Newsgroups: alt.out-of-body
Subject: Methods of Projection (repost)
From: jtulli@eagle.wesleyan.edu
Date: 9 Oct 92 15:20:07 EDT
Organization: Wesleyan University

here is an article i wrote a while ago on methods of projection, based on
reading and experience...hope it is helpful:

there are many, many, MANY ways one can induce an oobe.  experimentation is
usually necessary to find out which ones work best for you.
here are some of the techniques i have been trying (and i'm getting closer, i
hope):

[go to the bathroom first, even if you don't really feel like you have to. 
otherwise you might be interrupted by a call from nature.  if your body wants
you back, even for something as trivial as to go to the bathroom, you come
back.]

the first step in many (though not all) methods of projection is deep
relaxation.  sit or lie down in a comfortable place, loosen any tight clothing
or, if possible and if it is comfortable for you, wear no clothing.  find a
time and place where you are not likely to be disturbed.  (i don't think it's
harmful if you are disturbed it's just really annoying).  clear your mind of

[someone later commented that a nasty repercussion (hasty retreat to the
physical, often accompanied by a start from the physical--you know that feeling
you get when you wake up from a falling dream?  that's it :) can cause harm to 
the body.  it sounds to me like it's possible based on the repercussions i've 
had, but in any case the bottom line is do the best you can not to be disturbed
because even if repercussions aren't harmful they sure aren't very desirable :]

harrowing thoughts.  then, one by one, concentrate on all the parts of the body
and relax them until they are not capable of relaxing any more.  try it from 
head to toe and then the other way and see which one works best for you.  if 
you are tired, you might fall asleep.  that's ok though; you might become 
conscious in your dreams.  even if you don't you're still making progress.
in the beginning you will might have many projections but not remember them :)
but there is a difference between the feeling of waking up from sleep and of
coming back from an oobe.  also, if you lie down to oobe and wake with a
repercussion, rejoice, for you have most assuredly succeeded.  then perhaps it
would help to suggest to yourself while trying to project that you will
remember the experience...i'm still working on this one :)

there are a few ways i know of to go once fully relaxed.  you can either
imagine yourself moving out of the physical body (floating up, standing up,
sinking down, rolling over, etc., etc.) or you can imagine yourself being
somewhere else, preferably a place you want to be, i.e. in a friend's presence,
with a far-off love, or even just lying the other way in bed.  also it might
help to recite a song or poem that fills you with spiritual energy, or to chant
in your mind, "i'm leaving my body.  i am leaving my body." or even, "i am
leaving my body.  i am going to visit so-and-so", combined with thinking solely
of the person you want to visit, and maybe imagining what they might be doing.

some physical manifestations:
feeling of vibrations, tingling, feeling of electricity running through the
body.  for me anyway the strongest vibrations usually come at the temples and 
meet at the third eye.  physical paralysis, as during the half-asleep
(hemagogic?) state is normal--the body is usually incapacitated/asleep when
the projection occurs.

some things you might want to work on:

fear: if one is afraid to succeed at projection, one will not allow oneself to
succeed.  the fear pulls you back quickly. 

deconditioning: in order to project it is helpful to feel confident that it is
possible for the consciousness to leave the body.  it is not necessary to
develop this awareness, but it doesn't hurt.  writing/saying/thinking 
affirmations, reading about projection, thinking about projection, thinking
about things in a new way as a result of learning about projection, etc., etc.
all help.

also, i think it would help not to tell anyone about your interest in
projection unless you are absolutely SURE that they will not throw disbelief
and fear and everything else in your face.  i read this in at least 2 books and
chose to ignore the advice, thinking, "my friends are open-minded enough to
understand".  i think that choice set me back; too much negativity and everyone
else's skepticism caused me to wonder whether there were such experiences, etc.
now i'm pretty sure there are and it doesn't matter what anyone else says, but
if i had it to do over again i wouldn't tell anyone for quite a while.  also, 
keeping all the excitement to oneself helps increase the desire to project.  
the stronger the desire the more likely one is to succeed.

oh, there's one other method i'll mention here:

looking with the physical eyes toward the third eye.  it hurts like hell but
i've read if you can build up a bit at a time to the point where you can hold
it for eight minutes or so, you'll be off.

hope this is helpful and i hope to hear more methods from others out there. 
if anything i said is wrong or you disagree with it, please feel free to
speak up :)

also, there are some wonderful books out there.  (you might want to check your
local library.  usually good books are under the subject astral projection
(took me a while to figure that one out!)).  i highly recommend Robert Monroe's
books "Journeys Out of the Body" and "Far Journeys"...they are the best books
on the subject i have encountered, though i have heard Ophiel's "The Art and
Practice of Astral Projection" is also quite good (i haven't happened upon a
copy yet though, so i can't say for sure).

happy travels!  and you might want to try to hook up with your spirit guides as
others have mentioned.  i'm trying...i'll let y'all know when i do :)

Jude

feel free to email me if you want to share experiences...i'm no expert but i
love to correspond :)