Читать книгу Traveling - Alan Guiden - Страница 9

STEP TWO: RELAXATION

ZZZ

Who are you kidding, laying there in your bed? You’ll never relax. But wait, perhaps I typed too soon. You are feeling kind of relaxed now. Yeah, this might be it. There you go. Relaxing. Relaxing. Alright, you’re really relaxed. Now just stay alert. Relax and stay alert. You can do it, relax but stay... ZZZzzzzzzzz.

Huh, what? Oh, hi again. You were looking so relaxed there you made me fall asleep. But I can’t blame you for all the times I fell asleep during my search for nonphysical answers. It’s not that I was sleepy. I simply went a little too far into my work. Or that’s what I tell myself.

I would try to relax, to let my body sleep, while I would stay alert and focused on traveling. I’m relaxing now. Down and down. I’m relaxing and staying focused on my traveling ‘plan’. Focused on my... ZZZzzzzzzzz.

Dagnabit, I fell asleep again. I’m clearly going to have a hard time finishing this section. But let’s press on anyway and tour the ‘awake/asleep line’ while we’re here.

THE AWAKE/ASLEEP LINE

The ‘awake/asleep line’ is a key element of traveling. It’s the line between losing consciousness and falling into sleep, as your physical body does, or remaining awake, alert and in control while your physical body falls to sleep. To reach the line you simply regulate your movement towards sleep. Simply? Haha, what am I saying? Because, just as you bargain for that last moment of rest before having to get up in the morning, when you are close to the awake/asleep line, it’s all too tempting to just drift over that thin line into sweet sleep. But if you do that you’ll never control a travel. So put that out of your mind this instant. Forget that I brought up that beautiful, tranquil sleep that is just on the other side of the line. There it is. Oh sleep sleep sleep.

Now really, you’ve got to stay awake. The temptation of crossing the line into sleep is great but can be overcome some of the time with ‘controlled relaxation’ methods. Controlled relaxation allows you to stay alert some of the time while your physical body relaxes down into sleep. And why do I keep saying “some of the time”? Because during your search for good relaxation methods, that work for you some of the time, you are going to fall asleep.

To prepare for the awake/asleep line, you choose a relaxation method and a travel ‘plan’. Your relaxation method drops you down near to physical sleep while you remain alert. You then step onto the line, allowing your physical to take the final plunge into sleep. When it does, you maintain your control and transfer your consciousness from your sleeping physical body to your willing nonphysical body. You ‘push’ yourself into your travel plan and off you go. Some of the time.

RELAX ALREADY

As you explore the nature of traveling there will be times when you suddenly ‘awaken’ right on the awake/asleep line in stunned but confident control. It’s what you’ve been training for and—surprise—here it is. Thankfully you’re prepared, because you thought ahead about this happening when you read it in some handbook you bought.

There, on the line, you can feel your nonphysical body. Your nonphysical isn’t sleeping but your physical is. You are fully conscious and in control. And because your physical is slumbering and your nonphysical is willing and your travel plan is ready and your desire is strong, off you go. Some of the time.

More often than not you will have to work your way down to the awake/asleep line, not just find yourself there. So it’s a good thing I have some methods and tricks that help you remain alert while relaxing your physical. Be sure to visit a library, or surf the internet too, for other relaxation methods to keep your traveling fresh and exciting. There is no shortage of relaxation methods designed to calm us all down. We’re all too jumpy! We’ve got to mellow out! Stop climbing around. I mean it—come down from there! That’s it, no more energy drinks for you. You need to calm down so that we can work our way to the awake/asleep line. Then we’ll get you set up with some travel plans and delve into the nifty things that happen when you’re nonphysical. It’ll all be just spectacular, I promise. Some of the time.

RECORDING RELAXATION

Testing. Testing, one, two. This is a test of the Get Out Of Your Body Testing System. If you are hearing this recording within the confines of your physical body it’s because earlier today you recorded some positive and calming thoughts into a recording device and now they are playing back to you while you lay upon your bed. “I am so relaxed and at ease”, the recording of your voice says. “I am relaxed and comfortable. It’s so quiet and peaceful. My body feels so light and relaxed. I am alert and relaxed. I am aware and relaxed. I am relaxed and in control.” This concludes this test of the testing system being tested for this test.

As relaxation methods go, recording your voice and then playing it back is one of the best. Nothing beats hearing your own voice tell you to do things that you want to do anyway. You can customize the words that relax you, while keeping you focused and alert. You can set a traveling plan in your thoughts or inspire a dream you want to have or just talk yourself to sleep. You can make different recordings for what you want on specific nights. It’s the power of your own voice, and the exact nature of your words, that has an effect unmatched by many methods.

I am currently using a twenty-dollar digital recording device I bought from a large chain store. It stores three hundred minutes, which is more than enough for you to record some words to yourself about being relaxed and in control as you travel out of your body. You can borrow it. Or you could wander over to that heap you’re calling a closet and see if you already have a recording device in there. I think it’s in a shoe box. Once you’ve found it go find a piece of paper. I think I saw some in the kitchen. Write a script to record, which includes words you find pleasing and relaxing. Include suggestions to remain alert and aware as your physical drifts towards sleep.

Even at this early point, before I have explained many out of body traveling tricks, you can add a simple traveling plan to your recordings. You can insert a few words throughout your recording with a small ‘action’ involved: “I will take an out of body stroll to the garden”; “I will explore the ceiling in the hallway”; “I will sneak up on the cat, as if I can”. Once your script is complete find a quiet place to hide from everyone who might think you’re talking to yourself and make your recording. If you have the ability to loop the recording, all the better. Try to give yourself at least fifteen minutes of you talking to yourself. Repeating the same script over and over is fine and actually desirable for this method.

An added bonus to this method is the ability to set a timer for the playback of the recording. Set your timer to go off after you’ve had a few hours sleep. Set the volume of playback to gently rouse you from slumber. Since your physical is already relaxed it takes less effort to convince it to fall asleep again. And, with your consciousness sharp from a bit of down time, this is perfect for your out of body intentions.

You can replay your recordings anytime, except when operating a motor vehicle or using heavy equipment. So I’ll just wait for you to put down the sofa with that forklift. It was fine over there by the window anyway. You should listen to your recordings when you feel they’ll work the best for you. Maybe you have a spare hour on Sunday morning or some time just before you go to sleep at night or some time a few hours after you sleep or just because you’re laying in bed not sleeping anyway. The more you hear your recording the better it works. You may find the suggestions of your recording occurring even when you’re not playing it back. That’s because your words to yourself are in your subconscious and conscious thoughts now and you can’t get them out. This is usually a good thing unless you told yourself to think you’re a goose whenever the doorbell rings.

If you’re hearing impaired, not to worry. This is just one method of many. You could still write a few scripts and commit them to memory. Then, when you’re ready to relax, recall your script as best as possible. Focus on your plan to stay alert as you relax. Think about your travel. Off you go.

ANOTHER MEMORY OF ME

I was an oddball grandson. I was fourteen when I visited with my grandparents in Florida. Since they took naps every afternoon I decided I’d use that time to play back the recordings I had brought with me for the trip. The recordings I made at that time were very specifically honed to deepen my relaxation and follow though with a travel plan. The elders would grumble off to their bed-chambers and I’d lay on the carpeted floor, which I was into at that time, with a pillow. The less than familiar surroundings, combined with the less than comfortable laying about on the floor, combined with the more than merely unusual recordings, worked amazingly well. Oh how the grandparents slept while I nonphysically wandered around their condo and down to their little man-made lake and over to the spot where they re-charged the golf carts that they drove everywhere, including the store. Their age-gated community was my out of body playground. Granny and Gramps go to bed and I leap out of my body. I was an oddball then and I’m still waiting to grow out of that phase.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

I see you there reading these words. There you are. I see as your eyes move across the letters on the page. I see you wondering what I’m up to next and why can’t I just get to it. I see you trying to figure out what I’m teaching you by introducing this chapter the way that I am. I see you looking over to the coffee table with one leg shorter than the others. I see you taking this book over to balance the table. I see it’s dusty down here under the table. You should clean more often. I see you walking away to the kitchen. Fine. I’ll just sit here in the dust under the table and ‘visualize’ all by myself.

‘Visualization’ works just as well as any recorded suggestions you might have made of your voice that you play back over and over and over and let me know when you get tired of reading over and over and you should be getting close now over and over and come on already I’m getting carpal tunnel over and over and over and anytime you want to stop it will probably stop over and over and over. Nicely done.

You just visualized an ending to that ridiculous paragraph and there it was. You are really starting to get the hang of this whole visualization thing and I’ve yet to formally introduce the topic. Actually, we’re so far along now that I don’t see a need to do that anyway. Instead, here is a basic ‘visualization’ that relaxes your body in bed yet keeps you focused and alert, which improves your chances of traveling out of your body:

A. You’re at the top of a ladder. Stop reading, I don’t want you to fall. Badabing. You’re at the top of a long ladder.

B. Step down the ladder.

C. As you venture down your ladder, think about how relaxed and alert you’re becoming. You’re so relaxed, moving down and down. Step by step, relaxing deeply as you move further and further. You’re alert and relaxing. When you reach the bottom you know that you’ll be completely relaxed and alert. Down and down you go. No rush, as you go down and down your ladder to relaxation and alertness. You’re at the bottom. You’re comfortably relaxed and alert.

To further advance your visualization towards getting out of your body, include a traveling plan. See in your thoughts what you’d like to do or accomplish while you’re traveling out of your body. Desire to be someplace close-by and see yourself go there. There’s your living room with the comfortable chair and the television. The popcorn and precious ale call to you from the coffee table with a handbook balancing out that uneven leg. You see yourself sit up in your bed. You move to the doorway. You go down the hall. You sneak up on the cat, as if you can. You enter your living room. You move to the comfortable chair. It is then that you realize you can’t eat popcorn or drink ale while nonphysical.

Visualization relaxes you and keeps you alert. Visualization is the route you take in your thoughts so you know where you’re going. Visualization moves your focus away from your bedroom and allows your physical to toddle off to Snoreland. Then it’s off you go to the living room just as you planned.

In addition to being an excellent way to get nonphysical, visualization will push annoying busy-thoughts away like a big friendly something or other that you might conjure up in your twisted mind.

TAKE A VACATION

You’re on a raft in the middle of a soothing lake, floating under a clear blue sky. An ant swims by. He waves at you to attract your attention. He shouts from the water, “Hey dopey, stop thinking about ants! Try relaxing a bit,” he says, “Think about how relaxing this lake is. Why, I don’t think you could find a nicer, quieter or more relaxing lake than you have right here, by golly,” the long-winded ant proclaims. The ant then grabs your bag of sandwiches from the raft and paddles quickly away using two carrot sticks as oars. Before long you hear the ant shout from across the lake, “Stoppppppp thinkinggggg aboutttttt antsssssss!”

Nothing relaxes you more than someplace relaxing. I wonder where you like to relax so that I can get in on your action. Your shower relaxes you, I bet. But I’m not going in there. How about your chair in the living room? That looks pretty relaxing. I could enjoy some serious relaxation there. And your hammock looks relaxing. I’ll get in that and swing around for a relaxing hour. Do you like relaxing at the beach? I could borrow your lawn chair and your sunbrella and be very relaxed. Yes indeed. Comfortably lounging on a nice warm day down by the beach. The waves rolling in and out, the gulls calling from above the surf. A light breeze wafts the fresh ocean air. You are so relaxed. So relaxed in your special place. Oops, did I say you? I meant me. It’s me here at your beach using your lawn chair and sunbrella and sipping your icy cold drink. Did I mention that I took your drink? Well, it’s too late now, so get over it. But while I have you here in your special place, that can be any amazing place you have ever been or can imagine, let me tell you this. You can use your handy visualization to relax yourself into a place just like this beach.

While thinking of a pleasing place, you remain alert by observing the small details of what makes that place perfect for you. You run your hand through the sand, you hear the gulls singing, some klutz trips over your beach towel. You focus on these pleasing details while your physical moves to snooze. Then, when you consciously reach the awake/asleep line, you may either nonphysically visit a beach or have an alternate plan ready for a travel elsewhere or with a different agenda.

SKIP THIS PART

I hate to bring this up, so just go right on past this chapter and don’t feel guilty. Move on ahead. There’s nothing you need to read here. Well, you had your chance. You could always do some light exercise before bedtime to tucker out your physical and sharpen your alertness. Of course, if you get lots of exercise in your daily routine this is not as important. But if you sit in your chair all day, as I am doing now, you could probably benefit from actual movement. On a doctor’s okay, you could get up, move around, hop on one foot, dance the mambo, do aerobics, or just twiddle your thumbs. Doing an active bit of this or that prior to your relaxation method du jour will improve your chances of consciously reaching the awake/asleep line and traveling.

Once your body is worked a bit, get back into bed. Take a shower first if you wouldn’t mind. Move into your relaxation method while staying alert. You’ll find that your physical slides more quickly and easily towards sleep, so be ready to put your traveling plan into action when you’re near the line. More on that is coming up but first get me a cup of coffee. No, wait. I just remembered the other thing I hated to bring up.

BETTER MAKE IT DECAF

Here are some things we like to drink and eat: coffee and caffeinated tea and sodas and chocolaty candy bars and cookies. And here are some things that can really screw up a good relaxation method if consumed too close to your traveling attempt: coffee and caffeinated tea and sodas and chocolaty candy bars and cookies. Simply stated, as I’m the simpleton stating it, if you enjoy these goodies too late in the day a travel’s less likely, so hip hip hooray! As you can see I’m hopped-up on coffee. Don’t let this happen to you when you’re trying to travel.

The other side of being too jumpy is being too relaxed due to over-consumption of alcohol or something else fun. Did I say fun? I meant terribly fun. No, I meant terrible and not fun at all. That’s what I meant. The simpleton rule is don’t do an overabundance of anything prior to your travel attempts. Your goal is to be relaxed but alert and in control for your visit to the awake/asleep line.

SOME PEOPLE ARE ABOVE AVERAGE BUT YOU’RE NOT

As I’ve mentioned here and there, but mostly there, I’m an average guy with an unusual talent. Traveling is just something I learned how to do. I doubt that I have any particular extra this or that, but mostly that, allowing me to travel more than you.