MONROE TECHNIQUES FOR ASTRAL PROJECTION


              Note: After having studied many methods of Astral
         Projection, I have found that this is the easies to do.
         Monroe teaches these techniques in a week, but they can be
         easily done in a day, with proper devotion. I feel that this
         technique is superior to others because it doe not require
         intense visualization, which many people cannot do.
         enjoy!


         (Taken from Leaving The Body: A Complete Guide to Astral
         Projection, D. Scott Rogo, prentice Hall Press)

         One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is
         fear.  Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some
         way as a result of their projection.  Nothing could be farther
         from the truth.  The Cantebury Institute, reknowned for its
         occult studies, executed an experiment in projection involving
         over 2,000 people.  None of them were hurt in any way by this,
         and now, three years later, none have complained of any newly
         arising problems.

         Once you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting,
         you should begin monroe's techniques, step by step.

         Step one:
             Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax
         is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself"
         to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes bothe
         physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a
         method of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive
         Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises
         (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3.... until 50 or 100) are known
         to work well.
         
         Step two:
             Enter the state bordering sleep.  This is known as the
         hypnagogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't  recommend any
         method of doing this.  One way is to hold your forearm
         up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you
         start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken
         again.  With practice, you can learn to control the Hypnagogic
         state without using your arm.  Another method is to
         concentrate on an object.  When other images start to enter
         your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state.
         Passively watch these images.  This will also help you
         maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition
         A.

         Step three:
             Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind.  observe your
         field of vision through your closed eyes.  Do nothing more
         for a while. Simply look through your closed eyelids at the
         blackness in front of you.  After a while, you may notice
         light patterns.  These are simply neural discharges.  They
         have no specific effect.  Ignore them.  When they cease, one
         has entered what Monroe calls Condition B.  From here, one
         must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe
         calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose
         all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation.  You are
         almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will
         be your own thoughts.
             The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D.
         This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a
         rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal
         fatigue.  To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you
         practice entering it in the morning or after a short nap.

         Step Four:
             Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important
         part of the technique, and also the most vague.  
             Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset
         of projection.  They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or
         as is electricity is being shot through the body.  /their
         cause is a mystery.  It may actually be the astral body trying
         to leave the physical one.
         For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the
         following directions:

         1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching
         your skin.
         2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your
         eyelids, but do not shut out all light.
         3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your
         head pointed toward magnetic north.
         4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are
         slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable.
         5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time  when,
         there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.
         6. Enter a state of relaxation
         7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember
         all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be
         beneficial to your weel-being. Repeat this five times.
         8. Proceed to breath through your helf-open mouth.
         9. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you.
        10. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change
         your point of mental reference to six feet.
        11. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary
         line parallel to your body axis up and above your head.  Focus
         there and reach out for the vibrations  at that point and
         bring them back into your body.

              Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you
         will know when you have achieved contact with them.

         Step five:
             Learn to control the vibrational state.  Practice
         controling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down
         to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body,
         and producing vibrational waves from head to foot.  To produce
         this wave effect, concentrate of the vibrations and mentally
         push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body.
         Practice this until you can induce these waves on command.
             Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are
         ready to leave the body.

         Step six:
             Begin with a partial seperation.  The key here is thought
         control.  Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving
         the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you
         to lose control of the state.
             Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring
         the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body".
         Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in
         contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed.
         Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it
         back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the
         vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment.  Lie
         quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise
         will prepare you for full seperation.
            
         Step seven:
             Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two
         methods for this.  One method is to lift out of the body.  To
         do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after
         entering this vibrational state.  Think about how nice it
         would be to float upward.  Keep this thought in mind at all
         costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will
         occur naturally at this point.
            Another method is the "Rotation method" or "roll-out"
         technique.  When you have achieved the vibrational state, try
         to roll over as if you were turning over in bed.  /do not
         attempt to roll over physically.  Try to twist your body from
         the top and virtually roll over into your second body right
         out of your physical self.  At this point, you will be out of
         the body but next to it.  Think of floating upward, and you
         should find yourself floating above the body.
             Monroe suggets you begin with the lift-out method, but
         argues that both are equally efficacious.

         If, after all this, you still can't project, I recommend
         purchasing Leaving The Body, by R. Scott Rogo.  It only costs
         $7.95 and contains another eight or so techniques.  Not all
         techniques work for everyone, but chances are you'll find one
         that works for you in this book.
          Good luck!
          Thich Van.