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experienced practitioner performs maintaining techniques in order to maintain his presence in the phase. As a result, the former is often soundly thrown out of the phase, while the latter has experiences that are many times longer and more relaxed. Even thinking of one's own body while in the phase is fraught with the danger of returning to it, to say nothing of techniques which are focused on the conscious ability to reenter the body. While in the phase and when performing any maintaining technique, a practitioner should be extremely confident that he will be in the phase for just as long as he needs to be. Such confidence alone is sufficient to substantially prolong the average phase. However, when maintaining the phase, advanced practitioners have to face the real issue of keeping their minds out of their bodies - and this means false fouls. The absolute majority of returns to the body from the phase are false. Depending on one's personal characteristics and level of practice, from 50 to 90% of all returns to the body can be false. That's precisely why the mandatory rule is: upon returning to the body, one must try to separate from it again. Even when following this rule, the experience nonetheless often ends in a false awakening that is only recognized some time after the fact. The problem is partially resolved by understanding that a return to the body from the phase means nothing at all. If it happens, it's but a trifle for one's practice not worthy of the slightest attention. If you were just in the phase, then it can't end so easily or quickly. An experienced practitioner should always (always!) try to re-enter the phase and do it with as much self-assurance as possible. And if one is at last unable to leave the body again, then one must perform at least two reality checks (hyperconcentration, breathing out through a pinched nose, looking for inconsistencies, etc.), as there is a high likelihood that one is still nevertheless in the phase. Reality checks alone can prolong a phase experience by up to 20 percent. In summary, at higher levels of practice, a phaser must try to re-exit his body. If he is unable to, then he must perform reality checks.