MIKADEMUS's blog: "REFLECTIONS OF A LYCANTHROPE"

It was back in about 1985 that I started becoming curious about the possibility of "astral projection" and what could be achieved through meditaton. This was in about the time that I first became self aware of my gift and I suspected that I might have some natural ability in this field. There are certainly a number of ideas what constitutes an "Out of body experience" or "OBE" and up to that point in my life I had a few strange happenings but they were asscoiated with the sleep cycle and might be attributed to other phenomena like lucid dreaming and such. It is ironic that my first serious but uninformed attempt at astral projection should have such dramatic and might I add, such frightening results. I had read enough from an instructional book to prepare myself before hand for the transition. No caffiene, sugar and such, just some quiet meditative alone time to contemplate what I wanted to achieve and get my alpha wave configurations optimized. I chose my bedroom for the attempt as it offered physical and emotional comfort through familiarity to minimize distraction and anxiety. Lying flat on back with head supported on pillow and resting at 45 degree angle. Eyes closed and calmly telling yourself' "Tonight.... I will leave this plane." Simple relaxation while focusing on a simple object like a stop sign in your mind as it will stop your mind from wandering to distraction. It is not uncommon for people who first try to fall asleep but the wisdom is that persistance will eventually pay off..... I didn't have to wait long for results ! After about ten minutes I started to encounter a tunneling effect like I was being drawn head first by an irresistable force that was going faster by the second. This sensation was accompanied by a vibration that I would estimate to have a cycle in the tens of hertz centered mainly about the head and particularly the face. It was intense! I would say the effect was not unlike tantric energy how it manifested but I would still say distinctly different. Any sense of up and down was gone as i simply felt I was being drawn at ever faster speed forward. The effect was then accompanied by a hissing noise and streaking lights, not unlike a meteor shower that was part of my tunnel universe. All at once I recoiled in sheer terror for something that I could not identify but the fear was overwhelming and I quickly lost my meditative state and the moment. I regret not reading the book first as it furnished an explanation for what had happened. When novices first are succesful in detaching they will encounter the final transtion to the astral world known as "The Membrane." The membrane is a tricky thing to negotiate as in order for you to do so you have to overcome a great natural fear that is in our nature of letting go of out familiar moorings to the physical world. Sounds easy enough doesn't it? Picture trying to teach yourself not to afraid of drowning by strapping weights on your legs and jumping in the water. It doesn't matter how you rationalize in your calm state not to be afraid. When you start to drown, sheer primal terror will take over and detatch your conciuos rational mind in order to save you. That is what i is like trying to negotiate past the membrane. - MIKADEMUS