Hi Everyone, I'm a 35 year old man who has been intrested in astral projection and lucid dreaming for over 15 years. When I was in my early 20's I bought a book on how to project and read it cover to cover, I did the exercises and practiced regularly, at first I diddnt think there was anything to it until one day while meditating I heard my ears pop and a high pitch ring. That made me want to continue and try harder, after a few more failed attempts I heard the ringing again and this time I saw a white light flash on and off real fast while I heard the ringing, I woke up with a sudden jolt. After a few more failed attempts walla it finally happened I heard the ringing felt my ears pop saw lights flickering on and off and i was staring at the ceiling but was clearly out of my body! I couldnt move! it was amazing i slowly looked right and couldnt see to well the room seemed dark (it was night time) but it seemed illuminated a little like as if it were in moonlight . Anyway I was only out for like 20 seconds or so when I tried to turn around and see my body lying there I popped back into my body and woke up charged and energized. For one reason or another I couldnt turn around I felt stuck, I couldn't move while out of my body I was just floating all I could move was my head.
  Since then I tried to project a few times but I was unsuccessful and I eventually stopped trying all together. I haven't projected in 10 years but recently I drove by a spiritual shop and went in. I bought a few new books and my intrest in everything and anything occult is once again peaked. I don't know why but I've been trying to project now for weeks and have been unable to duplicate the feeling I had in my early 20's. Any advice on getting out again? and when I do happen to get out any advice on staying out and moving around?

     Ps. I diddnt mean to write a book here I just wanted to paint a clear picture for everyone... Thanks

I have many too and they come naturally and spontaneously.  What I can suggest is that you change your focus of thinking.  Start thinking in terms of "I have OBEs and I desire to remember these experiences".  Because we do go out all the time but rarely have recall.  So instead of focusing on inducing them, focus on remembering them.  It puts a more positive spin on how you regard OBEs.  Thinking this as you fall asleep will probably work best. 

I know what you mean the way you described it being dark but illuminated.  I've had many of those. 

My advice on staying out and moving around...I know what to do but I know it is hard too.  The low level you were in where it was dark, those experiences are different from the lighter level ones.  Those low ones seem so very similar to the physical dimension that it is hard to tell the difference.  So, because it is so physical feeling we tend to act just the same as we do in the physical.  The trick would be to make yourself "lighter", and some say you can do this just by declaring out loud "I want to feel lighter" or something similar.  I haven't tried it myself.  I get too caught up in the moment to remember to try anything new.  But in any case, you should be able to move around just by using your thoughts to do so.

Sorry, what I meant was your vibration rate.  The physical dimension is a very low vibration level, and non-physical dimensions vibrate higher and faster.  From my experience, the kind of OBE you had in your bedroom is very close to the physical vibration level.  They are dark like that with just enough light to see around you.  It's very easy to raise your vibration level and it can happen instantly, but it seems a bit complicated to explain it.  Experience is the best way.  For instance, love can raise your vibration rate instantly.  But I can't explain to you how to feel it, you just have to do it.  Know what I mean? Another way is through intense desire or curiosity.  But these are things you have to find within yourself.  I'm no expert, I'm just telling you what I know from my own experiences.  I'm still trying to sort it all out myself. 

Yeah, I don't see why not.  If that's where your focus was, you could stay there.  Along those lines, I can also see that the higher vibration you go, the less you would require surroundings.  I find that in some OBEs, like the lower ones, I have a body.  And in the higher one's I don't.  The highest one I had, I was made of pure light and color, and there was a Guide there who I was not even aware of until he spoke to me, but other than that I could not perceive him whatsoever.  I would assume he was on a much higher vibration level than I.

Well, let's see.  I used to go out at will as a kid but I haven't been able to muster that kind of magic as an adult.  When I was bored out of my mind I would sit staring off and repeat in my mind "nothing is real".  It put me in a sort of reverie, kind of like self hypnosis I guess, and I'd shoot out of my body through my face.  That's usually how I feel myself go out.  The problem with being an adult is I'm not bored out of my mind like that anymore, there's too much to distract me.  Kids are great at zoning out, you know?

I think the easiest way to do it is if you awaken in the middle of the night or really really early in the morning.  When you wake but before you move or before opening your eyes, just lie there thinking of movement, like think of walking through your house.  Right upon awakening it's easy for your mind to be very visual, so imagining that you are walking through your house should be pretty easy.  It works for me.  I tried it once and I suddenly became aware that I was walking out the door that leads to the garage.  I kept walking through the garage before I started thinking, why am I in the garage? Then I went outside and stood on my driveway and wondered what I was doing outside in the middle of the night.  You can see my problem here though, sometimes I get a bit of "amnesia" between leaving my body and finding myself out somewhere.  I'm sure with practice you could train yourself to be more astute.  I'm easily distracted and overly analytical sometimes, so I get some silly experiences at times.  Finally it will dawn on me that I'm out of body. 

Other times, like when I wake early but before I move physically, it's easy to go out.  You just allow your mind to "let go" but that's not the same as falling asleep.  So what I suggest is that you concentrate your thoughts on really wanting to go out of body really badly.  Desire it so much that you think about it any random chance you get.  If you can, sit and day dream about having one, or as you are sitting in a chair, look across the room and pretend you know what it feels like to suddenly find yourself on the other side of the room.  Maybe these tricks sound kind of stupid, but my point is that wherever you focus your thoughts and desires is where you will find experiences happening to you.  You will draw them to you.  With enough desire, the next time you find yourself waking early in the morning, the first thought that will come to you is "oh yeah, here's a chance for me to go out of body" and all that build up of desire should work for you automatically.  Don't even worry about trying to come up with somewhere to go, just give yourself a general disclaimer that you are willing to just go out.  I like to say that focusing on what you don't want is only going to keep you in the midst of that problem.  But if you focus on not having that problem (act as if it doesn't exist) then you kind of mentally bypass being stuck on it.  Know what I mean? 

And yes I had an extremely negative experience once.  I was out of body but lying in bed.  I thought I was actually awake.  I felt someone crawling up onto the bed on top of me but I couldn't see anyone.  I tried to scream but felt paralyzed.  I couldn't move or make a sound.  I panicked so badly, and my heart felt like it was beating so hard I thought I would have a heart attack.  My fear finally snapped me back into the physical and the fear was instantly gone.  I don't believe it was anything negative or sinister.  I think it was just a fear I created out of nothing, for whatever reason.  I think if it ever happens again I'd be able to tell myself it isn't a real fear.

Vicky,  Just wanted to ask your thoughts on OBE, do you think it could be our soul leaving the body?  I dont' understand why I feel in a paralyzed state and it's like in between sleep where I can't move but also feel something on top of me, as if it were someone touching my body.  It really scares me.  A few times I felt that I couldn't get back inside myself, it was a struggle but finally I did get back.  I really have no control over the OBE but feel as though it's not a normal thing and don't know why this is happining to me.