Re: Straining the Brain - question

bluremi · Post by **bluremi** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:15 pm

I was initially very confused about the "Straining the Brain" technique when I read it in SOBT. I would lie down and try it but it was very frustrating and produced no results. I would feel my neck and shoulders tense up and start to tremble and that was it: nothing but counterproductive tension.

The other night I practiced again for about 20 minutes and may have had a breakthrough, can someone tell me if I'm doing it right?

When I do it now I imagine my brain contracting with rhythmic intensity: if it were to make a noise it would be like the giant VRRUM-VRRUM-VRRUM of a giant underwater propeller on a cruise ship. The sensation this causes is very strange: it feels like my body is shrinking down inside my skin, getting pulled away somewhere. However, this sensation occurs immediately, whether I am lying down in bed or wide awake with my eyes open sitting at my office.

That last detail makes me question whether I am doing it correctly or not. I thought it was only supposed to work when you were just barely awake, after having just slept and being very relaxed? It is a very intense feeling, and I wonder if it may be counterproductive to achieving the phase doing it this way.

Post by **Michael Raduga** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:42 pm

Techniques used to gain direct entrance to the phase are exactly the same as those used during indirect attempts. The only difference is in the method of implementation. However, since direct techniques mostly require passivity, not all techniques work equally well for both direct and indirect entries into the phase. For example, active techniques like straining the brain cannot be used to gain a smooth entrance into the phase.

Mosty, it is used only as an indirect technique (upon awakening). Even in this case it is used only for a few seconds...

I cannot see any reason why you try the direct method at all. Are you experienced practitioner of the indirect method?

Did you really read SOBT?
Better wait for the new version. It will be soon on this site and will be much more easy to apply,

bluremi · Post by **bluremi** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:12 pm

Sorry if I wasn't being clear: I was following the SOBT recommendation to practice the indirect techniques during the day so that they can be used effectively upon awakening.

I'm not using Straining the Brain as a direct technique, I'm just wondering why it has such a pronounced and immediate effect, even while wide awake.

EoL · Post by **EoL** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:21 pm

Hi

I've just discovered obe4u.com yesterday, thanks Michael for sharing all this work (and for free). Videos were very interesting.

I'm all the more interested because last WE I experienced a spontaneous phasing. I woke up naturally at around 3am, then spent an unusually long time sat, just meditating about (unrelated) ideas to explore. After about 1h and half, I got back to bed and decided to lie down on my back - I almost never lie down on back, very difficult to fall asleep that way. I felt quite good though at that moment and fell asleep. Next thing I know, I see clearly the room and feel like floating inside myself with a crisp awareness, rocking in wave motions. I thought "ohh...OBE symptoms...". Then it stopped and I opened my eyes.

I've just realised that had I practiced your idea of "agressively doing a separation technique on waking up" I would have been in the Phase already by now! I've had spontaneous partial exit in the past, I have yet to have my first full entry in the Phase.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi. I'm posting here, as this post is about 'straining the brain' and I believe there's a typo in SOBT page 30 I'm reading right now (english version):

"Out of all of the enumerated primary indirect techniques, practically only straining the brain works easily and quickly for 95% practicioners."

would be

"Out of all of the enumerated secondary indirect techniques (...)"

Thanks again, me resuming reading...
EoL

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:12 pm

Hi blue

If you're gonna try the direct techniques, it's best that you learn how to meditate first to put yourself into the proper state to be successful. Otherwise, as Michael says, you're going to get rather frustrated. It's where most people fail, because they haven't build the proper foundation of skills first.

NOVA · Post by **NOVA** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:30 am

Hi,

it's best that you learn how to meditate first to put yourself into the proper state to be successful

Meditating has nothing to do with entering the phase successfully. It is not necessary to meditate.

The SOBT gives you all the information that you need to enter phase successfully and meditation is not included.

Post by **Summerlander** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 8:31 pm

I don't think Ryan has read the book yet. He knows me from Astral Pulse to perform breathing exercises sometimes when I try the deferred method. I guess he must have assumed that I got that from SOBT.

One thing I will make clear though. The breathing exercises I sometimes perform only serve to help reach a deeply relaxed state. They are not, in any way, inducive of the phase state. I could be in a relaxed state and not be primed for the occasion.

Once in a relaxed state I abandon the breathing exercise. I used to focus on a mental object after this but now I just tend to wait around for the signs of phase entry. If you are really primed for the experience you don't need any form of meditation, Ryan.

jarekf · Post by **jarekf** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:06 pm

The breathing exercises I sometimes perform only serve to help reach a deeply relaxed state.

What kind of breathing exercises you do?

Post by **Summerlander** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:46 pm

Breathe in through the nose (count one in your head), exhale through the mouth (count two in your head), breathe in through the nose (count three)...and so forth until you reach 50 or 100. After that I find myself deeply relaxed and resume normal breathing. Then, you don't even focus on it or any bodily sensations. It helps if you focus on one mental thing to avoid stray thoughts and falling asleep. The mind will tend to get lost but you just gently bring it back to the focus. Before you know it, you experience a shift in consciousness.

Then again, lately I've been feeling so primed in my attempts that I feel no need for the exercise and no need to focus on an imagined thing. It just comes to me. It shows you that you don't really need to faff when you're primed for the experience.

This reminds me...I was abducted by wrinkly aliens last night. They were slender, possessed huge bulbous heads, slanted dark eyes, and of a greyish brown skin complexion. I was in the phase, of course, but it felt extremely real. In sleep paralysis, a force positioned my body in the right angle that would enable me to get up. It was like an invitation. Soon I was being beamed up to a huge spaceship. Subsequently, I was laying on a table and the creatures surrounded me. Their stare was cold and their expressions showed no emotion.

One of them got this big drill and stabbed me in the stomach with it. I began to vibrate violently and screaming at them to leave me alone as the thought that they could be real crossed my mind. My fear must have intensified it. In this instance, separation was piece of cake.

I'm starting to suspect all so-called alien abductions too. Anyway, I will soon post about this in detail in my journal. I've been busy lately and having more phase experiences than I bargained for.

NOVA · Post by **NOVA** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 5:14 am

You did the experiment without Michael. Lol

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:31 pm

NOVA wrote: Hi,

Meditating has nothing to do with entering the phase successfully. It is not necessary to meditate.

The SOBT gives you all the information that you need to enter phase successfully and meditation is not included.

Well, it's quite possible that I've misread what "Direct" techniques are. I'm re-browsing that section.

Thank you for the suggestion.

In any case, my experiences would suggest that if your goal is to project at any point during your day (meaning, not pre-sleeping first) then learning to meditate first to put yourself into that "just woke up" state is a great skill to have... this is my goal. To be able to just sit down anytime/anywhere, meditate into a trance/point consciousness state and project from there.

As quoted from SOBT:

Complete, peaceful relaxation may only be coerced by
those with specialized, in-depth experience. Generally, these are
people who have spent a great amount of time and effort
mastering trance and meditative states. Relaxation in these cases
should take no more than 1 to 3 minutes and no longer as because
when a practitioner is expert at relaxation it is sufficient to just
think about it, and it occurs.

and the next paragraph:

All quality relaxation techniques may well serve as direct
techniques, if a free-floating state of mind occurs while they are
exercised. After gaining the necessary experience with trance and
meditation, a practitioner of these mental arts may proceed to
mastering the phase.

That's the metaphor I'm referring to.

Meditation allows us to build a strong foundation for learning lots of different metaphysical skills... not just projection.

If you are really primed for the experience you don't need any form of meditation, Ryan.

And I agree 110%. But when you're not "really primed for the experience" you need to get into that state first. This is what meditation is for... or, you could do an indirect technique and go take a nap first. I don't have time for that in my busy day. LoL

Post by **Summerlander** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 10:02 pm

And I agree 110%. But when you're not "really primed for the experience" you need to get into that state first. This is what meditation is for... or, you could do an indirect technique and go take a nap first. I don't have time for that in my busy day. LoL

Cool! Okay-dokey!

You did the experiment without Michael. Lol

velvetman · Post by **velvetman** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 10:51 pm

I can also strain my brain during fully awake states, can do it anytime anywhere and it feels intense, like vertigo. It makes my soul tickle so to speak.
Is there more information on what this effect is or what it can lead to? I notice the moment I lay down, and if i strain my brain, I can induce light vibrational state at will anytime, but I have never attempted to leave my body with it, may try it. Any suggestions?