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The Second Step to Astral Projection: Creating Focus · Astral Gateway

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Hi, welcome back to the Astral Gateway Podcast.
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I'm Nurith Westoviciani. In the previous episode, we
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talked about the first step of astral projection, deep
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relaxation. I hope you had the chance to
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experiment with some of those techniques, because relaxation
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lays the foundation for everything that comes next.
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Once the body becomes deeply relaxed, it naturally starts
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drifting towards sleep. The trick isn't to stop that
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from happening, it's to let the body fall asleep while your
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awareness stays gently awake. That's where the second step
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comes in creating focus. This is one of my favorite parts
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of the process because it's where you begin learning how to
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guide your awareness instead of letting it wonder wherever it
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wants to go. Most of us are used to the mind
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constantly moving. One thought leads to another,
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then another, and before you know it, you're thinking about
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something that has nothing to do with what you were doing a few
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moments earlier. It's a bit like having 20 tabs
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open on your computer at the same time.
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Your attention keeps jumping from one to another.
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So the goal isn't to stop thinking completely.
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It's simply to give the mind one place to rest, one point of
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focus, one thread of awareness that you can gently return to
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whenever your attention drifts. As the body continues relaxing,
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that single point of focus helps your awareness stay present.
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Over time, it becomes much easier to enter that state
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people often describe as mind awake, body asleep.
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And that's really what we're working toward today.
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I'll walk you through several different ways to create that
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focus. You don't need to practice all
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of them. In fact, I'd encourage you to
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choose just one. Spend some time with it and
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really get to know it. Once it starts feeling familiar,
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you can always come back and experiment with the others.
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Let's begin with one of the most natural tools we have, our
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imagination. So how do we actually create
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that single point of focus? There are a lot of different
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ways to do it, and over time you'll probably discover that
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some feel much more natural than others.
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Some people naturally think in pictures, others connect more
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with sound, movement, or even a simple word or phrase.
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There's no right or wrong here. The goal isn't to master every
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technique, it's simply to find one that helps you remain aware
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while your body continues drifting towards sleep.
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OK, let's start with visualization.
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This is simply using your mind's eye.
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One of the easiest way to begin is by choosing a very simple
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object. It could be a candle flame, a
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flower, a crystal, even a single dot of light.
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Whatever you choose, keep it simple.
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Now imagine that object as clearly as you can.
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Don't worry if it isn't perfectly sharp.
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That's completely normal. You're not trying to force a
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perfect image, you're simply holding your attention on one
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thing. Then begin to notice the little
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details. If it's a candle flame, notice
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how it gently flickers, the way the light moves, the colors, and
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maybe you even imagine the warmth coming from it.
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If it's a flower, look closely at the petals.
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Notice their shape, their color, the texture.
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Imagine holding it in your hand, maybe you can even notice it's
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scent. The more attention you give to
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those small details, the more alive the image becomes and
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something interesting starts to happen.
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Instead of your mind jumping from one random thought to
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another, it has somewhere to stay.
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Your awareness becomes quieter, steadier, more focused.
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If your attention wanders, and probably will, that's perfectly
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fine. Just gently bring it back to the
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image. That's the whole practice.
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You don't need to make anything happen.
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You're simply allowing one image to hold your awareness while
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your body continues relaxing. Spend some time with this
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technique over a number of nights if it feels natural to
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you, and let your awareness become familiar with it before
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trying something else. OK, now maybe visualizing a
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single object doesn't really resonate with you.
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There's another approach that many people find easier.
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Instead of focusing on one object, imagine yourself
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somewhere peaceful. Maybe it's a quiet beach, a
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forest, a garden, or anywhere that brings you a sense of calm.
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Rather than simply looking at the scene, step into it.
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Imagine walking through it. Notice what's around you.
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What colours do you see? Can you hear the waves?
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The wind? Birds in the distance?
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Feel the ground beneath your feet?
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Notice the warmth of the sun or the coolness of the air?
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The more of your senses you involve, the more real the
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experience becomes. Before long, it starts feeling
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less like you're imagining a place and more like you're
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actually there again. That's all you're doing.
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You're given your awareness somewhere gentle and steady to
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rest, and if that feels comfortable, stay with it.
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Practice it for a while before moving to another technique.
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There's one more visualization method I like to mention because
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it's one I found very effective. Instead of imagining a place
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you've created, imagine somewhere you already know well.
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It could be your home, or your childhood home, a favorite park,
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anywhere that's familiar. If it's your home, picture
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yourself standing outside. Open the front door.
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Walk inside. Move through each room slowly.
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Notice where everything is. The furniture, the colors, the
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windows, the little details you probably never think about
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during the day. Open a cupboard, touch the
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kitchen counter, walk down the hallway.
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The more slowly you move through that familiar space, the more
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naturally your memory fills in the details.
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This technique works because you're not inventing something
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new, you're revisiting something your mind already knows.
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And just like the other methods, it gives your awareness 1 clear
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place to stay while your body continues drifting towards
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sleep. Now maybe you're listening to
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this and thinking, I'm not a visual person, I've heard it
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before. That's completely fine.
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Not everybody naturally thinks in pictures.
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Some people connect much more strongly with sound.
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Instead of using your mind's eye, you can use what I like to
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call the mind's ear. The idea is exactly the same.
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You're giving your awareness one steady place to rest.
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The first way to do that is with a simple imagined sound.
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Choose something that feels calming to you.
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It could be the sound of gentle waves rolling onto the beach
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when moving through trees, birds in the distance, the self
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humming sound, or even a single musical instrument that you
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enjoy listening to. Whatever you choose, imagine
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hearing it in your mind, not through your ears, but inside
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your awareness. Let it play naturally.
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You don't need to make it loud or dramatic, just allow it to be
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there, almost as though it's playing quietly in the
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background. If it's ocean waves, hear them
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rolling in and back out over and over again.
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If it's went through the trees, noticed how it gently rises and
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falls? If it's a simple melody, let it
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repeat naturally without trying to control every note.
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Just listen. As your attention settles into
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that sound, the rest of the mind gradually become quieter.
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If another thought comes along, simply notice it and return to
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the sound again. That's the whole practice.
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You're training the mind to stay with one thing instead of
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following every passing thought. Another approach is to combine
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sound with your breathing. Choose the same imagined sound,
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then let your breathing move together with it.
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If you're imagining an ocean waves, perhaps the waves roll in
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as you inhale and gently flows back out as you exhale.
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If you're imagining a soft humming sound, maybe it grows
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slightly fuller with the inhale and softer with the exhale.
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You're allowing the breath and the sound to become one gentle
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rhythm. After a while, it almost feels
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as though the breathing is happening by itself, while your
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awareness simply follows that steady flow.
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Many people find it especially relaxing because it gives both
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the body and the mind something simple to settle into.
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There's another method that I really like, because almost
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everyone already knows how to do it.
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Think about a song you know really well.
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Now play that song in your mind. Hear the music exactly as you
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remember it. The instruments, the rhythm that
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pauses between the notes, maybe even the emotion it brings up.
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You don't have to analyze it, just let it play.
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If your attention drifts away, simply begin the song again from
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wherever it feels natural. The music becomes your anchor.
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It keeps your awareness gently engaged while your body
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continues relaxing. Over time, you might even notice
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that you stop hearing the whole song.
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Instead, you're simply aware of the feeling of the music, and
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that's enough, because once again, the purpose isn't really
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the sound itself. The sound is simply helping you
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remain aware while everything else begins settling into sleep.
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So if sound feels more natural than visualization, spend some
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time exploring these methods. Give yourself several nights
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with one approach before deciding whether it's right for
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you. Sometimes the technique becomes
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much easier simply because you've become familiar with it.
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Now there's another way to create focus that, for a lot of
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people feels even more natural. Instead of seeing something or
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listening to something, you imagine movement.
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This has always been one of my favorite ways to work with
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awareness because movement naturally holds our attention.
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Even when you're completely still physically, your mind can
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create the feeling of motion, and sometimes that's all it
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takes. The important thing to remember
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is that you're never physically moving your body.
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Your body stays completely relaxed.
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The movement happens only in your imagination.
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You simply allow yourself to feel it as vividly as you can.
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One of the easiest places to start is with very gentle
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movement. Imagine yourself slowly rocking
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from side to side. Not a big movement, just enough
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that you can almost feel it happening.
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Or imagine yourself gently swaying, almost like you're
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floating in calm water. Some people like to imagine
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slowly rolling from one side to the other.
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Others imagine themselves drifting forward or backward
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very slightly. Whatever movement you choose,
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stay with that one movement. Let it become steady, let it
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develop naturally. The goal isn't to force the
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sensation, it's to become so familiar with it that it almost
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begins to feel real. Another gentle movement is
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floating. Imagine yourself becoming
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lighter, not trying to leave your body yet, just feeling as
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though you're floating a few centimeters above your bed.
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You don't have to see yourself floating.
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Just imagine the feeling. How would it feel if gravity
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becomes just a little weaker? How would your body feel if it
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becomes almost weightless? Stay with that feeling.
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Over time, it often becomes surprisingly vivid.
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Another movement I talk about in my book is spinning.
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Very slow spinning, almost like you're turning in place.
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You stay physically still, but mentally you feel yourself
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rotating. It's interesting because
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sometimes imagine movement begins to create a very real
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sensation. In fact, my son intuitively
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discovered something similar. Sometimes in the morning, he'd
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get out of bed, spin around a few times, and lay back down.
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Even though his body was completely still again, he could
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still feel himself spinning. That lingering sensation often
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carried him into a lucid dream. It shows how powerful movement
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can be even after the physical movement has stopped.
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Another approach is what I describe as floating movement.
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Imagine yourself moving through a slow sequence of movement that
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already feels familiar to you. Maybe you're practicing Qigong,
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moving slowly through each posture, feeling your arms rise,
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then gently lower. Or perhaps you're simply walking
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slowly through a peaceful place, feeling each step, feeling your
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body moving naturally. The important part isn't exactly
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what you're doing, it's staying completely engaged with the
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movement itself. You aren't watching yourself,
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you are experiencing it from the inside.
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Then there's something a little different.
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Some people naturally connect with more active movement.
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If you enjoy exercise, sports, or dancing, you can use that
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too. Imagine yourself moving through
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a familiar workout. Picture yourself lifting the
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weights, walking between exercises, feeling each movement
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as though you're actually there. Not because you're trying to
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exercise in bed, but because your mind already knows those
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movements so well. You're giving your awareness
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something detailed enough to stay with.
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The movement becomes your focus. Your body stays completely
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still. Your awareness keeps moving.
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Another technique is what I call the pendulum technique, and it's
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one of my favorite ways of creating focus.
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Imagine a pendulum slowly swinging from side to side.
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Now imagine that pendulum moving gently between different parts
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of your body, maybe between your elbows, then your wrists, your
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knees, or your ankles. As it swings, imagine the
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pendulum just slightly brushing against your skin, almost like
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you can feel the faintest touch. Back and forth, back and forth.
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The movement is slow, rhythmic, predictable.
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After a while, it naturally quiets the mind, because your
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attention has only one simple thing to follow.
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The pendulum keeps moving, your awareness stays with it, and
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everything else begins to fade into the background.
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Some people notice that after several minutes they stop
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feeling so connected to the physical body.
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Their awareness becomes much more absorbed in the imagined
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movement itself. And that's exactly what we're
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trying to develop. Not by forcing anything, simply
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by staying present with one exercise long enough for the
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body to continue falling asleep while the mind remains aware.
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Another way of creating focus is through a mantra.
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A mantra is simply a word or a short phrase that you repeat in
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your mind. It's not about words having any
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magical power. The purpose is to give your mind
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one thing to return to over and over again.
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When we repeat the same phrase gently, the constant stream of
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thoughts begin to settle by itself.
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Some people like using the traditional mantra, Umm.
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Others use something simple like I remained aware my body is
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asleep, my mind is awake, or even just a single word that
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feels calming to them. When I was younger, I actually
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used my dog's name without realizing that I was using a
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mantra. I would repeat it quietly in my
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mind while I was laying in bed, and it naturally led me into one
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of my first lucid dreams where I found myself floating peacefully
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down the river. Years later, I realized that's
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exactly what a mantra is. So it doesn't have to be
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anything special. The important part is the
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repetition. As you repeat it, don't rush
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through it. Let each repetition have a
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gentle rhythm. You might notice that after a
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while, the mantra almost begins repeating itself.
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You're no longer making an effort to say it.
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It's simply there in the background of your awareness.
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And because your attention stays with that one simple phrase, the
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body is free to keep relaxing. Eventually, the body may become
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so relaxed that you hardly notice it anymore while the mind
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remains quietly awake. If your attention drifts away,
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that's perfectly normal. Simply come back to the mantra.
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No frustration, no starting over, just gently return.
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Some people combine a mantra with breathing, for example,
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mentally repeating the first half while inhaling and the
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second-half while exhaling. Others simply let the words flow
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at their own pace without matching the breath.
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Either way works. Again, remember that we're not
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trying to force anything. The mantra isn't there to make
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an experience happen. It's simply given your
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awareness, somewhere peaceful, to rest while your body
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continues moving towards sleep. And just like the other methods
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we've talked about today, give it some time before deciding
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whether it works for you. Practice it for several nights.
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Get familiar with it. Notice how your mind responds.
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You may discover that it's exactly the kind of focus your
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awareness naturally likes to settle into, or you may find
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that another method suits you better.
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That's completely fine. The goal isn't to master every
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technique. The goal is to find one that
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allows you to remain gently aware as your body falls asleep.
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There's one more technique I'd like to mention, and that's
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focusing on the area between your eyebrows, often called the
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third eye. Now you don't have to think
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about it as something mystical, it's simply another place to
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rest your attention. As you're laying there deeply
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relaxed, gently bring your awareness to the space between
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your eyebrows. Don't strain or concentrate too
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hard, just notice the area. Some people like to imagine a
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soft point of light there, others simply place their
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attention there without visualizing anything at all.
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After a while you might notice a subtle sensation, maybe a little
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warmth, A gentle tingling or a feeling of pressure.
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Some people notice nothing at 1st, and that's perfectly fine
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too. The technique isn't about
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chasing a particular sensation, it's about giving your awareness
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another quiet place to rest. Sometimes, as everything else
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becomes still, you may also notice a very subtle sound in
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the background, almost like a gentle ringing or a soft high
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pitched tone. Some people call it the sound of
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silence. It isn't something you create,
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it's something many people naturally become aware of once
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the mind grows quiet. If you notice it, simply listen.
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Don't analyze it, don't wonder where it's coming from.
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Just let it become another anchor for your awareness.
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Whether you're focusing on the point between your eyebrows,
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listening to that subtle inner sound, or combining both
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together, the principle is always the same.
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One steady point of focus, nothing more.
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Now, after everything we've covered today, you might be
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wondering which technique you should choose.
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My advice is to keep it simple. Don't feel like you have to try
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every single method this week. Pick the one that stood out to
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you while you were listening. Maybe you're naturally visual,
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maybe sound feels easier, maybe imagine movement feels
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surprisingly real, or perhaps repeating a mantra feels
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calming. Whichever you choose, stay with
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it for a while. Give yourself the opportunity to
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become familiar with it. Like learning any new skill, it
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becomes easier through repetition.
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And remember, these techniques all have the same purpose.
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There are simply different ways of maintaining single, pointed
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awareness while the body falls asleep.
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The technique itself isn't what's creating the experience,
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it's helping you reach the state where the experience can unfold
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naturally. And once you begin reaching that
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state consistently, that's when the next step becomes important.
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In the next episode, we'll talk about exit techniques.
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We'll explore how to recognize the right moment to use them,
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why timing matters, and some of the different ways people
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naturally separate from the physical body.
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Once you've built a foundation with relaxation and focus, the
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exit techniques make a lot more sense because you're applying
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them at the right time rather than trying to force them from
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an ordinary waking state. Before we finish, if you'd like
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to continue learning and connect with other people exploring
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these experiences, I'd love to have you join the Astro Gateway
24:16
community on Facebook. You'll also find my website and
24:20
my book, Beyond the Edge, Journeys in the Astro, and
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Dreamworlds in the episode description if you'd like to
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explore these techniques in more depth.
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If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the
24:33
comments. And don't forget to follow the
24:36
podcast so you don't miss the next episode.
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And if you found this helpful, feel free to share it with
24:43
others who might benefit from it too.
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OK, thank you so much for spending this time with me.
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Until next time, stay present, stay curious, and keep
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exploring. Take care.