Is anyone here familiar with the writings of Robert A. Monroe?

[Douglas Carpenter]

Let me say that I am not exactly the "New Age Type" and tend to be a bit skeptical about most things commonly deemed "spiritual". But I do believe in being open minded, especially if something strikes me as having something to it, even if I have no coherent theory about what it means.

I first read Robert Monroe's book, "Journey's Out of the Body" more than twelve years ago. I felt so intrigued that I later read his two follow up books, "Far Journey" and "Ultimate Journey's".

Perhaps it is because the late Mr. Monroe was a very successful businessman, former Vice President of the Mutual Broadcasting Network and one of the business pioneers in both television and cable television that lead him to write with a kind of matter-of-fact style that avoided typical "spiritual" language. Even more so, something about his accounts of his out-of-body experiences sounded familiar and plausible to me even though I usually tend not take such things that seriously.

I was just wondering if anyone here who might be familiar with his work has any opinions or experiences with either Mr. Monroe's work or the subject he wrote about?

[Celebration]

1. I have some of their CDs

I haven't read anything by Monroe but have heard people interviewed who were from the Monroe institute. They sell relaxation/programming CDs there that are based on the principle of binaural beats. I haven't used them in quite awhile but they work, at least for me. I think it is actually Monroe's voice on the CD. I imagine that all the in house programs there are pretty good. I only leave my body when I dream at night, but apparently people really learn how to do that there, at will.

[Matariki]

4. What did you think of their CDs?

I was actually thinking of attending one of their retreats. Like I mentioned in my other post, I found the techniques Monroe outlines in his book very effective. But after initial success I started getting scared and haven't been able to do it often anymore. It was so much fun I really have been considering going to one of their week long workshops. But if the CDs work...

[Celebration]

5. the CDs I ordered were for meditation

Not for out of body. Then they used spoken word to do......whatever, and they even got a bit subliminal. I'm one to stay completely in the material world, and so keep that in mind. The CDs work, and fulfilled the purpose.

I do feel that the binaural CDs all work best (on me) in the very beginning befcre you get used to them. It may be best to switch them around--like Monroe for awhile, and then those of other companies.

But as for the CD sets they sell for out of body, I have no opinion. I think it would take a full course at Monroe for me to be able to do that. And I'm not so sure it is worth it.

I keep myself really well protected, so I don't have much fear of it. Still, that just isn't my path, I don't think. Ask me in a couple of years, LOL, as my path isn't particularly well mapped.

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. thank you

one friend of mine did take the six day "Gateways" introductory course at the Monroe Institute located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

He did say that the institute does advise all prospective attendees not to necessarily expect that they will have an Out-of-body-experience during the course. Their program is more an introduction to the various insights they believe they have acquired over the years and to the hemi-sync sound relaxation method. My friend did say that he was extremely satisfied with their course and their materials and felt it was well worth it even though it was fairly expensive, almost $2500 for six days. That includes all lodging and meals in an extremely beautiful and relaxing lodge house deep in the mountains. The food was excellent also. He did say it was by far the most relaxing and one of them most insightful and enlightening weeks of his entire life. He was satisfied enough that he is going back again for a more advanced course.

He mentioned that there were a number of French and Japanese taking the course. Apparently the late Mr. Monroe's writings have a significant following in both France and Japan.

http://www.monroeinstitute.org/


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[Celebration]

7. for those with the $$

and the interest, it sounds like it would be worth it, then. That is interesting how people get a big following in some different countries.

[northernlights]

2. from eons ago...

I read Journeys Out of the Body decades ago...I think late 70s, early 80s at the latest, shortly after I got out of college, when I had my first apartment with 2 rooms in Leominster, Mass...

[Matariki]

3. Yes! That's a fantastic book.

I read it over 20 years ago and the technique he outlines in the book was *very* useful in helping me achieve out of body experiences. Way fun! I think I need to reread that book.

If you are interested, I did some experiments to confirm my experiences. Going to a friend's house and then describing in detail what they were doing at the time. Going to a friend at 3am and asking them to call me (they called me at 6am saying they woke up in the middle of the night convinced they needed to call but didn't want to wake me up, lol). And other experiences that convinced me the experience wasn't just 'in my head'. Truthfully, it felt nearly physical - like I was in my body and physically at the places I visited, except I could walk through walls and fly! Sadly, I haven't been able to do it for a while.

[kentauros]

8. I've read his books

though I found the first one written a bit too "clinical" and why it took me months to finish it ;) The other two had a better writing style and by the third it was reading almost like fiction for what he was describing.

Also, way back before CDs, I took the cassette version of the Gateways program and loved it. I did achieve a partial willed OBE with the later tapes, but was kind of thwarted by the headphones. He does talk about EMFs in one of his books and how a faraday shield trapped him in one experiment, or kept him from getting out of the faraday-shielded room. So, that might have been the same case for me in a mild way.

I've been having spontaneous OBEs since I was 16 (32 years ago) though I haven't had many in the last few years. I don't know if I have evolved beyond the need for them or if I've lost some kind of interest in them (none that I'm conscious of! lol) I think the home course is effective, though the week-long course is worth it, too, partly because they have people there if you need them (like something "goes wrong" in some physical or mental way.) The course there also goes to a couple of higher levels than they allow to be reproduced on the home-series because of how 'high' one is taken. I think I've gone to those levels before, thanks to a friend pointing out a book that detailed the methods. I can't be abolutely sure about that, but it did have a definitely higher feel to it, so I know I got something additionally positive out of it.

You might also look up the books of Robert Peterson (Out of Body Experiences and a second one I can't recall the title of.) Here's a couple of sites about the subject as well that are good for further research :)

http://web.archive.org/web/20071124031228/http://www.near-death.com
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums