Part Four

Projection Exit and Technique
 

18.Preparations for Projection

Consciously projecting out of body is nowhere near as difficult as is commonly believed. It is simply a matter of deeply relaxing the physical body, clearing the mind, then triggering the projection reflex with an exit technique. Most people, if they are prepared to put a little time and effort into developing the necessary skills, will have no trouble accomplishing this, right up to the actual exit phase of projection.

What happens from that moment onward depends greatly on their energy, self-control, balance, attitude, and intelligent planning.
 

Trance and Deep Physical Relaxation
I have found that the majority of people who fail conscious-exit projection either have a problem with the trance state (too light, too deep, or too little control) or they have neglected to fully learn and practice deep physical relaxation - more usually both.

It is quite possible to enter the trance state without having a deep level of physical relaxation, just as it is possible to fall asleep with muscular tension still in the physical body. This, in itself, can cause enormous problems for projectors during the exit phase. Many people hurry through or skip the deep physical relaxation exercises, often believing they are physically relaxed enough simply because they can get into the trance state fairly easily.

They do not understand that the trance state, plus tiredness resulting from a sleep deficit, can override deep physical relaxation as a requirement for entering the trance state. They go on with projection attempts thinking they are doing everything correctly, while actually not fulfilling the requirements for conscious-exit projection.

This can be extremely frustrating, with unsuspected physical tension ruining what might otherwise be a string of successful OBEs.

Time and again I tell people - and time and again they don't seem to hear me when I say - "The real secret to projection is deep, deep, deep physical relaxation!" Too simple a solution, you might say, but it's the simple truth. A light-to-normal trance combined with a deep level of physical relaxation is the best combination for a smooth and successful projection exit.

A lighter level of trance than most people usually seem to attain during projection attempts allows for greater clarity of thought. This makes the exit easier and provides better control during and after the exit.

Many people go way too deep into the trance state, usually because of a sleep deficit, then experience heavy REM (rapid eye movement) activity, cobwebs, and other heavy trance-related energy-movement sensations, all of which can be very distracting during the exit.
 

The Projection Reflex
When the energetic balance between the physical body, the expanded energy body, and the mind reaches the critical point where projection can occur, a built-in energetic event that I call the projection reflex triggers the full generation and extrusion of the projectable double.

The first requirement is for consciousness to reflect itself into the expanding etheric body, as happens when the physical body falls asleep or enters the trance state. This causes an internal shift of consciousness into the first level of subtle body, the expanded etheric body, as it is internally generated. Normal sleep takes awake consciousness right out of the projection equation. With the awake mind out of the way, safely asleep, the natural generation and projection of the real-time double occurs gently and swiftly. The projection reflex is thus triggered naturally and causes no heavy exit sensations that might awaken the sleeper.

But if the awake mind holds itself coherent long enough, in a deeply relaxed and tranced state, it can trigger this reflex with a projection technique. Once triggered, the projection reflex makes the rest of the exit automatic, and even difficult to stop.
 

Separation Pressure
To consciously project out of body, it is necessary to shift and hold a strong point of body awareness outside the bounds of the physical body, strongly enough and long enough to trigger the projection reflex. All projection techniques, if you analyze them, are designed to shift body awareness outside the physical body in some fashion. Logically, the stronger and more direct an awareness action is, the more pressure it will exert on the projectable double. The more separation pressure exerted, the more quickly and easily will the projection reflex be triggered.

One of the most popular projection techniques today involves reaching out for the vibrations. As you attempt to project you reach out with your mind, imagining or visualizing yourself doing this, trying to find the vibrations somewhere outside yam physical body and imagining yourself trying to pull these vibrations into your physical body to cause projection.

This is reasonably effective, although I consider the idea that the vibrations could exist apart from the physical body to be illogical. What causes separation pressure is the exterior body-awareness action of reaching out for something and pulling on it. It does not matter what is being reached out for, as long as something is being reached for and pulled on with body awareness.

The vibrations technique, however, is not as effective as techniques based on tactile imaging, such as the rope technique and others given in the following chapters.

Tactile imaging can be used to mimic any physical action with body awareness alone, both inside and outside the bounds of the physical body. The simpler the action, the easier it is to focus on, and thus the stronger its effect on the projectable double. Hand and arm actions are the easiest and hence the strongest actions to mimic with body awareness. The ease of use and sheer effectiveness of simple awareness hands actions is shown in the training units given earlier in this book.

Most meditation and trance-induction techniques exert some degree of separation pressure on the projectable double. Whatever the mental technique, they are all designed to induce some kind of inner movement away from the physical body, causing dissociation from the physical body and loss of normal levels of waking consciousness. This is usually done through some kind of imagined or visualized falling or downward motion.

Any internal downward-moving mental action will cause body awareness to shift slightly outside the confines of the physical body. This causes gentle separation pressure over a wide area of the body. These actions are usually the reverse of what is needed to trigger the projection reflex. This is more like trying to get the projectable double to fall out of its physical body under its own steam, rather than to project out.

These types of actions will bring on the trance state, but will not usually trigger the projection reflex unless it happens spontaneously.
 

The Famous Vibrations
In my opinion, the famous vibrations are not the cause of projection, but a symptom of the energetic activity associated with the internal generation of the projectable double.

When energetic conditions are ripe for projection, the physical/etheric body begins to internally generate its projectable-double aspect. This causes some pretty major energetic activity, felt throughout the body as vibrations. But even though the buzzing sensation of vibrations is strongly felt in and by the physical body, no detectable physical vibrations are present. The physical body does not actually vibrate or buzz. This indicates that these vibrations are felt from within the etheric body only, or from within the projectable double as it is being generated, not from the physical body.

Often, the vibrations start well before projection actually occurs. Vibrations often are localized to parts of the physical body, which indicates that only parts of the projectable double are being generated. For example, if only the legs and lower torso are vibrating, then only the legs and lower torso of the projectable double are being generated at that time.

At times like this, projectors will often feel their legs or arms floating loose and moving about outside the bounds of their physical body. When vibrations are felt in only part of the body, those vibrating parts only have reached the deeply relaxed and energetically excited state required for projection to occur. The parts that are not vibrating, therefore, must be suspected to be unready for projection, possibly due to hidden physical tension in those areas.

Many people find themselves stuck to a part of their physical body during the exit. They also often experience pain and discomfort in these stuck areas if they continue trying to force themselves out of their body regardless.

I would suggest here that a lack of whole-body deep physical relaxation is the major contributing factor to this common problem.
 

Health, Fitness, and Projection
While physical fitness is most definitely not a necessary precursor for conscious-exit projection, it can be a big help.

A reasonable level of fitness makes it easier to attain and hold a deep level of physical relaxation and the trance state. A healthy physical body will generally have less discomfort caused by coughing, cramps, and circulation problems. Problems like sleep apnea can also be caused or made worse by a poor level of fitness, and anything like this can have a negative influence on projection ability.

Poor health and fitness do not prohibit conscious-exit projection. Some illnesses may even make projection easier. Projection techniques may need to be modified, especially the resting position used, to compensate for an illness.

For example, if coughing is a problem, a more upright projection position will help ease the trouble. If poor circulation is a problem, more attention will have to be paid to bed or chair padding. For muscular or spinal cramps, the position and padding used during projection attempts will need modifying to provide better support. If a health or disability problem is severe, it may be wise to consult a medical doctor, physical therapist, or chiropractor. You don't have to say why you are seeking increased comfort.

You can merely cite the desire for deep physical relaxation.
 

Position and Comfort for OBE
The resting position of the physical body during projection attempts can have a great effect on what happens before, during, and after a projection. Lying prone on your own comfortable bed in your natural sleeping position is not the ideal scenario for conscious-exit projection. We are all conditioned to start falling asleep when we get into bed - which increases the likelihood of falling asleep and losing shadow memories if projection does occur.

I recommend either using another room for projection, or changing the position of the bed being used. If change is not possible, relax with your head at the other end of the bed. It is also possible to condition yourself for projection by using a low-wattage colored light, with perhaps a favorite incense. If you use these only when a projection attempt is going to be made, you will soon become conditioned to them.

I always recommend a sitting or semisitting position for projection, if at all possible. It is not only easier to project from a sitting position, but it is also easier to recall a projection after the event. Sitting helps overcome many shadow memory loss problems caused by falling into too deep a sleep too early during a projection.

If you have ever fallen asleep in a chair, you will notice that you do not sleep as deeply or as soundly as you would in your own comfortable bed. It is also much easier to wake up from a sitting or semisitting position, just as it is easier to stay awake while holding the trance state in the sitting position. This also makes it easier, if you have accidentally fallen asleep, to notice and react to the energetic sensations that herald the return of the projected double during reentry and reintegration.

There are several ways to adapt the sitting or semisitting position to your situation and needs. Keep in mind that you are preparing for a projection, not settling down for a comfortable night's sleep. While comfort is important, the ability to deeply relax the physical body while holding the mind awake is far more important. A little discomfort can be a good thing for projection.

An armchair or recliner works well for projection, as long as it has good back and neck support and you put a pillow under your feet. If you use a plain armchair, I suggest putting a telephone book or brick under the front of the chair to angle it slightly backward. This stops your head from rocking forward onto your chest and helps avoid breathing problems.

Use pillows or cushions to make sure your neck and lower back are correctly supported. You can also place pillows under your arms and hands to increase their comfort. If the back of the armchair is too low and provides no neck support, position it against a wall and place another pillow behind your head to support it. Wear loose and comfortable clothing and loose socks - depending on the local temperature, of course.

An oversized tracksuit is ideal. If the room is cold, it is better to use a heater than to pile on heavy covers. If insects are a potential problem, spray the room thoroughly first or use mosquito netting and insect repellent.

If you cannot use an armchair, you might use a folding pool-side recliner with arms and a full-length foam mattress. Use pillows to increase the comfort of your arms, legs, and neck.

Probably the easiest and most convenient method is to prop yourself up as if you were about to have breakfast in bed. You don't want to be too upright, as this can be uncomfortable. Neither do you want to lie too flat. I suggest that you try an angle of approximately 45 degrees, and then vary to suit yourself. A hospital bed with an adjustable back would be perfect, if you could acquire one. Bedcovers should not be so heavy as to cause discomfort.

Use several pillows to prop yourself up in bed, or use a dense foam bolster and a few pillows. Cut a foam wedge-shaped bolster to size (quite cheap from most foam suppliers), or use a bean bag.

It is important that your body be well supported and not tend to sag or slide or cramp up while deeply relaxing. Bad posture causes tension and will eventually lead to distracting pain or may require movement to ease cramps and circulation problems, either of which will break the deeply relaxed state.

Disconnect your telephone or turn down the volume, or take it off the hook or set an answering machine to take calls in silence. Most background noise can be overcome by using "white noise". Simply mm on a radio or TV and tune it to an off station. Turn up the volume until the hiss of white noise covers background noises. I do not recommend that music be played during projection attempts, as music is generally distracting and can cause emotional responses and tension, which can ruin a projection attempt. But long-play recordings of rain or surf sounds, etc., are an acceptable alternative to white noise.

Comfortable earplugs or headphones also help eliminate noise. Practicing trance exercises in fairly noisy places - say while watching TV - will, with practice, enable you to totally ignore any distracting noises, making projection possible even when total quiet cannot be achieved.

Finally, since fear caused by the lack of suitable lighting is a major contributing factor to projection failure, I suggest that you use a night-light or lamp with a low-wattage bulb. Many people find themselves in gloomy darkness once they get out, and abort their OBE soon after the exit, simply because darkness makes everything appear sinister. Even a mild fear of the dark, added to the natural trepidation caused by being in the experientially unknown out-of-body environment, is a recipe for anxiety, fear, and a failed OBE. The very best way to overcome it is to project during daylight hours. Early morning, just after dawn, is probably the most suitable time for most busy or working people.

By the way, the physical body's eyes must be kept closed at all times during OBE exercises and projection attempts. This may sound obvious to most people, but I've had a large number of queries over the years on this point. The projected double will gain real-time sight just before or during the exit.

There is no need to open the projected double's eyes or do anything else after leaving the physical body.
 

OBE or Lucid Dream
The resting position of the physical body can affect not only the ease but the type of experience that will occur. This does not affect everyone, but it is definitely worth a mention. Many people, including myself, have difficulty projecting while lying curled up on their side. I must be either lying on my back or sitting in a chair, or any variation between these. For projection, I much prefer a recliner laid back about twenty-five degrees from the vertical.

If I curl up on my side, in bed or on a recliner, I either fall asleep or have a lucid dream. For some reason, my body needs to be flat or upright for easy projection, although it does not seem to matter if my head rests straight or slightly to either side.

I suspect the physical position needed for lucid dreams and OBEs may vary from person to person. This may play a significant part in early projection attempts, especially if the strength of this effect is unknown. If the resting position affects you as it does me, this could stop you from projecting.

I suggest that you vary your projection position slightly after repeated failed attempts, or if falling asleep is a problem, just to see if this has any effect.

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