Navigating the Out-of-Body Experience
Page 20
Step 2: After approximately fifteen to twenty minutes, you will experience a change in your awareness. Colours and sensations may arise.
Step 3: At this point, try to become aware of any sense of being at another location or a sense of the vibrational state beginning.
Step 4: At this point you may exit the body naturally. If not, try combining this with the Object Technique.
Chanting Technique
Step 1: Start by standing next to your bed or wherever you usually do your OBE exercises. Start to produce a simple hum. Imagine the sound of an electrical current or deep buzzing energy coming from within your body.
Step 2: Breathe in and out with this buzzing energy. As each breath ends, try to increase the sense of vibration rushing through your body. Imagine that you are alive with the vibration of the sound.
Step 3: As the sound reaches its peak, lie back on your bed or wherever you practice. Tense and relax your muscles as you let your full voice out.
Step 4: Now start to draw the sound in. Focus less on the actual level of sound and more on the feeling of vibration inside you. Try to condense that feeling into your body until you can feel it without making any sound at all.
Step 5: Now let that vibration move beyond the boundary of your body and go with the sensations. Allow yourself to lift up out of your body. Your legs and arms can lift out first, if that is easier.
Sleep Deprivation with Affirmations Technique
Good for: Type 2 (sleeping/dream) people
Breaking your normal sleep patterns can be a very powerful technique when coupled with affirmations. I have used this approach on retreats for nearly twenty years with a high level of success. Over the course of a week, set your alarm to wake you up during the night. The first time I tried this approach, I got up every day at dawn and recited a set of affirmations as the sky lightened.
Affirmations are an easy but powerful way to transmit a message to the unconscious mind. They consist of simply repeating a short statement to yourself, over and over. Another approach is to record the affirmation and play it back on loop at a low level as you relax. It is easy to make a recording of this type; all you need is a simple tape recorder or a computer with a built-in microphone. An example affirmation might be, “I will have a fully conscious out-of-body experience tonight and will have complete recollection of the entire experience.”
Let’s break this down into steps:
Step 1: Set your alarm clock for thirty minutes before dawn (the exact times of sunrise and sunset can be found online at www.timeanddate.com)
Step 2: Go to sleep as normal, but get up when your alarm goes off.
Step 3: If you have a garden or other outdoor space, go there so that you may do your affirmations as the sun rises.
Step 4: Sit in a comfortable, cross-legged posture on the ground or meditation cushion. Still your mind and relax as if you were going to meditate.
Step 5: Begin to repeat the affirmation, “I will have a fully conscious out-of-body experience when I return to sleep and will have complete recollection of the entire experience.” Alternatively, you can focus on being conscious in your dream (easier for many people) and then project from your lucid dream state. This is the method I have found most effective, personally. In this case, use the affirmation, “I will be fully conscious in my dream when I return to sleep.”
Step 6: After thirty minutes, return to bed and go back to sleep (an eye mask may help with this). After a few days of this you will likely have a fully conscious OBE upon returning to sleep.
Techniques for Physical People
G-Technique
The G-Technique is a method of breathing combined with muscle tension. I have found it very effective in revitalising the mind and exhausting the body. The “G” in the name refers to the G-force training that pilots undergo when they are learning to deal with the effects of gravity at high speeds. The technique they learn is designed to push all of the blood up into the brain to avoid them passing out under these conditions. Obviously our needs are not so extreme, but our variations on this technique result in muscle exhaustion and a heightened, almost nonphysical sensation. It can also lead to the vibrational state or even to a direct OBE in some cases. In fact, I experienced my most powerful OBE as a result of this technique. However, it’s important to mention that if you suffer from any kind of blood pressure issues or heart conditions, please consult a doctor before attempting this approach.
There are two variations that differ mainly in the method of breathing used. Once you become more familiar with the process, you will find you can do it longer with the second version.
Version 1
Step 1: Stand with your arms by your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Slowly tense all of your muscles in an upward motion, from your toes to the top of your head. At the same time, draw in your breath.
Step 3: Maintaining the tension, hold your breath for a count of three, and release.
Step 4: Repeat the process until you feel energised. If you find that you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, stop and try one of the less strenuous techniques.
Step 5: After performing the complete process three times, lie down and focus on the sensations you feel. You may experience the vibrational state—if so, use this state to exit the body by intensifying it and focusing your attention on a target but do not strain or push yourself.
Version 2
Step 1: Stand with your arms by your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Slowly tense all of your muscles in an upward motion, from your toes to the top of your head. At the same time, breathe in and then out on a count of one, two.
Step 3: Continue for thirty seconds and stop. If you do not feel dizzy, uncomfortable, or exhausted, repeat the process until you reach a highly energised state. It can be hard to maintain the tension while breathing in and out. The focus should be on the outward breath, so if you have trouble doing both, just do the outward breath for a few moments and stop, rest, and then try again.
Step 4: After performing the complete process three times, lie down and focus on the sensations you feel. You may experience the vibrational state—if so, use this state to exit the body by intensifying it and focusing your attention on a target but do not strain or push yourself.
The Bellows Breath (Bhastrika)
The Bellows Breath (Bhastrika) technique was one of the first approaches I learnt that uses the breath. I learnt it from Dr. Douglas Baker, my first mentor as a young teenager. He regularly gave lectures around London on Techniques of Astral Projection and the Bellows Breath. The idea is that, when you are on the brink of exiting the body, you can use the technique to tip the balance and essentially push yourself out. It is not seen as a method you would use on a regular basis, but at times when you are very close and need something extra.
The method actually originates in the yogic system of pranayama. There are of course variations and more advanced versions. If you want to explore those, I recommend finding a certified instructor who can you guide through the subtleties of the process in a safe way.
Step 1: Kneel with your hands held in loose fists in front of you, your elbows by your ribcage.
Step 2: Breathe in as forcefully as possible while pushing your arms up above your head and straightening your elbows and opening your hands widely.
Step 3: Once your lungs are full, bring your arms down, exhaling forcefully until your elbows make contact with your ribcage and your lungs are fully empty. You may wish to make a hissing sound as you exhale, as this sometimes improves the ability to exhale fully.
Step 4: Repeat this for twenty cycles, and then rest with your hands on your lap, opened upward, for thirty seconds to two minutes before repeating.
Step 5: When applying thi
s technique to the out-of-body state, you should already be at the point of leaving the body, maybe with heightened energy such as in the vibrational state, or with the sensation that parts of your body, such as your legs or arms, are floating out. This is when you can use the Bellows Breath effectively.
Step 6: Now take a few deep breaths and focus your attention on what you are doing. Hold your breath for a few seconds before taking one breath, as fast and as sharply as you can, up through your nose. Repeat this if necessary in an even and consistent way while also maintaining the intensity of the in-breath. This should cause you to lift easily out of your body.
Focused Massage Technique
G. M. Glaskin first wrote about the idea of using some form of massage to aid in inducing out-of-body experiences. If you are working with a partner, I highly recommend this technique for two reasons. First, massage aids in relaxing the body and mind to the level required to have an OBE, and second, massage focused on the head and key areas of the body, such as the solar plexus, can help to bring on the vibrational state.
Step 1: Starting at the side of the head, just above the ears, rotate your fingers in a circular motion. Continue this until you sense that your partner has relaxed and is allowing the weight of his or her head to rest in your hands.
Step 2: Try lifting their head slightly and moving it from side to side very gently to get a sense of whether they are fully relaxed.
Step 3: Now focus on the eyes, very gently applying a small amount of pressure to the closed eyelids, again rotating your fingers. As you do this, your partner should begin to focus out into the space ahead of him or her.
Step 4: Now hold your index finger over your partner’s third eye area—just above and between the eyebrows. Move your finger back and forth for a few minutes until your partner feels a strong tingling sensation.
Step 5: Now, with your thumbs on your partner’s temples and your index fingers on the third eye area, begin to make firm rotating motions. Keep this going for several minutes as your partner continues to focus his or her attention at a point out ahead. As the strong tingling sensation increases, they should move this point farther out. They might also use a visualisation technique or other approach alongside the massage.
Step 6: As the person being massaged focuses further and further out, coupled with the sensations in their body, an OBE may follow.
Exhaustion Technique
Exhaustion is a very common tool for leaving the body; it can lead to an out-of-body experience with nothing else added. Usually all that is needed is a mental target such as in the Object Technique (see page 194) or an auditory approach, such as my Infra-liminal technology or a visual method like the Body of Light Technique.
Step 1: Select a sport or activity that you enjoy and engage in it for long periods. Activities that I’ve found work for this technique include hiking, running, dancing, or yoga. Simply lacking in sleep will work as well.
Step 2: Set aside a whole day or even several days to do your chosen activity. You must allow enough time to push yourself to a level of exhaustion that you would not normally reach.
Step 3: As you do your activity, keep in mind your goal of leaving the body and try not to get mentally involved in what you are doing. The goal is physical, not mental, exhaustion.
Step 4: Once you have completed a day of activity, lie down on your bed and take note of how you feel. You should feel like your body is totally ready to rest, but that your mind is still alert from the day’s activity. At this point, use one of the other techniques suggested above in conjunction with this state and turn your focus towards leaving the body.
Techniques for Working with a Partner
Working with a partner is a great way of supporting the process of learning to have an OBE. There is no reason that you need to do so in isolation; in fact, I think support in most areas of life leads to a greater likelihood of success. But there are also other benefits to working with a partner: they can take an active role in helping you to achieve your goals, they can monitor you while you go through relaxation techniques, they can act as a guide in a meditation, and they even take care of a chore you would usually do to free up some time if you lead a busy lifestyle. They can also encourage you to stick to regular practice, which otherwise can become difficult. Working with an intimate partner or someone you feel comfortable with physically has the further benefit of making massage possible.
Meditation in which you focus on each other is useful in developing better focus and relaxation. But always do this at a separate time of day from your OBE practice; I have found that the more inward focus of meditation is not always helpful for leaving the body.
You may also want to try working in a group, although I would recommend keeping it small. I’ve found that a group of more than five people tends to become impersonal and stops being effective as a supportive aid. The group structure will allow you to discuss your progress and get feedback from others. You might also consider retreats such as the ones I run, which allow you to fully immerse yourself in the best techniques over a weekend or longer. See my website, www.grahamnicholls.com, for more on retreats.
Emotional Link Technique
Good for: Type 2 (sleeping/dream) people
This simple technique is very effective for emotional people, and for those who work best with someone else. The idea is that you arrange with another person to attempt to learn to have OBEs together, at the same time at different locations. If you can’t find someone to work with in this way, then a person that you haven’t seen for some time, but would like to see, can be an alternative target. You simply try to project yourself to that person on a regular basis.
Step 1: Before going to sleep, take an image of your partner or the person you want to reach, and focus on it. You may also want to do this constantly throughout the day. If you are using other techniques, such as the Audio/Visual Immersive Approach, you may want to have the image near as a reference to where you will travel once out of the body.
Step 2: As you lie in bed, imagine the person and say their name out loud. You may even want to call out to them. Concentrate on your feelings about this person; reach out to them with your emotions.
Step 3: Hold them in your mind as you go to sleep and try to imagine yourself being with them.
Sticky Hands Technique
Good for: Physical people
This approach is drawn from martial arts, where you learn how to react to subtle cues from another person. It helps with gaining a deeper understanding of and connection with a partner.
Step 1: Stand facing your partner for a few minutes. Try to connect with them so that you feel you know what they are about to do.
Step 2: Start to move slowly, in sync with each other. You may want to do this holding hands, but better still would be to do the exercise touching but not actually holding each other.
Step 3: As you move, try to draw your partner into your movements so that you are “leading.”
Step 4: Now switch and allow the other person to lead. You will feel a natural point at which the dynamic switches to them. Just go with this and try to act as one unit as much as possible.
Visual Connection Technique
Good for: Visual people
Step 1: Sit in a comfortable posture with your partner, either in chairs or on the floor. Make sure that the lighting is low and the temperature in the room is warm and comfortable, but not so warm as to make you sleepy.
Step 2: Focus on each other’s faces. Do not think about anything in particular; just try to sense their emotional state and the aspects of their personality that link you.
Step 3: Try to sense what they are sensing about you. Imagine yourself in their position looking back at you. Try to feel what they feel and create a deeper bond between you.
Step 4: Maintaining this
awareness of the other person, lie down at opposite sides of the room or move to separate rooms.
Step 5: Now try to sense the closeness of the other person again. Be with them in your mind until you begin to feel their presence beyond your imagination.
Technique for Accessing the Transphysical Levels
The transphysical (afterlife) levels are not easy to reach with any certainty. They are the furthest from our default awareness, and therefore require the greatest shift of understanding in order to reach them with full awareness. In my experience, this is best achieved through preparation over an extended period of time, during which a focus on someone who has passed over can be developed. I should also mention that this approach is for those who have already had some success with more general OBE techniques and feel that they will benefit from taking things to the next level. For this reason, it is assumed that you are able to bring on the vibrational state, and if not, that you are able to leave your body without it.
Below is a week-long plan for building up the necessary focus through purification and constant mental work. The approach gets more intensive as the week passes, so I recommend only starting when you know you will have time to see the whole process through.
As mentioned in Chapter 11, you should build up your energy to the point of exiting, but hold off to the last moment and then allow yourself to go as far as possible until you naturally reach your limit. If you have been focusing on the target person deeply enough, you will find that you are drawn to him or her.
Day 1
Morning
15–20 minutes of meditation
Breakfast: Fruit or smoothie
Daytime
Affirmations stating your goal of reaching the afterlife plane and contacting your target person