Was this anything? And other questions.

[howdihi]

Any comments or advice is greatly appreciated.

I had an experience the other day that I am wondering if it was anything. I was laying down on my bed. Mentally, I can't remember where I was. Possibly in trance, almost asleep or in a hypnogogic state.

I felt my whole body shift/move up (horizontally). It felt as if the bed was pushed towards the wall a little bit. It startled me and woke me a bit. I don't recall the forward sensation going back to where it started.

I later asked my husband if he had slammed a door or did anything to "jolt" the house and he hadn't.



Also, is there a detailed explanation somewhere on what it feels like to be in trance or ....when your body is asleep and your mind is awake? I believe my body is asleep but my mind seems like it is too awake sometimes. Which surprises me as I normally fall asleep very quickly and for me to be laying there for an hour and be conscious is not me. I am new to all this and meditation (never did meditaion as I always fell asleep), even though I had a couple obe's when I was a child. I was the girl in class that would always go into trance. My teacher would call my mom and ask what was wrong with me. I don't "trance" anymore and am not quite sure if I am doing it right. When you are in trance, do you think of things or is your mind completely blank?

Thanks

In trance you can "think of things". This is a self-guided meditation. There are hundreds of ways to do this, and many CD's on the market to help you get started.

Or, in trance your mind can go "completely blank". This is a much harder state to experience for most people. It takes practice. There are several ways to do it. You can clear your mind for tiny periods of time (seconds) and slowly build up to larger chunks of time (minutes), until one day you will be able to do a "blank mind" meditation without concentrating on it. Another way is to use a mantra, tone, Ommm, Love or really any word that you enjoy that you can repeat over and over. This works to reset your mind to a "blank" mind or a consciousness without form. I use a technique that just came to me several years ago. I close my eyes and see black with moving bits of light. I think "nothingness", and a cleft appears in the center (reminds me of a "black hole"). I then allow my consciousness to enter this cleft, and I am in a blank mind trance within a couple of minutes.

[howdihi]

So, if you want to have an obe, do you need to have your mind be blank? Or, does it just help more if it is blank vs thinking about something.

Can you have an obe if you are in a trance but still thinking?

[CFTraveler]

So, if you want to have an obe, do you need to have your mind be blank? Or, does it just help more if it is blank vs thinking about something.
Can you have an obe if you are in a trance but still thinking?

The purpose of blanking the mind is to help with the relaxation process. If you're not relaxed (for most people, some are extremely talented) the OB won't happen. You never really stop thinking, and when you're in trance your hypnagogics (again, there are exceptions to the rule) are your thoughts taking a more objective nature. So, yes, I never stop thinking ( I suck at mind-taming, btw) and yet manage to project fairly regularly. But the more control in your waking consciousness, the more control of your OB experience.

Like CF said, the most important thing is to relax. Any way you can get there is fine, using blank mind or visual trance. But, once you want to start exit techniques (either from energy body vibrations, or whatever clue or technique you personally discover to start the separation), obviously, your mind is not going to be "blank". If you are using Rope, then you're going to be thinking about a rope. If your body is vibrating like a jack hammer, obviously you are going to notice that, which means you are thinking. So, relax, and don't get too worried about doing it "right".

[CFTraveler]

If your body is vibrating like a jack hammer, obviously you are going to notice that,

For some reason I love that.
OOops, I gotta go wash some feet.

[howdihi]

The purpose of blanking the mind is to help with the relaxation process. If you're not relaxed (for most people, some are extremely talented) the OB won't happen. You never really stop thinking, and when you're in trance your hypnagogics (again, there are exceptions to the rule) are your thoughts taking a more objective nature. So, yes, I never stop thinking ( I suck at mind-taming, btw) and yet manage to project fairly regularly. But the more control in your waking consciousness, the more control of your OB experience.

Thanks, it seems like so many steps, yet, I could do it as a child without trying. I can get into the hypnogogic state fairly easlily now. I didn't realize that was a sort of trance. I hate to be a pest, but I have soooo many questions (I am a detailed sort of person : ) )When you get into a state of mind where you are having hypnogogics, is that considered a blank mind trance?... because when you have hypnogogics, they happen automatically without thinking.

And, what do you mean by the following statement?....

But the more control in your waking consciousness, the more control of your OB experience.

[howdihi]

Like CF said, the most important thing is to relax. Any way you can get there is fine, using blank mind or visual trance. But, once you want to start exit techniques (either from energy body vibrations, or whatever clue or technique you personally discover to start the separation), obviously, your mind is not going to be "blank". If you are using Rope, then you're going to be thinking about a rope. If your body is vibrating like a jack hammer, obviously you are going to notice that, which means you are thinking. So, relax, and don't get too worried about doing it "right".

Thanks, I keep hearing to relax. I guess I really need to concentrate on doing that. I have done rope and find myself tensing up. I have not got vibrations yet. I take that back. I thought I felt it in my right hand momentarily, but then it was gone. I do get tingling, but it is not all over my whole body. Whenever I try to go into trance, my arms feel like deadweight fairly quickly and feel like they are huge. But I don't get that with any other parts of my body. I would guess I have a lot of energy work to do as I haven't done much. Thanks for the advice. : )

[CFTraveler]

Hi, howdihi!

When you get into a state of mind where you are having hypnogogics, is that considered a blank mind trance?... because when you have hypnogogics, they happen automatically without thinking.

You are in a light trance which can convert into a deep trance, as in mind awake body asleep. I don't know about a blank mind trance- I would categorize as an 'observational state.'

And, what do you mean by the following statement?....

But the more control in your waking consciousness, the more control of your OB experience.

Simply that the more control of your thoughts via meditation and other such mind disciplines, the easier lucidity comes when dreaming, and the more 'in control' your OB will be, as in the case of not turning into a dream, which happens to everyone at some point.

[howdihi]

Hi CFTraveler,

Oh my god! I am afraid if I go deeper than the hypnogogic state, I will fall asleep. : ) I guess I will have to figure it out. As I am in this for the long haul. I won't accept defeat....ever.

Like I mentioned above, I used to trance out all the time when I was a kid. Not just when I was sleeping. I also used to have lucid dreams at around the same time period. If I had a scary dream, I would realize I was dreaming and I would wake myself. And many times, I would play with my dreams and change them to how I wanted them...I was the creator. Schucks! I can't do it anymore, but I am going to work on it.

I wish there was some way to remember how I did it as a child.

I wonder if I have more of a natural ability to do it, therefore it will be easier for me to do it now...trance, lucid dreaming and obe. I guess time will tell. Then again, maybe all kids can do it.

How do you convert a light hypnogogic trance into a deeper one? By just staying there and waiting?