Robert Monroe Techniques
by D.
Scott Rogo, who was unfortunately murdered in 1990.
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 Canterbury
Institute, renowned 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 both 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 if 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:
Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but
do not shut out all light. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head
pointed toward magnetic north. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer
than might normally be comfortable. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be
absolutely no noise to disturb you. Enter a state of relaxation Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that
occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your
well-being. Repeat this five times. Proceed to breath through your half-open mouth. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point
of mental reference to six feet. 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 controlling 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 separation. 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 separation.
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 suggests you begin with the lift-out
method, but argues that both are equally efficacious.
Note from Starwitch: I've read
Robert Monroe's books many
times. I recommend them if you're interested in astral travel. The Monroe
Institute offers
The Gateway Experience CD set to teach you how to have OBEs. I've had some weird experiences using this set but I never finished the entire six CDs.
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