Sleep paralysis and astral projection

I've had sleep paralysis for the past decade (since I was 10). For me it always occurs before waking, often when there's a light source in the room, and when I'm very tired. I've only had hallucinations due to sleep paralysis once or twice, and that was when I was younger. Since then I've learned to tolerate it, and found ways to wake up properly from it, such as doing maths in my head, and generally trying to remind my body that my mind is awake. For that is what sleep paralysis is - a state in which the body is asleep and the mind is awake.
I was reading up on astral projection recently, and I read that sleep paralysis is exactly the state you need to be in to astrally project! Since then I've had two sleep paralysis episodes: on the first I forgot to try, and on the second I just felt trapped in my body, and wanted to get up. However, for those of us who suffer from sleep paralysis and who would like to try astral projection, we could turn this curse into a blessing. Has anyone ever managed to use sleep paralysis to astrally project? There is a theory that sometimes we do this when we have illusions of getting up and doing things during sleep paralysis. What do you think?

I'd love to express what I think, but it would be against Terms of Service....

Personally i think the brain is fantastic It can make us feel and beleive anything.

I dont beleive in a person having a spirit or soul, so therefore i dont beleive in astral projection. Im sure people wholeheartedly beleive that they can do this. They are doing me no harm so live and let live.

Im far too scientific to beleive.

then why read this?

PM me then, RIP Van Winkle I am not a moderator an not tied to the stringent codes which they have.

Je comrends Francais.

The projection of the information matrix that is often referred to as our "soul" or "self" or "spirit" is quite possible even if you choose not to use the many religious systems available. Some scientists claim all information in the universe is available from everywhere else in the universe, some claim quantum non-locality allows for mental powers of many sorts, what symbols one chooses to attatch to that information in order to understand it would be irrelevant so long as it is interpreted with some accuracy. "astral projection" is one way of describing how you talk to yourself, others may use cardboard clipouts to read the same information, yet others a pendulum, still others clearaudience, it only depends on your preferance and predisposition what works for you.

It doesn't matter what words are used to describe what "really" happens, and personally I doubt very much it's the spirit of god that moves through us for instance(I've my own theories of course), only that we allow some way for the information to filter through to us.

I belive science will eventually find words for many of the things claimed by mystics and miracle workers, parapsychologists and poets and priests. The words will be different from those used by the shamans and all the others, but they will say the same thing. It won't be called "magic" any more, but it will work the same way. Those things that science doesn't eventually find don't exsist, but I have greater faith in science than to think it has reached its pinnacle yet.

Because I help run the place, and I kinda have to. Also, I was wondering what rubbish was being spouted about astral projection.

sleepyhead,

i think you are on a useful path

the brain is a mysterious organ that has many paralells to the universe

there is a lot of information available on astral projection and transcendental
meditation at the library

use what you read

try not to get snared in belief and follow your experiences

i would say that if you speak to most people about your gift

you will be judged as crazy or something by doubters and pigeon-holers

if you do speak out, you will need to develop warrior-like defenses

someone that has similar higher mental abilities as you is near

trust that person as far as you feel you can

there will be many setbacks

welcome them

they will strengthen your abilities

Thanks, but I've been reading about astral projection for years, and everything I've read was slightly different. However there have been some constants:
- belief in god, spirit etc. isn't necessary
- having a reason for trying to astrally project helps a lot (a reason YOU judge to be good, and not one that someone else chooses for you)
- strict dedication is absolutely necessary
- it helps to have regular sleeping patterns, a balanced diet etc. (though in my opinion these two factors can help you do anything)
- finally, the state you need to be in: mind awake, body asleep.
I'm going to get off the subject here to explain something. Personally, I believe that if science doesn't find an explaination for all psychic and "magical" phenomena, it's because humanity won't have time to work it all out before armageddon, the end of the world etc. However I'm more open-minded on science and magic than other people tend to be. I've read a bit on new physics, and from what I've understood (and from what my mother has explained to me... she's more scientific than I am) there are certain new theories. For instance, the world is made entirely out of energy and dark matter. And that there is a type of particle that has been discovered which reacts to our expectations when we examine it. I won't go into all this because I'm not an expert, but if it's true, then for me magic can definitely exist.
I have 2 definitions of magic. When magic happens, for instance when we pray or visualize something happening, then 2 things happen simultaneously:
1) reality slightly reacts to our thoughts and certain things change to make what we want happen, and
2) our attitude/mindset changes so that we imperceptibly make these changes happen. So magic is not only a matter of physics, it's a matter of psychology too.
Getting back to astral projection, I believe we're not nearly advanced enough in science to begin to understand what is happening when we astrally project. I believe that there is a part of us called the astral body which can be detatched from the physical body before death, but keeping a link between the two, so that we don't actually die or run any risk of dying. This is pure theory, and there's no way anyone can prove it; however, it's the general theory behind astral projection. As for the relation to sleep paralysis, I'm putting forward a theory I read recently and asking what you think about it. I'll repeat the theory: that sleep paralysis is the state you need to be in to astrally project, which is as I said before, body asleep, mind awake.
Now, before telling me that I'm spouting rubbish and I don't know what I'm talking about, I ask you again: what do you think of this theory?

is that not giving youre opinion????????????????

not sure if i actually believe in astral projection. could it not just be an over active imagination?

It might be, but that would leave a lot of wierd phenomena that happens during it unexplained. There have been tests done on astral projection, though in documentaries that speak of these they use the term OBE or OOBE (Out Of Body Experience) to describe it, probably because it sounds less incredible. It'd easier for people to believe that humans can have an astral form but that there is only one physical world, that for them to believe that there is a whole other astral world overlapping the physical. I saw something once where tests had been made during sleep (apparently we astrally project often while sleeping, only we don't realize it because our mind is asleep too) on a woman in America. The woman slept in a room, monitored by a lot of electrical equipment, and observed by a camera. On top of a very high wardrobe at the other end of the room there was a small piece of paper with a 5-figure number on it. For a few days nothing happened, and then one morning she came out of the room and quoted the number. It was impossible for her to have known any other way, and the documentary went on to say how the OBE seemed to happen during very REM sleep or something... I can't remember, I saw it a few years ago, but studies have been made on the subject, which means that the whole scientific world isn't rejecting it as total rubbish.

go inside relativity

outside brings skepticism and negativity

after you get somewhere

there will be plenty of time to share

Sorry, but do you always talk in riddles? If I've understtod well, then that meant that I shouldn't listen to what other people think and just make my own decisions. It's not a bad idea as such, but if I listen to what other people have to say then they might come up with a possibility that I hadn't thought of.
I didn't get the "time to share" bit though.

I have trouble astral projecting. I tried many steps (meditation, sleep paralysis, etc.), and nothing worked. Perhaps maybe you can help me. Any of you who astral projected before, if you happen to bump into any of the spirits of the astral plane, couldn't you mind asking him "There's this guy, who calls himself Heavenlover22 on theforumsite.com. He says he has trouble getting to the astral plane. If you could, while he's dreaming in his sleep, may you pull him out and take him there? That will be helpful." Please?