silent thunder

That is often a real grey zone, but my obe's tend to be more intense and free. Within dreams and astral the landscapes, settings and characters are often so fluid the entire scenario can morph instantaneously, whereas in an obe, it's more like I'm exploring waking world, but in awareness free of bodily restraint, so while I can travel vast distances quickly, the setting changes as I move, not as I imagine.

The internal images are at least as vivid and often more so than waking open eyed 'seeing' for me. Always been this way, since early childhood. In my dreams, day dreams and visions I can count the rivets, follow the grain of the wood and describe the settings in details that often surpass my memories of events in the 'real world'. It's always been this way with me. My wife is mystified by it, seeing nothing, but sensing her experiences through a 'knowingness'. Lucidity while dreaming has been a part of my life since my earliest memories and the bridge between lucidity in the dreamscape and the exit of bodily awareness is a wide and readily traversed pathway. My work in pitch black was akin to plugging into an amplifier. Open eyed visions had come prior to this, but my work in darkness began to bring forth vivid colors irising into and out of the black. Eventually full mandalas and fractal patterns emerged, in addition to visions in a pale blue scale of places, people and events. Most of them without seeming context, but a few, with piercing, life altering implications. For the first time in my life, in the last year or so, I've begun experiencing dreams in which I do not become lucid. It is absolutely fascinating as the experiences, no matter how illogical or bizarre, are as vivid as waking life and seem utterly real right up until I wake.

Sometime in adulthood I recognized that my day dreams as a child and young man were more intense than other's around me. And that my dream life was far more intense than any of my friends or family. I've been a lucid dreamer my entire life. My first memory in this life was a dream that induced my first obe. So it began spontaneously as a child, lucid dreaming almost nightly and obe's on occasion. I've received visions on and off my entire life, though the scrying and visions began arising daily during qi gong practice some years ago as I mentioned, particularly effective in the hours of dusk or predawn. Curiosity drove me to study and practice several methods in my 20's to my early 40's. Norse, Celti, Tibetan and Lakota traditions. For dream work and projection I recommend Tensin Wangyal Rinpoche's book of The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep. Of all the traditions I've studied, Tibetans come the closest to describing how I experience the dream state, waking life and astral experience. Candle and crystal gazing are effective for me. Eye locking and wall, ocean, or sky gazing are extremely effective. Never tried a proper crystal ball, though my affinity and resonance with crystals probably means I'll endeavor it, when a resonant crystal chooses me.

I've experienced OBE's and remote views arise somewhat regularly with eyes open and also closed. I began scrying for a time some years back after the open eyed visions began during practice in pitch black; it became so effective I found it distracting and intrusive and so ceased. Lately I'm considering taking it up again with a focused intent.

veil

dao has no favorites sun shines and rain falls on all, regardless no leaf has ever landed in the wrong place (i learned that from nature, but dao bums has reinforced the realization)

Thank you @Small Fur for that insightful response and your continued presence here. Much to ponder from this question and the responses so far. I'm grateful to all.

Much Love and Respect Trunk. Bums are resilient, and i suspect no raindrop ever falls in the wrong spot. We're with you.

I've come to realize that we all experience life from the center of our own awareness. Stone, human, ant, leaf, mushroom... And yet, being all one process, we (humans at least) can seemingly bridge out of that singular experience (either through training or natural ability, or accident) to experience the vast and expansive consciousness... and then tunnel down internally again, seemingly without end in either direction.

Agree. Stronger effect I was taught, is the hand and abdomen are skin to skin as well.

Gratitude and respect steve.

I suspect it's human nature to be in awe and to revere. Also, in the West, a certain amount of deification is built into our very paradigm of viewing the world, (even if agnostic or atheistic, it's built into the very fabric of our languages); our minds are formed with a heavy dose of christianization to it, so reverence lends to worship so readily...

Hey there Seeking. My dear gal is wholly unphased by aphantasia and seems uninterested in gaining/learning the ability to visualize. It is utterly natural to her to be as she is and has been her entire life and there is no sense of lack. She has a robust energetic life and is highly intuitive and keenly insightful, one of the most potent energy sensitives I've ever met. Perhaps were she to begin visualizing, it could manifest as a hindrance instead of a boon. She does marvel when I share my descriptions of my dreams and ideas, but never feels left out, or less than, only intrigued that I see things so vividly, that are utterly abstracted and purely noumenal. I do recall a book that broached the topic of visualization for those who are not inclined to it. I'll look for it in my collection and post the title here later. The key to it had to do with 'kinetic visualization' using physical touch to aid in moving the mind toward visualizing. Peace /|\

Welcome Sunweiying and well met.

Welcome to The Bums, Nibowaka.

Welcome nems.

Well met Sunnygirl and welcome.

Ok

Indeed, he seems to... his insights on the nature of light are as powerful to me as his translation of the word citta.

Ken Wheeler has a youtube channel and he translates ancient greek, latin and pali. His insights into the nature of citta were particularly beneficial to me. In addition to his insights into the nature of light. He expreesses incredibly deep insights into physics and natural philosophy. I highly recomment anyone with an interest in Pali translation or physics to check him out. His channel goes by the handle Theoria Apophasis.

From my research, Buddha did not teach the same to all who gathered before him. He tailored the message to the level of awareness of the minds of those who were present; so not all lessons were suitable for all audiences. Let the message suit the level of the mind, so that all may gain merit according to their state. Do not teach what is suitable for an adult, to a child, (or a hindered adult).

It is a saddening process when I witness a soul who, not listening, stomps about claiming 'Nature is mute'.

Wow! It's about two hours before dawn and my cats are currently walking the house going... "what is THAT?" The timing and synchronization in the duet is awe inducing! Thanks mate.

How fantastic! Congratulations. I'm intrigued to hear their song. They do look like reverse Magpies. You've reminded me how much I'm looking forward to the return of the Starlings that have nested in our eaves in recent years and wake us with their chattering love speak. It's a wonderful way to wake up, if I manage to sleep in that late. Thanks for sharing.