Hi everyone, I would like to share with you a specific breathing technique I have been using to help me get to sleep fast as I often find it really hard to switch off.

I also find it incredibly difficult to sleep on my back – in fact usually if I go to sleep on my back I will still be wide awake an hour later. It is pretty much a guaranteed way for me to encourage insomnia! However I keep persisting because sleeping on one’s side is not so good for the spine/neck and I keep waking up with stiffness.

Anyway I have recently discovered one thing that has enabled me to fall asleep on my back and that is this breathing technique, so I thought that it might also help anyone suffering from insomnia.

This technique is called the Carbon Dioxide Technique and is actually from a text book called “Demystifying the out-of-body-experience: a practical manual for exploration and personal evolution” by Luis Minero.
Of the technique the author explains:

“(This) technique will help you modify your breathing pattern so as to induce an OBE. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main element in this this technique. By safely increasing the amount of CO2 in the physical body, the brain decreases its activity and allows the consciousness to disconnect from the physical body. These circumstances are benign and there are no side effects for the projector. To increase the amount of CO2 in your body, you will breath in specific patterns.”

There are a number of stages which you can eventually progress through. The suggestion is to start with:
Breath in: 2 seconds
Hold breath: 8 seconds
Breath out: 4 seconds

Over time of practicing this regularly you can increase to 3-12-6 seconds each, and 4-16-8 seconds, 5-20-10 seconds etc. The ideal is to reach the 8-32-16 ratio though will depend on size, lung capacity etc.

Nothing should be forced, and you should breath through your nose.

I have used this technique with the 2-8-4 seconds and after about 4 rounds I begin to feel very relaxed, and a spacy feeling in my head. Then I continue for a few more rounds (they suggest 15 rounds) next thing I know I’m awake at some other point (in the night or morning) and can’t remember finishing the technique – so it pretty much knocks me out!

Nothing else has worked like this for me. I have tried many other relaxation techniques and they might make me feel relaxed but my mind is still too focused and eventually I get bored. This is the first one that actually helps me mentally. So I encourage you to give it a try and let me know how it works for you!

If you are interested in using this technique for OBE
I have not had success with this technique for OBE, though to be honest I haven’t tried very hard. For anyone who is interested this is how you do it, quoted from the book:

“Normally the disconnection begins to be felt in the middle of the holding period. At first it will be a slight sensation, which by the middle of the exhalation will probably be gone as the psychosoma realigns with the body. In the next breath, during the middle of the holding period, you will feel it again. As you keep going, breath after breath, the disconnection sensation will become increasingly clear and stronger. Eventually you will leave your body. Continue applying the technique until you are out.”