reply to post by pianopraze
actually, sensory deprivation tank doesn't sound like a bad idea, a lot of people are building these at home to help with the neccessary
relaxation/meditation...
i'd build one too if i had the time, money and a place where to put it
as for me, i'm certainly not a pro, i have LDs few times a month (and they usually end very quickly), and you could count my oobes on the fingers of
one hand...
but right now i'm looking into shamanic journeying, which is basically astral projection from a drumming-induced trance... which sound a lot easier
to achieve than most western techniques, more here
www.corpshaman.com...
anyway, it looks like most astral projection techniques, no matter where they originate from, share the same outline:
1) physical relaxation - various techniques, straining & relaxing various muscle groups...
2) emptying your mind - meditation, counting your breaths, etc.
3) trance induction - via binaural beats, drumming, rattling, or just waiting in the relaxed state for long enough time until it happens naturally
(from my experience you'll sooner either give up or fall asleep)
4) leaving your body - imagining climbing a rope, falling down, elevator, stairs, or already being outside of your body (either in your room moving
away from your body or somewhere completely different, try to feel the enviroment with all your senses - for example running throught the forest,
dodging tree branches, smelling the air, feeling the dirt beneath your feet - a technique supposedly used by celtic druids) - then suddenly you should
realize you are no longer imagining.
but of course you have to do these in correct order. no point in listening to binaural beats if you're not relaxed, both physically & mentally.