Astral Projection/ Sleep Paralysis?

[JonJon]

OK, before I begin, I want to give this disclaimer: The things I am about to discuss are from my own personal experiences and studies that I have done over the years. If you feel the need to call me crazy or ridicule my experiences, please don't as they will simply be ignored. I'm not on any drugs, and I don't even drink.

So, I want to ask, has anyone else has experienced Astral Projection or knows how to do it? I have been doing some research on Astral Projection, the state of being able to leave your physical body and explore the astral planes and dimensions, also known as Out of Body Experience, over the last few weeks. It sparked an interest in me after I was reading into some articles on The Zero Point Energy Field and space exploration using the energy found within the field.

Then I came across Astral Projection. It was intriguing to me because some of the symptoms for beginning the state of Astral Projection are symptoms that I have been feeling all my life. It is known to many as Sleep Paralysis, which is waking up consciously while your body is still asleep and being unable to move.

I've complained about this to anyone who would listen all my life. Basically, I would wake up and be able to see and hear everything as if I was wide awake, but not be able to move my body or even speak/make a sound. Breathing is often difficult during this phase as it feels like someone is sitting on your chest. It is a very frightening experience and also very hard to force your body to move. For me it usually last anywhere from 15 seconds to a few minutes.

Everyone that I have told says that I am really sleeping, but that I just think that I am awake. This is not the case. I know I am awake, just unable to move, because I see everything just as I am seeing this computer screen right now.

So, long story short, after reading into Astral Projection, I realized that my beliefs about really being awake were true, and that I was in the beginning stages of projecting or leaving my physical body. I've been trying to force myself into Sleep Paralysis for the last few nights, but it's hard to make it happen.

Well, I woke up this morning, and there I was, in Sleep Paralysis. I could clearly see everything around me, the ceiling fan above, the lounge chair next to the bed, daylight from the sky window. My initial response was excitement, because I am interested in everything that I have been reading, and I wanted to get out and explore.

Then all the symptoms from Astral Projection started to kick in. I could hear a vibrating hum in my right ear, could feel the extreme weight pressing against my chest making it hard to breath, I could hear the whispers. Everything that was around me seemed like it was vibrating, too. I didn't see any spirits or anything like that that others have claimed to see (I never do). But then my excitement turned to a feeling of overwhelming dread and then I started to panic and tried forcing myself awake like I usually do, but I couldn't. So I tried to calm myself and focus. I looked up at the ceiling fan, and remembering clearly the studies I have done to actually get out of my physical body, I tried the rock method, which is the method of rocking back and forth, building momentum to force yourself out. I could feel my inner self swaying, but then I noticed the tassels on the fan where starting to rock back and forth, as if I was influencing it. Even the fan blades started to move. That freaked me out and I started to panic again and forced myself to move.

I know that I was really awake because everything was in the exact same place once I made the transition and opened my physical eyes. It was the same as blinking.

Ok, I know all that sounds real crazy, go ahead and call me crazy now if you want. But I want to know, has anyone here ever conquered getting out of the body, or at least experienced Sleep Paralysis? I'm going to keep trying and hopefully I can stay in control and not freak out next time.

 

[Duane]

I used to experience sleep paralysis a lot when I was younger but not any as an adult that I can remember.

 

[Phoenix]

I've had a number of experiences with the sleep paralysis thing. You are quite right - it is very frightening. And you also are right...I am definitely awake when it happens, but unable to move or speak, until through a monumental effort of sheer will I am able to finally overcome the paralysis. No idea about the astral projection though.

 

[zrinkill]

Video record yourself.

Its important to know if the reality is matching up with your memories.

 

[JonJon]

This guy has some of the same experiences I have had.

[youtube]CVhdJnhxh9U[/youtube]

 

[JonJon]

I've had a number of experiences with the sleep paralysis thing. You are quite right - it is very frightening. And you also are right...I am definitely awake when it happens, but unable to move or speak, until through a monumental effort of sheer will I am able to finally overcome the paralysis. No idea about the astral projection though.

Yep, sheer will and force is the only way to overcome it...a terrifying experience. When was the last time this happened to you? I'm going to keep trying and the next time I get into SP, I'm going to brave it out and stay as long as I can. I'm reading that the longer you stay, the more intense the dread feeling gets and also the more intense that humming noise in your ears gets, until you are finally able to get up. I don't know...weird stuff going on here folks...

 

[MonsterD]

I have had sleep paralysis several times. I never remember humming, but yes it is real, I had to concentrate out of it, which is very exhausting. You know it is real because you can hear conversations or things going on, and you can confirm the happenstances. Oh and I can never see anything, my eyes were always closed.

 

[vta]

I've experienced it all my life as well. I never knew what it was called until a few years ago when ironically someone on the CBZ mentioned experiencing it and I recognized all the symptoms.

As a kid I enjoyed it, and I remember my brother also mentioning it happening to him as well but we never talked about otherwise. After I got older it became something I couldn't stand. I would see figures in my peripheral vision and I'd also hear grunts, loud rushing sounds like wind in my ears and noises as if someone were walking around or up the stairs toward my room. It even occurred in high school when I went to lay down in the nurses office and I felt myself sliding down the leather couch.

It's also ironic that you linked it to AP as well. I did so by accident, when as a kid I read a fiction book called 'Keeper Of The Children', where some Asian mystique would kidnap kids through AP.

I then bought a book on AP practices, had no success thankfully and decided I probably shouldn't bother. I haven't had a SP incident in probably a few months, but when I do I just try to snap out of it ASAP. Sometimes it comes back though after falling back to sleep so I have stay awake for a little while to avoid it happening again. And so far I don't think it occurs when my wife is home.

 

[Dallas]

I once woke up in the middle of the night a few years ago and could not move my arms or legs for about 10 minutes. It scared the bejeebus out of me.

I stopped taking some meds I was put on by my doctor for some disk swelling in my neck. I have never experienced it again.

Whew..that was one spooky moment.

 

[CowboyWay]

I have read several books on astral projection. And tinkered with doing it myself. I think in the end, it is really just a self hypnosis technique.

Have you ever been able to leave your body and travel to another area? You can PM me if you don't want others to think you are a nut.

 

[Dallas]

I have read several books on astral projection. And tinkered with doing it myself. I think in the end, it is really just a self hypnosis technique.

Have you ever been able to leave your body and travel to another area? You can PM me if you don't want others to think you are a nut.

To late! We have been on to you for a while now.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Has anyone thought of seeing a neurologist?

Neurological has to do with the nervous system. The nervous system affects our mental state, our motor skills and our coordination.

I'm just asking.

 

[vta]

Has anyone thought of seeing a neurologist?

Neurological has to do with the nervous system. The nervous system affects our mental state, our motor skills and our coordination.

I'm just asking.

Another irony. For an entirely different reason I have been to a neurologist who got a very close and open look at my spine. When I was 13 a cluster of cells formed on my spine and was quickly paralyzing me from the bottom up. I was rushed to the ER, where it was determined what the problem was after much x-ray, cat scan and other odd things done. It was going to go all the way and kill me so they operated and took it out.

When I was 28 I was concerned and went in for a Cat Scan and had them check my entire spine and all is well. My SP been going on since before and long after that incident. I'm not sure I'd think there is a connection between what I went through and SP, but you never know.

 

[JonJon]

Has anyone thought of seeing a neurologist?

Neurological has to do with the nervous system. The nervous system affects our mental state, our motor skills and our coordination.

I'm just asking.

Well as for me, I don't see Sleep Paralysis as a bad thing (like something is wrong with me), but as a good thing, or a gateway to other dimensions or whatever you want to call it.

The first time it happened long ago when I was a little kid, it was probably the scariest thing ever. Every time after that though, up until recently, I just accepted it as a minor annoyance that would happen from time to time, and I just dealt with it and moved on.

But now, I want it to happen, because I'm curious as to what possibilities it can lead to.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I have had episodes of Sleep Paralysis quite a few times over the years. Not a regular thing...maybe once every three to six months but have had them over the years.

It can be a pretty scary thing.

I am awake. I do not have my eyes open but I am awake and aware that I can not move. I even rationalize with myself as it happens that I know I am awake, I just can not move. The breathing becomes difficult and your heart races but you just can not move and you know that if you can just move your finger or toe just a fraction that you will come out of it. That eventually happens with me, I move my toe or finger a little bit and then I can move the rest of my body. But it is indeed a struggle to move that little bit and get out of the situation.

With that said I don't know if it has anything to do with astral projection.

I will add that I have some pretty wild and different dreams. I don't have enough time to tell them all but whenever I have told some people about the dreams they are normally astounded (for lack of a better word) by the details in my dreams.

I will touch on one thing that is also odd is that some people have various types of dreams while others do not. For instance...most people have had the dreams of being able to fly. In my versions I can Glide but not really fly...I can glide for long distances but not really fly at will.

I have also had lots of dreams where I don't see things from my own eyes. By that I mean some times I dream like I am viewing myself doing things from above. As if I am the camera seeing myself do things. Again I don't think that really is anything to do with astral projection, I just think it is seeing myself in a dream. I don't dream where I am above the bed looking down at my body.

 

[WV Cowboy]

BP, .. Bad moonshine

 

[Phoenix]

Yep, sheer will and force is the only way to overcome it...a terrifying experience. When was the last time this happened to you? I'm going to keep trying and the next time I get into SP, I'm going to brave it out and stay as long as I can. I'm reading that the longer you stay, the more intense the dread feeling gets and also the more intense that humming noise in your ears gets, until you are finally able to get up. I don't know...weird stuff going on here folks...

Last time was about a year ago I think.

 

[Trendnet]

Yep, sheer will and force is the only way to overcome it...a terrifying experience. When was the last time this happened to you? I'm going to keep trying and the next time I get into SP, I'm going to brave it out and stay as long as I can. I'm reading that the longer you stay, the more intense the dread feeling gets and also the more intense that humming noise in your ears gets, until you are finally able to get up. I don't know...weird stuff going on here folks...

I suffer from Sleep Paralysis.

Sheer will to make myself move, to stand up and fight whatever it is that happens to be standing in the dark just out of eyesight, has made me scream out loud a few times. Scares the heck out of my girlfriend!

However, once I learned it was a dream , and I was indeed asleep, I don't suffer from it as much and can control those feelings of fear much better.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

 

[JonJon]

I have had sleep paralysis several times. I never remember humming, but yes it is real, I had to concentrate out of it, which is very exhausting. You know it is real because you can hear conversations or things going on, and you can confirm the happenstances. Oh and I can never see anything, my eyes were always closed.

I always have my eyes open and can see everything. If you want to hear someone else's interpretation of the humming sound, click here. It is very similar to what I hear, except it is a bit more tense and you can feel the vibrating. There are others on youtube, but this one was closest for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0hTxfJIzkw

 

[DragonCowboy]

JonJon, when you get sleep paralysis, do you see everything as normal, or does it feel like you're seeing things that are supernatural over the backdrop of your room?

A lot of sleep paralysis cases (one of the reasons why it's so scary) is because you're still in dream state but your eyes are open, and that sensory information is being sent to the brain. So, say we sometimes have dreams of scary stuff -- imagine that being presented to you in your room -- it feels as if it's reality.

I was just interested to see if this was your case...you seem to suggest that you notice nothing supernatural.