Hey avatar,

This sounds completely like sleep paralysis, something everybody goes through every night before they enter into deeper sleep. I would suggest you take a read through Robert Monroe's classic book 'Journeys out of the body'. This books deals with his early experiences of out of body travel.

One of his experiences that spring to mind is when he went to sleep one night only to suddenly feel this panting over his shoulder as if someone was hanging onto his back.

Sounds freaky but this turned out to be his physical body asleep and breathing onto his astral body that was floating just above. I wouldn't say I have mastered out of body travel but on the many occasions that I've had one, I have heard all sorts of metallic sounds, rising pitch sounds, crackling, whistling and the odd voice as well.

Overcoming the fear and going with it could have you floating over your own body one day.

Gluck