MAP Question

[Steve]

I've gone through the equivalent skills through week 5 in the MAP book (although I've taken considerably longer on each stage to make sure all of the fundamentals are solid) and I'm at the point with the MAP CD set whereby when I attempt a conscious exit, I'm getting the rapid heartrate but not the projection. However, at the end of the 44 minutes, when I open my eyes, it probably takes me about 20 min to get my full vision back as in this one stage it is blurry upon an unsuccessful attempt. I don't have this issue during normal meditation or energy raising.

I've probably been spending 40 min a day doing the secondary energy raising techniques for the last two months, and 20 min a day for the last two weeks doing primary energy raising and am wondering why even though I'm not projecting (although it feels close), I'm having difficulty getting normal vision back. Additionally, would the lack of projecting success be possibly due to an inability to stay totally relaxed even though I'm thinking I'm totally relaxed? Or is there maybe not enough energy to make a projectable double?

Thanks much.

[CFTraveler]

I've gone through the equivalent skills through week 5 in the MAP book (although I've taken considerably longer on each stage to make sure all of the fundamentals are solid) and I'm at the point with the MAP CD set whereby when I attempt a conscious exit, I'm getting the rapid heartrate but not the projection. However, at the end of the 44 minutes, when I open my eyes, it probably takes me about 20 min to get my full vision back as in this one stage it is blurry upon an unsuccessful attempt. I don't have this issue during normal meditation or energy raising.

I've probably been spending 40 min a day doing the secondary energy raising techniques for the last two months, and 20 min a day for the last two weeks doing primary energy raising and am wondering why even though I'm not projecting (although it feels close), I'm having difficulty getting normal vision back. Additionally, would the lack of projecting success be possibly due to an inability to stay totally relaxed even though I'm thinking I'm totally relaxed? Or is there maybe not enough energy to make a projectable double?

Thanks much.

Hmm.... I don't know if I have enough information to give you any useful advice.
Are you doing energy loosening techniques?
There are things you can do in between trance techniques and projection techniques that can help you get closer to being ready to exit; it may just be that you're trying too early in the attempt. You see, heart chakra activity can be felt upon the exit but it can also be felt long before you're ready to separate, so I'm not sure what the problem could be.

I do think that the lack of relaxation can have something to do with your focusing problem upon waking, because if you're scrunching your eyes and putting pressure on them it can affect the vision, but also a preexisting eye condition can cause said blurriness- for example, astigmatism tends to make people see double and blurry when they haven't had enough sleep- so any number of problems can cause this- even, believe it or not, if you're too relaxed and clicking out, you can be unconscious and not realize it, so when you wake you're just still sleepy and not clear yet.

What I would ask then, is, do you take a while to focus when you wake up in the middle of the night (hard, I know, since most people don't try to focus in the middle of the night on their way to the loo), or do you get blurry or double vision when you haven't slept enough? That would give you a clue as to what's going on with your vision.
And if you're not doing energy loosening techs before trying to exit, you should, and I have other things to do if you still don't feel you're ready to go after doing those.

[Steve]

I haven't have this blurry vision issue ever before upon coming out of trance. Not in the middle of the night or even during regular meditation sessions. Only when attempting CD 5's exit (a couple of times now). I've spent a great deal of time working on raising energy, some time on breath awareness/"staring into the blackness" and stimulating the primary centers. I thought I was ready for CD 5. Perhaps not. When attempting CD 5 unsuccessfully, I'd say I was probably in a light trance.

When you discuss energy loosening, are you talking about "feeling" the downward/upward techniques via the rope, stairway, elevator techniques? I haven't spent nearly as much time on those. Perhaps I need to work on those more so that they become as second nature as the energy raising.

Additionally, (using MAP's terminology), I'd say that I get into the light trance state really commonly now, and probably somewhere between light and full trance state less commonly, and rarely to the full trance state. I haven't spent much time during the sleeping state attempting CD 6 as I've been trying to dicipline my mind to get into the trance state at will. Is that maybe a problem? Relaxation hasn't been a problem at all, but perhaps I'm not raising enough energy into the primary chakras ... raising enough energy to really feel energy stimulation in the primary centers has been much more difficult than in the secondary centers. Energy flows really well through my secondary chakras, but getting enough energy to really kick the primaries up has been difficult or at least I don't think I'm at the point where I'm drawing enough energy to really stimulate the primaries now. I get some primary stimulation, but nowhere near as much stimulation as the secondaries.

I appreciate the help. I can really see how everything has to be just right to really make this happen.

[CFTraveler]

I haven't have this blurry vision issue ever before upon coming out of trance. Not in the middle of the night or even during regular meditation sessions. Only when attempting CD 5's exit (a couple of times now). I've spent a great deal of time working on raising energy, some time on breath awareness/"staring into the blackness" and stimulating the primary centers. I thought I was ready for CD 5. Perhaps not. When attempting CD 5 unsuccessfully, I'd say I was probably in a light trance.

Maybe the problem is the frequency that CD 5 is stimulating. That is weird, though. A new one for me. I suppose the simple answer is 'don't listen to CD5' but I got the feeling that's prob. not the answer.

When you discuss energy loosening, are you talking about "feeling" the downward/upward techniques via the rope, stairway, elevator techniques?

No, those are trance techniques, while rope is an exit technique. I really don't recommend you do any rope after you've done all the techniques up in CD6. Using rope as a trance technique trains you not to exit when you try to use it as an exit technique. It's counter-programming, IMO. Energy body loosening utilizes energy work to loosen your ebody so that when the exit attempt happens it is halfway there or already happening. There are a few that you learn through MAP, like 'balloon breathing' and out-of body bouncing, my favorite. Maybe you haven't gotten to those yet.

I haven't spent nearly as much time on those. Perhaps I need to work on those more so that they become as second nature as the energy raising.

At least work on them long enough that you get a favorite method.

Additionally, (using MAP's terminology), I'd say that I get into the light trance state really commonly now, and probably somewhere between light and full trance state less commonly, and rarely to the full trance state. I haven't spent much time during the sleeping state attempting CD 6 as I've been trying to dicipline my mind to get into the trance state at will. Is that maybe a problem? Relaxation hasn't been a problem at all, but perhaps I'm not raising enough energy into the primary chakras ...

No, you will get to those when it's time to do so. The primary chakras are not as important as most people believe- and when you do energy techniques like the full-body circuit you are giving them stimulation, even though it may not be apparent to you.

raising enough energy to really feel energy stimulation in the primary centers has been much more difficult than in the secondary centers. Energy flows really well through my secondary chakras, but getting enough energy to really kick the primaries up has been difficult or at least I don't think I'm at the point where I'm drawing enough energy to really stimulate the primaries now. I get some primary stimulation, but nowhere near as much stimulation as the secondaries.

This is fairly normal- the primaries are not as sensitive as the secondaries, unless there is some underlying issue. A lot of people report nothing at all in the base center, and too much sensitivity in the third eye region. Of course, this is all individual and it changes. So don't worry about that.

I appreciate the help. I can really see how everything has to be just right to really make this happen.

At least at first.

[Steve]

CFTTraveler, during two really early mornings now merely upon waking, I think I might have had some sort of astral sight but I'm not really sure as I've never had this happen before. Does one really have to be on the verge of sleep/awake to make this happen? (i.e. astral sight or projection) The MAP CD set sort of implies as such. Is it "reasonably" possible to merely gain enough mental control over one's body to project or is it just plain easiest to practically be asleep? The difficulty w/ being nearly asleep/awake is knowing whether or not this is "real".

[CFTraveler]

CFTTraveler, during two really early mornings now merely upon waking, I think I might have had some sort of astral sight but I'm not really sure as I've never had this happen before. Does one really have to be on the verge of sleep/awake to make this happen? (i.e. astral sight or projection)

Well, it depends. I've had astral sight when I was completely awake (and ruined it by opening my eyes) but I've never projected from the state of having astral sight. I have gone on to project on the same night but not at the same time. In my opinion astral sight is something that happens when the pineal gland lights up, and it's not necessarily a part of projection- but it certainly is prevalent in people that project. So the connection is there- maybe in a functional way.

The MAP CD set sort of implies as such. Is it "reasonably" possible to merely gain enough mental control over one's body to project or is it just plain easiest to practically be asleep?

It is indeed possible to project awake- I have done it but it is very difficult- the amount of energy it takes to separate without moving is not necessarily 'doable' if you're a beginner, IMO. It is possible, but after some experience. Of course this is a 'rule' that probably has lots of exceptions.

The difficulty w/ being nearly asleep/awake is knowing whether or not this is "real".

I think 'real' is not something you're looking for here- the myriads of types of projections will give you a range of experiences that will go from the 'concrete' (and verifiable) to the completely mental and esoteric- so I say you'll eventually get your validations if you approach it as a discipline and don't attach too much specific expectation from it.

[Steve]

I think I've figured out my problem but am uncertain how to fix it. Regardless of the time of day I attempt to project and regardless of how tired my body is, I'm unable to project my presence outside my physical vehicle. All of the energy raising is great but there is a direct feedback via the part of the physical vehicle being stimulated. Moreover, relaxation has feedback as well because if your mind drifts off or you tense you will ultimately feel/sense either of these things happening. However, there is no feedback when one attempts to project their awareness outside of the body and I'm uncertain how to fix this.

Suggestions? Thanks much.

[CFTraveler]

However, there is no feedback when one attempts to project their awareness outside of the body and I'm uncertain how to fix this.

Suggestions? Thanks much.

Actually, most of the meditative work associated with binaurals (and just plain meditation and trance work) is about learning how to recognize the trance state. There is feedback if you learn how to tell how the deep trance state feels.
There can be obvious symptoms (like vibrations, feeling dizzy/floaty, visual hypnagogic imagery, remote viewing episodes, and/or astral sight, auditory hypnagogics ranging from astral noise to actual voices,) but there can also be just a slight feeling of being 'different', and this is what you want to work towards. The recognition of the deep trance state, since feedback is ever-changing.
That's why I always recommend after trance work and energy body loosening, to cultivate the observer state, engage in what is called 'noticing', and make it part of the projection attempt. For more information of what the noticing state is, go to the post entitled "How to phase or phasing made simple", in the OBE Research and Discussions thread, and you'll see it described. (It's a stickied thread.)

There is an exercise I like to do when I don't have enough time for a full projection but enough time to reach trance, and is to get me to the 'falling asleep' state, and as soon as I get any feeling of weirdness/change I wake myself up and do it again repeatedly- this trains you to familiarize yourself with it. When you do this enough times you can get the feel of slipping into trance, which is very helpful when you want to take it all the way.