CFTraveler wrote:I'm always the opposite of everyone I know- I had my 'spiritual awakening' (or whatever you want to call it, I don't like the 'e' word) first, and the projection thing just happened, and I never even considered them to be connected, because one was a realization, while the other one was just something I do, like everything else.
So for the longest time I used to be surprised at the reaction people have to expanded-awareness experiences, all the emotion it evokes in them. So I do it when I feel like seeing someone out of the physical, or when I get bored.
That would be how I came about to all this really.
I started with meditation, which then lead to what most people would call a Kundalini Rising... after which I began to study more and more about meditation, which then brought me to astral projection.
Shaman wrote:I myself like Xanth am all about self actualization , self discovery , self knowing , and would always have my compass pointed at personal spiritual growth , when in the Astral I give that signal and trust in the LCS and the LCS will nudge me to wear I need to go , and I think that when one has successfully unblocked all that conditioning and indoctrination's that prevent one from projecting , a balance is needed between living and dying every moment and sometimes concentrating on projecting can be a waste of energy , because energy is so usefull in waking reality , The right balance brings the right results the lcs will provide great spontaneous oobe after you stop trying because it knows thats what you want ,
Like uncle tom says , see were the chips fall
or something like that , I hope I spate that out right
Basically projection & spiritual growth go hand in hand when the desire and intent is in alignment

And that's a major factor in why I believe I don't (and have never) experienced anything negative that everyone else keeps talking about... stuff like being attacked by entities and such.
astralzombie wrote:All belief systems are traps. Even believing that you don't have one is, as well. I spent over 30 years blindly devoted to one thinking it was beautiful and all encompassing. All the while shoving down the inconsistencies and contradictions that mattered to me but others told me that they shouldn't. Even when all was good and felt right, I was just delusional.
Like Jack, I struggled with all the pain and suffering that existed when I believed that there was some all knowing and all inclusive loving God. If all we really get is one shot at getting this right, just one chance to make the right choices and come to the correct realizations, then free will doesn't really jive to me as the reason for all the corruption and suffering.
On the other hand, if we get countless chances to learn some hard lessons and get this right, then I can see how free will would match perfectly. So that's how I see it now because it's what makes sense to me from what I have seen and experienced in the NPR. I'm aware of the fact that we humans can convince ourselves of anything just to be comfy but it took a lot of hard work and personal deconstruction to build myself back up and to be the person I am today. None of it is based on delusions this time around. And the funny thing is, mainstream culture says I couldn't be any nuttier for having my current beliefs today if I was a squirrel's turd.

That really is the kicker to all this, isn't it?
"Belief", in any form, really doesn't help you one bit. As long as it's not a full 100% belief in something, I guess... for once you completely believe in something, it has then become your answer and you've then given up searching.
It's okay to believe, just don't believe to the exclusion of all other possibilities.
Base your opinions on your direct experience, because direct experience trumps everything. If someone tells you that you can't pull another person out of their body, they tell you it's impossible... yet you've done it, you've experienced doing it... who exactly are they to invalidate your direct experience? This is why I'm quite open to "most" things... I do have my direct experiences and some of those run directly contrary to other people, and I'm fine with that. The problem is that those other people general aren't fine with that. LOL
I'm good with others having experiences that go contrary to my own. That's the spice of life afterall... I go to forums simply to share what I've learned through my experiences, and I hope others do too.
