Welcome to the forum LucidCunning ,
So lovely to read of your experiences and theories. You are certainly reading the right literature to master astral projection. First hand experience is the only satisfying way of knowing .

I don’t know how long you’ve been practicing OBEs and I don’t know if we will all encounter the same so its important to yourself to do what works best for you as you seem to be doing.

Enjoy them, record them and just maybe one day during an experience you may have something happen or do something you hadn’t thought of doing but it was a good move . You may start to wonder “who did that”? Or think “ how cool was that”

You may start to think someone or something is helping you but out of sight.

You may even stop visiting the RTZ and this is when a whole new chapter begins.

The inward projection from the brow has the feeling of leaving the body , I would sense going upwards, sideways, downwards but later read that this feeling of moving was in fact the expansion of ones consciousness.
I miss very much the climbing out of body step by step, or seeing my legs dangling in the air above my physical because I’d loosened my legs first because of all the pre- stimulation of the feet I had been doing.

look forward to hearing more. Oh and just a comment about the Flat Earthers. I’ve never looked into their theories but obviously have heard of them . I doubt if NASA want to spend any time on trying to convince anyone. They are more interested in forging ahead with new discoveries.
Just like you, and many more.