Astral Projection

[Spiritknight]

Ever since I turned 10, I started experiencing what I now know is Astral Projection. It started with what I initially thought was sleep paralysis. I was terrified and didn't know how to stop this from happening. Every night I would fall asleep and Then I would be paralyzed. I would be screaming and no noise would come out. I could move but my body wouldn't respond. I stopped sleeping because I thought I was going crazy.

Soon enough, after 7 years I managed to talk to my family and a close friend about it. They were all under the impression that I was being attacked by the devil I was not happy with this explanation. I slowly willed myself to stop being afraid of what was happening to me and just accept it. Once I stopped being afraid, it stopped happening so often but whenever it did it was stronger then the last time.

A few months ago, my INTP boyfriend was telling me about Astral Projection. I started to read up on it and didn't find a lot of information that I thought was helpful. A few days later, I was taking a nap and I started to project again. I was terrified then I remembered our discussion and immediately took control. I started to run around my room and I left the house and was exploring places. I was traveling at insane speeds. I saw a dark form in some house I had never seen before and told myself I had to get back. When I panicked is when I lost control. It was hard to find my way back but somehow I got there.

I am not entirely sure of all of this yet, I haven't found answers I like, but I was wondering what some of y'alls thoughts about this was and if anyone else has had the same experience.

 

[Vrecknidj]

My first reaction is skepticism that the experience matches with external events.

My second reaction is that I'd want to test the experience so that I could determine the degree to which the experience is an internal one.

Without extraordinary evidence, I put astral projection and speaking to the dead in the same category of believability.

 

[MasterProcrastinator]

As far as I'm concerned, astral projections are as real as demonic possession. Both have underwhelming scientific support. Just based off of your post, I would say these experiences could be surreal and vivid dreams, or possibly hallucinations. There are four stages of sleep, and during stage 1 you aren't completely asleep, so you may experience vivid sensations and hallucinations. Although these hallucinations typically occur as sounds, but they can be visual I imagine.

This is all I can think of as of now, but there may be other explanations. Measuring your brain waves during one of these "projections" could give further insight into what you're going through.

 

[Fukyo]

As a vivid dreamer and occasional paralysis sufferer, I believe that you're dreaming and not astral projecting. Look up false awakening and lucid dreaming.

 

[Spiritknight]

As a vivid dreamer and occasional paralysis sufferer, I believe that you're dreaming and not astral projecting. Look up false awakening and lucid dreaming.

When you're dreaming vividly, can u hear a buzzing noise and see things happening in your room at that moment? For example I saw a spider that I hadn't seen before and when I woke up I checked and it was there. Also can u look back and see yourself sleeping because that is essentially what has been happening to me.

 

[Brontosaurie]

i dunno but the psytrance act has some good (meaning absolutely mindblowing) tracks

 

[Lot]

Lucky!

I've been trying for months to astral project. I can get myself to the paralysis, but I can't leave, or if I do I don't remember.

Some new-agy people think that when you dream you are astral projecting. The only difference is that when you dream you are in a world of your own creation. People that lucid dream often report projecting by accident. Some of them say that it's different, though. It's hard to know if anyone is talking about the same thing when it's so personal.

Until it happens, all I have is anecdote or theory (which is based on anecdote). At least I get to enjoy the trance state that trying to AP has shown me. he he

 

[Spiritknight]

Lucky!

I've been trying for months to astral project. I can get myself to the paralysis, but I can't leave, or if I do I don't remember.

Some new-agy people think that when you dream you are astral projecting. The only difference is that when you dream you are in a world of your own creation. People that lucid dream often report projecting by accident. Some of them say that it's different, though. It's hard to know if anyone is talking about the same thing when it's so personal.

Until it happens, all I have is anecdote or theory (which is based on anecdote). At least I get to enjoy the trance state that trying to AP has shown me. he he

Hmm, I am really not sure how I am able to project if that is what I am doing. I am pretty certain it is. I never knew anything about it until recently and have finally been able to not freak out and control it. It's just so crazy and really cool at the same time. Like you said, it is very personal and only a person who experiences it can understand what I am talking about. Mine never starts as a dream, the first thing that occurs is the buzzing. I hear a whirring noise, it fills my ears so that is all I am able to hear. Anything else playing around me at that moment like my music comes out distorted and faint. Then I open my eyes and I am paralyzed. Before I use to scream and nothing would come of it. Now I just get up and explore.. It's amazing until I see something dark and get frightened, when the panic sets in I lose all sort of control and the experience turns dark. When I finally 'return' I get up with a jolt and am able to move again. The funny part is, when you 'leave' you feel this attachment to your body.. like you know it's there and when you panic, it's like you're being pulled back faster then you can realize it.

 

[Puffy]

Hmm, I am really not sure how I am able to project if that is what I am doing. I am pretty certain it is. I never knew anything about it until recently and have finally been able to not freak out and control it. It's just so crazy and really cool at the same time. Like you said, it is very personal and only a person who experiences it can understand what I am talking about. Mine never starts as a dream, the first thing that occurs is the buzzing. I hear a whirring noise, it fills my ears so that is all I am able to hear. Anything else playing around me at that moment like my music comes out distorted and faint. Then I open my eyes and I am paralyzed. Before I use to scream and nothing would come of it. Now I just get up and explore.. It's amazing until I see something dark and get frightened, when the panic sets in I lose all sort of control and the experience turns dark. When I finally 'return' I get up with a jolt and am able to move again. The funny part is, when you 'leave' you feel this attachment to your body.. like you know it's there and when you panic, it's like you're being pulled back faster then you can realize it.

My gut feeling is to say that this isn't astral projecting (I don't know anything about AP though, to be fair) but lucid dreaming. Maybe if you made a thread reporting your experience on this forum you might get some interesting responses/ advice: http://www.dreamviews.com/forum.php

With lucid dreaming there's two ways it's approached. You either get into a lucid state while already dreaming (i.e. becoming aware you're dreaming & taking control of the dream), or you go straight into a lucid state from a waking state, usually through various meditation exercises. The latter is basically like consciously observing yourself going into a sleeping state; the buzzing, whirring sounds, and paralysis are commonly reported. A friend described it as like being sucked up into a hurricane (I wonder what the Wizard of Oz was about? ) -- it can be really terrifying, especially if you don't know what's happening, so fear responses are common.

I don't post here anymore just lurk occasionally, but I saw your post and thought I'd share this in case it's relevant.

 

[Spiritknight]

My gut feeling is to say that this isn't astral projecting (I don't know anything about AP though, to be fair) but lucid dreaming. Maybe if you made a thread reporting your experience on this forum you might get some interesting responses/ advice: http://www.dreamviews.com/forum.php

With lucid dreaming there's two ways it's approached. You either get into a lucid state while already dreaming (i.e. becoming aware you're dreaming & taking control of the dream), or you go straight into a lucid state from a waking state, usually through various meditation exercises. The latter is basically like consciously observing yourself going into a sleeping state; the buzzing, whirring sounds, and paralysis are commonly reported. A friend described it as like being sucked up into a hurricane (I wonder what the Wizard of Oz was about? ) -- it can be really terrifying, especially if you don't know what's happening, so fear responses are common.

I don't post here anymore just lurk occasionally, but I saw your post and thought I'd share this in case it's relevant.

Thanks for posting because your post is actually one of the most informed things I have heard about what I've been going through in a while. I will definitely check out the forum you suggested! A few other suggested I check out lucid dreaming, it sounds like something I need to read more about.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

A friend described it as like being sucked up into a hurricane (I wonder what the Wizard of Oz was about? ) -- it can be really terrifying, especially if you don't know what's happening, so fear responses are common.

I don't remember if these were on separate occasions or the same experience, but I recall feeling like my bed was pulled into the air(with one end not wanting to rise), and something akin to my soul being sucked out of my head.

 

[Spiritknight]

I don't remember if these were on separate occasions or the same experience, but I recall feeling like my bed was pulled into the air(with one end not wanting to rise), and something akin to my soul being sucked out of my head.

Wow that is intense but I get what you mean by the soul being sucked out part. The worst thing I have felt is when it's being 'sucked out' and you try to fight it...

 

[Fukyo]

When you're dreaming vividly, can u hear a buzzing noise and see things happening in your room at that moment? For example I saw a spider that I hadn't seen before and when I woke up I checked and it was there. Also can u look back and see yourself sleeping because that is essentially what has been happening to me.

Buzzing sounds are typical of sleep paralysis, and so is sensory perception of the immediate environment, so seeing a spider that was there wouldn't be odd, unless it was located in some place where you wouldn't be able to see from your position at the time. I've personally experienced a different type of sounds - scratching, growling sounds.

I have experienced, quite recently actually, floating above some buildings as a disembodied consciousness in a dream and it was all very vivid, I've also experienced feeling like I am in my bedroom looking at the ceiling from up close or seeing myself standing standing in my room, feeling awake, and these experiences where all followed by rich visual detail and a feeling of realness. I think these types of dreams are strongly influenced by 1) some kind of lucidity being present while the person is sleeping, 2) mini awakenings from the dream, and resuming to dream while in that state, or a mix of the dream and hallucinations common in sleep paralysis, 3) full blown sleep paralysis with actual sensory perception of the environment interwoven with a hallucination or a combination of these.

Does the feeling of being pulled out occur when you're falling asleep, or starting to dream?

 

[Spiritknight]

Buzzing sounds are typical of sleep paralysis, and so is sensory perception of the immediate environment, so seeing a spider that was there wouldn't be odd, unless it was located in some place where you wouldn't be able to see from your position at the time. I've personally experienced a different type of sounds - scratching, growling sounds.

I have experienced, quite recently actually, floating above some buildings as a disembodied consciousness in a dream and it was all very vivid, I've also experienced feeling like I am in my bedroom looking at the ceiling from up close or seeing myself standing standing in my room, feeling awake, and these experiences where all followed by rich visual detail and a feeling of realness. I think these types of dreams are strongly influenced by 1) some kind of lucidity being present while the person is sleeping, 2) mini awakenings from the dream, and resuming to dream while in that state, or a mix of the dream and hallucinations common in sleep paralysis, 3) full blown sleep paralysis with actual sensory perception of the environment interwoven with a hallucination or a combination of these.

Does the feeling of being pulled out occur when you're falling asleep, or starting to dream?

When I saw the spider, it was in a corner of my room behind some furniture which I wouldn't be able to see from where I was at. That is what struck me as a little odd and made me look into the astral projection thing. A few times I was sleeping and suddenly I saw someone I know doing something and each time I was watching what they were doing from above. The strange thing is, when I talked to that person immediately after waking up, they were shocked by what I knew. I saw a friend that lives in Netherlands get on his bike and ride out into the snow. A dog started to follow his bike and he rode around in circles then decided he didn't want to go to school that day. I was watching from up above and as soon as he made the decision to go home, I awoke. The time difference between us is 7 hours so I got online and saw him online on skype. He was surprised to see me calling at 8am his time and 1am my time. When I told him about my dream he didn't know what to say because that is exactly what had happened. Things like this is what makes me question what is actually going on.

About your question, it really depends. I can be falling asleep and it'll happen or be asleep and have it happen. Usually when the pulling occurs when I am falling asleep it is easier for me to not panic but if I am in a deep sleep it's harder.

 

[nanook]

one time, in an out of body type of dream, i saw a mirror and my face inside of it and it was orange and violet and i thought, hey this mirror is showing me what my aura looks like. a few days later i noticed that i am looking at the barely visible reflection of my face in the computer monitor, which has a violet and orange 'wallpaper' graphic, which makes the reflection look violet and orange. i never took conscious notice of that reflection, but my brain did and made me wonder about the meaning of it, in the dream.

all dreams and visions and states of consciousness, altered or not, are a complete virtual and symbolic reality, all we ever see or experience is symbolic representations of something that was originally some other form of data, it's reflections on reflections on reflections, all of it has some sort of reality to it and yet all of it needs to be interpreted in context and in context awareness, meaning that without interpretation it's nothing at all and without context awareness, the interpretation is ridiculously absolutistic.

you can bet that your brain is vaguely aware of most spiders in the room. lifeforms have evolved to sense each other. but astral projection is as if someone imagines visiting the spiders and talking to the spider kiddos and thinks it has really happened, because the spiders exist.


in sleep, you can access many different configurations of consciousness, not only featuring different rules about what is possible in the experience of it (such as flying or being unable to) but also featuring different qualities, like intense tactile experiences of physical environment or complete lack of tactile awareness, like intense energy, like awareness of your own real body and brain during the experience or lack thereof. i can't possibly claim to know everything about all possible states. for all i know there could be a state in which you can watch satellite television, lol. but i'm convinced, that all of them are happening within the physical body, regardless of where the processed information originates from. luckily you can't get lost on astral journeys. they can take longer than you wish for sometimes. but when you finally wake up, it's always in your body, not somewhere on mars. even if you were on what looked like mars a second before.

 

[Pyropyro]

I dabbled with Astral Projection during my teenage occult phase. Not exactly a good idea IMO. I felt that something hitched a ride back with me...

However, lucid dreaming is awesome though. It seems that you're a natural.

 

[Spiritknight]

Nanook, that was really informative and it does seem you have a lot of knowledge and put a lot of thought into that. Thank you. It's interesting how you stated that lifeforms can sense one another, that is something I have thought about before but never really explored in depth.

Pyro, have you ever actually done it? What is it like? I am trying to compare my experiences with those of other people.

 

[Pyropyro]

Nanook, that was really informative and it does seem you have a lot of knowledge and put a lot of thought into that. Thank you. It's interesting how you stated that lifeforms can sense one another, that is something I have thought about before but never really explored in depth.

Pyro, have you ever actually done it? What is it like? I am trying to compare my experiences with those of other people.

I think I practiced the "lie still, imagine a silver cord starting from your body and climb it" which I read from a book. Never actually managed to "travel" in a sense since I'm pretty sure I didn't leave my room or climb the silver cord higher than a few feet from my body. After a few more trials I gave up.

Afterwards, "fun" stuff happened like recurring nightmares and a disembodied voice urging me to sleep again to rescue them or something. I really hope that I simply managed to mess my brain chemistry during my gothic years rather than actually snagging an astral hitchhiker.

 

[Lot]

I dabbled with Astral Projection during my teenage occult phase. Not exactly a good idea IMO. I felt that something hitched a ride back with me...

That is what gives me a bit of anxiety. I've interacted with shadow people in the past while under sleep paralysis. They didn't skip a beat before messing with me. I've been told if you tell them to bugger off they will, but haven't gotten a chance to try it out.

 

[Spiritknight]

I think I practiced the "lie still, imagine a silver cord starting from your body and climb it" which I read from a book. Never actually managed to "travel" in a sense since I'm pretty sure I didn't leave my room or climb the silver cord higher than a few feet from my body. After a few more trials I gave up.

Afterwards, "fun" stuff happened like recurring nightmares and a disembodied voice urging me to sleep again to rescue them or something. I really hope that I simply managed to mess my brain chemistry during my gothic years rather than actually snagging an astral hitchhiker.

That is what gives me a bit of anxiety. I've interacted with shadow people in the past while under sleep paralysis. They didn't skip a beat before messing with me. I've been told if you tell them to bugger off they will, but haven't gotten a chance to try it out.

Hmm, this is all very interesting and crazy at the same time. I have heard voices and seen 'shadow people' as I have stated in an earlier post. Whatever voices I heard were distorted and evil sounding causing me to be frightened. I have had a point where I was actually attacked by such a 'shadow person' and when I woke up I had a bruise. Things like that give me a reason to believe that what i experienced was a little more then just a dream. It could possibly just have been me struggling because I was afraid and somehow hurting myself, who knows.