Shifting your state. A Crystal Boat?

[josh]

I noticed that in order for me to pass from the crown chakra to the void space in my brow/tunnel that I have to go through all this really nasty dense mental crap. But in order to actually do that my awareness has to be compressed into this super tight white crystal state. Like a crystal boat.

I am curious with what ease other people can shift their states? It seems like it is extremely easy for me to move upward or outward from the void state. But bringing my awareness down into my body below the brow is a real struggle. I can do it where I get intense sensations in the body but I can only see a resulting mental shift to a limited degree -- basically I can only go so far. It's like I can't go as far as I'd like, only as far as I can. I am wondering maybe I can use the crystal boat to move through anything dense?

I notice if I try to shift through too much stuff too quickly that my mind gets these shocks or cracks in it.

Does anyone know anything about this crystal boat or transforming your awareness as a requirement to moving it? I dislike the slowness of having to shift layer by layer.

[Xanth]

I'm not quite following what you're actually trying to do... don't suppose you could clear that up a bit please?

[Beekeeper]

In tackling your post, I am hopeful that we are at least talking about the same things at least some of the time.

So you energy work from the crown down? It sounds like we have very different approaches. I obtain focus levels after energy work or during a separate meditation practice. I've ceased entering with expectations unless I'm accessing information for someone else. I just lie (this is my preference- I don't generally fall asleep) and wait with empty mind. I don't think in terms of crown or third eye. I seem to just move through "layers" for want of a better term. It's not so much that I go anywhere else but that I become a different environment.

I am curious with what ease other people can shift their states?

This, for me, is very dependent on the degree of busyness in my life and when I am doing my meditation. Sometimes it's very easy and sometimes I cannot maintain the state, often because I shift focus levels unintentionally. I can't even say it's always a stray thought that causes the shift to another level because I'm usually beyond thought - at least the type that involves thinking in words. It's just a control thing perhaps. I suppose it'll eventually improve with further practice. I'm not concerned with it because I find it best not to attach too much to what happens or what I obtain from the experience.

I can do it where I get intense sensations in the body but I can only see a resulting mental shift to a limited degree -- basically I can only go so far. It's like I can't go as far as I'd like, only as far as I can. I am wondering maybe I can use the crystal boat to move through anything dense?

Are you talking about projecting "out" of the body at this point? In any case, there'd be no harm in experimenting with your crystal boat, I'm sure.

Does anyone know anything about this crystal boat or transforming your awareness as a requirement to moving it? I dislike the slowness of having to shift layer by layer.

I've had a number of near out of bodies recently starting with dream boats (or other vehicles acting as boats). So, I think your subconscious is presenting you with a tailored solution to your quest. Moving it should be a matter of willing, I should imagine, however, I'm guessing you've tried that. Perhaps your thinking is so conditioned that this seems too simple. All you can do is experiment. Imaginary oars might be a starting place, if you haven't tried already.

I dislike the slowness of having to shift layer by layer.

I like it . It seems everything else in life is fast. Passing through layers of consciousness is just so peaceful.

[josh]

Yeah I can move "out" into other people or objects easily since I am highly empathic. Mostly I work from the brow I think.

I was just wondering about hardening up my awareness in order to move into deeper parts of myself that seem more dense. It might just be more appropriate to try and soften those areas up with energy work.

I guess a big question I have for you would be: if you work on your abdomen/second chakra do you feel like your brow gets overloaded at all?

I have a really difficult time doing any energy work and not overloading my brow area.

You don't need to think to shift? I like using my thoughts to do it since then it makes my intention explicit and makes it less likely for me to accidentally do it unconsciously.

To Xanth: My original point was: if I take an out of body empathic experience (that is from or beyond my crown) and then want to come back down into my head/body I have to intensely pressurize my awareness into a crystal like ship before I can accomplish it.

Beekeeper: I think you're right about projecting outwards. That is the only real way I could test the idea is to see if I can shift from layer A to layer C without passing through layer B (and without creating shocks). I also wonder if thinking about this stuff in terms of layers is a huge limitation. I know my mind/ego has that construct as a major component.

[Beekeeper]

I was just wondering about hardening up m]y awareness in order to move into deeper parts of myself that seem more dense. It might just be more appropriate to try and soften those areas up with energy work.

I cannot comment on this from my own experience (others still may) but I can say in a general way that different people experiment with their own energy bodies and find all kinds of creative ways to progress.

I guess a big question I have for you would be: if you work on your abdomen/second chakra do you feel like your brow gets overloaded at all?

Not overloaded but I noticed fairly early in energy work that regardless of the chakra I was focussed on if I shifted attention I'd realise that I could detect energy moving elsewhere. What was and still can be a problem for me at times was strong energy sensations when I wasn't actively raising energy. Actually, this isn't so much a problem in itself unless it starts releasing strong emotions all of a sudden or causing electrical disturbances. Taking a break from energy work and/or grounding is the answer if this occurs.

You don't need to think to shift? I like using my thoughts to do it since then it makes my intention explicit and makes it less likely for me to accidentally do it unconsciously.

Well, no, you don't need to think, though clearly you begin a meditation with the intention of attaining deep levels of trance. I do think when I shift out of body but it's not a lot of thinking if you do it at the right moment. Then again, I have just found myself "out" without remembering the exit.

We do seem to be talking about different things at different times in this discussion. Sometimes we seem to be discussing trance, sometimes raising energy, energy blocks and overactive chakras.

[josh]

Just an interesting addendum:

If I open the crown chakra somewhat then I don't experience the cracking sense when I move my awareness deep into something. In other words, I only get the sensations of "cracks" if I am in the void state (as my base) before I shift to another state. Seems like if you allow the energy to flow up into the crown it prevents painful cracking...

[Beekeeper]

Excellent discovery, Josh.