Complete halt in progress...

[Psychonaut1984]

I was on a role in October and I thought I was doing really well, then after my last exit I've been having problems keeping my focus, getting any vibrations or exit sensations. I don't know what it is. Lately once I start getting to the third eye focus, or the body loosening, I start drifting off, my focus goes somewhere, not sure where it goes but its not on my trance work. This happens almost everytime lately, or I start becoming hyper aware of my bladder and start feeling the need to have to get up and go to the bathroom.

Its almost as though I just don't feel like I have the energy to get through a whole session. My sessions typically last 90 mins to get full body vibrations then however long I am out of my body. I usually spend 5-10 minutes doing the energy raising techniques before going into the third eye trance, but I'm starting to question if I am doing it right because its not helping at all. Prior to this mental block, it would sometimes take 90 minutes to reach the vibrations. I'm starting to wonder if the brainwave generator is actually holding me back. Lately by the 60 minute mark I can't keep my focus at all and have to stop. I seem to do better at night because I am more awake. If I do it in the morning I don't get very far, I'm usually too tired. I've been alternating between insomnia and sleeping very heavy lately.

I'm starting to feel like all the steps are becoming a distraction in themselves. I don't know how else to describe it. It wasn't always like this. When I get to the 3rd eye trance part, and I have to breathe 8 seconds inhale hold then 8 seconds exhale and focus on falling while holding my attention on my third eye, my mind can't handle it as well anymore and instead of going deeper I find that I just loose focus all together.

The last thing is when I try doing the rope technique I keep loosing my grip, and "falling" back to the starting point, its so stupid. Its like my imaginary hands loose their grip after the 3rd or 4th climb. I know its all in my head but when I climb I try to feel the pressure of moving away from my body so when I "loose my grip" I can actually feel myself "decompress."

It has been so frusterating lately. I'm really trying not to let myself get discouraged. Any suggestions or speculations would be great. Thanks.

[CFTraveler]

I've been having problems keeping my focus, getting any vibrations or exit sensations. That's 'cause your energy body is changing as you are. Welcome to the Age of Uncertainty. Now you have to look for different exit sensations to determine when is the right time for projection. I have some other threads in which it's been talked about in the OBE forum, but I don't have time to search.

[Psychonaut1984]

I'm starting to come around again, still no exits or exit sensations but I can almost reach a semi-paralysis stage. I practiced for almost 3 hours last night and could not get full paralysis. I tried out the flying rope technique and I found this to be really fun, and much easier than the other rope technique. I'm going to keep on trying, but when you said that my energy body is changing, there has to be some kind of sensations that come along with exiting. Right now I can't even get to full paralysis. CFTtraveler I remember you saying in another post that you don't experience vibrations, so what are your exit symptoms like?

[CFTraveler]

Before I launch into my symptoms, I advise you disengage from the desire to get paralyzed- because if you strive for paralysis, you'll be so involved in your body sensations that you'll actually miss the other cues. I have the idea (unproven and unsupported) that when you stop having vibes you can project without complete paralysis, which brings a whole new problem to the process- but I'm getting ahead of myself. This will eventually happen and it takes you by surprise, but if you're just starting to not get vibes maybe you're not to that point yet.

What I want you to do is to do your usual steps the way you've always done them, make energy body loosening a more integral part of your practice and when it comes time (or it seems to) try an exit technique, hold off and settle into noticing. Try to stay on the 'noticing' stage for a while, and if it gets boring include active listening (to your ear hiss) and go back and forth with your attention from observing to listening. If it gets boring and hard to keep up with it try to summon color blobs in front of your darkness- and if you're not succesful with coloring the misty stuff you see then try to get it to assume shape. From then on you can feel the following: (And this is what I look for):

-A feeling of floatiness and disconnectedness- this indicates partial separation. Try an exit technique (not rope) that involves movement inducement, like waterskiing, 'feeling like you're in the bottom of a pool and you're floating up' or making the energy blobs come towards you or get away from you. Intent is usually enough if you're in the optimal state.
-Sounds. Not necessarily the whooshing, buzzing and chattering when you hear astral noise- Here what you want is voices- usually two or more voices, talking to each other, talking to you. Do not try to answer or engage them- just listen, as if you were eavesdropping. There is probably nothing important or valuable from what you hear- but I have found that if you get a 'mind's eye' thought that appears to come to you while listening to them- that's the thought that may mean anything to you. Try to remember for later, stay in the noticing stage- the voices don't mean you're ready, but they do mean you're in a transitional state and closer to the deep trance necessary for travel.
After this you should start getting visual symptoms that are variable:
-From short flashes of scenes or people, to vision screens, to astral vision (seeing through the eyelids, which are more stable that the flashes you get at first. When this happens, and depending on what happens first, start working on an exit technique that complements the symptoms you're getting.
* For the brief flashes or the 'feeling of weirdness', I use the rope technique. When you're in deep trance you will see and feel the rope (not just imagine) and feel your weight as you go up. This is more tiring and hard than when you do it 'in your imagination'- but much more effective. You should pop out in no time and get away.
* If you get astral sight- That is, if suddenly you can see your room, pick an object and concentrate on it. You should feel a tugging sensation as you 'point' your attention to it. Keep 'leaning' into it, and as soon as you're moving then do whatever you need to do to get away from your body.
* If you get astral sight plus hypnagogics or just hypnagogics, or vision screens, try any exit technique you like, or engage any of the characters you may see, if they're not scary. If there's a portal or whirpool/tunnel artifact, any exit technique (including good ol' fashioned 'getting up') should work.
* For a vision screen, if it's close to you work on attracting it and pushing it away with your intent or by subtly 'leaning' into it. You may get a variety of effects- more resolution vs. graininess or pixellation, or close/far action. Keep doing it and get it 'closer/more focused' each time. You will feel sucked into it- go for it, don't resist it. This will get you phased directly into an astral plane.
---------------------------I guess that's it- can't think of anything else ATM.------------------

[Psychonaut1984]

Thanks so much for the information.
I tried it out last night. I came VERY CLOSE, I did get to what I assume was partial seperation, I got into a state where I completely lost awareness of my body, I could not feel my body at all... Around this time, 90-100 mins into it and I was starting to fade in and out, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I know that this is a symptom of your throat chakra being stimulated but I was totally convinced at the time that I needed to sit up and clear my throat. I was torn between continuing to ignore it or to clear my throat, I never experienced it like that, it was extremely uncomfortable, it felt like something was obstructing my airway. It occurred to me after the fact to use the valving breathing... So I made the mistake of getting up, drinking a sip of water/using some Afrin nose spray, and clearing my throat. By then I was really tired and I went to do it again but I lost my concentration and passed out.
I will try again tonight and I will keep you posted,
Thanks.

[Psychonaut1984]

I tried again last night. I was up late doing something before I started, but I went through all the steps, and an hour into it I thought I was getting somewhere, then I reached a plateau for about 45 mins where nothing at all was happening. This has happened to me a handful of times, I never know what to do because when I'm in this state nothing seems to respond to anything. Finally I ran out of ideas and went to sleep. Its times like this that I wonder what I am doing wrong. Maybe I was tensing something and didn't realize it?
I'm going to try again tonight...

(Note: I start my meditation with a 60 minute brainwave cd, then when the cd finishes I continue until I get exit sensations. I find that the cds help me estimate how much time to do each exercise with the tones.)

[Psychonaut1984]

I came close to a successful exit this morning. You were absolutely right about the paralysis and the vibrations.
I was doing the roll out technique to my left side, I was halfway out of my body, but I tensed my right shoulder and aborted the exit. I had problems getting the exit sensations again during this session but I will try again later.
I did not get any vibrations, just a swift intense falling sensation, and a numb tingley sensation that would accumulate in the most relaxed portions of my body and spread through the rest of my body. I was not paralyzed at any point, I was just in a state of deep relaxation.
I used to use the vibrations as a landmark to let me know when to fully let go. At least now I know I don't have to be in such a deep trance to exit, but in some ways I feel not having vibrations makes it a litttle more difficult.

[CFTraveler]

Not only that, but the ability to project without being fully paralyzed will bring in new challenges- for one thing you will have to rely more on visualization-type exits because the tried-and true tactile methods tend to make you move and break the trance. So now visualizing, something that is difficult for me in particular, and I'm sure others too, becomes more important. And don't be surprised if bilocation happens too, because the side effect of awake-awake projection is not being able to completely disengage from your body, causing the weirdest experiences.
But at least if you know it can happen, it doesn't take you completely by surprise. Your experiences will become more mental too.

[Psychonaut1984]

This is exciting...
Last night I actually had a weird experience. I was in a trance doing the meditation and I started dreaming, but I wasn't lucid. A part of me was aware that my mind was wandering, and knew where my body was, yet another part of me was completely involved in the dream. Its really hard to describe because it was like my consciousness was split into two. Finally the part of me that was aware that I was supposed to be doing my meditation tried to focus and immediately brought the other part of me out the dream. I was not aware enough to even think about having a lucid dream because that part of me was convinced that the dream was real! I found this split somewhat amusing but when I came back I really wish I could have used that opportunity better.

[iadnon]

Hi:

When you progress too fast your upper guides block you slightly, so your body and your psyche are able to absorb the new energy currents. Or maybe because you are stepping into a stage you're not ready to face.

Another explanation (I'm just relating the knowledge I've acquired, not my own opinion) is that your ego feels it, itself, is going to lose power if it enters into another evolutionary sphere. That's name the death of. Every time you move forward some part of yourself dies, because it isn't needed anymore.

Good luck!

[Psychonaut1984]

Hi:

When you progress too fast your upper guides block you slightly, so your body and your psyche are able to absorb the new energy currents. Or maybe because you are stepping into a stage you're not ready to face.

Another explanation (I'm just relating the knowledge I've acquired, not my own opinion) is that your ego feels it, itself, is going to lose power if it enters into another evolutionary sphere. That's name the death of. Every time you move forward some part of yourself dies, because it isn't needed anymore.

Good luck!

Thanks,

I was actually thinking about the ego death/losing power yesterday, but you explained it much better. Since my first projection in July I can tell I have matured a lot, and the more I do this the more I am going to shed old less desirable parts of myself. I have faith that my guides know what they are doing and will let me explore more freely when they see fit. I can't believe in such a small time I have changed so much as a person. My whole perspective on life and everything is so much healthier.

I had another close call this morning. Again I did not get vibrations, I was ready to leave my body but I couldn't pick which exit stategy to go with in time. I tried doing the waterskiing exit but I didn't go anywhere. I am so used to just sitting up, or rolling over, I am having a hard time visualizing. I think I might have been briefly paralyzed but I didn't want to test to find out.

I notice anytime I get a close call and don't make the exit, when I try to do it again right after I rarely if ever can get back to the exit point in that same session. Does this have to do with energy depletion or am I doing something wrong?

The visuals in my session this morning reminded me so much of Poltergeist. When I was coming into the exit, this bright white light opened up and the closer I got to it the looser my energy body became. When I came back all these orbs with halos were shooting out of the light. I thought it was really cool. lol. "Go into the light, there is peace and serenity in the light." :wink:

[iadnon]

Man,

Guides do know how your inner machinery is designed, so they pace you in the correct rhythm not to be hurt.

Anyway, there's a rule of thumb: if you want something specific, ask for it. If you want a more rapid progress, ask them to let you loose. They'll act only if you are in great danger (as an uncontrolled kundalini awakening, eg). But you'll trip over more times, and, maybe, break your nose against the floor, poetically speaking, of course ;-)

There's another point I forgot to mention. Some texts state that there's a tester inside of our psyches. That's the saturnine aspect, that keeps the gate closed (Saturn is associated with the tarot card The World, which is in the path from Malkuth to Yesod, ie, from the earth plane to the lower astral). In occultism you have "to know", "to practice" and "to dare". And that "daring" is another test to pass in order to demonstrate that you are apt to go ahead. So maybe that "lessener" is putting you to test, to check if you are going to go ahead or just to give up.

Anyway, don't dare to much, in case the swimming pool is empty, ha, ha :P

[Psychonaut1984]

Man,

Guides do know how your inner machinery is designed, so they pace you in the correct rhythm not to be hurt.

Anyway, there's a rule of thumb: if you want something specific, ask for it. If you want a more rapid progress, ask them to let you loose. They'll act only if you are in great danger (as an uncontrolled kundalini awakening, eg). But you'll trip over more times, and, maybe, break your nose against the floor, poetically speaking, of course ;-)


Aside from a Kundalini awakening what sort of major pitfalls should I expect? I thought this was relatively safe to do.