reply to post by ElOmen
I've had numerous experiences with "the phase", I'll list them by type rather than explaining each event in detail because I could probably write
a 400 page novel about them combined.
-Lucid Dreaming, ranging from dreams in which I was merely "awake" to dreams in which I had full control over where I was and what I and others were
doing.
-Out-of-Body Experiences, much less frequently than lucid dreams, I'm usually able to "rise" out of my body but have difficulty maintaining my
balance, I would tumble to the floor and struggle to hold myself up as if my spiritual limbs were atrophied. Opening my eyes in the OBE is a struggle,
but on one occasion I was able to do so and could "see" objects from memory with perfect detail and clarity for a limited period before "blacking
out".
-Spiritual Visions, difficult to describe, not like a vision from the future but more like a...symbollic image accompanied by voices and music. These
were like short lucid dreams in which there was no dream world, just an image which moved fluidly and changed color, and it really felt like some
divine force was showing me something important. I still havent worked out the meanings in their totality but they've left impressions on me which
have affected my life.
-Sleep Paralysis, unable to move but being totally awake and conscious, usually a precursor to lucid dreams or OBE. On some occasions I felt the
presence of other entities in my room, some entities I percieved to be of an extremely negative nature. These were some of the most frightening
experiences I've had in "the phase".
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The most effective methods for entering the phase that I've come across would be:
-Train yourself to question reality regularly. Ask yourself "Am I dreaming?" throughout the day. Try to set up ways of triggering this question,
like that one fellow in the video with his sticky notes on the fridge and the door. If you can train yourself to question reality, theres a good
chance you'll end up doing so in a dream and you may be able to notice strange things that can tip you off.
-Try having a nap during the day. I often have much more vivid lucid dreams during the day, and pretty much all of my OBE's have occured after an
afternoon nap. If you can find time to nap for a couple hours in the afternoon, you may stumble upon an amazing dreamscape that can provide hours of
entertainment or startling revelations.
-Entering the dream from sleep paralysis. Inducing sleep paralysis has always been difficult for me, but if you can master it then entering the phase
becomes a whole lot easier to do at will. Its best to attempt this if you're not tired, so try it if you have a chance to have an afternoon nap. Try
to lie perfectly still, focus on your breathing but breathe naturally ie. dont force your breath, just be mindful of it. If you get the urge to move,
which usually manifests as an itch, that is your brain testing to see if you are asleep, and to achieve sleep paralysis you have to fool the brain by
ignoring the itch and remaining motionless except for your breath. Eventually, your brain will decide that you are asleep and activate sleep
paralysis, but you will still be conscious. You'll know that you're in sleep paralysis when you feel a sort of numbness, tingling or vibration in
your body and head. Do not resist this feeling or try to amplify it, just let the feeling persist and it will slowly intensify. (I've tried to speed
up the process by amplifying the vibration and then rise out of body, but when I did rise I felt really burnt out and couldnt open my eyes) At this
point one of two things will happen, either you will enter a dream fully lucid, or the vibration will slow down and cease, and you may get up thinking
that you are awake, but actually be out-of-body. In the latter case, this is when you should question reality to determine whether or not you are
really awake. If you're like me, the question will answer itself when you try to get up and end up falling to the floor (dont worry, it's not
painful)
-Returning to the dream. Once you've achieved a lucid dream or OBE, theres a chance that you could shock yourself out of the dream and back into
sleep paralysis, which I call "blacking out", but it is often possible to return by simply allowing the tingling or vibrating feeling to intensify
again. If you don't return to the dream, you might be able to pull of an OBE.
-Finally, Waking Up. It can get confusing and even frightening when you're bouncing back and forth in these dream states, or if you feel stuck in
sleep paralysis, so if you ever feel you need to wake yourself up, the most effective way is by changing your breathing pattern rapidly. Hold your
breath for a few seconds or breathe rapidly. This triggers your brain to jump to full alertness and bring you rapidly back to reality.