Newsgroups: alt.out-of-body
Subject: methods of projection (revised and reposted)
From: jtulli@eagle.wesleyan.edu
Date: 22 Jan 93 16:48:40 EST
Organization: Wesleyan University

thought i would repost this in case anyone's interested:

there are many ways to induce an out-of-body-experience...in the end it's up to
you to experiment and figure out which one(s) work(s) best for you.

all of the methods i have worked with involve first and foremost, relaxation.
it's a good idea to go to the bathroom first so you won't be interrupted
biologically (most people know from experience that sleeping is difficult with
a full bladder...well, oobing too).  try not to have any distractions around
and make sure you won't be disturbed.  sudden noises, etc. can cause a
"repercussion" (a quick return to the physical, usually accompanied with a
start...the same feeling that you get when you wake up from a falling
dream).  repercussions are generally unpleasant, and someone suggested they may
in some cases cause physical damage.  it's a good idea to avoid them.
loosen any tight clothing, or if you would be more comfortable, wear no
clothing.  you should be comfortable temperature-wise...so in the winter it
might be a good idea to be under a blanket...whatever is most comfortable for
you.  ideally there should be no time pressure (i.e. have to be back by 4:30
for class...) and no worry about anything else (i.e. my roommate is gonna come
back and look at me funny, or whatever)...put physical matter concerns out of
your mind.  if there are worries about being interrupted or the like, it might
be better to wait until a better time to try.
lie in whatever position is most comfortable for you.  then think of all the
parts of your body from head to toe or vice versa, and relax them until they
can't relax any more than they are...relax your head, your temples, your eyes,
your jaw, all the muscles that you probably never even used to think 
about....relax them all.
once you are completely relaxed, there are quite a few ways to go.
you can imagine yourself floating up or falling down or rolling over or doing 
a somersault or spinning around like your bed has become a sit&spin or whatever
motion of the "spirit-You" out of the "physical-You" that you are most 
comfortable with.
OR you can imagine yourself *already* somewhere else.  this other "place" can
be something as simple as lying the other way in bed or it can be in the
presence of a far-off love or friend or it can be in the presence of a spirit
guide or higher Self......anywhere you want to be...
another technique you might want to try is to look with your eyes up and toward
each other (basically toward the "Third Eye", the region above and in-between
the physical eyes on your forehead...this is supposedly the "chakra"
(energy-center) of intuition and the like, but that's a whole nother kettle of
fish...)  this hurts like hell but if you practice with it you can stand it for
longer and longer and for me it helps, though i haven't worked with it enough
to reach the critical point (which i've read is eight minutes) at which a
projection will occur.  for me anyway, even if i stop a while to rest and then
do it again, it seems to help...
it might also help you to chant in your mind over and over something like "i am
leaving my body.  i am going to [purpose of the projection to be induced]"
typical physical manifestations: feelings of vibrations (something like the
feeling of electricity flowing through one...can be scary at first), losing
awareness of the physical body (which is basically asleep though the mind
remains conscious), perhaps a bit of grogginess upon awakening from an attempt
to project.  a repercussion is a sure sign of success, but that doesn't mean it
is an experience to be aspired to....sure, i'll admit it, i think they're kind
of fun, but i wouldn't want one every night and they could potentially be
harful to the physical...but i digress...if you are tired when you try you
might fall asleep.  you also might project anyway, though you may or may not
remember it.  for me, i lie on my back to try to project every night before
going to sleep.  when i wake up on my back, i'm pretty sure i've projected
unconsciously because i *sleep* on my side...if you find yourself projecting a
lot unconsciously, you might want to suggest to yourself while relaxed that 
you will remember the experience and/or that you will become conscious once
out-of-body...it might be a good idea to suggest such things to yourself even
if you don't think or you're not sure whether you're frequently projecting
unconsciously.  it can't hurt.
you also might want to ask your guide(s) and/or higher self to meet you or to
take you where you most need to go...in the case of the latter, be ready for
something unexpected and perhaps unpleasant, though i don't think our guides
ever take us anywhere that we are really in danger (is there even any such
thing as real danger, or is the concept of danger merely a construct?  that's 
another question entirely...).
another point worth mentioning that i had till a few days ago taken for granted
is that you might find it easier to project after already having had anywhere
from a few minutes' or hours' to a full night's sleep.  the body is already
incredibly relaxed at such times.  all of my fully remembered projections have
occurred coming out of sleep.  for me, these projections usually occur with
little or no conscious effort; they "just happen".
one other thing you might want to consider is turning over control of the
"Second Body" to the "Total Self", a technique described by Robert Monroe (the
author of *Journeys Out of the Body*, *Far Journeys* and the upcoming (or is it
out yet?) *Ultimate Journeys*, for those who haven't heard of him.  this idea
and his experiences resulting from it are described in *Far Journeys* (and
probably Ultimate Journeys too but i haven't seen it yet so i don't know.)  i
don't think i can describe what it entails as well as the book does, but it's
allowing your experience to be guided by more than the conscious mind, with a
trust that the deeper, un/sub conscious parts of the Self know what experiences
are most beneficial for spiritual growth.  the idea is akin to willing yourself
to "go" where you most need to go...i personally don't have any experience with
this yet.  the catch is to be prepared for an encounter with the unknown and 
perhaps the unexpected.
other than all that:
experiment.  try new things.  thought is action in the out-of-body state, so
pay attention to thoughts and feelings...think of someone you want to visit
(physically alive or not) and you will go to them if they want to be with you.
(i have started having success with this technique after initial difficulty in
controlling my destination (because of stray thoughts?)...).
but don't take my word for it.  don't take anyone else's word for it either. 
find out for yourself if you want to know what is True for you.
and be patient.  we all learn at our own pace.  some of us pick it up
quickly, others it may take quite a while.  perhaps it has to do with past life
experience (again, another issue).  perhaps it's just that some are more
talented than others; more in control of thoughts and emotions than
others.  but with a desire to project and a sustained effort, i believe
the ability to induce and control out-of-body experiences at will is within 
the grasp of anyone and everyone.
i hope this is helpful...i won't be on the net much in the near/forseeable
future but i'll be around once in a while if i can be of service to anyone.

take care, everyone.
Jude :)
Newsgroups: alt.out-of-body