Imagination · “Feel It Real”
Soul-Travel Intention Before Sleep
As the body relaxes toward sleep, set a clear, calm, present-tense intention to become consciously aware in the borderland state and to ‘soul travel’ — directing the drifting mind toward an OBE rather than ordinary sleep.
Intention Before Sleep: After relaxing the body, set one clear, calm, present-tense intention for the night — to stay aware as the body sleeps and to “soul travel.” Mean it lightly, with quiet expectancy, no strain. Let it be the last clear thought as you drift, then release it. Optionally aim it at a place or at noticing the early signs. In the morning, lie still and record whatever you remember.
What it is
This is the steering step in Albert Taylor’s Soul Traveler approach: as the body sinks into the relaxation descent, you deliberately plant a clear intention to become consciously aware at the threshold and to “soul travel,” rather than letting the mind dissolve into ordinary unconsciousness.
Taylor’s premise is that “when the body falls asleep, the soul mind comes to the forefront of consciousness” — so the night is going to do something with the borderland either way, and a calm, well-formed intention is how you point it.
The intention is gentle and present-tense, not a strained command; its job is to bias the drifting mind toward awareness and toward Taylor’s “soul travel” instead of a blank night. It pairs naturally with the engineer’s relaxation descent (the body work) and the paralysis doorway (what to do when the threshold locks in).
The Method
Faithfully described from Soul Traveler (paraphrase; exact wording not reproduced):
- Relax first. Settle into the calm breathing and head-to-toe release of the relaxation descent, so the body is heavy and the mind is quiet and receptive before you set the intention.
- Form one clear, calm intention. Hold a single, simple directive for the night — to stay aware as the body sleeps, to recognise the threshold, and to “soul travel.” Keep it positive and present-tense (e.g., “Tonight I become aware and travel”), not a list of demands.
- Mean it, lightly. Let the intention carry quiet expectancy and desire — Taylor treats genuine intention as the steering force — but without urgency or strain. The mood is calm certainty, not effortful wanting.
- Let it be the last thing in mind. Allow the intention to be the final clear thought you hold as you drift, then release it and let the relaxation carry you toward the borderland. Don’t keep re-checking whether it’s “working.”
- Optionally aim it. If you wish, attach a simple direction to the intention — to notice the early signs (heaviness, vibration), or a place/person you’d like to “travel” to — giving the drifting mind a target.
- Pair with recall in the morning. On waking, lie still and record whatever you remember — borderland imagery, lucidity, paralysis, OBE. Tracking outcomes strengthens the incubation over successive nights. (Sourcing note: this synthesizes Taylor’s intention-setting step; the relaxation and paralysis stages are covered in companion entries.)
Source & Lineage
Albert Taylor (b. c. 1952), the former aerospace engineer who self-published Soul Traveler (1996), frames intention as the directive that turns a relaxed pre-sleep state into purposeful “soul travel” rather than ordinary sleep.
The technique sits in the broad lineage of dream/OBE incubation and modern Western OBE work (Monroe, Buhlman), but Taylor’s emphasis — a calm engineer’s directive built on his “soul mind comes to the forefront” premise — is his own.
The Traditions' versions
The move — set a clear intention before sleep so the drifting mind does what you’ve directed — is one of the most universal practices in this whole field; Taylor’s version aims it specifically at threshold-awareness and “soul travel”: - Buhlman’s OBE affirmation/target — a repeated present-tense OBE affirmation plus a destination point, a close cousin aimed squarely at separation.
- MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams) — pre-sleep “next time I’m dreaming, I’ll know I’m dreaming.”
- Murphy’s sleep impregnation — handing a clear request to the subconscious at sleep onset.
- Neville’s “state akin to sleep” (Sats) — occupying the drowsy borderland with a single assumed scene/feeling.
- Collier’s “man inside you” at sleep — directing the subconscious as you fall asleep.
Common refinements
Over-eager arousal. “I MUST get out tonight” creates the very tension that blocks sleep onset and the borderland. Hold the intention with calm expectancy, then let go.
- Vague or negative wording. “I hope I don’t just fall asleep” seeds the wrong content. Use one clear, positive, present-tense directive.
- Re-checking it constantly. Repeatedly testing whether it’s working keeps the mind active and aroused. Set it once, then release into the descent.
- Skipping the relaxation. Intention works best on an already-relaxed, receptive mind; firing it into a tense, busy mind is weak.
- No morning recall. Failing to capture outcomes on waking starves the practice of the feedback that strengthens it over nights.