Hi there! First off, glad to be a part of the forums. Yay first post and thread! I've been stalking the forums on and off for awhile now and finally decided to create an account. I've seen a lot of helpful people around here and it looks like a great resource/community to be a part of.

I've recently finished reading Robert's original (10th anniversary relaunch) of Astral Dynamics. Fantastic book. I've really spent time highlighting, digesting, and rereading it thoroughly.

I've been practicing energy work for quite awhile now, with trance and physical relaxation being a bit more recent. I feel fairly proficient at all three, considering the time I've spent on them. But my interest and curiosity lately has been on the trance states in particular. Having tried it quite a few times, I've been having very similar experiences and need help deciphering where I'm at with everything, and what are some things I can do next to continue developing the skill. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

So a typical practice session with trance in mind generally looks like this (full length about 30ish minutes, give or take 10 mins):
-10 deep breaths
-physical relaxation routine
-10 more deep relaxing breaths
-chat to my guides asking for help on a particular goal
-mental box technique (clears out all the chatter for me)
*by now I'm about 5 mins in, very relaxed and focused*
-prestimulation and energy bounce for 10 mins or so until I feel my energy body a bit more actively (moving energy tends to be my weaker area)
-use a falling technique to enter trance
-when in trance to a bit of energy storing before coming out and finishing.


All in all, fairly solid I feel. I definitely plan on increasing and changing things up as I continue to grow. Where I get confused is, I have no idea which of the three trance states I'm getting at and what I can do to move deeper into trance. If I had to guess, I'd say I hit a solid light trance, but never quite a full trance. Certainly not a deep trance, as defined in Robert's book.

Here's what I usually feel when I start my falling technique mentioned earlier:
-Once I start up the falling sensation, my body starts to lightly tingle/buzz. I have to really focus on the falling sensation and not get distracted by the tingling or else it stops. If I continue to fall, the tingling increases quite dramatically and feels like it's "building up."
-After about 35 secs of serious falling and tingles, it feels like I can't fall anymore and the tingling ceases and turns into a light heaviness. Not any sort of heaviness that would prevent me from moving, it just makes me feel like I'd rather NOT move. I feel pretty relaxed, not tensed, and stress free here. I can swallow if I need to, think normally, and focus on things without anything changing. My mind feels pretty awake, but centered, clear, and "tamed." This place almost feels like an advanced physically relaxed place.
-If I continue to stay here and do some energy work or let the heaviness and relaxation continue by resisting the urge to move a bit (I find if I focus on it dramatically I can generate a feeling of mild claustrophobia, surpassingly since I'm not claustrophobic at all) my mind will relax more and more, along with my body.
-As this relaxation continues, my mind feels like it wants to start wandering, much like it would before bed, which is usually what happens before I nod off asleep at night. But if I hold my attention on a thought, energy work, relaxation, or whatever, my mind and body will continue to feel heavier and heavier as the desire to drift increases...
-At some point (no idea how long as I'm not very aware of time), my mind goes from feeling sluggish to mentally awake. It almost feels like it snaps back to a sharper mental state. Not full of thoughts, it's actually very still, but does feel more similar to being awake in comparison to the previous stage, where I felt more similar to falling asleep. I usually have to keep from opening my eyes and looking around. I feel completely rejuvenated as if I had a very very refreshing nap, almost like my whole body was healed and my energy levels completely restored. My body feels heavier than it has before, but not so heavy I couldn't move if I wanted to. It's like I know I have the mental strength to sit up and move should I choose to. But the oddest thing is that I suddenly feel very warm and flushed, particularly in my face. I know I don't have too many blankets on, and the room is cooled. It just feels like I'm running a low grade fever.
-Throughout this process I might get some mild hypnagogic colors, but I don't really pay attention to them, so I'm not sure if I actually do or not. It just seems like that space is different that it is if you close your eyes and are relaxed.
-I always feel a falling sensation if I am trying to find trance or if I'm relaxing myself with breathing techniques, but other than that I don't seem to notice any falling sensations, just that snap back awareness that happens mentally while my body stays heavy and relaxed.

I do notice that after practicing, my energy levels stay restored, my face remains flushed for awhile, I feel calmer and at ease, and overall more balanced as a person physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Again, if anyone can help me identify where I'm at on the trance spectrum and what else I can do to move closer to getting the full trance state for further OBE progress, I'd be very grateful.