Another lesson of the OBE is on noticing. I am still learning it, still integrating it, but I want to share with you what I have realized thus far.

While OOB, I learned early on never to focus too much on anything while in the astral. To focus on something too long resulted in a loss of energy and ultimately a shift back into my physical body. I did not want that, of course, so I stopped focusing on things and learned quickly how to maintain a projection for hours.

It occurred to me just a couple of days ago that noticing is also used in meditation quite often. You are to “notice” the thoughts that enter your mind but then let them pass. You did this by not looking at them which in turns leads to focusing on them which in turn can lead to falling into a movie in your head (dream) and ultimately falling asleep. Have you ever done this while meditating? Then you failed to just “notice” your thoughts. I fall asleep all the time in my meditations. Then I end up OOB when I run into the noticing problem head-on. Oh, look a talking horse. Don’t notice. Don’t notice. Crap. I noticed! Back in my body. LOL

What I have realized from over 13 years of astral projection is that I was shown how much I tend to fixate on things. As I became more aware of this while OOB, I noticed how my energy seemed to be sucked out of me when I was focused on something or someone in my projection. At first I thought it was just me losing lucidity and so I would try to look at my hands or say, “Clarity now”. But this didn’t always work. You might ask, “Wouldn’t looking at your hands be focusing?” Yes and no. Yes you are putting your attention on something, but since it is your own hand and familiar and not out of the ordinary to your perception of reality, it serves to stabilize your energy. Also, what I have learned about focusing in the astral is that your energy is sent to that which you focus upon. If you are focusing on yourself/astral body, well then your build your energy (if that makes sense).

It is the same in waking life, just the energy dynamics are less noticeable. If you know what to look for, though, you can feel the energy exchange as it occurs. I have felt it.

This is the example I gave my husband when I was telling him about my realization:

When you are driving down the highway, you notice the environment – the cars, the signs, the road, the weather, etc. You do not focus on these things, you just notice them. You notice until something is not right then you focus when you have to on that particular thing. So if a car swerved into your path, you would focus on it for that instant and react as needed and then return to noticing.

If you were to instead focus on something purposefully while driving, you would find your perception altered as your energy shifted toward that thing. For example, have you ever been a passenger and focused on the wheels of a car driving next to you? What happens to your perception of your movement or the other car’s movement? In my experience, it always feels like I am getting closer to that car or the other car is swerving into our lane, when in reality neither is happening. It always freaks me out so I don’t do that anymore. lol

So this conversation got the attention of my husband (yay for small victories!). He has a work situation that this applies to. He recognized that his focus on his boss exhausts him. He feels his energy snuffed out when he interacts with her. He understood it was because he was focusing on her too much rather than just taking notice of her. To take notice of a human (ha just caught this! why did I write human?) is to look at them without judgement; to see them as they are and allow them to be that while allowing you to be you. The energy does not intermix.

It’s all a lesson on controlling your own energy (Self). It can be applied to all life situations which involve the exchange of energy. It also works in considering one’s resistance to things/people/situations.

The saying, “That which you resist, persists” stems from the noticing lesson, also. To resist something means you are putting your energy into resisting (fixating). Pushing against the energy. Sometimes even creating a ridge of energy (if you can imagine a mountain this is how it feels) to hold back the person/situation/thing. In a projection, resistance results in the loss of energy just like focus does. It is focus on avoidance.

I know this is a lot to digest. Even I am probably over thinking it, but I can see how it all connects and it is fascinating to me. All of it, everything we do, everything we are is energy. I will be more cognizant of my energy in the coming days. What am I giving away my energy to? Does it serve me to do so? If not, I need to reign it in.