Do you guys usually start off in the physical world or a dream world after exiting?

I have been leaving my body but into a dream version of a bedroom, rather than the RTZ. It is from here that I have flewn upwards into other realms. Mostly, these have had a dreamlike quality. I am therefore wondering if I have visited the astral planes, or just dreamscapes. This is the reason I would like to exit my body into the RTZ (my actual bedroom) because then I can be more sure that when I leave my body, I am projecting into the astral planes, rather than dream worlds. Am I right in thinking this? Also, I guess it would be quite cool to be able to visit 'real' places from our physical world, I guess it would prove to me a bit more that my experience of leaving my body is real.

[IsleWalker]

Originally Posted by runningwithbutterflies

this is something that has always facinated me...i have *nearly* consciously left my body a few times, but have alwyas stopped it happening out of fear before it happened. I guess i am scared that I will end up out of my body alone and not know what to do from there. Those of you who astrally project regularly, does another part of you 'click in' when you do it, so you know what to do, or do you experience yourself in the same way, just out of your body? I hope that makes sense. Do your guides or angels ever accompany you? I have had very deep meditations where I know I have 'been' somewhere else, but I haven't consciously left my body in the way that we are talking here.

Running--The coolest thing about OBEs is that you are almost you on steroids, in terms of your mind being clear, all your memories, thoughts, etc. are accessible to you.

I made sure that I asked to have clear memories of all that occurs because I think it has happened that I had the experience but it didn't stay in my conscious memory for long--seconds after I woke.

As to the question asked earlier about where you go from or to, my understanding (and experience) is that everything you see is "self-created". Some things may be created by the collective consciousness of many other people, like park-like places that are some people's idea of heaven, or places of actual "pearly gates".

I followed the William Buhlman book's recommendations in creating a virtual-reality target place. So, some time before I started to try to project, I would go through each detail in a room I felt comfortable in --that was away from my physical body. So, don't recreate your bedroom.

The reason is that most people get freaked out when they see their physical body but are out. So being 6-10' away from your physical body is good.

But the target place was good in that I could kind of prepare for the trip before just being blasted into some random place based on where my mind was wandering at the time. It can also keep from going to a fear-based place (if a fear crosses your mind).

I think everyone has the fears of going. It does feel like you are like the first man on Mars--but you aren't really alone, even though it may seem that way.

Good luck to everyone in their travels.

Lora

P.S. IMO you will never be able to go to the physical place, especially with the intention of doing something that will prove you are there. Again, read the William Buhlman book Adventures Beyond the BOdy regarding this. He wasted a lot of time trying to make balanced pencils in his room be moved, see himself in a mirror, etc. Finally he realized he was wasting all these projections trying to "prove" something that you'll never prove to anyone except yourself. We each experience all things differently. You won't ever be able to prove to anyone else that you did this.

[Tobi]

Originally Posted by Lainey

I have been leaving my body but into a dream version of a bedroom, rather than the RTZ. It is from here that I have flewn upwards into other realms. Mostly, these have had a dreamlike quality. I am therefore wondering if I have visited the astral planes, or just dreamscapes. This is the reason I would like to exit my body into the RTZ (my actual bedroom) because then I can be more sure that when I leave my body, I am projecting into the astral planes, rather than dream worlds. Am I right in thinking this? Also, I guess it would be quite cool to be able to visit 'real' places from our physical world, I guess it would prove to me a bit more that my experience of leaving my body is real.

The deciding factor about whether you're having a "dream" or are on the astral is the level of your conscious awareness. Do you feel awake? Aware? Able to remember your name, date, when you were born....yada yada. If so, you are in full conscious awareness, and anything you encounter will be astral. Unless you lose focus at some point., and it all drifts into a dream-state (i.e. no critical consciousness functioning)
So what you might well be seeing when you exit your body -and are completely conscious? -is the RTZ.
As this lower astral plane is subject to all sorts of distortions, (this lower astral plane is notorious for such things), you will see your room at varying levels of "real-ness". Sometimes it looks just exactly the same, and sometimes things look very different (furniture where there shouldn't be any, dark when it should be daylight....etc) Also there's the possibility of seeing other doors or windows where you KNOW there aren't any in "real life". [This is interesting, I have heard that to pass through these anomalies will take you directly through to a higher astral plane, and if a particular intention is set as to where you need to go, or who you need to see, you will get there through one of these "anomalies". However I have never seen one recently so haven't been able to experiment with that idea. I have forgotten now where I read that, but think it was in something Robert Bruce wrote.]

So the whole thing about whether you are "astral" or lucid-dreaming, or whether you're in a regular dream-state all hinges on your level of conscious awareness at the time.

Originally Posted by Tobi

Also there's the possibility of seeing other doors or windows where you KNOW there aren't any in "real life". [This is interesting, I have heard that to pass through these anomalies will take you directly through to a higher astral plane, and if a particular intention is set as to where you need to go, or who you need to see, you will get there through one of these "anomalies".]

This reminds of lucid dreams I have had where I go through doors which lead to completely different places- a bit like that sketch in Monty Python?!

I'll never forget a lucid dream I had years ago where my guide took me through a doorway in the sky which was a portal...I guess a doorway is as much as a way for us to change our own energy as it is a change in the energy around us when travelling the realms, whether dream, astral or otherwise!

It's funny I can remember so many dreams from years ago, I suppose because they still resonate with me.

Another question has occurred to me- can you meet a friend from the physical world in the astral realm who goes out of body at the same time? If you 'compared notes' afterwards, would you remember the same as you co-created the same place?

[IsleWalker]

Originally Posted by runningwithbutterflies

Another question has occurred to me- can you meet a friend from the physical world in the astral realm who goes out of body at the same time? If you 'compared notes' afterwards, would you remember the same as you co-created the same place?

RWB--I've not spent a lot of time trying to do this but from all accounts it's a tough thing to do. There is the variability of the vibration of each person and what dimensions it opens them up to.

Seems to me it would be far easier for one to "go get" the other and then begin a shared experience.

I did want to enter my kids' dreams and be able to say to them what I said before they could. This, too, is supposed to be hard. People forget so much in dreams and interpret things differently.

I was thinking of saying something unique, or writing the message on a board / cell phone and then telling them to wake up and remember.

But first I have to get there! Last time I ended up "miles away" (whatever that really is astrally), and got distracted by other things! Doh!

Lora

[Tobi]

Originally Posted by runningwithbutterflies

This reminds of lucid dreams I have had where I go through doors which lead to completely different places- a bit like that sketch in Monty Python?!

I'll never forget a lucid dream I had years ago where my guide took me through a doorway in the sky which was a portal...I guess a doorway is as much as a way for us to change our own energy as it is a change in the energy around us when travelling the realms, whether dream, astral or otherwise!

It's funny I can remember so many dreams from years ago, I suppose because they still resonate with me.

Another question has occurred to me- can you meet a friend from the physical world in the astral realm who goes out of body at the same time? If you 'compared notes' afterwards, would you remember the same as you co-created the same place?

Yes (to your question about meeting friends -even on the RTZ) I had this experience many years ago. They knew exactly what music I was playing in my room, and other details like that. But this was someone who had a great deal of experience traveling in the Astral worlds. I had very little at the time. Owing to a huge difference of opinion about spiritual matters and my insistence on not following a "path" that didn't resonate in my Heart, I pulled out of the whole thing in 1998.

Originally Posted by IsleWalker

Seems to me it would be far easier for one to "go get" the other and then begin a shared experience.

How would that work?? Sounds kinda fun...

Originally Posted by Tobi

Owing to a huge difference of opinion about spiritual matters and my insistence on not following a "path" that didn't resonate in my Heart, I pulled out of the whole thing in 1998.

I agree (if this is what you mean) that it is important to develop your heart consciousness and not just focus on psychic abilities...I haven't considered OBE's for a while now because I still have a lot of fear about it and would rather allow it to unfold as a side-effect of any other spiritual development. I am still very curious though as you can see and love reading these accounts...

[IsleWalker]

Originally Posted by runningwithbutterflies

How would that work?? Sounds kinda fun...

Heck if I don't know, RWB. I intended to find my kids just by asking to visit them while asleep. With a friend, you might arrange for a particular time of night and maybe location. Like I said, I haven't done it.

Originally Posted by runningwithbutterflies

I agree (if this is what you mean) that it is important to develop your heart consciousness and not just focus on psychic abilities...I haven't considered OBE's for a while now because I still have a lot of fear about it and would rather allow it to unfold as a side-effect of any other spiritual development. I am still very curious though as you can see and love reading these accounts...

Is this what you meant, Tobi? You hear a lot of people, mostly young people, who get caught up in learning skills just for the power. Or a lot of people just use it as astral exploring--just an alternate to dreaming. It kills me to hear people say, "I did it but there was no point after a while"---as if they'd visited a mall too many times.

I began for a spiritual/healing reason. I had tried everything else and this was my last hope. Because I heard this popping sound in my head that was responsive to me paying attention (it stopped when I listened) and because I'd been hearing roaring sounds, usually when coming back--I thought this was one thing I could do while as ill as I was. It gave one last bit of hope.

And even now I see it as the possibility of accessing the acquired wisdom, knowledge, experience, spiritual guidance of the multiverse, when done with the right intention, so it just kills me for people to get there and then say, "Ah, I got bored." (!) Arrgggh!!

Lora

[Tobi]

Originally Posted by runningwithbutterflies

How would that work?? Sounds kinda fun...

I agree (if this is what you mean) that it is important to develop your heart consciousness and not just focus on psychic abilities...I haven't considered OBE's for a while now because I still have a lot of fear about it and would rather allow it to unfold as a side-effect of any other spiritual development. I am still very curious though as you can see and love reading these accounts...

No it wasn't really that. More that we were not treading the same path. But I don't want to start hijacking this thread with tales of old!

Is the separation like a falling feeling? This has happened during a meditation and going to sleep. It happens during what I call the in between and my instinct kicks in before my mind can give permission. And afterwards I am very awake.