Falling asleep during meditation

[Astral Explorer]

Well hey guys it's been awhile since I created a new thread myself but I figured I would since this problem seems to be increasing. I have given many people advice on this matter yet I cannot seem to find a solution for myself.

When I began meditating I had no problem laying in my bed and meditating into a trance keeping my mind awake. Lately this is not the case though with in 10 minutes of meditating I fall asleep and end up napping for several hours. I have tried everything including meditating as soon as I wake up from a nap or nightly sleeping, meditating sitting up slightly, meditating in different places, holding my arms up so if I fall asleep they fall and wake me up.

The issue with most of these is that I cannot get comfortable and relaxed enough to get into the trance state so I am forced to meditate in my bed where I am very comfortable. But that is where the problem comes back either I fall asleep, or I am not comfortable enough to enter the trance state.

Does anyone have any good tips that could help me? I am going to give APing another whirl and see what happens.

[astralsuzy]

I do not know if I will be of any help to you but I will try. Lately I have been listening to William Buhleim. The first thing he recommends to do is not to try to ap in your bed as we are conditioned to sleep in our bed. It is far too easy to fall asleep when we are in our bed. He suggests to move away from our bedroom. Other authors say the same thing. Lately I have been practicing in another room where I will not be disturbed. I lay down on a very thin mattress on the floor. I have fallen asleep but I wake up again shortly later or an hour or two later. I have thought to myself, so I fell asleep. I will not worry about it. I still have a lot of time left to ap. It is hard to fall asleep for hours lying down on a thin mattress as it is not very comfortable. My problem is I have been going back to bed after that and of course I fall asleep. Hopefully tonight if I fall asleep I will have a break then I will try again not in my bed. I have ap a lot more by going to another room. When you are in another room you are more determined to ap and it is more likely to happen. That is how it is for me. I agree with you that if you are too uncomfortable you will not ap. I have tried that and it does not work. It might work once or twice a year but who wants to wait that long.

[astralsuzy]

One more thing to say, Buhleim aps on his couch or recliner. I forgot which one. He will only use the couch or recliner to ap.

[astralsuzy]

There is something else to say. Last week I was in another room and I fell asleep. I then went to bed. I fell sleep but I became aware that I was out of my body. That was very unusual for me. That hardly ever happens to me. I am starting to see results. I am remembering my dreams a lot more. Before I hardly ever remembered my dreams. I must start a dream journal and ap journal. Hopefully I will start tonight.

[astralsuzy]

The reason why I have been falling asleep is because I have not made an effort to stay awake. I keep saying to myself I will relax a bit more then I will do a technique. When I relax a bit more I am asleep. Tonight I will try not to relax too much.

Hi AstralEx, for me , I always project through sleeping in my bed but everyone is different. I just don't have the time to meditate and I've never tried meditated and find most projections occur within the first hour or slightly longer but the other night found myself projecting from a dream by laying down and sleeping within the dream I was having which was very odd but funny at the same time. I have found that convincing myself i'm going to project and re-affirming it just by thinking about it whilst brushing my teeth before bed helps. Again this might work for you but everyone is different. 'Knowing' your going to do it and 'attempting' to do it are two different things. One suggests an defeatist attitude whilst the other promotes confidence and demonstrates a willingness to achieve which is what is needed.

Astral Suzy keep a journal it's worth it.... I thought I always remembered my dreams but started to write them down as well, looking back through it now (I only started two weeks ago) it seems I don't remember half as much as I thought I did.

Meditation is one thing that I have never ever been able to do, as much as I tried all the suggested techniques over the years, it seems I cannot clear my mind enough to actually meditate..........or I fall asleep.

So I'm with Leeroy here, it is much easier to prepare myself before sleep, I use the same prayer everynight and end with asking my guides to show me guidance in my dreams and to take my spirit boydy away on an astral travel to receive messages and visions. This works very well for me my mind shuts down when I fall asleep, no distractions.

I have always been a dreamer so maybe this is why it works well for me, I have some great dreams, am able to connect with my guides and lost loved ones and receive guidance in these dreams.

Granted some of them are confusing and difficult to interpret but if I try hard enough or get help I usually can.

Perhaps for some of us Sleep and Dreaming are our way of meditating, when all else fails lol

peace out in unity and respect

[astralsuzy]

Thanks for the encouragement Leeroy. It will help me to have a journal because it is very important to do.
Everyone is different. What works for one person, does not work for another.
There is a way to stop yourself from falling asleep. Last night I was counting then I was forgetting to count. When you notice you have stopped counting it means you are falling asleep. You get up and wake yourself up and start again. I have not done that as I have go to work the next day. May be I should try it otherwise I am relying on the weekends. I have been practising every night in the back room now, it is becoming a habit and I am not tired. Hopefully I will it, just once. It may not be a problem. If I do not try, I will never know.

[astralsuzy]

A better way is, perhaps it is allow myself to fall asleep. I do not sleep that long in the other room as the thin mattress I lie on is not that comfortable. Then I could get up when I wake up and start again. What do you think is best? Perhaps it is a lot easier to ap when you are sleepy. I have read it is. When I notice I have stopped counting I could think now I will ap. I could give that a try. I am wondering what way should I try first.

[astralsuzy]

I have worked it out. When I notice I am falling asleep I will do a technique. If I fall asleep, I fall asleep. I can try again when I wake up if I have the motivation. I have not had the motivation yet. Hopefully I will tonight.