Scary. I swear this wasn't a dream. Have you experienced anything similar??

I was very into astral projection when I was 18. I read absolutely everything I could get my hands on. I practiced for years. I would reach the state of vibration on a nightly basis. I felt like I'd hear a thousand tuning forks ringing in my ears. And sometimes I'd feel a rocking, almost like an earthquake of my body. I'd hear a lot of snap,crackle, pops too. Most of the time I would get too excited and ruin my nights work of meditation. Anyway I had a few experiences back then, and some of them were downright scary. It got to the point where I would frequently see faces pop out at me as to intimidate and scare me even when I wasn't meditating. I decided to quit trying to project because I just couldn't get past the fear. Even when I wasn't trying, I would get to a state of pre-AP that was so orgasmic feeling, I couldn't say no. I finally got self control and quit. Now, 8 or so years later, I had a memory of AP. I wondered why I quit trying. Then I remembered the scary parts. I had been thinking about it recently which was the only reason this happened yesterday.... Here it goes.

Yesterday, I went for a mid-day nap. I was SO tired. Somehow, without trying I reached a point of very intense vibration... I KNEW that feeling oh so well, I KNEW that I could leave my body at any moment. This time I didn't get excited, I was cool, calm and collected. I tried getting out of my body all of the ways that I remembered, but what worked was the rope trick. I seemed to effortlessly climb out. I was up up up to the ceiling where I kind of passed through it into ... something else. A dark open space like a universe? I looked above me and was dazzled by this gold shimmer spinning up in the darkness, like swirling galaxies or something. I drifted up to them but I saw that there was another layer ( only way to describe it is as a layer) in my way. I could sense that the layer was bad, and I felt scary faces looking at me through the layer. I wasn't scared though, because I knew that I could just use my positive energy and love to float right through that negative layer on to my destination of the golden shimmers above, and I did... I floated right through it up into the mesmerizing blackness. Something happened and I as right back in my body, I could see the room, see the light on the wall, see the blinds of my window etc. I still had the intense feeling that I could leave, so I decided to try standing straight up, and I did! I stood right out of my body, drifted to the ceiling and had the exact repeat of going into the dark, looking up at the shimmering gold, and having to pass through the negative layer of scary faces to get there. Once I passed through the bad layer, I went right up into the beauty. I ended up zooming out of my window out to the park that was similar to real life, but different. I was trying to control my flying, but really didn't have control. I called to my spirit guide (I've never met) and no one came. BAM back into my body, but not all the way? As i was lowering down into my body I heard a noise- a different kind of ringing, and I knew it was something trying to talk to me, so I postponed entering my body completely as I tried to listen to the noise. I couldn't understand it and suddenly heard a voice saying that I needed to listen to what they were saying and that it was my spirit guide trying to talk to me. So I listened and floated up out of my body a little more, right near the bed. As I listened, I felt a massage on my back. It felt good, but I suddenly felt suspicious. I said "Please leave me alone until I am ready for you to come back". I figured anything with good intentions would respect my wishes. It didn't leave and suddenly I knew that I had been tricked. It was not my guide- it was something negative, whatever you'd like to call it. It's hand tightened around my stomach as it grabbed me from behind. I tried lifting it's hand off of me, but it was like a magnet. My strength was no match. So I willed it away with love and light. As soon as it was almost off of me, another one got ahold of me on the other side, at this point they were both tightly clinging to my torso. I realized that my only option was to surround myself in bright light. It was challenging, and completely exhausting, but I was finally able to free myself of them. I ended up back in my body in a state of sleep paralysis for a while. I was just waiting, HOPING that a noise would be able to wake up my body- finally my husband walked down the hallway and into the bedroom. I jolted awake and said, "You will not believe what just happened to me" I was SOO tired, SOO drained. And after I told my husband the entire story, I couldn't help but wonder if I made this all up in my head. If it really wasn't AP. It sure FELT real. Nothing like a lucid dream. I am usually in complete control of those. I would really appreciate any input on what happened to me. Thank you!!

[astralsuzy]

I am not able to give much help. You seem to handle it well what you did to get yourself out of the situation. If you are afraid that can cause it. If something gets stuck at the back of your mind that can cause it. If you have been thinking about it before you ap that can happen. If you are not that alert and are a bit sleepy then weird things can happen. Things happen that do not make sense. That happens to me. That is why it is important to be alert. These are all guesses. I would try to forget about it and try again. Think next time how wonderful the experience will be and you are looking forward to it. By doing that you should have a much better experience. Of course that is no guarantee but it can help a lot.

Thank you for your ideas. I totally agree that it may be from my own mind. But even if I am not scared, I'm not sure how to get rid of the idea... I can't unsee what I already saw, you know? I will probably always wonder if it will happen again, which will probably keep it in my mind, seems like a never ending cycle! Have you never had any experience with ned entities?

[Mystik]

I don't plan on trying AP because of the possibility of sleep paralysis. I've had it before without AP but not interested. But also for other reasons too. I'm glad people try it and believe in it but I don't think it's for me.

Originally Posted by Mystik

I don't plan on trying AP because of the possibility of sleep paralysis. I've had it before without AP but not interested. But also for other reasons too. I'm glad people try it and believe in it but I don't think it's for me.

I'd say sleep paralysis happens almost every time I AP or try to AP. I feel like it definitely comes with the territory. Here is my theory- Your body has the mechanism to "paralyze" your body as you sleep so that you aren't flailing around while you dream, and with AP, you train your mind to be awake while your body is asleep. So the sleep paralysis seems to let you know you are doing something right- mind awake, body asleep (and unfortunately paralyzed) If you ever are stuck in sleep paralysis, try focusing on moving your little toe. I've heard of using this as a technique to wake yourself up and it has worked for me quite a few times.

[StormNexus]

TBengal, this is a perfect example of why I am not ready for astral projection. I've done it a few times, and I really like how you describe the exact same experience I've had with the vibration and the "knowing" that you can leave your body. That's what I get to anytime I wake in a dream. I automatically snap to "AP Mode" but I can't gather the courage to leave. I want to, and I think it would be amazing to experience again, but I've heard so many stories like this that scare the bejesus right out of me. I don't think I've really ever been consciously in control during APs because they usually come unbidden to me in my sleep. While I can think about how I want to respond, I know I'm not using my whole mind and that I wasn't prepared for this, and what if something bad happens, etc. And that's when it ends. I can also attest to the sleep paralysis being directly connected to AP and personally, I think any time you're looking at the world through your energy "eyes" rather than your physical eyes. I had the paralysis during two somewhat frightening/negative encounters while I was in my physical body. Both times I was trying to scream but was too paralyzed to do so.

If I may advise you to perhaps not go through the scary faces next time? My intuition is telling me that they "latched" onto you when you went through the "layer." I think your subconscious mind is warning you about the layer by creating the scary faces. Perhaps you could go around the layer another way, or you could blast a hole through the layer to create a permanent path for you to travel through next time. Good luck!

StormNexus, I kind of felt similar. I just thought that maybe I am just not mentally strong enough for AP because it is just TOO scary and unknown. But I spent a good amount of time reading up on peoples "bad" stories to educate myself and give myself the peace of mind in knowing that everyone turned out to be ok. I took note of their technique in avoiding/getting out of the bad situations, and how to deal with the negative encounters. I feel like having those tools in my belt gave me the confidence I needed to deal with my own negative encounters you know? If I hadn't done a bit of research and reading, I would have had no idea what to do when they latched on to me, but I feel like I was able to handle the situation adequately. Obviously, I wouldn't have Wanted to encounter anything negative, but I sure was glad to have been prepared. Back to what you were saying about not being ready. This might not be a good analogy, but I don't know if there is a proper "ready". Like having a baby, you are never fully prepared for it.

Regarding the sleep paralysis- it has happened to me my entire life. I never knew what it was when I was younger, but I knew that it was the scariest thing ever!!! And I still thought it was so scary until recently when I was able to recognize what was happening. Now I am able to realize I am in sleep paralysis. It is much more of an exhausting annoyance than a scary situation. I just realize that I will have to either wait it out, or let myself drift back into a dream. Panicking only makes it 1000 times worse.

And what a FABULOUS idea! Not go through the negative layer?! Why didn't I think of that. It's like a scary movie when they go back into the haunted house or whatever, like WHY did they go back IN??? Haha, why DID I go through it? I think that is a total possibility of them latching on like that.

So what have your experiences been like? What does it feel like when you are getting close to AP? And how is it when you have AP?

[StormNexus]

I have only astral traveled twice. It was interesting, but when I've consciously tried to do it I am honestly too uncomfortable to carry through with it. That being said, I know that I CAN do it when I wake up inside a dream. When I wake in a lucid dream I don't get to control my dream or remember it as some people do -- my energy body reacts in a way that I can only describe as a loud buzzing/humming at the back of my neck. I can both feel and hear the sound. It is the separation of my physical body and my energy body... as the two separate, your consciousness shifts into your energy body and your sensations change. What I'm hearing, I believe is the humming of my energy body. While in the state, I can focus on feeling the hum/buzz of the energy body and spread the awareness to my whole body.

My first experience, I was transported to another place entirely. I was in a relative's apartment (though my physical body was in my house)... I had no idea what was going on. I was standing in their kitchen and although it was night/dark, everything looked normal to me. I intuitively knew there was a window around the wall, and I wanted to move to look at the window, but my body didn't move, my "third eye" did. As it did, everything went monochromatic, but I could see every molecule of solid matter as a tiny blue light. Everything was either blue lights, or black darkness. The lights we like millions of light blue fireflies outlining every surface. As I continued moving my third eye around the corner of the apartment, their large dog (outlined in blue) looked at me, charged and jumped at my chest. As the dog's feet lifted off the ground, i heard a swelling noise that sounded like the crescendo of cymbals, and then when its paws touched me, a gunshot-like bang in my head as I snapped back into my body. I lay awake in my bed (with sleep paralysis) wondering what the hell just happened to me. In hind-sight, this was THE experience that made me begin my search. I was an atheist and although I had believed in God when I was a kid, I lost my faith and thought of anything related to religion as a complete waste of time. It was the search that began with this one experience that unlocked my path to true faith in spirit.

The second and final time I AP'd was again already in-progress when I tuned in. I was flying over my house, and around town, I remember seeing some cows watching me... that was about it. LOL. It sounds pretty dumb when I put it like that.

The third time I tried consciously was when I actually felt someone grab my arm to help pull me out. That was it for me. I snapped back and said, "I'm just not ready for this yet." I'm still not.

I've not knowingly/consciously AP'd since. Although I've had the buzzing and conscious experience PRIOR to and knowing that I could AP about a dozen times when I wake up inside a dream. I've never felt "ready" or awake enough to want to try it when I get the chance.

Wow! Your story about your third eye and the blue lights is fascinating!! I am picturing what you described and it seems so strange! I wish I could go on an astral travel WITH someone. To see what they see and then compare after waking. Like every time I AP, I CONVINCE myself that I MUST have been dreaming. I wish I could have my experiences validated I guess. Anyway, I would have loved to have seen what you saw. As for your 3rd experience, I can certainly understand why you'd be freaked out... it IS scary.

[H:O:R:A:C:E]

safety first - right?
a championship skier is gonna learn how to ski safely before
attempting a challenging/dangerous slope.

i figure you might address your safety/fear issues before you explore further.
if you WANNA go back into that scary house ... fine.
my hunch is that you can relax and do the AP explorations much more easily and enjoyably if you find your peaceful center first.