22. Overcoming the Mind-Split

A lifetime of projection experience, exploration, and research leads me to believe that mind-split effects are the largest contributing factor to OBE memory failure.

This problem is complicated by many subtle factors, many of which can be overcome fairly easily with a little understanding and preparation, plus a few tricks.

I call memories gained during any kind of out-of-body experience shadow memories. They exist for some time after reintegration, in energetic form, waiting to be triggered through mental associations into living memories. While in the shadow state, memories are extremely delicate and are easily lost, behaving much as dream memories do.

If shadow memories are not downloaded into accessible levels of consciousness during the reintegration of the projected double with its physical counterpart, they cease to exist; it is as if the experiences that caused them never happened. Remembering an OBE is the most fickle part of any successful projection.

To reiterate: When the mind-split occurs, a full copy of consciousness and memory stays resident inside the physical/etheric body at all times. This, the original master copy, is fully capable of independent thinking if it has the energy and training to hold itself awake. But it normally becomes semiconscious and falls asleep soon after the mind-split occurs.

The copy of consciousness that was reflected into the projected double is completely independent. It is energetically generated, projected, and maintained, exterior from the physical/etheric body. Once the mind-split occurs, it records its experiences separately.

But even though the real-time double has successfully projected and is awake and aware, the physical body is left lying there, also fully aware, but usually unaware of its successful projection out of body. The projector just lies there, disappointed and heavy with trance, often partially paralyzed and pondering another seemingly failed projection attempt, maybe even going on with projection attempts that all too soon give way to sleep.

The short time spent pondering a seemingly failed projection attempt is enough to form a solid memory in the physical brain for that time period.

This memory thus becomes the strongest resident memory for that time period. During reintegration, shadow memories for that same time period will have a hard time overwriting these. The resident memories may be very short, dull, and boring, perhaps only a couple of minutes' worth, but these will easily replace hours of exciting shadow memories. The physical/etheric body's memories have a much stronger and more immediate connection with the physical brain. Its memories are automatically recorded as they happen and thus make more of an impression upon it.

When the dream mind becomes active, it tends to weaken the integrity and coherence of the projected double. The etheric body then has to energetically support another functioning copy of consciousness, its physical body's dream mind.

This causes a general weakening of all exterior copies of consciousness and all energetically recorded shadow memories.

This can have a pronounced effect on the shadow memories of the real-time and astral doubles, which seem to be last on the list during reintegration. Dream memories can be very strong and immediate, and will often overwrite or mix with real-time and astral memories. Because of this, shadow memories for most people are usually remembered only as disconnected bits and pieces floating in a sea of unrelated dream fragments.

Fully conscious out-of-body projection requires the physical/etheric body to be in a light-to-normal sleep state, or in the trance equivalent. Successful reentry and reintegration requires the physical/etheric body to at least partially awaken, or the projected double becomes effectively locked out of its physical body until its physical body wakes, which may take all night.

During the several hours or so that a projected double can be locked out of its physical body during a normal night's sleep, it too will eventually fall asleep, as its higher-dimensional aspects are projected or become active. These higher aspects operate at much higher levels of consciousness than the physical mind or its real-time double does, and these higher aspects may only be vaguely aware they even have a physical body to return to. The thought of returning to the physical body in an attempt to salvage high-level shadow memories may be an extremely low priority to these higher aspects.

As I said in the beginning of this book, I believe that the key that allows for reliable, planned, and repeatable projections out of body lies in the relationship between OBE and physical memory storage at the base level of consciousness.

My research points to the key factor for successful shadow memory downloading being a small and previously unrecognized element of the trance state, something that happens naturally in those hazy few moments between the sleeping and waking states. This element is a simple flickering of consciousness. This flickering happens when the projector's almost-awakening consciousness briefly flickers between the sleeping and waking states before waking completely.

This flickering can allow shadow memories to successfully download into accessible levels of memory during reintegration. While consciousness is flickering between these two states, the physical brain's memory storage vaults lie wide open, waiting but not recording. This provides a brief window through which the physical brain can receive a full shadow memory download. Miss this window and - chances are - no shadow memories at all will be downloaded into accessible levels of the physical brain.

The projector then has to rely on something triggering the shadow memories before they vanish completely.

Some people seem to have a natural inborn OBE memory key and can download a higher-than-average percentage of their shadow memories with very few problems. These lucky people, however, are few and far between and cannot tell us how they do it. Neither can they tell us why others fail when they diligently copy what appears to be the very same process.

A well-controlled and stable trance state is not the key. The nature of physical memory storage in the human brain is to record only one set of memories for any single time period. An active mind, even during a controlled trance state, will block the shadow memory download from the projected double during reintegration.

Tantalizing clues to solving the OBE memory download problem can be found when it is considered that deliberate reentry into the physical body can be extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, once the physical/etheric mind falls into the deep-sleep state, or enters the trance equivalent of it: the deep-trance state.

The key to unlocking and using mis briefly open memory-download window lies in knowing exactly how long it will be before a projector's waking consciousness starts to flicker. Reentry and reintegration should be timed to coincide with this hazy flickering moment. Shadow memory loss can be minimized by creating this flickering state deliberately, by causing consciousness to flicker at regular intervals during the course of a projection. This provides brief windows through which potential shadow memory downloading can occur.

It is quite difficult for the average person to re-create this flickering state without losing control and falling asleep. Synchronized timing is the best way to overcome this difficulty, done from both within and without the physical body. The projected double and its physical/etheric counterpart must work together. An attempt can then be made to coordinate reentry and reintegration at times when this window is known to be open, with the mind being artificially caused to flicker at prearranged times.

The bottom line here is that the key to a successful and reliable OBE is for you to develop the ability to work with your projected double during planned projections, rather than leaving shadow memory recall to the fickle winds of chance.
 

Working around the Mind-Split
You can do several things to work around the mind-split and minimize OBE shadow memory loss.

All tricks aside for the moment, improving and exercising the ability to recall dream and OBE memories is an important step in this learning process. The physical brain is capable of recalling significantly more shadow memories if it has some practice at doing this.

The more often shadow memories are recalled, the easier recalling them becomes.
 

Shadow Memory Trigger Phrases
Recalling dream memories trains the mind to recapture shadow memories. Doing this is quite easy and takes only minimal time and effort. Each morning, as soon as you wake up, spend your first couple of minutes pulling back the previous night's shadow memories.

 

Sit up on the side of your bed with your feet on the floor, or sit in the bathroom, and reach out for shadow memories and pull them back. Set your mind in search mode, as you would for some small fact you have temporarily forgotten. Keep searching and trying to pull them back, even if your mind feels a total blank.

 

The memories are there, they just have to be triggered and dug out. Use the trigger phrases given below, over and over.

• I felt these awesome vibrations and then...?

• I buzzed out of my body and then...?

• I floated across the room and then...?

• I passed through the wall and then...?

• I looked at my hands and they...?

• I was just about to...?

• I was inside...?

• I was talking to...?

• There were lots of...?

• I was flying over...?

• I was with...?

• I saw a...?

You can make up many more phrases yourself.

 

These must be related to something you are likely to be doing while dreaming or projecting. After a planned projection, use trigger phrases related to primary mission goals. You may think you failed the OBE mission, but there is a good chance that you succeeded and just lost the memory during reintegration.

Push the trigger phrases with your mind. Reach out and feel for shadow memory fragments in your memory as you say them to yourself. With each trigger phrase, imagine yourself doing what the trigger suggests. Adopt the attitude of having forgotten something you know well and are scanning and searching your memory for. Confidently expect it to pop into your mind at any moment.

Try to imagine what it would be like to come out of your body while still awake. Imagine the vibrations, the rapid heartbeat, the falling sensation, then floating up and out as you buzz out of your body. Put some effort into this, and re-create it in your mind's eye as if it had really happened, because chances are it did. Say the trigger phrases out loud if you like, as this can help with the recall process.

Once you can lock onto a single fragment of shadow memory, you have the key to finding and unlocking many more. This fragment may be of a projection, a lucid dream, or a dream. All are valuable, and any type of shadow memory recall makes for good practice. Concentrate on these fragments.

 

With a little effort, your mind will start finding more and more shadow memories associated with them. Soon, the memories will start flooding back into your mind. They might be garbled and disjointed, but now they are real memories. You can sort them out and deal with them later. Some shadow memories are always accessible! You just have to trigger them, lock onto them, and drag them back, sometimes kicking and screaming. If you practice daily, your shadow memory will become progressively stronger and its memories will become easier to recall.

After the initial recall attempt, for the next few hours keep a small part of your mind searching in the background as you go about your affairs. Real-life events, words, and thoughts will often provide mental associations that will cause shadow memories to surface. When a shadow memory fragment is triggered, write it down, then spend a few moments pondering and strengthening it, trying to expand upon it and find other shadow memories related to it. Keep a small notebook and pen handy. If you do not write them down or pay attention to them immediately, shadow memories usually vanish again fairly quickly.

Persevere, be patient, and work at this over the long term for a few minutes each day.

 

This is especially helpful if you seem to be continually missing the exit, with projection sensations just fading away at the last moment.

 

Recording Keywords
It is important to record keywords and phrases as soon as possible after locating shadow memory fragments. Recalled shadow memories can feel vivid and substantial and you may think, "Wow, I'll never forget this!" but most likely you will, a few moments later. Shadow memories are transient by nature and are very easily lost.

Immediately record shadow memories as soon as they surface. It is not necessary to write a complete account, as this may take too long and cause you to forget more than you record. The first thing to do when you locate shadow memories is to vocalize the experience immediately, mentally or out loud. This will help hold them long enough for you to write them down. Keep talking until you get the keywords down. Just jot down a few words and phrases to cover the memories. Once this is done you can relax and flesh them out later, using these fragments to trigger more associated memories.

The more often you work at recalling and recording shadow memories, the better you will get at it. Eventually it becomes second nature. I advise you to make this a lifelong daily habit. I have been doing this for more than twenty-five years. When I wake each morning I can now skim through most of the OBEs, dreams, and visions I've had during the night, and choose any important and interesting ones for recording.

Apart from the incalculable spiritual life path value I have gleaned by monitoring my dreamtime, I frequently dream innovative solutions to current real-life problems. I have learned to depend on this for guidance and inspiration. I also occasionally dream movie-length sagas.

 

Apart from being thoroughly enjoyable (better than the movies), I have recorded some of the more interesting ones and plan to write novels based on them one day.
 

Reentry Trigger Words and Phrases
It is a great help if the projected double holds the memory of its out-of-body experience strongly in mind during reentry. To help with this, use a trigger phrase or a keyword that represents the projection experience. Pick a couple of the most memorable and interesting events from the projection and make up a short phrase to encapsulate the experience. Hold this trigger phrase firmly in mind and shout it during the reentry into your physical body.

For example, during a short projection you watched your hands melt before passing through a wall, saw its inside structure, then flew over your house in the rain and came back through your roof and reentered your physical body. This can be represented by the keywords wall, rain, flying, roof, or by easier-to-remember theme trigger phrases like melting hands, flying in the rain, through the wall, or over the roof.

 

Holding a single trigger phrase strongly in mind and literally shouting this during reentry will greatly facilitate the downloading of shadow memories into accessible levels of memory.
 

Position and Comfort
The position and comfort of the physical body during a projection directly affects the ease of staying awake and aware, and of sleeping only lightly if sleep does come. Sitting in an armchair or being propped up in a bed with several pillows, you will find, does not encourage deep sleep, or will at least slow down its onset. Being very slightly uncomfortable helps to hold the mind more alert during projection attempts.

 

This also helps lengthen the in-between sleeping and waking state, creating a flickering semi-waking state for slightly longer than usual, which is invaluable for early, ultrashort, conscious-exit projections.
 

Trance State Familiarity
It is important to develop the ability to hold a comfortable level of trance and to be able to function within it. This must be done without falling asleep too often or too deeply, and without falling into too deep a level of trance.

 

The longer you can hold your physical/etheric mind awake in the trance state after a successful projection (which may seem like a failure at the time) the longer your projected double can stay out of your body. This also makes the projected double stronger during this time, making for stronger and more vivid experiences and shadow memories. This alone increases the chances for successful shadow memory downloading during reintegration.

If you tend to fall asleep quickly after a projection attempt (which can be quite lengthy and exhausting during early attempts) you will usually fall into a deep sleep fairly quickly. Your chances of remembering a projection are then sharply reduced. If you can hold yourself semi-awake, flickering for just a few minutes longer, you can use this time with good effect. If, when you get out of body, you discipline yourself to return and reenter your physical body fairly quickly, knowing roughly how long you. are able to hold yourself semi-awake, and both you and your projected double work along with this, you will have more chance of a successful reentry and a full shadow memory download for that experience.

 

Even a brief conscious-exit projection lasting ten seconds is an extremely valuable accomplishment. It provides firsthand experience and makes projection real! The length of subsequent projections can be gradually increased, but the first successful, deliberate, conscious-exit projection and reentry is the most important one of all.

 

This is the one that gives you something real to build on.
 

Astral Sight Exercise
Experimenting with astral sight is very interesting and valuable. Apart from its developmental value, it helps keep you awake and aware in the physical/etheric body for an extended period of time after the exit. Some degree of real-time or astral sight (seeing through closed eyelids) usually manifests just before or during a successful projection exit. If the physical/etheric body perseveres after a projection attempt, even if it seems to have failed, it also often gains this ability.

The resulting point of view can be moved to observe the entire room without any corresponding physical movement. This is not only a fascinating exercise of the etheric body, but it also enables the use of another shadow memory reclamation technique: using astral feedback to download shadow memories directly into the physical brain. Concentrating on observing the room around you through closed eyelids and on improving your control over this ability helps keep you occupied and awake enough to help with reintegration.

The use of real-time or astral sight improves steadily with practice. Even if you can't see much of the room around you through your closed eyelids, you will usually see something. This can vary from hypnagogic imagery to complex astral visions. You may see nothing but faint sprinkles of light. Whatever you see, observe it and play around with the focus of your eyes behind your closed eyelids, trying to bring whatever you see into sharper focus. This will help activate and improve astral sight, or at the very least occupy you until your projected double returns for reintegration.

Never open your physical body's eyes or move your eyelids to check if your eyes are open or closed. Relax and trust that they are closed. If they are open your eyeballs will quickly dry out and you'll be forced to blink every few seconds.

 

If you do not feel the urge to blink, trust that they are closed and that you are seeing with real-time or astral sight.
 

Conscious Reentry
I've noticed over the years that successful reintegration with a full memory download works much better if reentry into the physical body is done consciously and deliberately by the projected double. This must be done before the physical body falls into the deep sleep state.

During an OBE most projectors become so engrossed with their new state of being, and with exploring the potential of their new environment that they forget all about their waiting physical body. They never think about reentering their physical body until they are reeled back into it when it finally wakes up, usually several hours later and with no shadow memories. They assume that they will never forget the powerful and memorable experience they are having.

 

Assuming that an OBE will be remembered - forgetting the mind-split and the fickle nature of reintegration - is a sure-fire way of losing the memory of an experience altogether.
 

Ultrashort Projection
A consistent factor in the majority of OBE success stories I have received from people I have coached is that these projectors have listened to a simple but extremely important tip I have drummed into them. They kept their first projections ultra-short. They made a deliberate reentry into their physical bodies shortly after their exit. I cannot emphasize enough the importance and effectiveness of this. Novice projectors simply must return to their bodies before their physical/etheric mind loses track of things and falls into a deep sleep.

This is the only thing that will overcome the beginner's lack of skill, discipline, and experience. That first successful fully conscious exit and a fully conscious reentry, even of an ultra-short ten-second projection, is of paramount importance to all beginners. It makes OBE achievable and experientially real to them. It fuels enthusiasm for future projections. This knowledge and firsthand experience significantly affects their personal belief system, making a lot of other things possible, empowering all aspects of future training and development.

It takes a lot of mental energy to hold the mind of the projected double focused during an OBE. Most projectors only have a few short minutes, if that, before they lose focus and control over their experience and miss their prime chance for downloading shadow memories. Every minute that passes during an OBE makes it harder for the projected double to focus and function coherently.

Discipline yourself to return to your body very soon after you achieve the conscious exit. For a first-time projection especially, get out, move twenty feet (six meters) away from your body, and get your sea legs; breathe in what it's like to be out of body, take a quick look at your hands and watch them melt, then dive straight back into your body - shouting your trigger phrase as you do! Then, get straight up and write down what happened. Lock those precious shadow memories into your brain!

A successfully remembered ten-second projection is worth a thousand all-nighters forgotten! The most important thing for all struggling beginners is to experience that first fully conscious exit, to feel what it's like to be out of body, then to experience a fully conscious reentry. Nothing else matters! Do not attempt to do anything else the first few times out of body!

Please trust me on this point and keep your early projections very, very short. You can slowly increase OBE time as you get better at making conscious reentries and downloading shadow memories.
 

Counting Koalas
Counting koalas (or any other animal or item of choice), "One koala, two koalas, three koalas, four koalas", etc., can be a great help during early short projections. The physical/etheric mind must begin counting as soon as it experiences projection-related symptoms, like vibrations and rapid heartbeat, and suspects that a projection may be in progress. The projected double must plan to do exactly the same thing. It must plan to reenter its physical body at a predetermined count, say at a twenty-koalas count - no longer with early projections.

The physical/etheric body and its projected double must work together to make this method work. All the projected double has to do is float or dive back into its physical body at the agreed-on count. The rest of the reentry is a reflex action. The projected double must firmly hold its OBE success in mind and shout a trigger phrase as it makes its move for reentry.

I suggest that the physical/etheric mind be allowed to relax and flicker, be allowed to start falling toward sleep when it gets to the twenty count, ready for reintegration. This will keep the physical/etheric mind focused and awake for the required length of time, and create a strong relationship between physical and OBE memories. Both aspects of the projector will be counting in sync and both will be attempting or expecting reentry and reintegration at around the same time.

Both must work together on this. The physical/etheric mind will be expecting its projected double to return shortly after the twenty-koala count, so it can watch itself carefully for the torso energy rush and slight falling sensation that signal the reentry of its projected double. At the twenty count, the physical/etheric mind should stop counting and relax, holding its mind clear with breath awareness, while allowing itself to drift toward the sleep state. This creates the flickering of consciousness needed for a successful reintegration and shadow memory download.

This flickering state should hold the physical/etheric mind aware just long enough for it to feel the energetic reentry sensations when they occur. These sensations will jolt it back to full awareness, hopefully with a full load of shadow memories. Once this has been done successfully, the koala count can be steadily increased to the limit of the ability of the physical/etheric mind to hold itself awake while counting.

Keep in mind here that the projected double's memories may, or may not completely replace the physical/etheric memories, for that time period during reintegration. If projection is successful and this appears to have occurred, there may be no memory at all of the physical/etheric side of this joint projection effort. If the projection is successful, take it as read that this technique worked. If the projection fails, try to work out what went wrong, and keep trying until you master it.

 

It is also well worth using the memory-recall trigger phrases and putting your mind on search after an apparently failed attempt, in an effort to pull shadow memories back to a conscious level of memory.
 

Running Commentary and Affirmations
Another valuable device that aids shadow memory recall is to keep up a running verbal commentary during projection. Talk all the time during the OBE, describing every little thing being done, seen, and experienced. This commentary helps strengthen shadow memories and makes them easier to recall after reintegration.

It also helps if, at the end of the description of each item, action, or scene, you regularly reaffirm that you will remember everything. Firmly say, "I will remember all this!" as an affirmation to help cement that memory into the subtle energetic brain of the projected double.
 

Planned Missions
Plan projections and get into the habit of sticking to your plan. Have primary, secondary, and tertiary mission goals, and focus on these during the projection. Make these mission goals achievable within a realistic time frame so time out is not overly long. Apart from making projections more productive, this also gives the projected double something definite to focus on during each OBE, and gives the physical/etheric mind some idea of what its projected double has been doing during each projection.

 

This last is a significant help when trying to recapture shadow memories, allowing far more specific trigger phrases to be applied to the trigger-phrase recall process.
 

Working with the Mind-Split

There are a few ways to use the mind-split to advantage, to help cement shadow memories into the physical brain during a projection, especially during reintegration. Three energetic effects are strong enough to be useful for this purpose: astral feedback, reentry torso energetic surge, and the reentry falling sensation.
 

Astral Feedback Download
To use astral feedback for a memory download, discipline yourself, once out of body, to attempt an immediate connection with your physical/etheric counterpart before it drifts away into sleep.

 

Both sides must work together on this, and agree that the projected double will stand or float in a particular place in the room near the physical body, but no closer than seven feet from its physical body or it will usually get sucked back into it. It must try to telepathically and visually connect with its physical counterpart.

The physical/etheric aspect must also reach out and try to connect with its projected double, using real-time or astral sight if these abilities are present, or reaching out with its feelings if these abilities are not present. The physical/etheric side must trust that its projected double will cooperate and be in the target area, and must reach out with all its available senses. Its projected double should be in the target area doing exactly the same thing, if everything is going according to plan. The projected double is out there somewhere nearby. With connection, all its shadow memories will come flooding back into the physical brain.

An emotional connection, if made first, may cause an uncomfortable feeling of presence and anxiety on both sides. Stay calm on both sides and this feeling will not escalate. If it becomes too strong, the projected double should leave the immediate area, putting some distance between itself and its physical/etheric counterpart. It can return and try again as soon as astral feedback pressure subsides.

The best way to develop real-time and astral sight is to use it as regularly as possible, so that even if this connection fails it is still a beneficial exercise. Keep in mind that, once located, the projected double may look quite different from the physical body. It is usually younger and slimmer than its original, but it may also look a little ghostly. Once both sides of the mind-split connect, projected and physical memories transfer both ways. If all goes well, this causes dual but solid memories for that single time period.

Once a connection has been made, the projected double must back away from its physical counterpart within a few seconds or risk nauseating astral feedback. A connection will energize both physical and projected minds. This energy will allow a longer-than-normal projection while still enabling good control and strong shadow memories. Still, keep the rest of the projection fairly short, under two minutes, or risk losing the memory of the second part of the experience entirely.

If contact can be managed without adverse side effects, with astral feedback being used to download shadow memories into physical memory storage, the projected double can return regularly during the course of a projection - say every couple of minutes - and reconnect with its physical counterpart. This will allow the duration of a projection to be lengthened considerably. Regularly reconnecting in this way allows the physical brain's memory to be topped up with the latest set of shadow memories each time. These memories will be stored in the physical brain as solid and easily recallable memories.

As soon as the projected double begins experiencing reality fluctuations, I suggest an immediate reentry. This is a sign that the dream mind is becoming active and that the physical/etheric body is falling into a deeper level of sleep. If the projected double tries to weather severe reality fluctuations, it runs the risk of losing the experience from that moment onward.

 

It may also miss out on making a conscious reentry, which is a real buzz in reverse.
 

Reentry Torso Energy Rush
When the projected double returns and reenters its physical counterpart, it causes a quite noticeable energetic surge upward through the physical body, especially strong in the stomach and chest. If the physical/etheric body is even partially awake during reentry, the energy rush will jolt it back to full awareness.

 

It is an upwardly moving, surging, tingling, energetic sensation very similar to the torso energy surge felt during the exit. It starts and finishes very quickly, taking from one to three seconds depending on the speed and smoothness of the reentry. A tingling adrenaline-type of energy rush moves rapidly upward through the legs and lower body, then spreads rapidly up through the stomach and chest before stopping abruptly.

If you have felt projection-related sensations earlier, the reentry sensations are a certainty that the projected double has returned and reentered its physical body. This is the prime time to reach out and reclaim shadow memories.

 

Reach out with a strong feeling of having just forgotten something, and use the shadow memory recall trigger phrases. If you are lying prone in bed, sit up, put both feet on the ground, and put some real effort into recalling the projection. The memories are there, just beneath the surface. You just have to reach inside and trigger them.

 

Once you locate a fragment, a whole set of shadow memories will flood back into physical memory.

If the projected double reenters the physical body deliberately, it can do a great deal to help with a successful shadow memory download. As with the exit, one of the biggest problems with reentry is that the projected double feels a huge, tingling energetic surge. It tingles with energy and feels a dizzy falling sensation as it is drawn rapidly back inside its physical body. These heavy sensations can easily break its concentration. In a way, it momentarily blacks out as it gives way to these sensations at the critical moment of reentry.

The projected double must hold its awareness of being out of body very strongly in the forefront of its mind during its reentry. When it begins the deliberate reentry process, it must not give in to the wave of energetic sensations associated with reentry and reintegration. It must continue thinking and concentrating on being aware of what it has been doing, which is projecting out of its body. I always suggest, for every conscious reentry, that the projected double hold a trigger phrase firmly in mind and shout this as it dives back into and reunites with its physical body.

 

This vastly improves the chances of carrying shadow memories back into conscious levels of the physical brain.
 

Reentry Falling Sensation
People often feel noticeable falling sensations while they are trying to fall asleep. This may happen several times before falling asleep, and will often cause people to gasp and catch the sides of their bed, as if to stop themselves from falling. It happens to most people who spend any length of time hovering on the verge of sleep, flickering between the waking and sleeping states. This sensation is caused by a brief projection exit and reentry.

If great heaviness and lethargy are felt immediately after the falling sensation, or if real-time or astral sight becomes evident, then a projection has most likely occurred and is in full progress. If you catch the side of the bed and come immediately awake, a full reentry has most likely been experienced. There are often no other noticeable projection-related symptoms associated with this type of semi-sleep type of projection. The projected double slips out very easily if conditions are just right. This is a natural type of sleep projection exit and the conscious mind is not involved, being briefly asleep and out of the equation. No heavy exit sensations are therefore generated by this type of projection exit.

If the falling sensation is felt, know what has caused it and immediately use shadow memory recall techniques in an attempt to recall the OBE. Hold the intention firmly in mind that if you find yourself out of body, even if only briefly, you will immediately dive back into your body, shouting a trigger phrase as you do. This might only yield a brief memory of a spontaneous OBE, but it's an easy way to gain some type of projection experience, and is definitely a very good start if you are new at OBE.

If you are prone to the falling sensation, you might want to experiment by holding yourself awake longer than usual, hovering and flickering between the waking and sleeping states. An easy way to do this is to hold your forearms straight up, elbows resting on the bed. Your hands will start falling to the bed whenever you fall asleep; this will wake you up each time. This extends the time spent falling asleep and the number of times you will fall asleep.

 

This increases the chances of capturing the memory of a brief out-of-body experience of some kind.
 

Return and Reentry
Many people worry about getting lost, or of not being able to get back into their physical bodies after a projection. According to my experience and all that I know, the silver cord cannot be severed, and the projected double cannot be permanently held or locked out of its physical body while the physical body still lives. The projected double can usually return to its physical body at any time during an OBE, simply by feeling for its body and the room around it. This transports the projected double back into or close to its physical body.

However, there is one notable circumstance that can make reentry into the physical body difficult, if not temporarily impossible. If, when the projected double returns, the physical body has entered the deep-sleep state, the projected double can find itself temporarily locked out of its body, which can cause it serious anxiety, as it may believe its physical body has died during its absence.

I have experienced this myself, and have advised many people to whom this has happened. This is the only circumstance, as far as I am aware, that can interfere with the automatic reintegration process. It can be a terrifying experience. The physical body will feel cold, clammy, and lifeless to the touch of its projected double.

In all cases where this type of experience has been recorded, some physical event or noise - e.g., an alarm clock or telephone ringing - has caused the physical body to awaken soon after the projected double has begun to worry. This event wakes the deeply sleeping physical body, thereby reactivating the reentry mechanism and allowing the projected double to successfully reintegrate.

Shadow memories from cases like this always contain a strong emotional content (often terror) that immediately floods into the physical mind as it flickers into wakefulness. This forces the complete recall of a very unsettling experience, of the type most projectors would much rather forget - which is quite ironic, really. This type of experience usually leaves the projector emotionally unsettled and disturbed, often with a long-lasting or permanent dread of any type of OBE.

The very best advice I can give to anyone finding themselves temporarily locked out of their body is to trust that this is quite normal and will not hurt you. Go exploring or return to the astral planes and enjoy the time you have left out of your body. You may not remember much later, but that doesn't matter, so enjoy it while you can. The most important thing here is that you don't panic.

Death is a fairly extreme event, to say the least. Even if you had died peacefully in your sleep from a heart attack or something, you surely would have been at least momentarily awakened while taking your last gasping breath.

If you have indeed passed away during an OBE, then there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it. However, staying calm will help you a great deal if you really have suddenly deceased. This will spare you a lot of torment and distress and will make your passing easier for you to deal with. If you look around yourself, thinking you might have died, and see no religious figures or angels, spirit friends, or deceased relatives, and no tunnel of light or anything out of theme with a normal real-time projection, chances are extremely high that your physical body is just in a deep sleep.

 

If this is the case, it will wake up shortly none the worse for wear, as long as you don't panic and make things worse for yourself than they really are.
 

Flicker Tape Reentry Technique
The flicker-tape reentry method was designed with an eye to applying mind-split theory to overcome mind-split problems. This is particularly useful if early projection attempts are continually failing, with projectors falling asleep and having no way of knowing whether they were successful or not. I recommend that you record a simple tape to wake you very gently. This works much better than any other type of alarm.

Tap a pencil lightly on a table once per second for five seconds and record the sound. This is the first level of awakening noise. This should be followed by a ten-second period of silence. Follow this with a slightly louder tapping-noise segment, once per second for five seconds, then another ten seconds of silence. This should be followed by a light chinking noise, created by tapping a pen on a glass or china cup once per second for another five seconds, then another ten seconds of silence.

After this, progressively increase the level of noise, varying its source (table, china, glass, metal, etc.) in five-second segments with ten second gaps of silence, until you are rapping a spoon onto a metal saucepan fairly loudly - loud enough to definitely wake you up. A child's xylophone or recorded bird songs - anything you like - can be used to create a more interesting flicker tape. Once you have this tape made, the volume can be set to what is just right for you.

To find the perfect level of noise that begins to wake you, have someone else wake you using tapping noises, as shown above. Get them to monitor your reactions carefully, especially facial expressions and movement for signs of waking, for the signs that you are flickering between the waking and sleep states. This will give them some idea of what level of sound is required to wake you.

 

Recording this process will yield more accurate results, as this information can then be applied to making the real flicker tape.
 

Projected Double's Part
Once out of body, stay at least twenty feet (six meters) away from your physical body, if possible, to stop yourself being accidentally reeled in. If you feel pressure dragging you back into it, fight it and force yourself to move quickly away. Alternatively, have another clock in a nearby room that is synchronized with the one next to your physical body. Watch this clock and move back to reenter your body at the appointed time.

Carefully keep an eye on the time and make sure you return to your body in ample time to watch the clock as it nears alarm time. Be prepared for a conscious reentry the moment it goes off. Be aware that your physical counterpart has probably fallen into a light-to-medium sleep, possibly even into a deep sleep.

 

A successful, deliberate, and conscious reentry is now entirely up to the projected you. One clock should be placed in such a position that the projected double can easily see it while standing or floating near the foot of the bed or chair being used, without it having to get too close to its physical body.

When the alarm goes off and the first set of tapping noises begins, you should be waiting nearby, ready for reentry, with a reentry trigger phrase being held firmly in mind. You must be poised and ready, waiting to feel the first tugging sensations that signal your physical body is beginning to flicker awake. Once you feel this first tugging, you should immediately slide back into your physical body, shouting your trigger phrase exuberantly! Be ready to take control as you reenter and force your physical body to wake up, remembering all, then write down your experience.

 

Always have a notebook and pen beside you.


Physical Body's Part
When you, in your physical body, first hear the tapping of the flicker tape and begin to awaken, you must try not to wake up immediately. Try to ignore the noise and allow yourself to doze and flicker. Try to fall back to sleep. Waking your physical body is your projected double's job, not yours.

 

The flicker tape will continue its tapping at regular intervals, slowly getting louder each time, with ten-second gaps of silence. Keep an eye out for the torso surge or falling sensation, either of which are signs that the projected double is reentering. When you feel either of these sensations, know that your projected double is in the process of reintegrating. If you miss this moment and just slowly come awake with no apparent memories, put your mind on search, and use OBE recall trigger phrases to pull back shadow memories. The memories are there, you just have to reach in and trigger them.

The ten-second gaps of silence between each waking segment can be increased if the waking physical body does not have enough time to flicker back into a light sleep after a tapping segment has started the waking process.

 

It must be able to flicker or fall back into a semi-sleep or very light sleep for this technique to work properly. In time, if you practice this technique regularly, you will become programmed to respond to the noises on your flicker tape by flickering in and out of the sleep state. This will maximize your chances of a successful planned projection and reentry with a full shadow memory download.

One last way to use the above flicker-tape technique is with no projection technique being used at all. Set the flicker tape alarm for fifteen or twenty minutes after you calculate you will fall asleep.

 

Simply set the alarm and allow yourself to fall asleep as normal, noting the time at which it is set to go off. Using the flicker-tape method is then entirely up to your projected double. It is solely responsible for waking you up and forcing a full shadow memory download by watching the clock and using the shouted trigger phrase reentry technique.

 

When the tape wakes your physical body, allow yourself to flicker for a while, but if you come fully awake with no projection memories, use the OBE recall phrases to assist with shadow memory recall.

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