I had a bit of an odd dream in which I was... astral projecting?

[Midwinter Mist]

I was waking up in my dream, unaware it was a dream. Then, I felt my dream body paralyzing, immediately feeling fuzzy and heavy, and I wondered if by accident I was astral projecting for the first time. However, I was struggling to breathe. I didn't feel good, and I considered the possibility that I was being violated by this throbbing, negative energy. It seemed ridiculous, but what would evil care?

I started to call upon angels and imagine white light, but it wasn't helping. I managed to clap my hands and snap out of all of it, but dream-tiredness dragged me back down into it, my eyes closing to the darkness, the weight holding me down.

I remembered a topic I saw on here, in which somebody felt terrified by accidental astral projection.

However, this time, I managed to shift away the negativity and rid the feeling of 'violation'. It was still hard to breathe, but I wondered if that was just the paralyzed body breathing on a very low scale during rest. I was trying to move my astral body, but ended up shaking my head to stop, but once again I was pulled down through a feeling of tiredness and again it went on.

I started trying techniques to project, but it was difficult. I kept trying to open my eyes but I could only open them to a blur, as they kept closing to tiredness. At one point, I managed to open them briefly to the wall-side of my room, which was up-to-date (whereas usually my dreams show older versions of my room). Though, on the wall by my head was some sort of symbol marked into the wall. I can’t really describe it, but I wondered if it had been attached to my head in some way.

Eventually, I came away from being unable to project and emerged into a lucid dream. My room had now changed. One downside was that my awareness was mild, so despite I knew I was dreaming, I still shrugged a lot of things off as being normal.

I started to play about with the curtains. It was the night, and I didn't want people seeing through the windows, so I kept thinking of colours and then rolling down these curtains, one after another. Then, it came back to me - my lucid dream priority. I want to meet my guide. So, I jumped through the window, but by this point I was being pulled back and forth between being lucid and simply dreaming. I ended up in another dream, logging on to these very forums to talk about it.

Eventually, I was mildly lucid again. I was outside at the location in which I've always planned to meet the guide/s, but I was distracted by noises. I was floating above my house, which appeared to be a mansion now, and I stopped time and created silence. Great, but then, quite like an independent agent, somebody was defying it. I heard a tapping sound on glass, then looked down to see a man in a white suit. He sort of looked like a business man, and had a bag of letters like a mailman. He gave me a letter, calling it a reminder, which I unfolded and boy was it long! This paper just kept on going and content was written on every page. While going through it, I actually saw an address and told myself that I should visit that address in a dream, knowing it could prove an interesting ordeal.

Anyway, I got to this point in the letter where it said:

Dear Reminder,

- and then there was a lot of stuff that I didn't even try to read, sadly. If I were lucid enough, I would have investigated it. And, then, sadly, I was pulling away from that dream and soon woke up.

[MiBeloved]

I just want to clear up a few things. First of all, the experience is normal for a beginer to astral project experiences.The second thing is that astral projection is happening each time the physical body sleeps.

This might sound weird because most people on the Internet do not say so. However I am insisting on it, stating that astral projection is happening every time the physical body sleeps but we say it is astral projection, when a person becomes aware during the separation process of the two bodies.

Lucid dreaming is when your awareness is shifted over to the subtle level while the astral body is still inter-spaced into the physical one but in astral projection, the astral body de-synchronizes from the physical one.

The paralysis occurs when you become aware of the two bodies and they are not in perfect sync and that can happen both when they are about to separate and when they are about to be fused into each other.

The logic in this is that since astral projection is happening every time the physical body sleeps, then there must be a psychic mechanism in the psyche which operates the separation and then re-unification of the two bodies. And this also means that if you could monitor that mechanism you could decrease the frequency of sleep paralysis experiences and have more astral experience which are favorable.

[Midwinter Mist]

Originally Posted by MiBeloved

I just want to clear up a few things. First of all, the experience is normal for a beginer to astral project experiences.The second thing is that astral projection is happening each time the physical body sleeps.

This might sound weird because most people on the Internet do not say so. However I am insisting on it, stating that astral projection is happening every time the physical body sleeps but we say it is astral projection, when a person becomes aware during the separation process of the two bodies.

Lucid dreaming is when your awareness is shifted over to the subtle level while the astral body is still inter-spaced into the physical one but in astral projection, the astral body de-synchronizes from the physical one.

The paralysis occurs when you become aware of the two bodies and they are not in perfect sync and that can happen both when they are about to separate and when they are about to be fused into each other.

The logic in this is that since astral projection is happening every time the physical body sleeps, then there must be a psychic mechanism in the psyche which operates the separation and then re-unification of the two bodies. And this also means that if you could monitor that mechanism you could decrease the frequency of sleep paralysis experiences and have more astral experience which are favorable.

So, the intense difficulty to breathe is just another typical symptom for a beginner?

It was all rather strange, because I had thought about astral projection recently, but I've never really tried too hard to do it. I can't remember what came before it, but all of a sudden I'm experiencing a false awakening and the whole experience that followed. It was random. I wasn't even too willing to continue, but tried only because I felt like I was being forced to do so, particularly with how I couldn't get away as it pulled me immediately back in whenever I tried to pull away.

[MiBeloved]

It does happen during some astral projections either on leaving the physical body or on trying to get back into it, that one goes into the sleep paralysis and then slips out of that and then is pulled back into that once, twice or more times. It feels very unnatural and uncomfortable. Always be sure that your physical body is getting fresh air, since if it is breathing stale air, it might cause the astral body to have difficulty synchronizing. Don't just rely on a duct system, try to have a pin crack at a window for direct air from the outside if possible.

But don't confuse the lack of synchronization of the two bodies with a bad experience which happen at the same time. In other words, if someone comes there and scares you while that is happening, the two factors of the lack of synchronization and the scaring are actually separate.

Like if you go up to your door at night and then a robber appears there. The night time and the robber are actually two separate issues, even though the robber would take advantage of the darkness of the night.

[Fred Tracy]

Hey there. I think you're talking about my thread, where my accidental astral projection definitely scared the bejeezus out of me.

Okay, so I'm new at this, but all the characteristics my projection had are things that Erin Pavlina had too when she first started projecting.

The similarities are: excessive vibration in body, loud ringing in ears, presence of entities in room (one tried to get me out of my body, idk if it was good or bad presence), and sleep paralysis.

My article about the experience is here, her article is here.

Your experience sounds like something in between maybe. It sounds more like a nightmare than projecting, honestly. While it was scary, I didn't have any trouble breathing, nor did I feel violated by anything.

I tried moving during the projection and felt my "spirit" hand move, though I couldn't see it. It was very odd. I tried to get out of my body and almost did, but it was so difficult that I couldn't. My eyes were closed, but I could still see somehow.

It's so intensely different than a dream. It's been happening all my life but I only just realized what it is. The reason that I say what you experienced may not be astral projection is that every time it happens to me, it happens in the exact same way.

Super intense vibrations, loud loud humming, and sleep paralysis. Given that Erin talked about the exact same things, it seems like this is characteristic of astral projecting.

It may be that other people project differently though. I can't be for sure, as I haven't explored it very much. Did you hear any ringing in your ears or super intense vibrations?

Originally Posted by MiBeloved

It does happen during some astral projections either on leaving the physical body or on trying to get back into it, that one goes into the sleep paralysis and then slips out of that and then is pulled back into that once, twice or more times. It feels very unnatural and uncomfortable. Always be sure that your physical body is getting fresh air, since if it is breathing stale air, it might cause the astral body to have difficulty synchronizing. Don't just rely on a duct system, try to have a pin crack at a window for direct air from the outside if possible.

But don't confuse the lack of synchronization of the two bodies with a bad experience which happen at the same time. In other words, if someone comes there and scares you while that is happening, the two factors of the lack of synchronization and the scaring are actually separate.

Like if you go up to your door at night and then a robber appears there. The night time and the robber are actually two separate issues, even though the robber would take advantage of the darkness of the night.

Hey, that's a really good metaphor. It clears up some of my scariness around projecting.. thanks.

[Midwinter Mist]

Originally Posted by Fred Tracy

It may be that other people project differently though. I can't be for sure, as I haven't explored it very much. Did you hear any ringing in your ears or super intense vibrations?

As far as I recall there was buzzing, but it would have been mild. The scenario was primarily dominated with 'physical' sensations. It could have been a nightmare, and I'm still not ruling that out, although it did feel different to my usual dreams/nightmares.

I'm not sure how it even triggered itself. I've mainly been focusing on lucid dreaming, as opposed to going all out astral. Still, I'll see what happens next.

[bluestar]

Going out of body can feel well strange until you get used to it. Sometimes problems can occur which stem from being bi-located (or having an awareness of both bodies at the same time) Plus the whole experience of managing a new way of Being can be a bit weird until it becomes second nature. Remember we are not usually accustomed to this New World, we are conditioned to the one we know best (the 3 dimensional one)

[TuningIn]

Originally Posted by Midwinter Mist

I was waking up in my dream, unaware it was a dream. Then, I felt my dream body paralyzing, immediately feeling fuzzy and heavy, and I wondered if by accident I was astral projecting for the first time. However, I was struggling to breathe. I didn't feel good, and I considered the possibility that I was being violated by this throbbing, negative energy. It seemed ridiculous, but what would evil care?

I started to call upon angels and imagine white light, but it wasn't helping. I managed to clap my hands and snap out of all of it, but dream-tiredness dragged me back down into it, my eyes closing to the darkness, the weight holding me down.

This totally happened to me last night. I wasn't sleeping, I was meditating, then slipped into this dream like state wherein I woke up into a dream, something of the sort anyway. I went (in the dream or whatever) to lay down and began hearing voices talking loudly, then this force was upon me, holding me down, couldn't breathe, couldn't talk or anything, and I was cool with it, then suddenly wanted to break away, and managed.... but it get's fuzzy, then a bunch of other random dream like stuff happened. It tripped me out to "dream" of falling asleep.... or meditate about meditating... I finally came back to myself and "woke up" astounded that I was back in my room and not in that place where I was.... It seemed.... unnatural to say the least.

[wstein]

Originally Posted by Midwinter Mist

I was waking up in my dream, unaware it was a dream. Then, I felt my dream body paralyzing, immediately feeling fuzzy and heavy, and I wondered if by accident I was astral projecting for the first time. However, I was struggling to breathe. I didn't feel good, and I considered the possibility that I was being violated by this throbbing, negative energy. It seemed ridiculous, but what would evil care?

I started to call upon angels and imagine white light, but it wasn't helping. I managed to clap my hands and snap out of all of it, but dream-tiredness dragged me back down into it, my eyes closing to the darkness, the weight holding me down.

I remembered a topic I saw on here, in which somebody felt terrified by accidental astral projection.

However, this time, I managed to shift away the negativity and rid the feeling of 'violation'. It was still hard to breathe, but I wondered if that was just the paralyzed body breathing on a very low scale during rest. I was trying to move my astral body, but ended up shaking my head to stop, but once again I was pulled down through a feeling of tiredness and again it went on. .

This is classic sleep paralysis. Though not that common, happens to more than half of people at some time in their life. For some unlucky ones more than once a month. I have found that sleeping in unusual positions where the neck is not supported tends to cause this to happen more often (though still rare).

Sleep paralysis is often associated with the exit or return part of astral projection (OBE), but in no way required to project. Points for trying to exit from this state.

[Midwinter Mist]

Thanks for the responses.

If it happens again, what should I do about it? Should I attempt to project in a specific way? Should I just relax and ignore it? Should I try to shake myself awake?

[wstein]

Originally Posted by Midwinter Mist

If it happens again, what should I do about it? Should I attempt to project in a specific way? Should I just relax and ignore it? Should I try to shake myself awake?

Depends on what you want. Ignoring it is kind of hard as the experience is so vivid. You have a better than normal chance of exiting if you try. Personally, I don't like the feeling and prefer to rouse myself awake. But then again I have other fairly reliable way to go on an OBE.

[theuprising]

Originally Posted by wstein

Depends on what you want. Ignoring it is kind of hard as the experience is so vivid. You have a better than normal chance of exiting if you try. Personally, I don't like the feeling and prefer to rouse myself awake. But then again I have other fairly reliable way to go on an OBE.

how? I've been trying for a year now and I just get "stuck" in the vibrating state, and eventually I get tired of focusing and the vibrations scare me awake.

[wstein]

Originally Posted by theuprising

how? I've been trying for a year now and I just get "stuck" in the vibrating state, and eventually I get tired of focusing and the vibrations scare me awake.

If you are indicating that projecting from there does not work for you, then don't bother with it. I said better odds, no guarentees.

Otherwise please clarify the 'how?' question.