I've gotten to the point where I can relax pretty good in a sitting up and totally alert and aware position.  Say, in an office chair.  I can also sort of tune out the world around me with my eyes closed without falling asleep.  I mean I go deep introspectively.  I did this today on a break at my desk at work, with people talking all around me.

I started out imagining shapes in the space in front of me, then spinning them around in boredom.  Then I felt myself get into a very mentally relaxed state that seemed to loosen my body and deaden my physical inputs a bit (I could still hear my surroundings.)  I decided that now was a good time to just open myself up to any impressions.  It was chaotic and silent.  I saw nothing, heard nothing, but I perceived chaos none-the-less, like a non-corporeal feeling.  It was very unsettling.

I decided I didn’t like it so I instead mentally expressed an interest for a conversation with anyone of equal or greater abilities than myself to answer some questions or just speak to me.  I asked if I could be heard.  I perceived an affirmative response.  I didn't feel like I was imagining it.  It was like getting a weak signal on the radio.  I asked again if there was someone willing to speak with me and if they could please repeat their answer; again a sensation of the affirmative.  Then I asked if they could give me something verifiable I could check on once I 'woke.'  I did not perceive a response.  Then I asked if there was a name or an identification that I could have to find them again.  I felt that something was being communicated to me but despite my request that they continue to repeat it over and over until I got it.  I didn’t get anything.

I suddenly and inexplicably just came back fully to regular C1 consciousness.  I felt completely relaxed and awake.  I looked at the clock on my phone; it'd been just over two minutes since I closed my eyes.  Right then my phone rang and my break was over.

Hi Andy,
Seems like you're doing all the right things to attempt some non-physical exploration. Being able to get to that altered state by just "tuning-out" of bodily awareness without need of absolute quiet or a perfect setting/posture shows you're doing well. Keep practising the expression of intent as you've done, and you'll surely make good progress. But don't have excessive expectations of 'special' things happening, because just doing that is likely to have the opposite effect. Just accept (and enjoy!) whatever does happen, if anything, in any session. Do you experience any tingling or vibrational feelings at all whilst in your meditative state, or when you express an intent for contact?

Alfred

PS. Have just read your other thread on this forum, which answers my last question above. I asked it because the same sensations now occur regularly in my own sessions and can come/be induced almost at will whenever I'm in a sufficiently relaxed or sensitive mood, even if driving (though not in hectic traffic!). By all accounts anywhere, it's good progress.

Greetings!

You are having some fantastic experiences, Sulla! In a very good way! And I respect that you can achieve these experiences without following more traditional patterns.  Everyone's way will be somewhat unique.
But  :) ;)  I'm an overly cautious person, so please let me say that I'm concerned that you are going into these realms while in close proximity to others whose minds are on different matters. I respect that there are reasons for traditions in spiritual practices, such as having quiet surroundings, for example.

What spiritual sources and information you connect with during these sessions are for you, but with others around, I wonder if these sessions could be jeopardiized by an unexpected sharp noise or the words of someone nearby.
I hope others who have experienced being in close quarters with others while meditationg, OBEing will also share their thoughts on this.

Betson

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Seems like you're doing all the right things to attempt some non-physical exploration. Being able to get to that altered state by just "tuning-out" of bodily awareness without need of absolute quiet or a perfect setting/posture shows you're doing well.

Thanks.  I’ve never done that before at work, or anywhere else other than at night time at home right before or during bed time when the house was quiet.  I am always fighting against sleep while I do these things.  

At work, I just closed my eyes in rest while I waited on a computer program to run its course and started daydreaming shapes and spinning them around absentmindedly.  Then I felt a subtle shift in my awareness - A move away from physical sensation and a clearing of mental thought/attention.  I was able to conjecturally decide to ‘do something’ while feeling this way, not knowing what it was I was experiencing.



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But don't have excessive expectations of 'special' things happening, because just doing that is likely to have the opposite effect. Just accept (and enjoy!) whatever does happen, if anything, in any session.

I have done that, but this time I wanted to just ‘throw something out there’ and see what kind of responses (both from me and anywhere else) I might perceive, what ever they may be.  I must say, I was surprised to get anything at all.  Again, I’d never done anything like this before.


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Do you experience any tingling or vibrational feelings at all whilst in your meditative state, or when you express an intent for contact? PS. Have just read your other thread on this forum, which answers my last question above. I asked it because the same sensations now occur regularly in my own sessions and can come/be induced almost at will whenever I'm in a sufficiently relaxed or sensitive mood, even if driving (though not in hectic traffic!). By all accounts anywhere, it's good progress.

That vibrational feeling you read about in my other post has only come on accidentally and forcefully.  It is always a very frightening experience whose fright usually knocks me out of what ever is going on.  I am still working on making it happen and getting used to it so maybe it’ll last and I can explore it.

It feels very “deep” consciously.  Like the deepest I’ve ever gotten without being asleep.  Not sure if that’s right, but it’s how it feels to me.  I never get these vibrations with the relaxed meditative states I have achieved.  And I only meditate very rarely.  Perhaps I should set up a more regular schedule?

************


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You are having some fantastic experiences, Sulla! In a very good way! And I respect that you can achieve these experiences without following more traditional patterns.  Everyone's way will be somewhat unique.

Thank you.  I believe that part of my recent success has been because I stopped trying to do it only the way others have taught me.  Taking a leaf from the Book of Bruce Moen I decided to use the tools available and see what my own self would do with them.  These posts I make on this forum have been my results so far.


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But      I'm an overly cautious person, so please let me say that I'm concerned that you are going into these realms while in close proximity to others whose minds are on different matters. I respect that there are reasons for traditions in spiritual practices, such as having quiet surroundings, for example. What spiritual sources and information you connect with during these sessions are for you, but with others around, I wonder if these sessions could be jeopardiized by an unexpected sharp noise or the words of someone nearby. I hope others who have experienced being in close quarters with others while meditationg, OBEing will also share their thoughts on this.

I imagine so.  I have been awakened from many a reverie due to outside noises.  Dogs barking at something I can’t hear, the phone ringing, car back firing, what ever.  I have only found it to be frustrating.  Then again, I’ve never ‘connected’ with anything/one before during one of these sessions.

I want to note though that this connection I made at work ended abruptly on it’s own.  I was actually surprised by the swiftness and completeness with which it ended.  It just stopped, I slid out of it with ease and comfort, and in less than a second, as I looked for the time on my desk phone, the phone rang.

I mentally noted that it was very fortuitous that my ‘session’ should end so perfectly that I was not uncomfortably jarred out of it by my call.  I wonder if that was not facilitated.  The doubt is there, I lean towards coincidence, but there is a nagging wonder… could it have been purposefully halted to avoid a jarring return to C1 from a phone ringing?

 Just wanted to say that I agree with Alfred and Bets, Sulla.  And welcome to the group.

 Keep up the good work, and practice seems to be pretty important in this, like in most things.  

 Maybe the discordant, chaotic feelings you picked up on had to do with some of the people near you at the time?   Or could be a unfriendly/ignorant/immature nonphys. consciousness trying to mess with you.  

  It was a good idea to use Monroe's affirmation during that.  Perhaps even better to ask for help from only guidance energies who are more spiritually mature/developed than yourself?

 Or, why not shoot for sky, and ask for help "from the most developed/expanded/spiritually mature/purely loving sources possible"?  It stands to reason that such sources, would be able to help in ways more effective, holistically, and constructively than consciousnesses who are at your own level unless of course you are as developed as one can become.

 Anyways, this how i do it myself and have good experiences with it.   I especially like the pure White Light and White Golden Beings that help out.  

 But i need to practice more.  I haven't been very consistent with meditation lately.  

Hi,

Regarding the ending of your session,
yes, it often seems that there is a cosnciousness of what's about to happen --  the intent of another person to contact you, etc-- and so usually we are protected from strong  interruptions. But those times when we do not get out in time to avoid a noise etc can be very hurtful. That's why earlier I mentionned being careful.

You seem to be doing quite well ! Congratulations!

Bets

hurtful how?

Some people get yanked back so sharply by interuptions that it's uncomfortable.  I don't think she meant hurtful in the usual sense of emotionally painful, but rather a discomfort that's a reaction to the "wham" of getting slammed back into C-1.

Or not...but that's how I understand it.  I've never had that issue, but I don't tend to wander out much anyway - too tired, when I thinks I falls asleep, as the joke goes...

Yes, thank you Cricket !  :)

Cricket explained it.

Since we don't know what type energies make up our inner subtle/energy bodies, and how much jarring they can take, I think we should treat them well. We do know they are finer, more sensitive, and are use to being protected by skin and other physical barriers.
I've experienced an inner rip and bruising that grounded me for several weeks.  I don't wish those sensations on anyone.

Bets

Tried another 'zone out' during a break at work.  There I sat, stilling my mind, trying to be open to anything that might come into my awareness.  I felt very stoic-faced.  I suddenly sensed something to my right.  Like right up next to my face.  I didn't turn to look at it, but I could almost see that it was a yellow cylinder.  It was foggy and dark around my little 'spotlight' of vision, but I could see one side of the mouth of a smiley face on it.  It kept cycling from a flat line to the curve of a smile.

I eventually got it.  I smiled.  It kept cycling.  I smiled again.  It continued to cycle.  I smiled and felt it, the smiley face changed to a big cartoon gloved hand in a thumbs up gesture.  Then it was back to the cycling smile.  I smiled again and felt it, another thumbs up and the smiling face continued to cycle; I was missing something.

Oh!  I'll try to feel a smile without physically smiling.  I got a thumbs up and sensed (but did not ‘see’) a head nodding in agreement.  I tried and failed.  I saw a thumbs down gesture and felt a frown out there in the nothingness around the spotlight.  Then it was back to the cycling smiley face on the side of the yellow cylinder.  I tried a few more times before I could feel the smile without smiling.  Deep in my chest.  I got a big double thumbs up and it all went away.  I just sat there for a few moments and then started to feel myself nod off, so I opened my eyes and wrote this.  

Gotta' get back to work.

Side note.  I felt it was really hard to feel a smile without physically smiling.  I tried it again just sitting here waiting for a program to run it's course with no luck.  Perhaps this is something I need to work on?

That  is a really cool sensation. I just tried it at work myself, to smile non physically and I think I did it, but I got no thumbs in there. Pretty cool post.