoughts would be great...

Thanks in advance,

LUKE.

[Phoenix]

Hi Luke,

Did you complete the MAP program? How are things going?

[CFTraveler]

Hi, My name is Luke, I just bought the map and am finally ready to dive in. So here i am, I too have this reflex within me, I have been able to activate it ever since i was a child. It is the same feeling as falling and if i try to maintain it, I will get the shakes.At the moment, I use it to relax my body during meditation. No one can give me an answer to what it is and no one I know can do it. I can do it anywhere, any time..Also when i do this with eyes shut, if i really pulse hard, i get a flash of white light....ok eyes shut, pulse hard, its as though you are about to open your eyes to look at a flash light but you only open them slightly for a split second to let a tiny flash of light in the bottom of my eye sockets...
Any thoughts would be great...

Thanks in advance,

LUKE.
I think Robert describes this in his works as a third eye strobe.

[dreaming90]

I also have this reflex.

I gently squeeze my mind (or something like that?) and get an immediate sensation of falling in my abdomen. Whoosh! I have never tried it for going OBE but it certainly is bizarre and interesting. I don't know where it came from or how I got it. As for what it is, no one really seems to know, but I think it is basically just chakra activation, perhaps the solar plexus.

I had a psychic give me a reading and she felt it too, so maybe it really is important... :-)

[Ator27]

I was trying to reply to CFT travelers comment on projecting from a recliner to avoid cross-programming.

That's very interestng. As I have just started, now would be the time to develop good habits. I actually get many interesting sensations while I do my daily meditation in my recliner. Should I consider trying to develop projectin only from there and not out of bed when I awaken in the middle of the night?

A lot of very good information from everyone here. Thank you all.

[CFTraveler]

It's really trial and error- what you find most doable. I for example haven't had any decent projections since I moved my recliner out of the bedroom, and haven't been able to remedy that- am working on it, though.

[Heph]

Hey all, I'm new here and was randomly reading this thread and am shocked to see that other people mentioned that 'reflex'! I too can trigger this sensation, and have been able to since I was a kid as well. Looking forward to checking out these forums and getting started on my energy work!