Theos-Talk Archives (May 1994 Message tl00004)

I'm forwarding this on for those who expressed interest in
this subject and are NOT on compuserve.  I left it pretty much
unchanged -  since the "TYPE" of class (purpose, approach etc.)
is still  relevent at our "removed" location. (especially
when we upload the transcipts

I will post the Log files from the Class-Conference on CIS as soon as
they are available (usually within a day or two of the event).

Don has agreed to field questions here on Theos-Buds.  If you need help
obtaining the class notes feel free to ask for help (send e-mail to
jem@vnet.net).  They are in the theos-l archives and theos-l ftp site.
(do_obe.txt or do_obe.zip)

some of this stuff is going to be very elementary for many people.
This is unavoidable.  sorry.  Some of it will be controversial too.

Peace --

John Mead

attached: Don's letter as sent to Compuserve participants...

> ASTRAL PROJECTION/ OOBE classes with Don DeGracia will be starting
> on May 10 and will meet on Tuesday nights at 10 PM EDT in the
> Dreams/ESP/Mind Room 12.
>
> To prepare for the May 10 CO, make sure you read the 1st reading
> assignment: AP_01.TXT/AP_02.TXT, which are titled FILE 1 and FILE
> 2.
>
> We will begin our study of astral projection/OBEs by looking at
> occult ideas of Humans and Nature.
>
> What will happen at the May 10 CO is the following:
>
> 1.  I would like to briefly highlight what I feel are the important
> points about the reading assignment.  I would like to spend maybe
> 10 minutes (or less) doing this during each CO.
>
> 2.  I would like to spend the rest of the CO answering questions
> people have about the reading material.  With this, I would like to
> stay focused on the reading material during the CO.  If we run out
> of questions that directly pertain to that week's reading, then we
> can take other questions.
>
>
>    2.  THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENTS
>
> We have two assignments for the 1st week:
>
> Assignment #1.  Start a dream/obe journal.  What this means is I
> want people to begin writing down their experiences right now at
> the very beginning of the class.  And if all goes well, this you
> will continue to do this long after the class.  It is not until
> AP_04.TXT that I go off on the virtues of writing down all your
> experiences, so you can read ahead about this if you like.
> However, I'll say now that it is critically important that you get
> in the habit of recording your experiences of altered states of
> consciousness.  So, what I want you do to is to begin recording
> your dreams at the very least, and, if you are already
> experimenting with obes, I want you to begin recording your
> experiences of them.  If you want to post your experiences as
> messages in the forum, I really encourage this.  But whatever you
> do, start keeping records of it.  Make sure you record times and
> dates in your journal also.
>
> Assignment #2:
>
>      The other assignment this week is:
>
>              Using the forum's msg boards, find out about as many
>              different types of occultism as you can.  Make a list
>              of all the schools of occult-type thought represented
>              in the New Age forum.
>
> Now, the purpose of this assignment is to get you familiar with the
> really wide range of occult viewpoints that exist.  Nowadays, we
> speak of the "New Age", but, in reality, the ideas of the "New Age"
> have been around for centuries, since the beginning of recorded
> history.  There is actually nothing new about the "New Age" at all!
> Such ideas have surfaced off an on throughout human history in
> various forms and guises and as various different movements.  Part
> of the purpose of this exercise is to help everyone realize this.
>
> The second major reason for giving this assignment is because, when
> you read the class notes, you are getting MY particular
> interpretation of occult ideas.  By far my interpretation is not
> the only interpretation that exists.  Many, many different
> interpretations of occult ideas exist, and the purpose of this
> assignment is to go out into the forum and talk to other forum
> members.  whether they are in the class or not, and try to get some
> feel for the widely different approaches to occultism that exist.
>
> Finally, about the assignments.  You do not *have* to do the
> assignments.  Nothing will be collected or graded, and there will
> be no tests or anything like that with this class (except perhaps
> an *optional* final exam, but I am still thinking about this).
> However, I will suggest these assignments because in some fashion
> or another, by doing them, it will help you be a better astral
> projector.  So, if you make the effort to do these assignments, it
> WILL help you learn.  And that's it.  Like anything else in life,
> the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
>
> And this is especially true for the *off-line* aspects of this
> class.  Many of the things you will be learning in this class will
> be stuff you do in the privacy of your own house and your own mind.
> It is here that your efforts are crucial.  If you do the things I
> suggest - keeping a journal, trying to remember your dreams, doing
> the self-conditioning exercises I offer, practicing going into
> trance, reading books about obes and related material - then you
> are bound to get some kind of a result.  It is up to you what you
> put into all this.
>
> Now, if you do these things in your private life, and we all meet
> back here on the on-line COs and on the msg boards, and exchange
> what we have learned and discovered - it is in doing this that this
> class will be a success for all of us and a truely enriching
> experience for all of us.  After all, I am NO guru and I am just as
> curious about what will happen to you when you try the exercises I
> offer as you are!
>
> Ok, next piece of business:
>
> 3.  SHARING INFORMATION
>
> Right now we have 22 people who have said they will be showing up
> for the course.  Already, after having talked to quite a few of you
> either on the forum msg boards or by e-mail, I see that everyone is
> at very different levels with regard to their understanding of OBEs
> and their actual ability to have OBEs.  What I want to do is I
> ENCOURAGE ANY OF YOU THAT HAVE ANY KIND OF EXPERIENCE WITH OBES TO
> SHARE THIS WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT.
>
> If any of you see other class members posting questions, even if
> the question is specifically addressed to me, if you have a
> response to that question, then answer it! I want to encourage all
> of us to WORK TOGETHER and to SHARE INFORMATION.  Anything any of
> you want to contribute, then please do!
>
> Because the people in this class are not all at the same level of
> understanding and experience with OBEs, I cannot simply acted like
> a guru or something.  Each of us, in a sense, can be a teacher to
> each other.  My role in all of this is not simply as a teacher
> handing out things for you to do and memorize.  If anything, my
> role here is to organize and coordinate our activities and
> encouraging us to share experiences.  In this class, I am NOT a
> teacher, I am a MODERATOR.  To some, I will be a teacher, if I can
> teach you new things.  However, for the more experienced members, I
> can only offer suggestions and advice.
>
> So, I want to wrap up with one last point.  This stuff we are about
> to study is REAL.  What we are going to study here - OBEs - is not
> simply learning and memorizing ideas.  Learning ideas is a part of
> it, but by no means all of it.  What I hope to accomplish with this
> class is to get as many of you as is possible to experience a new
> state of your consciousness.  And again, the more you put into
> this, the more you will get out of it.  What we will discuss here
> is not going to end with this class.  It is my hope that this is
> the *begining* of something new and valuable for all of you as you
> each follow your own indivdual and unique paths in life.
>
> WRAP UP:
>
> A quick summary, since this got so long!
>
> 1.  The first on-line CO is May 10th, 10-11PM EST in conference
> room 12.
>
> 2.  The reading assignment and homework assignments for the May 10
> CO were given.
>
> 3.  The posting of any messages pertaining to the class will have
> their title begin with AP:
>
> 4.  I want everybody to share as much information as they can about
> their experiences.
>
> Well, everybody, that's it! Hope this wasn't too long winded for
> you all!
>
> Best to you all!
>
> Don