Do you have any ideas?

[astralsuzy]

Hi all, do you have any ideas about how to stay awake a little longer? I have been counting when I go to bed at night. I know that I am very close to ap when I am not able to count anymore. My mind changes and I stop counting. It is hard to explain. I know I am close to ap so I count again to stay awake and I feel I am alert but I fall asleep. I know I am very close. I think what happens is I instantly ap somewhere.
Lately I have not been able to practice ap in the afternoon as I have too much to do when I get home from work so that is why I try when I go to bed.

[Rememoration]

Try keeping your hand upright and as you relax and begin to fall asleep it'll begin to come down on it's own. You could also try to stare into your eyelids, although that usually doesn't let me relax and or sleep at all.
You could ALSO try leaving a little night lamp on.
As long as your concentrating on something, some how you won't fall asleep. At least it's that way for me.

[Xan]

suzy... You didn't say how you're doing the counting. What I know about this practice is, if we try to count above 10 we'll lose focus... so the practice is to count to 10 and then start over, for the whole counting time.


Xan

[astralsuzy]

Thanks for your advice. You are right Xan, I noticed if I count higher than 10 it is easier to lose focus and you end up falling asleep a lot easier. What works for me is, I like to start off counting 1 to 100 then I start over again until I notice I am about to ap any moment. My mind becomes different. I black out for a few seconds. Then I count 1 to 10 over and over. If I did not start off counting 1 to 100 I think I would get bored and give up. It occurred to me later this afternoon the reason why I am falling asleep is because I have stopped concentrating. That is probably obvious. I have to really think of the number instead of just saying it. If I do not concentrate at that moment when I ap then I will keep falling asleep all the time.
Rememoration, I think your advice is good. I thought of that later today and that is to stare into your eyelids. I will give that a try tonight as well as counting.

We AP all the time when we are asleep. Often the real challenge is opening up to remembering it.

[Xanth]

Don't lie down. :)
Put a pillow behind you and sit up.

Also... you're falling because you're losing focus. Y'know how from time to time we get those bouts of insomnia for one reason or another? Usually it's because we can't turn our minds off... well, what you want to do is EXACTLY THAT. Don't turn your mind off.

Keep your focus... and hold your Intent upon that which you want to happen. If while lying there you lose focus for even a split second, that's enough to simply fall asleep.

This is why learning to meditate is so important in learning to do astral projection. Through meditation we learn to not only focus our minds, but we learn to HOLD that focus for extended periods of time. :)

[astralsuzy]

Thank you very much Xanth, I will try sitting up. I tried that a long time ago but I was uncomfortable and I did not ap. If I keep practising I should improve. It probably has something to do with the mind. I can lie down and be uncomfortable. Your body and mind has to want to relax. If it does not then it is no good. It is a waist of time. That is how it is for me. I will sit up when it is getting later at night. During the day or late in the afternoon when I practice I do not have a problem of falling asleep when I am lying down.
I meditate every day. I have been meditating for about six years now. Meditating is very important. It can help a lot to ap.

Have you tried going to bed earlier, when you're not sleepy?

[astralsuzy]

I am trying to practice every day before it gets too late. At the moment I am not able to ap. When I used to practice every day a while ago I did get results. A few times I did ap. Unfortunately I did not keep it up.

[Xan]

Here's another suggestion, related to your getting bored with counting.

Pay more attention to what you're feeling... your inner awareness. I never find that boring.


Xan