How to stay calm during meditation and attempts at an OBE?

[Tijopi11]

I've been trying to get my first OBE for some months now, and I have to admit, as time goes on, my excitement and determination is slowly dulling. I also have to admit, even though I think about it almost every night, I often skip making any attempts at advancement. Yes, I'm expecting results to happen by not doing anything about it at all, and obviously that's a recipe for frustration and more dissapointment. Even though I'm currently having the most difficulty staying optimistic, I have to ask- how do you contain the optimism when you DO get symptoms?

During meditation and attempts at OBE's, I often get symptoms which I think are most likely entirely (or at least most of them) caused by thinking about them. If you think about it, it'll happen- like a placebo. While I do believe Astral Projection can be successful for anyone if they try (I wouldn't be trying if i thought otherwise!) I do like to stay consistently skeptical of ALL that happens, no matter how convincing it may be.

Regardless, every time I get even the SLIGHTEST indication of a symptom, I get overwhelmed in excitement. Even the tiniest vibration becomes incredibly distracting, and I have to ask, is there any good advice on how to prevent this?

Basically what happens is, I'll be in the middle of meditation doing everything in my power to keep myself focused on the big goal- following directions, relaxing as such as possible, while keeping myself aware. Even though I'm trying as hard as I can to do what Im supposed to do, I keep allowing myself to always be on the lookout for symptoms to happen. When they DO happen (they're never powerful at this point, but noticable) I immediately switch gears. The problem is, I stop focusing on the big goal- getting out of my body- and start focusing on the vibration. I follow it and think about how strong it was, wonder if it really actually happened or if i imagined it, following where it led to, thinking about which body parts it went to, wondering if it focused on a certain chakra and which one, etc. Soon enough, I realize I got distracted and get to thinking I completely ruined all chances for an OBE. My emotions rise and I start getting excited, anxious, hopeful, and my mind begins racing. I start going over what i'm supposed to do and my mind starts wondering about what it must be like, and what i should expect (To the point where I'm reminding myself NOT to remember or think of dark entities, or else one will be there upon entering an OBE and i'll be frightened back into my body!)

With a combination of emotions and lack of focus, I'm afraid I keep ruining any further progress to eventually achieving an OBE...
Is there any advice to concentrating solely on the big goal- an OBE?

[CFTraveler]

I've been trying to get my first OBE for some months now, and I have to admit, as time goes on, my excitement and determination is slowly dulling. I also have to admit, even though I think about it almost every night, I often skip making any attempts at advancement. Yes, I'm expecting results to happen by not doing anything about it at all, and obviously that's a recipe for frustration and more dissapointment. Even though I'm currently having the most difficulty staying optimistic, I have to ask- how do you contain the optimism when you DO get symptoms? You don't have to contain the optimism. In fact, you don't even have to contain the excitement- what you can do is observe the excitement as a side effect and let it go. Accept it and move on with your routine.


During meditation and attempts at OBE's, I often get symptoms which I think are most likely entirely (or at least most of them) caused by thinking about them. If you think about it, it'll happen- like a placebo. The whole idea of a placebo being 'nothing' is an error to begin with. When something is a placebo that means your thoughts have made your body react a certain way. This is not 'nothing', you can call it feedback. It means that you're causing your body to excite nerves and this causes circulation to flow- mind over matter. So it's not 'nothing', placebo means the effect is mind-driven instead of external to the person, and that is a good thing. So, so what if it is 'placebo'? You're trying to cause something, and are succeeding in causing something.


While I do believe Astral Projection can be successful for anyone if they try (I wouldn't be trying if i thought otherwise!) I do like to stay consistently skeptical of ALL that happens, no matter how convincing it may be. That's fine. Some people believe that the experience is created by the mind- I don't see a problem with that, as long as people don't start trying to convert each other to a way of thinking.


Regardless, every time I get even the SLIGHTEST indication of a symptom, I get overwhelmed in excitement. Even the tiniest vibration becomes incredibly distracting, and I have to ask, is there any good advice on how to prevent this? Practice and experience. Also, don't look for localized vibrations to mean anything, because it doesn't. The separation vibrations that people first experience when starting to separate are whole-body dramatic vibrations, often accompanied by sounds, and movement- kind of unmistakeable. The localized body vibes people get when getting in trance are often energy body feedback to heightened senses.


Basically what happens is, I'll be in the middle of meditation doing everything in my power to keep myself focused on the big goal- following directions, relaxing as such as possible, while keeping myself aware. Even though I'm trying as hard as I can to do what Im supposed to do, What system are you using? What I'm trying to find out is what are you 'supposed' to do?


I keep allowing myself to always be on the lookout for symptoms to happen. When they DO happen (they're never powerful at this point, but noticable) I immediately switch gears. The problem is, I stop focusing on the big goal- getting out of my body- and start focusing on the vibration. I follow it and think about how strong it was, wonder if it really actually happened or if i imagined it, following where it led to, thinking about which body parts it went to, wondering if it focused on a certain chakra and which one, etc. Soon enough, I realize I got distracted and get to thinking I completely ruined all chances for an OBE. My emotions rise and I start getting excited, anxious, hopeful, and my mind begins racing. I start going over what i'm supposed to do and my mind starts wondering about what it must be like, and what i should expect (To the point where I'm reminding myself NOT to remember or think of dark entities, or else one will be there upon entering an OBE and i'll be frightened back into my body!)
It sounds like you need to refocus on something to do that isn't thinking verbal thoughts. Here is what I would do: First, write down all your fears and doubts, put them 'up front', and dedicate the early part of your meditative work to think of these things, and come up with possible solutions. Then, when you are getting to the part when you are trying to induce a trance state (or feel very relaxed) decide that you are done thinking about that and now you are going to become a passive observer (or do the next thing in your routine). Finish the routine as if you were watching TV- if there is something to watch for, do it with your inner vision- observe what happens in front of your eyes instead of thinking of body 'feelings' or lack of them. Make your focus of expectation a visual one.
I also recommend you set aside time to do a routine, without trying to OBE- just get used to doing a routine, practice the routine itself and then, when you know it like the back of your hand, then set out a day in the week where you have time and use it to do your routine, but this time with the determination to project. And then don't give up.

[Tijopi11]

Wow- thanks for such great and detailed feedback! Sorry if I sounded somewhat pessimistic, I'm just entering the whole 'getting discouraged' phase when nothing happens at the start. I'm hoping I'll eventually enter the "YES- something happened!!" phase sooner or later!

My routine is this:
Step 1: Relax, get comfortable, loosen muscles, close eyes, assume a good position that's slightly uncomfortable yet not distractingly so.
Step 2: Relax entire body and focus on one part of the body at a time, count down from 10 or 5, focusing on relaxing that part of the body. Move on to the next part, and repeat until your entire body is relaxed. (ex. foot, to thigh, to entire leg, to next foot, thigh, leg, belly...and so on.) Once this has happened, I sometimes take deep breaths because after this point, I notice I'm breathing shallow. Sometimes, if I'm not sure, I'll also slowly count down from 100.
Step 3: I try to imagine myself looking onto my body (in an attempt to try and not feel my body- I'm trying to 'disconnect' myself from it.) And then I imagine myself in an elevator moving down. I always imagine looking up and seeing the open-roofed elevator go down further and further into the ground from the surface, and I feel the weightlessness and sometimes get dizzy from this.
Step 4: If this goes successfully enough, after a few times, I'll start trying some OBE techniques. I'll try doing the rope technique, but I tend to focus on sensation for some reason (I like to feel my own weight pulling me back down and how the rope stings my hands until I remember none of this would happen in the astral.) After this, I try to appeal to sight and start looking up at the moon and stars and such while I climb the rope. Recently I've been trying another technique- imaging myself thrusting or simply rolling out of my body, walking out the door, and then casually walking down the street.
Step 5: If this is successful enough, I'll try to roll out of my body (again.) I'll do this without moving my physical body (although I have to admit, I have a slight fear that i'll roll over with my physical body on accident and hurt myself, since I have a table right next to me.) When this doesn't work, I get confused and end up opening my eyes and breaking any progress, and then I get frustrated, unfortunetly...

I'll try your advice- I think a big problem is that I keep habitually checking to see if I can still feel my physical body, and that might be haulting progress. It's just instictual- for some reason I have it in my head that this is a way to tell how close I am to actually succeeding.

[CFTraveler]

My routine is this:
Step 1: Relax, get comfortable, loosen muscles, close eyes, assume a good position that's slightly uncomfortable yet not distractingly so.
Step 2: Relax entire body and focus on one part of the body at a time, count down from 10 or 5, focusing on relaxing that part of the body. Move on to the next part, and repeat until your entire body is relaxed. (ex. foot, to thigh, to entire leg, to next foot, thigh, leg, belly...and so on.) Once this has happened, I sometimes take deep breaths because after this point, I notice I'm breathing shallow. Sometimes, if I'm not sure, I'll also slowly count down from 100. At this point I'd like you to add something before you get into the trance techniques ('downward movement' visualizations are trance techs) I'd like for you to add some breathing techniques, to move you from 'relaxing your body' to 'relaxing your mind'. Observe your breath and maybe try to do 'color breathing' (that is, imagine colored clouds, breathe them in and out, visualizing filling and emptying you; swap colors from the warmer to the cooler (like yellow and then blue). Do this a bit to release stress & mentally refocus you.

Step 3: I try to imagine myself looking onto my body (in an attempt to try and not feel my body- I'm trying to 'disconnect' myself from it.) And then I imagine myself in an elevator moving down. I always imagine looking up and seeing the open-roofed elevator go down further and further into the ground from the surface, and I feel the weightlessness and sometimes get dizzy from this. These are encouraging signs and show you are getting deeper in.

Step 4: If this goes successfully enough, after a few times, I'll start trying some OBE techniques. I would suggest you inject body loosening at this point- something that complements your trance technique. For example, if you were going down a staircase, imagine getting on a boat and sailing along a large lake- this brings you even deeper. There are stickied loosening techniques that you can try as you go along. I like some more than others, and sometimes just 'go' with whatever feeling I'm having.


I'll try doing the rope technique, but I tend to focus on sensation for some reason (I like to feel my own weight pulling me back down and how the rope stings my hands until I remember none of this would happen in the astral.) Actually, it does happen, because upon the exit you're not in the astral, you're in the etheric- while you're in your body you're in the etheric, where sensation is augmented, and sometimes you do feel a rope in your hands and the weight of your body. This is a sign that your trance has deepened and that is a good thing. The only problem with this is that sometimes you get 'energetically' exhausted, as if you had really been pulling on a rope, and the worse the symptom gets, the closer to exit you have. So you see, your expectations seem to be in the way of progress, but you are progressing.

After this, I try to appeal to sight and start looking up at the moon and stars and such while I climb the rope. Recently I've been trying another technique- imaging myself thrusting or simply rolling out of my body, walking out the door, and then casually walking down the street. All of these are good exit techniques, and I usually try all of them, but not in one sitting- I kind of go with the exit sensations. If I'm light and swimmy, I try to rock/fly/swim/float away, if I have visuals I try to manipulate them, and if I have either vibrations or see through my eyelids I do the rope.

Step 5: If this is successful enough, I'll try to roll out of my body (again.) I'll do this without moving my physical body (although I have to admit, I have a slight fear that i'll roll over with my physical body on accident and hurt myself, since I have a table right next to me.) When this doesn't work, I get confused and end up opening my eyes and breaking any progress, and then I get frustrated, unfortunetly... If the rollout worries you (try going from side to side, and roll towards the side where the table isn't- simply try to sit up. I've found myself flying away at a good clip at times I've tried to do this- but never never open your eyes. If you're not seeing through the eyelids or having some sort of visionary experience, chances are you're not deep enough. This is not necessarily true 100% of the time, but it's a good rule of thumb.


I'll try your advice- I think a big problem is that I keep habitually checking to see if I can still feel my physical body, and that might be haulting progress. It's just instictual- for some reason I have it in my head that this is a way to tell how close I am to actually succeeding. If this is unavoidable pick a part of your body to check that doesn't center you- like the tip of your nose or the crown of your head.