Robert Monroe - Journeys out of the body, Practical Guidebook

2. Contrary to popular opinion, the need for conscious techniques does not cease upon phase entrance. It is absolutely necessary to learn and apply methods for deepening the phase to achieve a consistently hyper-realistic environment. Failing to apply deepening techniques almost guarantees that experiences will be dull, uninteresting, and subsequent practice short-lived.

Practitioners should immediately learn and apply deepening techniques after mastering any one entrance method.

3. The third step involves mastering techniques for maintaining the phase, as without them the average person would have phase experiences of much shorter duration than is possible. When in the phase, the question of how to leave it almost never occurs. On the contrary, one is normally thrust from it in the course of several seconds if one simply does nothing.

4. After learning all the necessary techniques for mastering the phase state, it is time to learn and apply methods of control, which encompass the ability to translocate, find and interact with objects, influence surroundings, and so forth.

5. Once the previously noted steps have been accomplished, a practitioner may proceed to apply phase experiences to enhance everyday life. Over the course of this guidebook, we will examine dozens of these valuable applications in great detail.

With basic skills mastered, remember that practicing the phase is worthwhile and effective only when the results are consistent. If a practitioner enters the phase only once a month, the experience will be too emotional to allow the observation of important principles and methodologies. The phase should be encountered at least once a week. Working toward a level higher than a weekly phase entry is ambitious, even beneficial. Realistically, two to four phase experiences per week might be considered the level of a grandmaster, but this is far from the upward boundary.

As a rule, novice practitioners achieve the phase less often than is desired. However, with regular attempts, success occurs more and more frequently, which should help alleviate any frustration resulting from failed attempts.

TYPES OF TECHNIQUES

There are three primary types of techniques that make it possible to enter the phase: direct , indirect and dream consciousness . These methods are performed while lying down or reclining, eyes closed, the body in a state of total relaxation.

Interesting Fact!

Often, people have an out-of-body

experience without prior knowledge or

belief in the phenomenon. It just happens,

and a large body of evidence has been gathered to support this fact. Even more interesting is that spontaneous experiences

often occur after a brief study of material

about the topic, like this guidebook...

Direct techniques are performed without any noticeable lapse in consciousness. While practicing direct techniques, a lapse into sleep for less than 5 minutes is not considered a breach of the technique.

By definition, direct techniques encompass the performance of specific actions for a pre-defined interval of time. Successfully applied, direct methods result in a phase entrance without passing through any intermediary states. For 90% of the population, these techniques are the most difficult because the mind naturally exists in an excessively active state. It has been clearly proven within the School’s student body that novice practitioners do not benefit from beginning a training regimen with direct techniques. This is because direct techniques require a thorough understanding and masterful application of indirect techniques in order to be effective. The incorrect notion that the phase state is extremely difficult to enter is due to the fact that people are more often drawn to the more difficult direct techniques. It is always better to approach direct techniques only after becoming expert in the use of indirect techniques.

Indirect techniques are techniques that are put into practice upon awakening from sleep.

The effectiveness of indirect techniques is not dependent on the length of the prerequisite sleep cycle. Indirect techniques can be used while exiting a full night’s sleep, after a daytime catnap, or following several hours of deep sleep. The most important thing is that there is a lapse of consciousness into sleep before implementing the techniques.

Indirect techniques are the easiest techniques to practice, which is why many practitioners use them to enter the phase. Sleep naturally provides the mind with deep relaxation, which is often difficult to acquire by other methods. Since sleep is required to perform indirect techniques, it is a convenient, oft-occurring means to conduct experiments with the phase. Novice practitioners benefit greatly from the use of indirect techniques, and learn firsthand the possibility of phase entrance.

Dream consciousness is acquired by techniques that allow entrance to the phase through what is commonly referred to as lucid dreaming.

In this case, the phase begins when the awareness that a dream is occurring happens within the dream itself. After becoming conscious while dreaming, several types of actions can be performed, including returning to the body and rolling out, which will be described later.

When deepening techniques are applied in the context of a conscious dream, the sensory perceptions of the phase surpass those of normal wakefulness.

Techniques that facilitate dream consciousness are usually categorized separately from methods used to perform out-of-body travel; in practice, however, it is apparent that the characteristics of dream consciousness and out-of-body travel are identical, which places both phenomena directly in the phase. These practices are difficult because, unlike other techniques, they do not involve specific actions that produce instantaneous results. A large measure of preparatory steps must be observed that require time and effort without any guarantee of results. However, dream consciousness techniques are not as difficult as direct techniques. Moreover, the majority of practitioners, whether using indirect or direct techniques, experience spontaneous awareness while dreaming without having to apply techniques aimed at dream consciousness.

In addition to the techniques described above, there are also non-autonomous means and tools: various devices, programs, external influences, and so forth, which can be used to enter the phase. It is necessary to mention that these are only useful to practitioners who are able to enter the phase without supplementary assistance.

Various chemical substances and herbal supplements have been recommended to assist phase entrance, though using them is unlikely to do any good, and use of these has never yielded the effect that can be achieved through unadulterated practice. As such, the use of a chemical crutch is regarded here as completely unacceptable.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Exact scientific proof that entering the phase is dangerous – or even safe - does not exist; there has never been an exhaustive, controlled study to prove either supposition. However, since the phase exists at the fringes of naturally-occurring states of mind, it can hardly be assumed dangerous. Notably, the phase is accompanied by rapid eye movement (REM), which every human experiences for up to 2 hours each night, and this begins to explain the phase experience as entirely safe and natural.

Already confirmed are the psychological influences of the phase on the physical mind and body; namely, the emotional effects that can occur during the onset of the phase state.

Phase entry is a very profound, incredible experience that may induce fear, which is invoked by a natural instinct for self-preservation. The phase can create stress. This is especially true for novices and those poorly acquainted with the nature of the phenomenon and techniques used to control it. Without knowledge and proper practice, a fear-induced reaction can escalate into full-blown terror. After all, while in the phase, fantasy quickly becomes reality, and reticent fears can take on hyper-realistic qualities. When this occurs, it’s not the phase environment, but the fear that is treacherous. It goes without saying that fear is a toxic influence, especially to sensitive souls, the elderly, and people with physical ailments, like certain cardiovascular conditions. This does not mean that persons in these groups should abstain from practicing the phase.