Hello,

Years ago I had 2 spontaneous OOBEs and am now exploring mind/consciousness.  My question concerns finding myself in a “black velvet void” , while meditating, where it is silent and my thoughts, if any,  seem to be crystal clear.  I usually use binaural frequency CDs, in the theta range, while meditating, but I wonder if I am slipping into delta and that would explain why I would see no images, or hear anything.  It always leaves me with a “what has happened” or “what now” feeling and eventually I fall asleep or just quit the session.  I’d like to know what is happening and how can I use this black void, or, get past it, or…….?
I am hoping HemiSync/binaural  users will know?  Any thoughts or suggestions would be most appreciated.
Thankyou for reading my post.
Bluelady

Depending on my intention that day there are different things to do.  

What works for me sometimes is that when I get to that "black velvet" place I deliberately remind myself to let go "further" and it's a very very delicate process in my own mind.  It is like moving back from my own mind "just a little bit more" and then "just a little bit more" with a kind of very mild "dropping off" feeling.  It is very subtle, but can often take me into a place where I experience unexpected imagery and am able to view or participate in it with a "witnessing" awareness.

It is not a state in which I would fall asleep because it requires a very precise and subtle awareness. It is not possible to sleep when focusing this way.  The body slows to almost a standstill.  I am often aware that I am barely breathing and that my body is completely still and relaxed....my breathing slows to an amazing degree. But the key is to let go of any momentary fear you might feel....it is a state where you might almost feel that you could die because your breathing has slowed into such a still state.  If you feel momentary fear just let it slip away from you.  I really think, for me, the key is to let everything slip away.

This allows what can come forward to come forward into your full awareness. In this state I often see images, seem to communicate with thoughts, and sometimes feel blissful feelings, or even intense emotions.  It is not possible for me to predict.

But this might be a place to start unless you would like to try retrievals, which others here can advise you on.

love, blink

Thankyou, Blink, for responding.  As I am understanding you, this black void is normal and natural and others find themselves entering it too.   Yes, I also am barely breathing, as you describe.  The good news for me in your reply is that others have experienced this, and to let it continue without questioning what will happen next, if anything at all.  I hope that is what you are meaning by "moving back from your mind and let it slip away".  I think, when I read your reply, that  I am being blocked by my own preconceived ideas of what "should" happen, so that nothing happens at all.   I just happened upon this site yesterday searching for an answer to what these black voids are, and found an article written by Bruce M. where he mentioned he had entered a black void.  So....I will most definitely begin reading in this site.  I am unsure about retrievals, but will look that up,too.  I do feel that there is something important connected to these black voids, but what it is, I just don't know.  Thankyou very much for sharing your thoughts on this with me.  Blue

Hi Blue-
The "black void" is a sign of spiritual progress.Good for you!

Yogis occasionally mistake the black void for cosmic awareness. As Blink said, go on beyond it. Usually this means letting go of "I am doing this" attitudes and replacing them with unconditional awareness coupled with intense fascination and bliss. (For me it's a "Wow, love, amazing, fun!" feeling, if that helps.)

I seem to have a green space that I often wander throuigh - it's crystalline.  Once in a while I get the impression of others as spirits, but usually it's just the light from people and objects. That's a sure sign that it is a low level of transcendence.

Keep at it!
dave

I have heard this described as "3D blackness" by Ginny and others as
a usual starting point for astral projection adventures.
Ginny is a real adept who used to post here some time ago,
who had amazing adventures. Here, 3D means 3 dimensional.

I have also encountered this in a dream, where I was standing on some sort of platform looking out into it. It was 3D and awesome,
spooky.

A theory I have is that it means the soul has not yet tuned to where it can engage the astral vibrations, but I dont know that.

Dave, thankyou!  So encouraging! I am understanding you to be saying let go of thoughts and attitudes but try to feel/radiate feelings of bliss, love.  I will certainly try that.
And Boris, yes it does seem like a 3D blackness, silent but all encompassing. In fact, I thought once that it was just like Myself as the starship Enterprise, moving through an endless space but without any stars or light of any kind.  I will post in again, when my experience of this black void changes, as it must sooner or later, based on the suggestions from this group I've received.  Really, what can I say but a very big *thank you*.  Blue

You are most likely talking about the state that most OBErs and consciousness explorers refer to as the "3-D Blackness."  This occurs while in the trance state.. usually in the begining stages of it.  When in this state, I almost always see images.. usually random images, but sometimes they mean somthing to me.  I usually don't pay too much attention to this phase, because it is a signpost for the real deal, the OBE.  I usually just get lost in the "velvet black void," as you call it, allowing my trance state to deepen as I make sure my mind is clear.. sometimes it is hard to keep a clear mind with a mess of crazy images bombarding you.  Next time you enter this state, clear your mind and ride it out.  You will most likely find yourself with a good wave of vibrations soon after entering this state, followed by projection.

Bluelady,

The 3D blackness is an interesting place that seems to provide "pathways" to various locations or realities.  From my experience there I would suggest that you carefully look into the depths of this 3 dimensional blackness.  Look for any small area that seems to be different from the surrounding, sort of uniform blackness.  This might be a small patch that is darker or lighter than the rest.  Or, it might be a small area that seems to have a sort of jiggling movement.  When you observe one of these small areas think about or imagine moving toward it.  The results of doing this are often interesting.

Also, the shift of ones awareness from physical reality to nonphysical reality can be very subtle.  So subtle that we can be led to think that we never made that shift and wonder why nothing happens when we try to become aware and interact within nonphysical realities.  So often folks will report using Hemi-Sync in an attempt to do this and that "nothing happened." Being physically aware or nonphysically aware can be so much the same that within our subjective feeling of what we are experiencing we can't "feel" any difference.  So, we can shift back and forth between the two and not even realize we are doing it.  Since we didn't "feel" any difference it is easy to believe we were physically awake the whole time and that "nothing happened," when actually something did but we were not aware of it  There can be many other reasons why it seems this way when in fact, something happened.

As you mention, we can block our awareness by having strong expectations or beliefs about what "should happen" how it "should be perceived" and so forth.  That's what had me blocked for a long time at first.  My way around this was to finally say, Okay, maybe it's going to happen or be perceived in a way that is different from my expectations.  So, I am willing to perceive it in whatever ways might be possible.  That affirmation got things moving.

Another great way to block yourself is to be "waiting for something to happen."  Nonphysical awareness is very sensitive to our intention.  If I am intending to be in a state of awareness in which I am "waiting for something to happen" that intended state cannot be maintained if I actually allow myself to perceive something happening.  So, I subconsciously continue to block perception of anything happening as a way of maintaining my "waiting" state of mind.  That probably sounds a little convoluted, but such is the way awareness responds to intention.

The best way I have found around "waiting" is to be willing to cause something to begin happening by imagining, pretending, or fantasizing that something is happening.  It took me a very long time to allow myself to do this because I erroneously believed that if I pretended even a tiny bit in the beginning of any experience that meant that all the experience that followed was also "not real."  Turns out, that is not necessarily true.

If I begin by fantasizing that something is happening, that can allow entry into experience that is verifiably real.  For example, once you are in the 3D Blackness you might begin to fantasize that you have traveled to the kitchen at a friend's house.  Actively pretend you are there by remembering every detail of the kitchen, and pretend that you are walking around that kitchen looking at every little detail you can remember.  Even if you are not "seeing" any details in the kitchen, keep at it.  What you are looking for is ANYTHING that happens during this experience that is unexpected.  A silly example.  While in the kitchen you might discover something there that you didn't know was there, like an elephant sitting in the sink, or a person entering the room, or someone says something in your thoughts, or something else happens that is unexpected.  Whatever it is, play along with it to see where this experience might lead you.  You might, for example, imagine that you walk over to the sink and strike up a conversation with the elephant.  Find out why it is sitting in the sink, or ask it something else, in short, act as if there really is an elephant in the sink and play along as if it is real to see where further experience with the elephant might lead.

You might be thinking this sounds like a ridiculous approach, I certainly felt that way after I expressed willingness to perceive in whatever ways might be possible.  But I discovered it works.  Using this approach I discovered that verifiably real information could be gathered, even from fantasy elephants who might appear in sinks.  One key is that imagination can be used as a means of perception.  Another key is that verification of experience as real opens awareness so that perception greatly improves.  It is a process that if followed becomes a continual opening of awareness.

Have fun,

Bruce

I had a spontaneous OBE when I was in college while I was sitting by myself in a comfortable chair and relaxing after a long day. Not high or drunk on anything, perfectly sober, just mellowing out. All of a sudden I heard a huge rumbling noise like a jet airplane was flying really low over my house, and the next thing I knew I was a point of pure consciousness floating in an infinite velvety black void, where everything was really close and really far away all at the same time.

As the rumbling continued I came to realize that I was totally "me," just not in my body anymore. I started "looking around" (even though I didn't have any eyes, of course) for the source of the sound and noticed that up and to the right there was a huge circle of red and blue flame slowly rotating AKA the "wheel of karma" as I like to think of it. It reminded me of  a yin yang symbol or one of those blood circulation charts that show how blue blood in the veins gets turned into red blood in the arteries by the circulation system.

I of course was immediately attracted to the wheel of flame and wanted to go check it out. But as soon as I started moving towards it, I instantly zoomed back into my body and the rumbling stopped.

This happened when I was 21, and to this day it remains the single most memorable event of my life. I am 54 now.

Has anyone else seen the "wheel of karma" while in the velvety black void, and why do you think I was shown this? As I said it was completely involuntarily and my life wasn't improved because of it -- in fact I have recently gotten sober after being a drug addict and alcoholic and my life is pretty much in ruins.

Quote:

It reminded me of  a yin yang symbol...why do you think I was shown this? As I said it was completely involuntarily and my life wasn't improved because of it -- in fact I have recently gotten sober after being a drug addict and alcoholic and my life is pretty much in ruins.

Sounds to me like "I'm sorry you have to go through this; it's for your balance"
My guess is you'll see how your lives connect after this one; how the circle closes. You've probably gone from one extreme (side) to the other to see how they connect. Or maybe you've managed to get it all into one life?

I've a feeling you already know what the wheel means though.

Congrats on getting sober! Takes a lot of courage.

WaterCreature

Thanks for the thoughts, I am definitely going through major karmic payback time these days and hope it doesn't carry over into the afterlife, not a big fan of hell...

<<Hey. Why not just donate some money to Bruce!? His mental physical/affliction re-stroke, costs a helluva lot of cash in terms of treatment. Please donate! Harvey.>>

Harvey or Carl or whoever-  You disgust me.  Usually your posts are sarcastic and I can just ignore them, but this is just so offensive and over the top that I hope other posters join me in asking Bruce to put a stop to them once and for all.

Obviously you have nothing constructive to contribute and your only objective is to be disruptive.  Most people who don't believe in the afterlife don't stay on this board, but you apparently derive some sort of sick satisfaction by continuing with your diatribes.  Mocking Bruce's stroke is a new low, even for your abysmal standards.

Bruce- please suspend this guy.  Enough is enough.

R

Hi Carl,

I'm not sure why you insist on coming here and violating the Posting Guidelines.

Quote:

Hey. Why not just donate some money to Bruce!? His mental physical/affliction re-stroke, costs a helluva lot of cash in terms of treatment. Please donate! Harvey.

If you didn't keep doing that there could be a place for you here.  As it is, your past violations and this latest one have earned you a temporary (30 day) ban as user name "carl."  Your "Harvey" username has earned a permanent ban as one username is enough.

Further violations will lead to permanent banning.

Thank you to the Peer Moderators for alerting me to Carl/Harvey's latest post.

Good bye, Harvey.  See you in a month carl.

Bruce

Sorry to hear about condition Bruce, I wish you a speedy and complete recovery and thanks for a great website.

RU,

The stroke happened nearly 10 years ago and I've recovered fairly well.  Way back then the creator of this website, Rosalie, out of the goodness of her heart, volunteered to help my wife and me financially through some pretty tough times..  Other visitors to this site joined Rosalie.  It was a humbling experience that kept us alive and able to continue working for which I am forever appreciative.  It still brings tears to my eyes remembering the loving support those times.

Thankfully we are long past need.

Bruce

Rondele,

"Mocking Bruce's stroke is a new low, even for your abysmal standards."

Surprise (oops), I recently suffered a mild stroke, and haven't been feeling right since then. There's no sign of brian domidge though. Getting into an argument with me on this is probably going to be a one sided affair. But maybe that turns out to be a stroke of luck for you in the long run, breathing the air in the safe and pleasant place of knowing I'm always going to be right, or left. Well, I'm not really a stroke patient, but you can briefly see the funny side though.

Bruce,

"Further violations will lead to permanent banning."

Advertising books one has read and workshops that are attendable violates "Advertisement or solicitation for products and/or services". Do I get to report these violations to you?

"It still brings tears to my eyes remembering the loving support those times."

Doesn't take a stroke of genius to figure out tears of joy are pleasant ones to have running down either or both cheeks. I prefer a good ol' smile. Not always successful in mustering one up in a stroke of bad luck, but sometimes, fortunately.

wrote on Feb 25^th, 2013 at 1:56pm:

Rondele, "Mocking Bruce's stroke is a new low, even for your abysmal standards." Surprise (oops), I recently suffered a mild stroke, and haven't been feeling right since then. There's no sign of brian domidge though. Getting into an argument with me on this is probably going to be a one sided affair. But maybe that turns out to be a stroke of luck for you in the long run, breathing the air in the safe and pleasant place of knowing I'm always going to be right, or left. Well, I'm not really a stroke patient, but you can briefly see the funny side though. Bruce, "Further violations will lead to permanent banning." Advertising books one has read and workshops that are attendable violates "Advertisement or solicitation for products and/or services". Do I get to report these violations to you? "It still brings tears to my eyes remembering the loving support those times." Doesn't take a stroke of genius to figure out tears of joy are pleasant ones to have running down either or both cheeks. I prefer a good ol' smile. Not always successful in mustering one up in a stroke of bad luck, but sometimes, fortunately.

Dr. Bob persisting on showing his stupidity again.

Glad to hear it!

One concept of the black granular void can be refered to the fact, that the "screen of imagination" that you normally look through, seeing the world with your physical eyes (you can see in your imagination with your eyes open, compare how these two are related to each other)  - becomes the only thing you see when your eyes (and other senses) are being disconnected (neurophysiological sleep routine) from self-awareness (which is also disconnected if you don't practice). The reason why this disconnection happens is rather simple - to make the human instrument rest. Otherwise you would have superficial dream, hear everything around you, and not sleep well. Neuromechanics disconnects all these parts for maintaince.

The other concept is related to the pineal gland - descried as an inner eye; a thing with some cells similar to the ones you have in your physical eyes (and with neural connections to visual cortex), directed inside the pineal space, filled with water, DMT-like crystal components and some other physiological stuff.  It's similar to the phenomenon when you cover one of your eyes, and see with the other one - your perception reject the blackness, but it's still there, in the background. With the pineal gland eye - ths condition is deeper, and thus - pineal physical seeing is more subtle than seeing with external eyes, which are provided with light and more diversed, wider stimuli.

This or other way - the 3D blackness is a physical phenomenon, and due it's plasticity - is very useful for inner explorations.

Mogengloom, if you have experienced & realized you are more than a body, can you poke fun at the body in a different way than you would if you wholeheartedly believed you were a sack of skin?

wrote on Feb 27^th, 2013 at 3:39pm:

Mogengloom, if you have experienced & realized you are more than a body, can you poke fun at the body in a different way than you would if you wholeheartedly believed you were a sack of skin?

Did I hurt your ego, dr. Bob?

Hurt? It just died in my arms tonight, must have been something you said. :'( You are welcome to pay your respects at the funeral tomorrow. We're hoping nobody throws themselves at the coffin as it lowers into the ground. It's just an ego after all. Yelling YOLO in the middle of the service will be frowned upon.

Dr. Bob, you have an immature state of mind enclosed by an air of imbecility.

Though the following key won't fit in every door, it's a valuable one nonetheless:

"I disagree with that, but accept you see it that way".

Words are said to have power, but the most important thing is often omitted: how much weight do you as a recipient add to words.

U still mad, brah?

wrote on Mar 2^nd, 2013 at 9:01am:

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