tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79415774513702994402024-03-05T03:32:45.813-08:00My Departed MindExplorations in consciousness.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-84150333046544611912015-01-19T10:50:00.001-08:002015-01-19T10:52:06.804-08:00Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2wMcpD5KkhfPBH9vWPxSYGILPjl3e2mphNhi-HHqSs5G4u-ZUe4bf9Dc_6FqEQ4YpzTjY5qL5Y_zaI1s2Fap6jF38zJILjVRz-hEEXwRieqYqsko9mvpJFcnCEeirKdyvzpv80JexS1v/s1600/plasma_white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2wMcpD5KkhfPBH9vWPxSYGILPjl3e2mphNhi-HHqSs5G4u-ZUe4bf9Dc_6FqEQ4YpzTjY5qL5Y_zaI1s2Fap6jF38zJILjVRz-hEEXwRieqYqsko9mvpJFcnCEeirKdyvzpv80JexS1v/s1600/plasma_white.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.... The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.</i>"<br />
<br />
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<br />
"Strength to Love" (1963)<br />
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"<i>Look how he abused me and beat me,</i><br />
<i>How he threw me down and robbed me."</i><br />
<i>Live with such thoughts and you live in hate.</i><br />
<i>"Look how he abused me and beat me,</i><br />
<i>How he threw me down and robbed me."</i><br />
<i>Abandon such thoughts and live in love.</i><br />
<i>In this world</i><br />
<i>Hate never yet dispelled hate.</i><br />
<i>Only love dispels hate.</i><br />
<i>This is the law,</i><br />
<i>Ancient and inexhaustible.</i>"<br />
<br />
-Gautama Buddha<br />
"The Dhammapada"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-68526924397201479092014-09-15T16:22:00.001-07:002014-09-15T16:22:59.390-07:00Consciousness Without Brain Activity: Near Death Experiences<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/J_qBIw7qyHU" width="459"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-75055424919457039692014-08-02T14:27:00.001-07:002020-01-06T19:39:26.063-08:00<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Consciousness Exploration Journal</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">7/19/2014</span></div>
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<span class="s1">An out-of-body and lucid dreaming group recently agreed to attempt to meet at the Statue of Liberty in the out-of-body state. Below is my attempt. No solid evidential data arose from the experiment. However, there were a few interesting synchronicities. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>I had been inside of a store shopping. I came outside to the parking lot, but was having trouble finding my car. I pressed the unlock button on the keychain and followed the chirp. I eventually found my car stuck in a nearby dirt lot. It looked as though somebody had taken it for a joy ride and then stripped it for parts. The more I examined the car, the more I realized that it looked nothing like my actual car. The surreal nature of the event struck me and I instantly became fully lucid. I quickly tried to recall what task I had planned to carry out. After a moment, I remembered, “the Statue of Liberty!” At that thought, I flew into the air and out of the setting. I zoomed through darkness for a few minutes. While flying through the darkness, I began to become aware of my body as it slept in bed. The typical vibrations were present. Putting too much attention on my physical sensations caused the OBE/LD to begin fading. I quickly refocused on the Statue of Liberty and continued on my way. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>I eventually arrived and flew directly into the statue. I flew up and into the inside of the very top of the torch. I sat there, a bit crammed, on a small white ledge. My legs hung through a square access hole. After a few moments, I noticed what looked like fire at the bottom of the statue. It began rising toward me. By the time the fire reached the raised arm of the statue, it looked more like bubbling lava. The lava crept closer. There was no sense of urgency and I was not frightened. I made a lazy effort to cool the lava and fire with my intent. My attempt made a slight difference, but the lava continued to rise. Perplexed, I thought to myself, “there must be some meaning to this.” At that thought, I heard Tom Campbell’s voice say, “why don’t you just ask.” So I did. I mentally asked, “what is the meaning of the fire? What is the purpose?” The reply that I got back was somewhat garbled. I asked for a resend. This time I received the reply mostly telepathically. The message, as I interpreted it, was that the fire and lava were to encourage me to go outside of the statue instead of hanging out on the inside. Chuckling to myself, I took the hint and moved down to the grass around the statue. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>It was nighttime. There was a parking lot nearby full of cars. The ground level around the statue was bustling with people. I noticed a man walking across the top of a bike rack like a tight rope walker. He fell and landed on the bar. He seemed to be okay, so I continued walking around. There were too many people to ask each one if they were from the OBE/LD group so I decided to hold up a sign that read, “OBE/LD.” I walked around the base of the statue holding the sign above my head and shouting, “OBE/LD!” After gaining mostly blank stares from eight or so people, I noticed a small group talking under a tree or some type of overhang. I approached them with my sign and said, “OBE/LD?” I instantly understood that they were there for the same reason and were part of the OBE/LD group. There were two women and two men. One or two of them had just been smoking - the smell of cigarette smoke was still lingering in the air. The men were both slim and fairly tall. The women were shorter and perhaps a touch heavy. Everybody seemed to be under 35 or so. The two men were maybe in their mid 20’s. We were all shimmering with excitement and a bit dumbfounded as to what to do next. We began discussing (mainly non-verbally) how we could identify each other for later verification. A few ideas were tossed around, but none seemed worthy. I began trying to focus on identifying each of the four members. As I did this, a cartoon character appeared on each of their shirts. The characters were mostly non-specific and didn’t seem to help much. In hindsight, I should have payed more attention to the specific traits of each cartoon character. I sensed that the others were doing the same identification attempt on me, so I looked down at my shirt. My shirt turned a very intense yellow. On it was a fairly simple character with large, cartoon eyes. Very suddenly, the experience ended and I found myself waking up in bed and needing to use the restroom. </i></span></div>
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Follow up:<br />
Several days after this experience, one of the members of the out of body and lucid dreaming group posted a picture of himself standing in front of the statue of liberty. Directly behind him were two temporary, metal gates. The gates looked identical to what I assumed was a bike rack in my experience. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-33831090288429275192014-06-03T10:00:00.000-07:002014-06-06T14:03:01.140-07:00<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Consciousness Exploration Journal</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">6/3/2014</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>I woke up at 3:14am and had trouble falling back to sleep. Eventually, I caught myself drifting. I began playing with the edge of being asleep and awake. I moved in and out of the beginnings of sleep paralysis. My body eventually drifted off to sleep and I floated “out” and into my bedroom. I walked around the house for a bit. A.D. and H.G. were on the couch sleeping (though I knew that this was not actually the case - both were in their beds). N.M. was in his room but had fallen out of bed and onto a pile of clothes in a laundry basket (also not the case - there was no laundry basket in his bedroom). I went back to A.D. and tried to wake her. I wanted to experiment and see if she would have any recollection of seeing me in her dreams, etc. She eventually woke up. I explained to her what I was doing and asked if she would try to remember this in the morning. She said that she would try. As I continued through the house, the state began to fade. I vigorously clapped my hands together in an attempt to maintain the state. I alternated between rubbing my hands together and clapping. I focused my full attention on holding the state. Though the state continued to fade, my awareness remained solid. I decided that I had better get to work exploring while I had the chance. I expressed an intent that I wanted to interact with a helpful being, guide, etc. I tried to let go of any expectations as to what might happen. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Some time passed. Slowly, an interior setting began to materialize around me. On the floor to my left was a tiny kitten. I gently picked it up. As I pet the kitten, a woman with a baby walked in front of me. Then another woman. Slowly, the room filled and was eventually bustling with people. It looked to be some sort of gallery or art opening. I bumped into a man slightly younger than myself. Telepathically I asked him if these people were all aspects of a guide. His reply was not fully clear, but it seemed that perhaps the people were all aspects of me - or my “higher self” (the idea being that they were previous lives and lessons learned, etc). He led me to a room as if to show me something important. We walked into a booth of sorts with a window. On the other side of the window was an exhibit of some kind. In it, an animatronic dinosaur was investigating a dark hole in the wall. Coming out of the hole were dark tentacles. After some time, the display reset and started again. I began to get a strange feeling from the man causing me not to fully trust him. It became clear that he didn’t really have anything useful to share. Frustrated, I left. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Back in the main room, I bumped into a large man. He had a scowl on his face and seemed to be some sort of bully. After staring me down, he turned and made a tiny drawing on the wall. I walked closer to see what it was. It was a small grumpy face. I looked at the man. I wasn’t sure what to make of him, but it was clear that he wasn’t interested in helping me. He was the bad apple of the crowd no doubt. Later, I ran into a little old lady. She seemed to be in charge to some degree and was busy helping other people. She led me down a hall by the hand saying very gently something like, “come this way Justin.” The next thing I knew, I was waking up in bed. </i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-75188912971418767092014-05-14T13:55:00.000-07:002014-06-06T14:05:46.884-07:00<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Consciousness Exploration Journal</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">5/14/2014</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>I was listening to <a href="http://www.thelovitcenter.com/">The Lovit Center’s</a> binaural beat track. I was drifting in and out of awareness. I began to have short dream vignettes and decided to just let myself drift toward sleep. I moved through several dream settings - not fully aware or lucid. I found myself driving in Los Alamos, NM. Still being partly aware that I had been meditating in bed, I was surprised how much it felt like I was really moving along in the car. At this thought, I became fully aware and lucid. I thought of my body lying in bed. My awareness left the dream setting and was back in my body. The sense of rapid movement remained. The typical vibrations were present along with some distant voices, music, buzzing, etc. I ignored these sensations and focused my full attention on floating up “out” of my body. I felt vague sensations of floating and even sitting up, but I still seemed to be too “connected.” I focused every bit of my intent that I could muster on “leaving” my body. I became distracted by the sound of my breathing. It was very deep and rhythmic as if I was asleep. Though I could hear my breathing, I felt completely separate from it. It was very much like listening to somebody else breath. Focusing on the breathing sound brought me fully back to my sleeping body. Vibrations were still present. I noticed that my mouth felt very dry. I closed my mouth and adjusted my tongue to relieve the discomfort. When I did, the vibrations subsided and I returned to being fully aware in my body. I should know better. Any focus on the body will almost always take me right back to it. I could have lived with a dry mouth. It is interesting to note how very different it feels to be aware while seemingly disconnected from the body. Though the level of awareness can be the same when connected or disconnected, the “feel” is very different. Perhaps it is analogous to the noticeably different feel of being in the tropics versus being in the desert.</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-87572811677251867022014-04-14T13:52:00.000-07:002014-06-06T14:07:38.569-07:00<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Consciousness Exploration Journal</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">4/14/2014</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><i>I was floating along a very strange landscape. There was a glowing structure in the distance to my side. The bizarreness of the structure caused me to become fully lucid. I gathered my composure and watched as the landscape shifted to being that of the interior of a store. I began flying through the store, brushing past various objects and touching items with my hands as I zipped by. The environment felt exceptionally vivid and real. I don’t recall what happened after this, but at some point later, I found myself outside of a gas station. I was fully lucid but was allowing the story to unfold on its own. A woman and man were talking. The woman was breaking up with the man. I felt a strong attraction to the woman, but reminded myself to focus on being helpful. I went with her to the boyfriend’s apartment to help her move out. While there, she asked me to reinstall a strange looking smoke detector. My recall is fuzzy after that point. </i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-36931019555338939212014-04-10T18:46:00.000-07:002014-04-10T18:47:48.778-07:00Scientific Beliefs <div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>"We routinely adjust our interpretation of events and our scientific theories to satisfy the dogmatic requirements of our beliefs. Theories that violate our cultural and scientific beliefs are preposterous by definition and are not taken seriously by the majority of scientists. Our beliefs set the boundaries and define the limits of our science - they always have and any reasonably accurate history of science will verify that fact. Most scientists, from pre-history to the present day, feel that though belief obviously blinded their forbearers, it does not seriously inhibit their own clear vision. As time passes, the belief-blindness of those who came before appears more and more ridiculous yet current belief blindness remains as invisible as ever. If you think that we of the modern world - we who have come so far in our understanding and knowledge - are no longer seriously and dramatically limited by our beliefs, you are mistaken."</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">-Tom Campbell, <b>My Big TOE</b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-46093197788558604952014-03-20T06:30:00.000-07:002014-04-10T19:03:21.059-07:00<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Consciousness Exploration Journal</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">3/20/2014</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>I suddenly became lucid. I had no recollection of any dream occurring before becoming lucid. I just suddenly became fully aware. D.Y. was with me. I looked at him and said, “this is a dream.” I repeated it a few times. Finally, he said something to the effect of, “yea, well, we’ll have to see about that one.”</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Later, in another dream, I was in the bedroom of our old town home. I came out of the dark bedroom and instantly became lucid. There was a pretty woman just outside the door. She appeared to know that I was becoming lucid - she seemed to be “in on it” in some way. I walked by her and on down the stairs to the lower level. M.D., A.Y., and some others were down stairs. We were waiting for S.H. to arrive so we could celebrate her birthday. At several points, I felt myself loosing the experience and had to focus my attention on various items in the room to keep my awareness there. It seemed to help. At one point, I had a seemingly random thought that there was a “devil” upstairs in the bedroom. I also remembered that the pretty lady was up there. I was surprised by the seemingly random way that this thought popped into my head. I opted to simply ignore the thought. It seemed to work. Interestingly, the image/thought that I had of the devil creature looked just like the one that I saw as a child at a haunted house. The image of the devil costume stuck in my 4 year old brain. At that time, I remember having to verify with my mom that the devil (costume) was not actually real. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>In another dream, I was finishing a day of snow skiing. N.Y. was going down a very steep slope with me. I was showing her how to get down safely. At the bottom, I met up with the rest of our group. It was a very large group of 20 or so people - all people that I “knew” (in the dream anyway). As we began crossing a large bridge, I became lucid. I mostly kept the lucidity to myself and just followed along with the group over the bridge. I remember somebody smoking cloves and enjoying the smell. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Sometime after the above dream, I woke up to blackness. I easily moved into a sleep paralysis state. Sleep paralysis was mild with only small bits of voices, sounds, and buzzing. There was a flashing blue light to the upper left of my vision - that was new. I eventually “left” my body and floated around in the darkness for a long time. I didn’t have much control. I do recall flying some short distances from time to time, but mostly, I just drifted. I remember making noises for some reason and realizing that I was probably also actually making them in my sleep. I can’t recall all that occurred in the darkness. It seemed to last for a fair amount of time. I do recall at a few points being somewhat uneasy and wondering if I should be frightened. Being tired of such thoughts during these experiences, I clearly expressed that I was not stopping. I was sticking with the experience no matter what happened. I paused at one point to send out a very strong “signal” of gratitude. I didn’t have any real sense of having a body or form, but I had the clear idea or concept of folding my hands together and getting on my knees. In a very powerful and booming voice, I sent out, “thank you for all that you have giving me.” It felt very strong and clear. The powerfulness of the voice was surprisingly foreign to me, but it was mine. I repeated the signal several times. Then, with the same approach, I sent out a request to receive guidance. I was not specific; it was just a general request. I suppose I meant guidance in my life in general and in relation to these experiences. In hindsight, I could have been more specific. For whatever reason, it feels like there is a clear connection in these void states with whatever it is that is “out” that there… God, source, the system, all-that-is, etc.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Sometime later, I had a dream in which I was sitting with A.Y., D.Y., S.H., etc and telling them about the lucid dreams above. I wanted to see if D.Y. remembered me trying to convince him that he was dreaming in the first dream. I didn’t get to finish finding out - or at least I don’t remember. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>I eventually woke up feeling somewhat exhausted. I rolled onto my side to signify that I was done playing for the night and slipped into a deep sleep. It is interesting that I became lucid in the town home dream as I walk from a dark room, through a doorway, and into the dream setting. In the dream involving skiing, I became lucid while crossing the bridge. Both could be considered metaphors for entering into a new realm or state of awareness. Always interesting. </i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-87717591656729919512014-01-31T12:36:00.004-08:002014-01-31T12:42:07.332-08:00"Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">"Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><br />
"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-56814637500425961672014-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:002014-02-12T13:26:40.864-08:00Mirror, Mirror...Consciousness Exploration Journal<br />
1/9/2014<br />
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<span class="s1"><i>I woke up to sleep paralysis. I relaxed into the sensations and eventually sat up and out of my body. My chickens were in the house. I picked one of them up to interact with her. She latched onto my finger with her beak and would not let go. I remained calm and ignored the slight discomfort. I had the impression that I had caused the bite - as if even the slightest underlying hint of the thought “what if the chicken bites me” somehow brought the situation into existence. I eventually set the chicken down. Wanting to investigate the experience more, I began to analyze the structure of my hands. Luminous, light blue lines created geometric patterns all over the surface of my skin. It struck me at the moment that the designs on the skin would make for an interesting element in a painting. After studying my hands for a bit, I decided to move on to something else. Just as I began considering what to do next, I was pulled by some invisible force back to my bedroom. I arrived at the doorway and saw my reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall. In the reflection I saw two men. One man was primarily in silhouette. The most notable feature was his glowing blue eyes (the same luminous blue that I had seen on my hands). The man behind him was much larger. His skin was dark and his hair was in dreadlocks. Though the two men looked nothing like me, I still had the clear sense that they were “me.” As I looked at the reflection of the two men, it felt natural somehow that they were my reflection. It was a very interesting sensation. I was eventually pulled back to my body.</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-79393165384995996892013-06-30T23:17:00.001-07:002013-06-30T23:17:24.208-07:00The General and The MonkI'm not sure of the origin or accuracy, but I have always loved this tale:<br />
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<i>In ancient times there was a conquering army going through villages wreaking havoc and mayhem. The soldiers killed indiscriminately and were especially harsh on the monks, taking special care to humiliate and torture them, before killing them. When the army arrived in a town the general asked for a report. His subordinate replied, “The population is subdued and terrified!” This gave the general some satisfaction. Then the subordinate continued, “In the local monastery all monks have fled, except one.”</i><br />
<i>Hearing this, the general became furious. He rushed to the monastery to meet the monk who dared defy him. When he saw the monk he pulled his sword out and pushed it towards his stomach and hissed in a low but terrifying voice, “Don’t you know who I am? Why, I could take this sword and run it through your belly without blinking my eye!”</i><br />
<i>The monk was not fazed, he replied gently, “And don’t you know who I am? I could have your sword run through my belly without blinking an eye.”</i><br />
<i>The general was awestruck. He sheathed his sword, bowed, and left without uttering another word.</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-89199505537423304162013-06-17T09:25:00.000-07:002013-08-09T16:11:21.501-07:00False AwakeningConsciousness Exploration Journal<br />
6/17/2013<br />
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<i>I was having and extensive dream about being in Joshua Tree. The dream ended, and I woke up to vibrations. I encouraged the vibrations until I was eventually able to get up "out" of my body. My bedroom was much different than normal. I walked over to a large mirror that was along one wall. I started to get lost in the vastness of the reflection, so I moved away from the mirror and decided to attempt to observe some data that I could verify later. I began to head out of the bedroom, but as I began to turn the door handle, I found myself back in bed with vibrations. Knowing that it would be a distraction later, I opted to get up and use the restroom before trying to explore more. While in the bathroom, it struck me that I should do a reality check to make sure that I was actually awake. I quickly realized that I was not actually in the bathroom, and found myself again in bed with vibrations. I was able to determine that I was partly awake in my actual room. I encouraged the vibrations and began to get the sensations of sleep paralysis. They slowly increased. I normally experience sleep paralysis on my back, but this time I was laying on my side and slightly curled up. I felt some pain with the vibrations - especially around my ribs. It was not overly uncomfortable, and I recognized that it was just an aspect of the sleep paralysis. I tried to ignore the discomfort and focus in of the various noises that were slowly building in the distance. The distraction of still needing to use the restroom was too great, so I stopped the state and got out of bed.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-82056568713830571352013-06-12T10:29:00.000-07:002013-06-18T10:32:46.670-07:00A Taste of EverythingConsciousness Exploration Journal<br />
6/12/2013<br />
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<span class="s1"><i>I woke up at 5:15am to meditate. I was in and out of various hypnogogic blips the whole time. I was struggling too much to maintain my awareness, so I took off the headphones and just let myself drift off. I repeated, "now I am out of body" as I fell asleep. At some point later, I suddenly became fully aware. I had the impression that "I" had just asked the question, "who am I." The answer that I was getting back was something like, "you are everything." I briefly found myself engulfed in what I might describe as white fuzz - it was a feeling of being a very powerful and active energy. The feeling was amazing and exhilarating, but at the same time, overwhelming. After only experiencing this briefly, I heard a yell as if somebody was falling off a cliff. The voice sounded like my own - and one that I have heard during sleep paralysis. The experience quickly ended after that. I am trying not to make any assumptions about the experience - I can only say that it felt very, very good. It seems likely that "I" was frightened by the sensation of loosing my identity (the yelling voice). Hard to say. I tried to settle into the experience again, but eventually drifted back to sleep. </i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-62350082405099747412013-05-05T13:41:00.000-07:002013-05-05T21:55:46.082-07:00Consciousness Art - "Data Streams"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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This painting deals with my experiences in shifting between normal, waking reality and the out-of-body state. Words don't always do much justice to the process. The title <i>Data Streams</i> comes from the idea that this process of transition feels very much like receiving multiple streams of input at the same time - until a complete transition is made in either direction. It has been overwhelming at times, but the experiences that follow are always worthwhile. At any rate, it feels something like this:<br />
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<i>Data Stream</i><br />
Oil on Canvas<br />
30" X 48"<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-23083136727203433522013-04-29T08:52:00.000-07:002013-04-29T08:58:30.410-07:00Dean Radin's Show Me Page<div class="tr_bq">
Dean Radin recently made the following comment on his <a href="http://deanradin.blogspot.com/">blog</a>:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="s1">Critics are fond of saying that's there is no scientific evidence for psi. They wave their fist in the air and shout, "Show me the evidence!" Then they turn red and have a coughing fit. In less dramatic cases a student might be genuinely curious and open-minded, but unsure where to begin to find reliable evidence about psi. Google knows all and sees all, but it doesn't know how to interpret or evaluate what it knows (at least not yet).</span><span class="s2"> </span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="s1">In the past, my response to the "show me" challenge has been to give the titles of a few <a href="http://www.deanradin.com/supernormal.htm"><span class="s3">books </span></a>to read, point to the bibliographies in those books, and advise the person to do their homework. I still think that this is the best approach for a beginner tackling a complex topic. But given the growing expectation that information on virtually any topic ought to be available online within 60 seconds, traditional methods of scholarship are disappearing fast.</span> </span></blockquote>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So I've created a <a href="http://www.deanradin.com/evidence/evidence.htm"><span class="s3">SHOW ME</span></a> page with downloadable articles on psi and psi-related topics, all published in peer-reviewed journals. Most of these papers were published after the year 2000. Most report experimental studies or meta-analyses of classes of experiments. I will continue to add to this page and flesh it out, including links to recent or to especially useful ebooks. This page may eventually become annotated, then multithreaded and hyperlinked, and then morph into a Wiki.</span></blockquote>
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Thank goodness for this list. The amount of evidence is overwhelming. It only took hundreds of years for people to accept the evidence that the earth was round and not flat. Luckily we are on internet time now, so the word spreads a bit faster. As Tom Campbell is fond of saying, "the truth is not fragile." Eventually everybody will see the elephant in the room. For now, we wait.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-104654805428163582013-04-13T11:20:00.000-07:002014-12-11T09:34:58.503-08:00Binaural Beats<br />
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Over the last few years, I have created, borrowed, and purchased various binaural beats to use as a meditation aid to consciously shift to the out-of-body state. Below are a few of the beats with which I have had some success. Finding a beat that works well for you is a matter of trial and error. So, the beats below may be useful for some, while not at all for others. </div>
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<span class="s1">If you are unfamiliar with binaural beats or want to know more, this post by Tom Campbell on the My Big TOE discussion forum is a great intro:</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.my-big-toe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5056&p=22957&hilit=binaural+beat#p22957" target="_blank">http://www.my-big-toe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5056&p=22957&hilit=binaural+beat#p22957</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Tom also discusses binaural beats in his Calgary lecture on youtube. The actual discussion begins around 5 minutes into the video. However, I would recommend just starting from the beginning as it contains pertinent information. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Also useful is wikipedia’s entry on the matter:</span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">About the binaural beat files: </span></div>
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<span class="s1">These tracks may cause sleep or deeply relaxed states. Do not listen to these files while driving or during other situations in which your full waking consciousness is required.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Each file contains a mix of the binaural beat tones, the sound of ocean waves, and white noise. All audio fades in very slowly (and out), so you will need to go to the middle of the track to set an appropriate volume level before beginning. A low volume will work fine - louder is not necessarily better. Use what is comfortable. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">At about 2 minutes into each track there is a light, single bass tone. This is a reminder to make sure that you are comfortable and to begin quieting your thoughts and letting go of any intellectual chatter. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">At around 35 minutes the binaural beat fades out. At 36 minutes, there are three short tones followed by a simple song played on a bass guitar. These tones are to help bring you back to full waking consciousness. The short song is to give you a few moments to reorient yourself. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The name of the files below represents the tone used and the difference in hertz. Example: "100_3_8.mp3" has a 100 hertz tone in one ear and a 103.8 hertz tone in the other ear. The result is a 3.8 hertz binaural beat. Remember to use headphones. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The files:</span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/100_3_8.mp3" target="_blank">http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/100_3_8.mp3</a></span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/200_3_8.mp3" target="_blank">http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/200_3_8.mp3</a></span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/300_3_8.mp3" target="_blank">http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/300_3_8.mp3</a></span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/400_3_8.mp3" target="_blank">http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/400_3_8.mp3</a></span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/500_3_8.mp3" target="_blank">http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/500_3_8.mp3</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">These last two files (below) were created by </span><span class="s4">Targobaath on the My Big TOE forum and are</span><span class="s1"> based on suggestions given to Tom Campbell by “Thor” (during Tom’s early years working with Bob Monroe). To listen to the audio in which this advice is given, you can visit the Explorer Series page on The Monroe Institute's website. The specific recording is entitled “Explorer Series # 16 Male/Female Principles Within the Self.” The instructions come up at about 8:25 in the audio. The Explorer Series are always interesting! </span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://www.monroeinstitute.org/resources/downloads/cat/explorer-series" target="_blank">http://www.monroeinstitute.org/resources/downloads/cat/explorer-series</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">For those that have some experiencing with binaural beats and/or meditation and don’t mind an abrupt start and end, this first version contains no ramping or fading. It is a solid 1 hour</span><span class="s5"> mix of a 200 Hz, 50 Hz, and 4 Hz binaural beat. </span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/Thor's%20Binaural%20Beat.mp3" target="_blank">http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/Thor's%20Binaural%20Beat.mp3</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">In the second version of the above file, the primary binaural beat ramps down over several minutes from 12 Hz to 4 Hz, and the other frequencies are slowly faded in. This can help aid a smooth transition in and out of the session. This version would be the better option if you are new to binaural beats or meditation.</span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/Thor's%20Binaural%20Beat%20Ver%202.mp3" target="_blank">http://snodart.com/snodpublic/BinauralBeats/Thor's%20Binaural%20Beat%20Ver%202.mp3</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">As Tom mentions in the video and post above, these binaural beats are just tools - comparable to training wheels. As you become more familiar with what at good meditative state “feels” like, you will no longer need them and will find that they can prevent further progress. However, they are a great way to jump start a good mediation practice and seem to work well for most people. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Happy exploring.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-44670567118999321742013-03-03T17:49:00.001-08:002013-03-03T17:53:34.578-08:00Welcome to your LifeI have heard and used several different analogies to describe and explain how this reality is a learning environment - a spiritual schoolhouse of sorts. The excerpt below from William Buhlman's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Soul-Out-Body-Experiences/dp/006251671X">The Secret of the Soul</a> is a great one to add to the list. It is an excellent book by the way.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Soul-Out-Body-Experiences/dp/006251671X">Secret of the Soul</a> by William Buhlman, page 80-81<br />
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<span class="s1"><i>Just for a moment, imagine that you live in a magnificent ethereal world of indescribable beauty - a world consisting of subtle energies, where every thought you create instantly molds and shapes the immediate environment around you. Imagine a perfect world where your thoughts instantly create any reality you choose. Whatever your heart desires is suddenly made manifest before you. It is a glorious land overflowing with living light, a land where death, disease, and limitations, are nonexistent. Imagine yourself in an ideal world where everyone is free to explore and develop their creative pursuits and experience their unlimited potential. Does this sound like heaven?</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Just think what an immature or undisciplined being could and would do in this ideal thought-responsive world. Picture the chaos and destruction that a single primitive mind could create. One undisciplined mind would wreak complete havoc, destroying the perfection of the subtle environments and the privacy of all the inhabitants. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Now for a moment imagine what kind of educational environment would be the perfect training ground for this undisciplined mind. What kind of school would you create to educate this primitive state of consciousness? What kind of lessons would effectively train this disruptive mind to coexist in the though-responsive heavenly dimensions?</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Welcome to the slowed-down molecular training ground of consciousness. Welcome to the dense training ground of matter, where focused thoughts are required in order to create and prosper. Welcome to the ideal environment where the young and undisciplined mind can learn by trial and error without contaminating the pure realm of spirit. Welcome to your life. </i></span></div>
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You can find out more about William Buhlman at his website: <a href="http://www.astralinfo.org/">http://www.astralinfo.org/</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-43421083650794507572013-03-03T08:59:00.001-08:002013-03-03T09:01:10.840-08:00The Path Interviews: William Buhlman<br />
This is one of my favorite clips of William Buhlman. It reminds me that going through the motions of every day life is akin to being in a dream. We have the opportunity to become lucid and aware in any experience - and in all cases the results are usually astounding.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fPCX1AH8JlM" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-20936615619758936732013-02-10T12:58:00.001-08:002013-03-22T10:52:55.301-07:00Sleep ParalysisBedeekin from the Astral Pulse forum took the time to create the following write-up about sleep paralysis. I have experienced sleep paralysis hundreds of times over the last 20 years. It was only in the last 8 years or so that I began to fully piece everything together in terms of what was occurring during these experiences. Based on my own direct experiences and research, not only is this write-up accurate, but it will no doubt be immensely helpful to those that are currently sorting our their own experiences with sleep paralysis. Many thanks to Bedeekin for his efforts.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">The text below was cut and pasted (with permission) from</span> <a href="http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_out_of_body_experiences/sleep_paralysis_the_whats_whys_and_wherefores-t38734.0.html">Bedeekin's post at Astral Pulse</a>.<br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">A little Introduction</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">First off I will tackle Sleep Paralysis (SP) also known as Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis (RISP) from its physical reality side rather than its NPR side. Both are intertwined at equal degree, but the sensations encountered are primarily physical in nature being interpreted by your NPR sensibilities. Put another way; it is a dual-consciousness state. The sensations felt and in turn manifested through NP interpretation can be very overwhelming. The function of this little article is to help you link those sensations to normal functions of the body and hopefully dissipate the fear commonly encountered. I have written about SP several times and therefore researched it for many years and will pull form those writings in order to construct this treatise with objective reasoning and available scientific information. I have also experienced it for a lot longer so can also assess the phenomena subjectively due to many years of experimentation. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">The cultural history of SP</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">SP comes under several names in modern western culture such as; Second State, Phase State and Vibrational or Vibratory state to name but a few. However our modern terms have nothing on the abundance of descriptions given to it by other cultures throughout history. The term <i>‘nightmare’</i> for instance, now used to describe a bad dream or unpleasant situation stems from an old English term of Germanic origin <i>‘maere’</i> meaning <i>‘Goblin’</i> or <i>‘Incubus’</i>. It wasn’t until the 1300s that it appeared as <i>‘nigt-mare’</i>, as a roughly shortened version of the descriptive<i> ‘the mare who comes in the night’</i>. Old English folk-law also used the term <i>‘The Old Hag”</i> and the process of this as being <i>‘Hag Ridden’</i>. It is thought that the Salem witch trials of 1692 that resulted in 19 executions and 150 accusations may have been fueled by locals reporting SP. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The perceived presence that often accompanies SP has been given many names and is often associated with the beliefs of the culture. In Turkey SP is called <i>Karabasan</i>, which means <i>“dark presser or assailant”</i> and the presence referred to as a <i>Djinn</i>, a nighttime demon of Islamic faith that can be banished by reciting certain lines of the <i>Qur’an</i>. Pakistan culture calls it <i>Bakhtak</i> or the <i>IfritIn</i> and is associated with black magic performed by enemies or jealous people. In Thai folk-law it is the <i>Phi Am</i>. The people of New Guinea refer to it a <i>Suk Ninmyo</i>, believed to originate from sacred trees that requires human essence to sustain its life yet is not thought of as evil in nature. In Hungarian folk culture SP is called <i>Lidércnyomás</i> and the presence is attributed to several entities such as <i>faeries</i>, <i>Wraiths</i> and <i>witches</i>. One is called <i>Ördögszeretö</i>, which means <i>‘Demon Lover’</i>.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Other cultures describe the crushing or pressing down sensation. In Japan SP is called <i>Kanishibari</i>, which literally means <i>‘Bound or fastened in metal’</i>. In Mongolian culture it is referred to by the verb-phrase <i>Khar Derakh</i>, meaning, <i>“to be pressed by the Black”</i> or “when the Dark presses”. In Vietnam it is called <i>ma dè</i> meaning ‘<i>held down by a Ghost”</i> or <i>bóng dè</i> meaning <i>“held down by a shadow”</i>. In Bangladeshi it is referred to as <i>boba</i> meaning <i>“Speechless”</i>. In Arabic culture SP is called <i>Kaboos</i>, which means <i>“pressers”</i>, or <i>Ja-thoom</i>, meaning <i>“what sits heavily on someone”</i>. These examples are a relatively small selection of many more cross cultural references. There are probably names for SP and their associated sensations for every culture throughout human history that have been lost. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">So what is Sleep Paralysis?</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Many people associate SP with being a necessity for experiencing NPMR. This is a fallacy. True, it is a direct route into the altered state of consciousness that IS ‘nonphysical’, but far too often it is lingered and pondered upon much to the distraction of the uninitiated. It can actually be said that SP is not meant to be experienced. If it were, there wouldn’t be a plethora of anesthetic mechanisms naturally put in place that cause us not to experience it. Usually SP is an unconscious process that happens when we enter REM sleep that inhibits us from acting out our non-physical incursions. It is a natural physical anesthetic. The medical term for this process is REM atonia (atonia meaning a lack of muscular tension). Being aware of this state that the body has put so much effort into concealing is what we experience as Sleep Paralysis. I will add here that sleepwalking isn’t an REM state phenomenon but rather takes place during Slow Wave Sleep State. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Why do I get Sleep Paralysis?</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">To understand why a little better we need to briefly discuss the sleep stages. When we go to sleep we enter 4 stages of slow wave or Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Stage1, also called transitional sleep lasts only a few minutes until it evolves into our “baseline” stage 2 sleep. It is from this stage that next 3 stages develop. Stage 2 takes up approximately 50 – 65% of our sleep time. Within 15 to 20 minutes we have slowly evolved into stage 3 then stage 4, which is marked by Delta Sleep that has the same brain wave pattern as a coma. After these stages that last approximately 20 – 30 minutes We suddenly slip back into a very brief stage 2 (which is often marked by what can be called a micro-wake) and almost immediately change gears into a the very active brain wave pattern known as Paradoxical or REM sleep. Our heart rate and respiration increases substantially and we lose our ability to use our skeletal muscles known as striated muscles.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Sleep Paralysis occurs when we have previously slept through our slow wave sleep stages and wake for a period before attempting sleep or during REM sleep without breaking brainwave pattern. This is not always the case and it takes the right amount of slow wave sleep and conditions for SP to manifest. SP usually follows after a period of wakefulness from slow wave sleep that is marked by Sleep Inertia. Put another way, one will most likely experience SP after waking up from a dreamless nap that leaves one groggy, itchy eyed, likely to want to return to sleep and shivery; this is due to the drop in body temperature during the end of stage 4 sleep. Attempting to go to sleep forces one to instantly enter REM while still relatively conscious. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">If SP is entered involuntarily it has usually gathered enough hypnogogic (subconscious) thought to contain more hallucinatory qualities. If SP is induced by using a short focused meditation the hallucinatory qualities will be less evident and the sensations can be viewed (or ignored) objectively.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">So what are all these sensations about?</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">As we discussed above there are many sensations that bring about the cultural names attributed to SP and those described in the posts on this forum. These can be broken down into four main types.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">• <b>Tactile sensations</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">• <b>Auditory sensations</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">• <b>Visual hallucinations</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">• <b>Perceived presence </b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Tactile sensations.</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">The main sensations felt during SP are commonly a buzzing or vibrational feelings in parts or throughout the body, the uncomfortable feelings of being pushed down or having a ‘lead blanket’ (asphyxiation) over ones body and the inability to move (paralysis). However it isn’t true paralysis. Paralysis is the total blockage of nerve messages sent to and from the brain. The partial paralysis during SP (REM atonia) is a one-way blockage (called neuron depolarization) of receptors turned off going to the muscle; and only striated (bone connected) muscles. This is REM atonia. As mentioned before, This ensures that we don’t act out our NPR activities yet retains the ability to still receive feedback to the brain in case we are in trouble physically; like someone entering the room or a predator attacking us. During SP we are aware of this normally unconscious feedback from our muscles. When in REM atonia the one way signal is extremely low and rather than being a flowing sensation (one that we don’t notice in waking life) it is staccato or strobe-like in nature and feels like an electric impulse. In fact, that is exactly what it is; low frequency electric impulses. This gives us the vibrational sensation. When we are calm and focused these vibrations are very subtle and can feel very gentle – very much like Nitrous Oxide intoxication. If we are fearful of the experience or panic our body releases adrenaline which stimulates the heart, pumping blood around the body causing violent and overwhelming vibrational buzzing. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The lead blanket or pressing is also caused by the REM atonia. As we mentioned it’s only striated muscle neurons that become depolarized leaving them unable to be controlled voluntarily. These include the intercostal muscles between your ribs. Involuntary breathing is autonomous during REM and is controlled entirely unconsciously by the hypothalamus in the brain and is carried out by the diaphragm muscles that aren’t bone connected. When you panic or try to breath voluntarily during SP you are in effect fighting your brains automatic breathing system using paralyzed muscles; leading to the sensation of being sat upon or pressed down. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Auditory sensations.</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">There are a plethora of sounds heard during SP such as Rumbling, buzzing, screaming, whistling, banging, electronic pulsing, footsteps, babbling, crying, laughing, white noise, ringing, a boing 747, wailing, whispering, words, sentences, marching, breathing, heart beat…. I could go on. While most of them are subjective and may be NPR in nature there are specific physical phenomena that occurs in the middle ear during REM that causes most of the vibratory, rumbling and buzzing noises.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Your middle ear consists of three little bones (the smallest bones in the body) that are hinged to allow for the passage of vibrations into your inner ear or cochlea. These bones have a really clever dampening mechanism that kicks in whenever a loud sound like a clap or bang is heard. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Go into a quiet room, clap your hands and you should hear a slight rumble in your ear during and after. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This is performed by your bodies smallest bone connected muscle (can you see where I’m going here?) called the Timpani Tensor muscle. Some people can voluntarily tense this muscle causing the rumbling heard when you clapped. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">During REM atonia these muscles naturally vibrate due to the depolarization and because they are part of your auditory system can be actually heard. The onset of SP is usually marked by little spasms of these muscles creating intermittent bursts of tickly rumbling. It can be quite pleasant.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Visual Hallucinations.</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Our eyes and eyelids aren’t controlled by bone connected muscles. This is why it’s called REM – rapid eye movement. But although they aren’t paralyzed they cant be moved very efficiently. This is why when one tries to open the eyes it is difficult to focus and indeed keep them binocular. What happens is akin to a ‘magic eye’ picture or any 3D effect. Your eyes naturally grab shadows and patterns that cause your eyes to bring two separate spots of darkness together – like a dark corner in your bedroom and a shadow caused by a cabinet or other object in the room next to it – causing a 3D effect. The shadow literally jumps out, proud of the surroundings. Now, couple this with the fact that you are also being fueled by fear and creating forms non-physically and you have yourself a perceived shadow creature. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Perceived presence or ‘the intruder’</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">This is the most commonly reported aspect of SP yet is also the least specific and perhaps the most fundamental. The terror that accompanies it is extremely common. It is difficult to assess whether the sense of presence brings on the fear or whether the fear generates the sense of presence. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">There are many variations of the presence… sometimes it is out of sight, just around the corner and sometimes fully realized in glorious HD. It is fair to assume that the latter is a nonphysical manifestation brought on by fear of the unknown. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">To describe the process neurologically would require a bit of knowledge in neuroscience. I’ll try to explain without getting too technical. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Studies show that when a person is experiencing SP the cortical center lights up like a pinball machine. The function of the cortical center is the synthesis and making sense of available stimuli. This part of the brain is normally on full power during waking life, but when in SP the information received is purely internal and filtered through the Amygdala, which is the raw emotional centre of the brain. The sense of presence is believed to be formed by this stimulation of the Amygdala by bursts originating in the Pontine Reticula formation (responsible for sleep-awake cycle). In normal ‘emergencies fear reactions’ the immediate sense of danger is quickly confirmed or disconfirmed. In the absence of outside stimuli, attempts to analyze the source of the fear will inevitably fail to produce corroboration. But the fear is originating from within so what would normally last a second or two continues throughout the SP episode as a prolonged and rising sense of fear of your fear.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">To put it very basically if you glazed over , you are sensing your fear sensing you sensing your fear sensing you sensing your fear and so on and so forth… a type of biometric feedback.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>How can I stop the fear?</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">The way to fully put an end to the fear is to stop the SP process entirely. To play the 'get out of jail free' card either wiggle your toes, fingers or simply jerk your whole body physically. It takes a bit of willpower but is highly effective. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">If you wish to carry on using SP as your springboard to NPR, You can meditate and focus yourself not to enter SP while you are thinking subconscious or hypnogogic thoughts. Maintain concentration.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Another way to overcome SP is by practice and repeated exposure to it.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There are many members here who can guide you to defeat the fear, whether through your belief or by pragmatic explanation.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">However.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">SP is not a prerequisite for experiencing the NPR and can be avoided by not trying to phase or practice after a short nap. Although it is a direct root it can be a massive distraction and as I have explained most of the sensations are physical in nature. Your task is to direct your focus away form your physical, almost by performing a mock slow wave sleep (meditation/phasing) exercise.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Please be aware that this article is purely based on the physical phenomenology present during SP and in no way attempts to explain the more sublte non-physical interactions that may take place.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Please feel free to ask more questions as I have only explained the basics.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I will periodically update this post.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">References</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Ohayon,M.M.,Zulley,Guilleminault,C.andSmirne,S. - Prevalence and pathological associations of sleepparalysis in the general population.Neurol.,1999,52:1194–1200.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Jean-Christophe Terrillion - Does Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis Involve More Than Cognitive Neurosciences? Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 15, No. 1, p. 97–123, 2001 </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Anna Pissiota - Fear, Startle, and Fear-Potentiated Startle, Probing Emotion in the Human Brain. Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of SocialSciences 127</span></div>
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<span class="s1">William H. Cooke - Justice at Salem, Reexamining the Witch Trials. <a href="http://www.justiceatsalem.com/Cooke%20justice%20text%20100109.pdf"><span class="s2">http://www.justiceatsalem.com/Cooke%20justice%20text%20100109.pdf</span></a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Cheyne, J.; Rueffer, S.; Newby-Clark, I. (1999). "Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic Hallucinations during Sleep Paralysis: Neurological and Cultural Construction of the Night-Mare". Consciousness and Cognition 8: 319–337.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-72281245524620600632013-02-09T15:06:00.001-08:002013-02-09T15:06:36.383-08:00Dean Radin: Changes in Consciousness | EU 2013 Off-Stage<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MlNwUAMeeek" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-21058519092446252372013-01-25T08:55:00.002-08:002013-01-25T08:56:33.974-08:00Consciousness Art - "Roy's"This is a painting from about a year ago. I will likely rework it in the future as inspiration allows. For now, it is what it is. This concept was not based on any specific experience, but was more of a visual experiment related to multiple out-of-body experiences.<br />
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<i>Roy's</i><br />
Oil on Canvas<br />
36" X 48"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bllovatbjDarhWtBkV_KKxD01uZh22RePQcLCuszOS6SxOqVbyGXmZCAmSho5CYGwKGEG3YZISiNaUFneP3Z-_aD5l6o0aCg-RLjY_Fhg0MKe_czgZRQv00eVm0nnoQcm8xy85IlI3ZX/s1600/Roys_large_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bllovatbjDarhWtBkV_KKxD01uZh22RePQcLCuszOS6SxOqVbyGXmZCAmSho5CYGwKGEG3YZISiNaUFneP3Z-_aD5l6o0aCg-RLjY_Fhg0MKe_czgZRQv00eVm0nnoQcm8xy85IlI3ZX/s640/Roys_large_web.jpg" width="472" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-1715371668576018832013-01-10T09:09:00.000-08:002013-01-21T21:55:54.786-08:00Field Trip<br />
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<span class="s1">Consciousness Exploration Journal</span></div>
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<span class="s1">1/10/2013</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhmaU9GNNPD0MG1axf3fGW8x8EVog6hw887c6PBoSmYQdQkrQpuzK402SvQmBwMOGyvZvEyo0FsBOL1jkq08sQCRKTdMgGt2G4TvXKS13qsJFaRmjvjNeNimZgGJxZ2YLSTlLd1aSitUn/s1600/IMG_3851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhmaU9GNNPD0MG1axf3fGW8x8EVog6hw887c6PBoSmYQdQkrQpuzK402SvQmBwMOGyvZvEyo0FsBOL1jkq08sQCRKTdMgGt2G4TvXKS13qsJFaRmjvjNeNimZgGJxZ2YLSTlLd1aSitUn/s320/IMG_3851.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>I suddenly became lucid in a dream. I was flying over the land below. My son was to my right holding my hand. We flew near some sort of underground tunnel. My son was drifting toward it as if he wanted to fly through it. I had the impression that the tunnel was not a good choice, so I pulled him in close and we flew past the tunnel. It was truly a great time to fly with my son. We eventually approached a beach. The sensations of the cool air and the vividness of the crashing waves were exhilarating. I could sense my son's excitement as well. At one point, we noticed what looked like walruses swimming through the water. There were four or so swimming from a small island to the shore. We observed the scene for some time from the air. Eventually the experience ended.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">The next morning, I asked my son if he remembered any of his dreams from the night before. He was not able to recall any. </span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-20485992070892808482012-12-09T21:36:00.000-08:002013-02-09T21:37:51.159-08:00What's on TV?Consciousness Exploration Journal<br />
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12/9/2012<br />
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<span class="s1"><i>I woke up at 6am and settled into meditation around 6:15. I tried to let my thoughts and impressions flow organically. I saw an image of a white room. In the corner of the room was a white couch. The idea came to me that I was in a library and could choose any book. I had the thought that I would just need to push my finger on an invisible button on the wall and a data file (a book-sized hard-drive device) would come out. I was not out of body at this point but catching glimpses of images and impression (something similar to remote viewing). So, while I had flashes of feeling like I was there, it certainly was not a full blown OBE or lucid dream. I had the idea that I could just insert the hard drive anywhere into the wall of the room to experience the data. I wasn’t sure what “data” I wanted to explore, so I just opted for a random event from my childhood. I visualized myself inserting the hard drive into the wall. I waited a bit, but no impressions or thoughts came. Eventually, I had the notion that I should sink deeper into meditation and just notice whatever came along. I wasn’t seeming to have much luck, so I sent out an intent to receive some guidance. I got back (or invented) that I should just go to sleep and let “them” do the work. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>I woke up a short time later to sleep paralysis. I heard a voice saying, “heeeelp meeee.” At first I thought that I should see who needed help, but then realized that I was likely hearing my own thoughts. There was a very loud ringing and various other strange sensations. I just pressed on with courage. I sent out an intent to receive help or guidance. I eventually shifted back to being fully focused in physical reality, but was able to easily slip back into sleep paralysis. I began to ever so gently think about being “out of body.” I had the vague impression (sensation?) that somebody reached down with their arm to help me up. Once “out,” I found myself in my bedroom. I walked (floated) through the bathroom. Things were foggy at first, but I mentally encouraged the scene to become more clear. Wanting to keep things stable, I began rubbing my hands together (a trick that I have read or heard about somewhere along the lines). </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>As I went through the bathroom, I caught a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror. I had the general shape of a humanoid, but was composed of a shadowy blackness and had no specific features. I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, which seemed strange to me. I didn’t want to stop and spend too much time on it, so I continued out into the living room. I tried to think of something that I could do or observe that might provide some form of verification later. I decided to try and observe what my wife was doing. I could hear her walking around. It was a very distant and muffled sound and I was having trouble pinpointing her location. I called out her name, but still could not find her. I got the impression that she was watching TV. I “thought-jumped” (instantly moved) to the TV. I was very focused on observing it and listening to it. It was an old style TV - the kind that sits on the floor and is incased in wood. I saw a black and white cartoon-like image of sorts, but the details were non-specific. I could hear two of the characters talking back and forth. My impression was that one of them had a sort of fast and squeaky voice. Alvin, from Alvin and the chipmunks, came to mind. I observed the TV for a short time until I felt like I had enough data. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Later that morning, I found out that my wife had in fact been watching TV. However, her description of what was on the TV did not seem to match what I had seen. My family did have an old TV similar to the one in the experience. I had completely forgotten about the library and my intention to see a childhood memory. Perhaps I was getting a blend of what my wife was doing and the data from my childhood - or maybe it was just all in my head. It is never easy to tell.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-72308182634792522252012-11-01T09:00:00.000-07:002013-01-12T09:53:48.645-08:00I Think, I See<br />
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<span class="s1">Consciousness Exploration Journal</span></div>
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<span class="s1">11/1/2012</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>It started as a typical dream. I was sitting around and talking with some people. The topic was about how amazing “all-that-is,” the system, etc is. I was trying to express how powerful the feeling was to even think of it. I felt an immense surge of joyful sadness and saddening joy building inside of me as I tried to speak. It was completely overwhelming. I remember having to lay down. </i></span></div>
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<i><span class="s1">At some point later, I woke up in my bed and had the intuitive sense that I could encourage sleep paralysis. As I did, I began to hear the strange voice again. It was, as usual, broken up and garbled. This time, it was a very deep and powerful voice - a stereotypical demon sound. I let go of the fear that started to rise and just remembered my intent to only interact with loving beings who intended to help and guide me. The voice came through a bit better and I understood it to say something like, “it is very good to be with you again.” I thought/said back that it was also good to be with them. My excitement at what was happening started to make the state fade. I was able to get the state back, and could hear a seemingly different garbled voice. With this voice, I could hear laughter in the background. I had the thought that the laugh sounded like my own. I kept trying, but was unable to distinguish anything of value. I faded in and out of the state several times. When I was fully in the state again, I decided to try and “leave my body”. Intending not to try so hard, I gently rose up to an upright position. I stayed very calm and casual. I knew that trying to “see” had failed in the past many times - so I went with pure thought instead. Ignoring the idea of vision, I just focused on wanting to be in my bathroom facing the shower doors. Slowly -- I found myself standing at the doors. I rattled them with my hands. </span><span class="s2">Things were a bit fuzzy, but the approach had worked. Apparently it has nothing to do with seeing, but much more to do with thought and intent. It seems that to create a clear and crisp visual experience, it is better to think less about trying to <b>see</b> more clearly and more about trying to <b>think</b> more clearly. </span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941577451370299440.post-91927897735977653512012-08-04T00:53:00.000-07:002012-08-04T00:55:55.714-07:00Tom Campbell NYC MBT Master Workshop 5/5<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">For those that have any desire to explore (or to continue to explore) consciousness (via lucid dreams, meditation, OBE, astral projection, et all). This video should be a prerequisite and should be re-watched along the way. </span></div>
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