My brief spiritual background and attainments

Brief Biography

 I am 59 years old and live in Penang, Malaysia. I am semi retired doing online teaching (computing).  During my younger days, I often have spontaneous out-of-body experience (astral projections?)  and also seeing apparitions (ghosts?), and hearing sounds which nobody else hears (eg footsteps on the roof). However, I learn to suppress all of those experiences  as they were quite frightening.  And today I don't experience them anymore, except for the occasional astral projection which I always suppress when it is about to begin. It always starts with total body paralysis with mind fully awake, then vibration over entire body. That's when, I would suppress it and it goes away.  I often have flying dreams which can be quite lucid at times - although I never intended them. I dream of flying and hovering over many places and it was quite pleasant. Nowadays I also often dream of places I have never seen or people I have never met before (past life?) - and these dreams could be very lucid with intimate details including the strong emotions in them as well.

Meditation techniques that I have tried:

1. TM (Transcendental Meditation) and TM-Siddhi

2. Anapanasati based on MN118

3. Vipassana based on Mahasi Sayadaw's teachings

4. Metta and TWIM (Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation) as taught by Bhante Vimalaramsi

5. Jhana Meditation as taught by Leigh Brasington.

6. AUM (OM) meditation as taught by Tomer Weiss

Attainments to-date:

1. 1st and 2nd Jhana.

2. Uncontrollable astral projection