Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Astral Projection

Astral Projection

Reality is created by thought projection (consciousness) into the physical. There are 5 subtle bodies In astral projection the conscious mind leaves the physical body and moves into the astral body to experience. In astral projection you remain attached to your physical body by a 'silver umbilical type cord'. Some people are able to see the cord when astral projecting. To astral project, as with all out-of-body experiences, one must feel totally relaxed, clothing fitting comfortable, reclining is best. Often a comforter is best over the body as the physical body sometimes gets cold when you travel out.

When you astral project you are consciously aware of things you encounter while out of your physical body.

Some people can astral project naturally. Others are afraid to remove their consciousness from the physical body and never learn to astral project.

Astral projection (or astral travel) is an out-of-body experience achieved either awake or via lucid dreaming or deep meditation. People who say they experience astral projection often say that their spirit or astral body has left their physical body and moves in another dimension known as the spirit world or astral plane. The concept of astral projection has been around and practiced for thousands of years, dating back to ancient China. It is currently often associated with the New Age movement.

Psychics often say that the subconscious (or dreaming) mind contains the spirit or astral body, resulting in falling dreams or waking up with a falling sensation or sudden jerk. Most dreams are not remembered by the conscious mind, making the experience of astral projection a subject of subjectivity. Believers in astral projection point out, though, that most ghost sightings often define the ghost as a lucid or transparent apparition walking the earth.

It is unclear whether every physical object has an 'astral' counterpart, or if a spirit literally uses incarnation into a physical body and this is what results in astral projections, or if the phenomena is something else entirely. Astral projection also touches on life itself and what happens after physical death.

There are two general schools of thought on the nature of astral projection. These can broadly be defined as the mystical model and the phasing model.

The Phasing Model, which was defined by Robert Monroe, holds the belief that it is impossible to actually leave your body in the truest sense of the word, and that the astral planes and the physical world are merely points on the long spectrum of consciousness. When a person projects, they actually "phase" into another area of consciousness and the locales it contains. This can be likened to tuning a radio to another station. One of the initial signposts representing a phase shift away from physical reality has been labeled the state of focus 10 (mind awake/body asleep). This viewpoint can be seen as a logical progression of the philosophy that external reality is actually an internally created state
The Mystical Model includes a large variety of belief systems and astral maps, but they are tied together by their belief that astral projection takes place outside of the actual physical body. In this model, a more subtle energy body is believed to carry the consciousness outside of the physical body. In their book Projection of the Astral Body, Carrington and Muldoon detail how consciousness is transferred into a secondary "energy" body (the etheric body) to allow travel into the astral planes. This idea is also described by other authors such as Robert Peterson in his book Out of Body Experiences: How to have them and what to expect (chapters 5, 17, 22), and Robert Bruce in his book Astral Dynamics (pages 31-33, 404-410, 538). Bruce expanded on this idea in his book Astral Dynamics, stating that higher planes of existence are reached through the progressive projection of subtler energy bodies from previous projected bodies (pages 33-42). The subtle body is attached to the physical body by means of an energetic connection which usually takes the appearance of a silver cord 'plugging' into the chakra system like an umbilical cord. Robert Peterson describes this in chapter 13 of his book Out of Body Experiences, Robert Bruce in his book Astral Dynamics (pages 27, 52-53, 84, 397-403,544) and by Carrington and Muldoon in their book Projection of the Astral Body.

Kinds of Projection

Astral Projection - The traveler finds him- or herself in an apparently real domain, analogous to the "other worlds" experienced by traditional peoples, which have no parallel to any physical setting or to consensus reality, described by New Agers and occultists as the astral plane or "the astral". Environments here may range from populated to unpopulated, artificial to natural to completely abstract environments and from beautific to horrific. Here, normal physical laws often do not apply and humans can often, for example, float or fly. Quality of physical detail ranges from crude, non-detailed and depressing to bright, vivid and fascinating as detailed, among other writers, by Robert Bruce in his Astral Dynamics.

Travelers may travel from one realm to the other. Projectors may find access to visions of the past or future and to the Akashic Records accessible from here. It has been said that space and time do not exist on the astral plane nor the higher planes, but no explanation is given as to how forms and entire environments can exist without spatial dimensions, nor why there can be a sequence of events and yet no such thing as time. Many travelers have theorized that people having dreams actually travel to the astral realms, unaware, and, again as reported in Astral Dynamics, travelers have reported seeing dreamers enact dream scenarios on the astral plane, unaware of the more extensive and varied non-physical environment surrounding them. Some also claim common movements in dreams, such as falling or feeling like you are walking through quicksand, is the astral body in action.

Etheric Projection - In contrast to "astral" projection, the traditional understanding of out-of-body experiences involves the projector (or traveler) moving about in usually invisible or ghost-like form in a mundane physical realityÐthe etheric body. This world may, however, have minor differences between the physical reality world we know if strict mind control is not maintained. Proponents of the writings of Robert Bruce sometimes refer to this practice as "Real Time Projection" (RTP) and the mundane world as the "Real Time Zone" (RTZ). From the Real Time Zone, travelers can access "the astral" or remain in the RTZ and witness real time happenings.

In Western theosophy, each subtle body is functionally distinct. Since the etheric body and astral body are not the same, according to several sources (noted below), they can not possibly represent the same kind of psychic activity.

Alice Bailey, in Telepathy and the Etheric Vehicle (Lucis Trust), stated that the etheric and astral bodies should not be confused. She indicated that "HPB" (Helena P. Blavatsky) had erroneously merged the two concepts, in order to cover a "mass of information anent the etheric [and] astral" (pages 140-141).

The Rosicrucian Fellowship has released several publications on the "etheric region" and the etheric body, as well as their integral relationship with the physical state of being (see Max Heindel, et al). The Theosophical Society, having several branches around the world, also has published literature on both the etheric and astral states. To them, the etheric body is actually the same as the physical; however, it "rests" at a slightly different frequency than regular matter.

Lawrence Bendit and Phoebe Bendit wrote a book called The Etheric Body of Man (Theosophical Publishing), in which the analysis of a psychiatrist meets the psychic visions of an alleged clairvoyant. Therein, the authors explain how the etheric body is a functionally separate body from the physical, and yet they share a mutual relationship, all of which seem to be consistent with how ether and etheric projection is believed to operate, as depicted in other literature.

The term was coined at least as far back as the 1940s, by Dion Fortune in her book Psychic Self Defense (Red Wheel/Weiser). She details how an etheric body (during etheric projection), once projected, is "sufficiently physical enough" to be mutually observed by on-lookers (pages 20-22).

James H. Brennan, in The Astral Projection Workbook (Sterling Pubishing), devotes an entire section of his book to etheric projection and its constituents (pages 17-28).
Annie Besant, in The Seven Principles of Man (Theosophical Publishing House) actually explained that the "etheric double" can be separated from the physical body: This etheric double is the exact double or counterpart of the [physical] body to which it belongs, and is separable [from it]... When separated from the [physical] body it is visible to the clairvoyant as an exact replica thereof, united to it by a slender thread... (pages 8-9).
Stuart Wilde in The Sixth Sense (Hay House) wrote that the etheric body (not astral) is the "true" individual, and that its function is to allow psychic abilities to actually surface. He stated that astral projection is not at all part of the etheric body's actions, and that it is more a "mental state [of reverie]" (page 102). Further, he said that the etheric body is actually the vehicle used in an OBE, and that calling it astral projection is misleading (pages 102-103).

Mental Projection

Mental projection is projection of the astral body to the mental plane via utilisation of mental energy while within the astral or etheric to phase into the Mental, or a different process used to project directly into the Mental Plane. The active subtle body of the mental plane is the mental body, which constitutes the intellectual consciousness of the projector in general. The environment is generally highly colorful and kaleidoscopic in nature, like the astral, and shifting consciously. The difference is that even mathematical functions and thoughts will manifest seemingly physically. The buffer zone between the astral and mental planes is known as the Akashic Records, and appears as a library of knowledge of past, present, and future possibility. There are many theories as to why the perceptions of these records and the mental plane in general differ from projector to projector, but the general consensus is that the Akashic records will appear differently, like a computer or library to different people at different times, and that the future is always sketchy and can often change mid-viewing to the projector.

Roman Catholic View

Astral Projection is a forbidden practice for Roman Catholics because the soul; containing all reason, thought, memories, emotion, attitudes, and beliefs; leaves the physical body during a wake state, and this can cause bizarre belief systems to develop, based on improperly interpreted sensations from the reality elevated from, and parallel to three dimensional reality.

The soul in an agnostic state; that is indifferent toward The Holy Trinity, or Triune God - God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit; is left without protection, roaming the atmosphere, and perhaps some distance beyond this in a spiritual ghetto that surrounds the earth: The Third Heaven. The Third Heaven is ruled by spiritual hosts of wickedness in the high places, which will send demons to deceive those who will not keep to the domain of the world.

A human soul, when detached from the physical body, during a waking state, without the protection of The Roman Catholic God, Jesus Christ, is very vulnerable to molestation by demons.

Roman Catholics refer to escorted travel in the spiritual dimension, an anointing. Jesus Christ is The Anointed of God, Who, while in human form was constantly aware of All Truth, regardless of the shortcomings of the human sensory channels. He was, therefore, constantly in a state of Astral Projection, or anointing. The anointed of God will prophesy Truth directly from God, perform miraculous healings, order the atmosphere to obey them, stop rain from falling in a certain area, pass through solid objects, and/or become invisible when threatened.

Robert Monroe - Monroe Technique

Robert Monroe in his series of books makes several references to a "second body", which he says must be "shed" in order to be completely free. Because many of his fantastical adventures are alleged to happen after this shedding, he was most likely referring to the etheric body and etheric projection.

Robert Allan Monroe (1915 - 1995) was a psychic researcher and author of
Monroe gives a detailed description of the "second body". It has weight, is visible under certain conditions, produces a sensation of touch just like the physical touch, and yet it is very plastic and may adopt any form required of it. Possibly, suggests Monroe, the second body is a reversal of the physical. He even relates this to his ideas that it may consist of antimatter, although what he means is obscure. As for a cord, he tried feeling it on some of his excursions, but it was not an important part of his experience. Finally he suggests that the second body is related in some important way to electricity and magnetism. In experiments in a Faraday cage he found that he could not pass through the walls when a current was passed through them, but when it was turned off he could (though sufficient details are not given to assess the explanation fairly). He suggests a "third force" to add to electricity and magnetism which is used by the second body and fundamental to thought.

What can we make of Monroe's descriptions? As always it is hard to disentangle what he has discovered about locations others might visit, from the product of his own bias or preoccupations. Some of his descriptions sound familiar, but many seem only odd.
Many people confuse this phenomenon with astral travel; however, etheric travel is mainly related to that which can and does exist, physically. During this type of experience, there are no fantastical worlds, or self-absorbed encounters; the majority of the experience can be validated. Dr. Charles Tart has done many experiments and tentatively concluded that the person may not have invented the experience - unlike astral travel, where the experience is conceptual. For example, in a 1967 study, a subject was unable to discover a five digit number written down and placed face up in an adjoining room, but did provide some details of the activities of the technician monitoring the experiment. Tart summarizes, "Thus, there is some indication that ESP may have been involved with respect to the technician's activities, but it is not at all conclusive."
According to Arthur Powell and Max Heindel, the etheric "double" serves as a medium between the astral and physical realms. Ether, also called prana, is the "vital force" that empowers the Physical forms in order for change to take place. This means that when one views the physical during an OBE, they are not technically "in" the astral realm at all.

The Monroe Technique

Step One:

Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself" to having an OBE. (out of body experience). This includes both physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method of attaining this relaxation, although progressive muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3... until about 50 or 100) are known to work well.

Step Two:

Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnogogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any method of doing this. One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken again. With practice you can learn to control the hypnogogic state without using your arm. Another method is to concentrate on an object. When other images start to enter your thoughts, you have entered the hypnogogic state. Passively watch these images. This will also help you maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A.

Step Three:

Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. Observe your field of vision through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front of your. After a while you may start to notice light patterns. These are simply neural discharges. They have no specific effect. Ignore them. When they cease, one has entered what Monroe calls Condition B. From here, one must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation. You are almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts.
The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D. This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal fatigue. To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning just as you are getting up, or after a short nap.

Step Four:

Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of the technique, and also the most vague. Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset of projection. They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or as if electricity is being shot through the body. Their cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral body trying to leave the physical body.

For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the following directions:

1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin.
2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but do not shut out all light.
3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head pointed toward magnetic north.
4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer than what might normally be comfortable.
5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.
6. Enter a state of relaxation.
7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your well being. Repeat this five times.
8. As your breathe, concentrate on the void in front of you.
9. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point of mental reference to six feet.
10. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line parallel to your body axis up above you head. Focus there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them back into your body.

Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you will know when you have achieved contact with them.

Step Five:

Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational waves from head to foot. To produce this wave effect, concentrate on the vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body. Practice this until you can induce these waves on command. Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are ready to leave the body.

Step Six:

Begin with a partial separation. The key here is thought control. Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thoughts might cause you to lose control of the state.

Now having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body". Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed. Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it back in to coincidence with the physical one, decrease the vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment. Lie quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise will prepare you for full separation.
Step Seven:

Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods for this. One method is to lift out of the body. To do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after entering the vibrational state. Think about how nice it would be to float upward. Keep this thought in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will occur naturally at this point.

Another method is the "Rotation Method" or "roll-out" technique. When you have achieved the vibrational state, try to roll over as if you were turning over in bed. Do not attempt to roll over physically. Try to twist your body from the top and virtually roll over into your second body right out of your physical self. At this point, you will be out of the body, but next to it. Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself floating above the body.

Silva Method

According to its proponents, the Silva Method (Silva Mind Control, Remote viewing) is a self-empowerment system to shape beliefs, augment personal success and view distant objects or locations and connect with a higher intelligence for guidance. Jose Silva developed pseudoscientific explanations of brain function and its relationship with a higher consciousness in the 1960s.

According to its proponents, the technique aims to reach and sustain a higher state of mental functioning, called alpha state, where brainwave frequency is eight to thirteen Hz. The method also uses visualizations and affirmations. Advocates attest to healing, better attainment of goals, ESP and cure from addictions.

Jose Silva, founder of the Silva Method, claimed to have developed a program that trained people to enter certain brain states of enhanced awareness. He also claimed to have developed several systematic mental processes to use while in these states allowing a person to mentally project with a specific intent. According to Silva, once the mind is projected, a person can allegedly view distant objects or locations and connect with higher intelligence for guidance. The information received by the projected mind is then said to be perceived as thoughts, images, feelings, smells, taste and sound by the mind. The information obtained in this manner can be acted upon to solve problems.

J. B. Rhine, long-time parapsychology researcher at Duke University, coined the term, Extra-sensory perception (ESP). He thought that the psychic senses were an extra sense that only a few very special people had. Silva modified the phrase "Extra-sensory Perception" to "Effective Sensory Projection". Silva kept the same initials, ESP, but the revised meaning suggests that it is a more dynamic activity. In 1953, Silva believed he had trained his daughter to be psychic, and he introduced his training methods to Rhine with his daughter as proof. Rhine's response was that Silva's daughter was a natural psychic and he just hadn't noticed it before. Subsequently, Silva began working with another subject. This time, he tested his subject first to be sure he was not functioning as a psychic. Over the next ten years, Silva claimed to have trained thirty-nine more subjects to be psychics.

Another discovery claimed as successful is remote viewing. Rather than passively waiting for impressions to be perceived, a person projects him- or herself mentally and remotely views what is going on in a process similar to lucid dreaming.

Alleged successes with his methods convinced Silva that everyone has such abilities and can be taught to develop them, and that it is not an extra sense at all, but an unneeded - therefore undeveloped - sense. Everything happens first in the mind, he reasoned, then happens in the body. A person mentally decides to pick up a glass of water and drink it, then does it physically. Your life is the manipulation of the set rules of this universe, the trick is learning how to manipulate the rules right.

The Silva Method is now a multi-million dollar business with thousands of Silva Method instructors teaching the system over several days to groups of students in numerous countries worldwide.

The system has also spawned many books, some of them authored or co-authored by Jose Silva, with many others based on the basic principles of the method but spreading into other areas of awareness and application whilst in the alpha state.

The Silva Method is one of a number of therapeutic techniques sometimes grouped under the name Human potential movement.

Practice Techniques

Quiet your mind. Clear your thoughts. In your mind think ...

"I'm going to count down from 3 to 1, visualizing each number on a white orb suspended in the air above my head. When I reach the third and final "1" my body will be deeply relaxed. I will have no awareness of physical sensations. I will not perceive any physical discomfort. My consciousness will be focused on my astral body."

Now visualize a white orb suspended in the air above your head. Mentally focus on the orb I visualize a number "3" on the face of the orb. The numbers can be any color. They may vary with each experience. Visualize the 3 - three times: three number "3's" on the orb. Your body is completely relaxed. You are losing awareness of your physical body. (3 references 3D or the physical mind)

Repeat the visualization with three number "2's." You are into greater relaxation. Now visualize the "1's." You are losing awareness of physical sensations. Your consciousness will be in your astral body.

Repeat this using the number "1's" three times. Your consciousness is now in my astral body. This could involve training of several sessions. You may also find audio tapes that take you down into these altered states as well. You getting better and faster as you go along each time. There is no set agenda for how often you practice astral projection or any other out-of-body technique. It soon becomes fun. It is like a deep meditation. The key is to remain conscious while my body is asleep. Different thoughts may pull you from your focus as the mind loves to chatter. Just push these thoughts away.


Reality is created by thought projection (consciousness) into the physical. There are 5 subtle bodies In astral projection the conscious mind leaves the physical body and moves into the astral body to experience. In astral projection you remain attached to your physical body by a 'silver umbilical type cord'. Some people are able to see the cord when astral projecting. To astral project, as with all out-of-body experiences, one must feel totally relaxed, clothing fitting comfortable, reclining is best. Often a comforter is best over the body as the physical body sometimes gets cold when you travel out.

When you astral project you are consciously aware of things you encounter while out of your physical body.

Some people can astral project naturally. Others are afraid to remove their consciousness from the physical body and never learn to astral project.

Astral projection (or astral travel) is an out-of-body experience achieved either awake or via lucid dreaming or deep meditation. People who say they experience astral projection often say that their spirit or astral body has left their physical body and moves in another dimension known as the spirit world or astral plane. The concept of astral projection has been around and practiced for thousands of years, dating back to ancient China. It is currently often associated with the New Age movement.

Psychics often say that the subconscious (or dreaming) mind contains the spirit or astral body, resulting in falling dreams or waking up with a falling sensation or sudden jerk. Most dreams are not remembered by the conscious mind, making the experience of astral projection a subject of subjectivity. Believers in astral projection point out, though, that most ghost sightings often define the ghost as a lucid or transparent apparition walking the earth.

It is unclear whether every physical object has an 'astral' counterpart, or if a spirit literally uses incarnation into a physical body and this is what results in astral projections, or if the phenomena is something else entirely. Astral projection also touches on life itself and what happens after physical death.

There are two general schools of thought on the nature of astral projection. These can broadly be defined as the mystical model and the phasing model.

The Phasing Model, which was defined by Robert Monroe, holds the belief that it is impossible to actually leave your body in the truest sense of the word, and that the astral planes and the physical world are merely points on the long spectrum of consciousness. When a person projects, they actually "phase" into another area of consciousness and the locales it contains. This can be likened to tuning a radio to another station. One of the initial signposts representing a phase shift away from physical reality has been labeled the state of focus 10 (mind awake/body asleep). This viewpoint can be seen as a logical progression of the philosophy that external reality is actually an internally created state
The Mystical Model includes a large variety of belief systems and astral maps, but they are tied together by their belief that astral projection takes place outside of the actual physical body. In this model, a more subtle energy body is believed to carry the consciousness outside of the physical body. In their book Projection of the Astral Body, Carrington and Muldoon detail how consciousness is transferred into a secondary "energy" body (the etheric body) to allow travel into the astral planes. This idea is also described by other authors such as Robert Peterson in his book Out of Body Experiences: How to have them and what to expect (chapters 5, 17, 22), and Robert Bruce in his book Astral Dynamics (pages 31-33, 404-410, 538). Bruce expanded on this idea in his book Astral Dynamics, stating that higher planes of existence are reached through the progressive projection of subtler energy bodies from previous projected bodies (pages 33-42). The subtle body is attached to the physical body by means of an energetic connection which usually takes the appearance of a silver cord 'plugging' into the chakra system like an umbilical cord. Robert Peterson describes this in chapter 13 of his book Out of Body Experiences, Robert Bruce in his book Astral Dynamics (pages 27, 52-53, 84, 397-403,544) and by Carrington and Muldoon in their book Projection of the Astral Body.

Kinds of Projection

Astral Projection - The traveler finds him- or herself in an apparently real domain, analogous to the "other worlds" experienced by traditional peoples, which have no parallel to any physical setting or to consensus reality, described by New Agers and occultists as the astral plane or "the astral". Environments here may range from populated to unpopulated, artificial to natural to completely abstract environments and from beautific to horrific. Here, normal physical laws often do not apply and humans can often, for example, float or fly. Quality of physical detail ranges from crude, non-detailed and depressing to bright, vivid and fascinating as detailed, among other writers, by Robert Bruce in his Astral Dynamics.

Travelers may travel from one realm to the other. Projectors may find access to visions of the past or future and to the Akashic Records accessible from here. It has been said that space and time do not exist on the astral plane nor the higher planes, but no explanation is given as to how forms and entire environments can exist without spatial dimensions, nor why there can be a sequence of events and yet no such thing as time. Many travelers have theorized that people having dreams actually travel to the astral realms, unaware, and, again as reported in Astral Dynamics, travelers have reported seeing dreamers enact dream scenarios on the astral plane, unaware of the more extensive and varied non-physical environment surrounding them. Some also claim common movements in dreams, such as falling or feeling like you are walking through quicksand, is the astral body in action.

Etheric Projection - In contrast to "astral" projection, the traditional understanding of out-of-body experiences involves the projector (or traveler) moving about in usually invisible or ghost-like form in a mundane physical realityÐthe etheric body. This world may, however, have minor differences between the physical reality world we know if strict mind control is not maintained. Proponents of the writings of Robert Bruce sometimes refer to this practice as "Real Time Projection" (RTP) and the mundane world as the "Real Time Zone" (RTZ). From the Real Time Zone, travelers can access "the astral" or remain in the RTZ and witness real time happenings.

In Western theosophy, each subtle body is functionally distinct. Since the etheric body and astral body are not the same, according to several sources (noted below), they can not possibly represent the same kind of psychic activity.

Alice Bailey, in Telepathy and the Etheric Vehicle (Lucis Trust), stated that the etheric and astral bodies should not be confused. She indicated that "HPB" (Helena P. Blavatsky) had erroneously merged the two concepts, in order to cover a "mass of information anent the etheric [and] astral" (pages 140-141).

The Rosicrucian Fellowship has released several publications on the "etheric region" and the etheric body, as well as their integral relationship with the physical state of being (see Max Heindel, et al). The Theosophical Society, having several branches around the world, also has published literature on both the etheric and astral states. To them, the etheric body is actually the same as the physical; however, it "rests" at a slightly different frequency than regular matter.

Lawrence Bendit and Phoebe Bendit wrote a book called The Etheric Body of Man (Theosophical Publishing), in which the analysis of a psychiatrist meets the psychic visions of an alleged clairvoyant. Therein, the authors explain how the etheric body is a functionally separate body from the physical, and yet they share a mutual relationship, all of which seem to be consistent with how ether and etheric projection is believed to operate, as depicted in other literature.

The term was coined at least as far back as the 1940s, by Dion Fortune in her book Psychic Self Defense (Red Wheel/Weiser). She details how an etheric body (during etheric projection), once projected, is "sufficiently physical enough" to be mutually observed by on-lookers (pages 20-22).

James H. Brennan, in The Astral Projection Workbook (Sterling Pubishing), devotes an entire section of his book to etheric projection and its constituents (pages 17-28).
Annie Besant, in The Seven Principles of Man (Theosophical Publishing House) actually explained that the "etheric double" can be separated from the physical body: This etheric double is the exact double or counterpart of the [physical] body to which it belongs, and is separable [from it]... When separated from the [physical] body it is visible to the clairvoyant as an exact replica thereof, united to it by a slender thread... (pages 8-9).
Stuart Wilde in The Sixth Sense (Hay House) wrote that the etheric body (not astral) is the "true" individual, and that its function is to allow psychic abilities to actually surface. He stated that astral projection is not at all part of the etheric body's actions, and that it is more a "mental state [of reverie]" (page 102). Further, he said that the etheric body is actually the vehicle used in an OBE, and that calling it astral projection is misleading (pages 102-103).

Mental Projection

Mental projection is projection of the astral body to the mental plane via utilisation of mental energy while within the astral or etheric to phase into the Mental, or a different process used to project directly into the Mental Plane. The active subtle body of the mental plane is the mental body, which constitutes the intellectual consciousness of the projector in general. The environment is generally highly colorful and kaleidoscopic in nature, like the astral, and shifting consciously. The difference is that even mathematical functions and thoughts will manifest seemingly physically. The buffer zone between the astral and mental planes is known as the Akashic Records, and appears as a library of knowledge of past, present, and future possibility. There are many theories as to why the perceptions of these records and the mental plane in general differ from projector to projector, but the general consensus is that the Akashic records will appear differently, like a computer or library to different people at different times, and that the future is always sketchy and can often change mid-viewing to the projector.

Roman Catholic View

Astral Projection is a forbidden practice for Roman Catholics because the soul; containing all reason, thought, memories, emotion, attitudes, and beliefs; leaves the physical body during a wake state, and this can cause bizarre belief systems to develop, based on improperly interpreted sensations from the reality elevated from, and parallel to three dimensional reality.

The soul in an agnostic state; that is indifferent toward The Holy Trinity, or Triune God - God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit; is left without protection, roaming the atmosphere, and perhaps some distance beyond this in a spiritual ghetto that surrounds the earth: The Third Heaven. The Third Heaven is ruled by spiritual hosts of wickedness in the high places, which will send demons to deceive those who will not keep to the domain of the world.

A human soul, when detached from the physical body, during a waking state, without the protection of The Roman Catholic God, Jesus Christ, is very vulnerable to molestation by demons.

Roman Catholics refer to escorted travel in the spiritual dimension, an anointing. Jesus Christ is The Anointed of God, Who, while in human form was constantly aware of All Truth, regardless of the shortcomings of the human sensory channels. He was, therefore, constantly in a state of Astral Projection, or anointing. The anointed of God will prophesy Truth directly from God, perform miraculous healings, order the atmosphere to obey them, stop rain from falling in a certain area, pass through solid objects, and/or become invisible when threatened.

Robert Monroe - Monroe Technique

Robert Monroe in his series of books makes several references to a "second body", which he says must be "shed" in order to be completely free. Because many of his fantastical adventures are alleged to happen after this shedding, he was most likely referring to the etheric body and etheric projection.

Robert Allan Monroe (1915 - 1995) was a psychic researcher and author of
Monroe gives a detailed description of the "second body". It has weight, is visible under certain conditions, produces a sensation of touch just like the physical touch, and yet it is very plastic and may adopt any form required of it. Possibly, suggests Monroe, the second body is a reversal of the physical. He even relates this to his ideas that it may consist of antimatter, although what he means is obscure. As for a cord, he tried feeling it on some of his excursions, but it was not an important part of his experience. Finally he suggests that the second body is related in some important way to electricity and magnetism. In experiments in a Faraday cage he found that he could not pass through the walls when a current was passed through them, but when it was turned off he could (though sufficient details are not given to assess the explanation fairly). He suggests a "third force" to add to electricity and magnetism which is used by the second body and fundamental to thought.

What can we make of Monroe's descriptions? As always it is hard to disentangle what he has discovered about locations others might visit, from the product of his own bias or preoccupations. Some of his descriptions sound familiar, but many seem only odd.
Many people confuse this phenomenon with astral travel; however, etheric travel is mainly related to that which can and does exist, physically. During this type of experience, there are no fantastical worlds, or self-absorbed encounters; the majority of the experience can be validated. Dr. Charles Tart has done many experiments and tentatively concluded that the person may not have invented the experience - unlike astral travel, where the experience is conceptual. For example, in a 1967 study, a subject was unable to discover a five digit number written down and placed face up in an adjoining room, but did provide some details of the activities of the technician monitoring the experiment. Tart summarizes, "Thus, there is some indication that ESP may have been involved with respect to the technician's activities, but it is not at all conclusive."
According to Arthur Powell and Max Heindel, the etheric "double" serves as a medium between the astral and physical realms. Ether, also called prana, is the "vital force" that empowers the Physical forms in order for change to take place. This means that when one views the physical during an OBE, they are not technically "in" the astral realm at all.

The Monroe Technique

Step One:

Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself" to having an OBE. (out of body experience). This includes both physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method of attaining this relaxation, although progressive muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3... until about 50 or 100) are known to work well.

Step Two:

Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnogogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any method of doing this. One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken again. With practice you can learn to control the hypnogogic state without using your arm. Another method is to concentrate on an object. When other images start to enter your thoughts, you have entered the hypnogogic state. Passively watch these images. This will also help you maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A.

Step Three:

Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. Observe your field of vision through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front of your. After a while you may start to notice light patterns. These are simply neural discharges. They have no specific effect. Ignore them. When they cease, one has entered what Monroe calls Condition B. From here, one must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation. You are almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts.
The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D. This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal fatigue. To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning just as you are getting up, or after a short nap.

Step Four:

Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of the technique, and also the most vague. Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset of projection. They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or as if electricity is being shot through the body. Their cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral body trying to leave the physical body.

For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the following directions:

1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin.
2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but do not shut out all light.
3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head pointed toward magnetic north.
4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer than what might normally be comfortable.
5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.
6. Enter a state of relaxation.
7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your well being. Repeat this five times.
8. As your breathe, concentrate on the void in front of you.
9. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point of mental reference to six feet.
10. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line parallel to your body axis up above you head. Focus there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them back into your body.

Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you will know when you have achieved contact with them.

Step Five:

Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational waves from head to foot. To produce this wave effect, concentrate on the vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body. Practice this until you can induce these waves on command. Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are ready to leave the body.

Step Six:

Begin with a partial separation. The key here is thought control. Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thoughts might cause you to lose control of the state.

Now having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body". Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed. Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it back in to coincidence with the physical one, decrease the vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment. Lie quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise will prepare you for full separation.
Step Seven:

Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods for this. One method is to lift out of the body. To do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after entering the vibrational state. Think about how nice it would be to float upward. Keep this thought in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will occur naturally at this point.

Another method is the "Rotation Method" or "roll-out" technique. When you have achieved the vibrational state, try to roll over as if you were turning over in bed. Do not attempt to roll over physically. Try to twist your body from the top and virtually roll over into your second body right out of your physical self. At this point, you will be out of the body, but next to it. Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself floating above the body.

Silva Method

According to its proponents, the Silva Method (Silva Mind Control, Remote viewing) is a self-empowerment system to shape beliefs, augment personal success and view distant objects or locations and connect with a higher intelligence for guidance. Jose Silva developed pseudoscientific explanations of brain function and its relationship with a higher consciousness in the 1960s.

According to its proponents, the technique aims to reach and sustain a higher state of mental functioning, called alpha state, where brainwave frequency is eight to thirteen Hz. The method also uses visualizations and affirmations. Advocates attest to healing, better attainment of goals, ESP and cure from addictions.

Jose Silva, founder of the Silva Method, claimed to have developed a program that trained people to enter certain brain states of enhanced awareness. He also claimed to have developed several systematic mental processes to use while in these states allowing a person to mentally project with a specific intent. According to Silva, once the mind is projected, a person can allegedly view distant objects or locations and connect with higher intelligence for guidance. The information received by the projected mind is then said to be perceived as thoughts, images, feelings, smells, taste and sound by the mind. The information obtained in this manner can be acted upon to solve problems.

J. B. Rhine, long-time parapsychology researcher at Duke University, coined the term, Extra-sensory perception (ESP). He thought that the psychic senses were an extra sense that only a few very special people had. Silva modified the phrase "Extra-sensory Perception" to "Effective Sensory Projection". Silva kept the same initials, ESP, but the revised meaning suggests that it is a more dynamic activity. In 1953, Silva believed he had trained his daughter to be psychic, and he introduced his training methods to Rhine with his daughter as proof. Rhine's response was that Silva's daughter was a natural psychic and he just hadn't noticed it before. Subsequently, Silva began working with another subject. This time, he tested his subject first to be sure he was not functioning as a psychic. Over the next ten years, Silva claimed to have trained thirty-nine more subjects to be psychics.

Another discovery claimed as successful is remote viewing. Rather than passively waiting for impressions to be perceived, a person projects him- or herself mentally and remotely views what is going on in a process similar to lucid dreaming.

Alleged successes with his methods convinced Silva that everyone has such abilities and can be taught to develop them, and that it is not an extra sense at all, but an unneeded - therefore undeveloped - sense. Everything happens first in the mind, he reasoned, then happens in the body. A person mentally decides to pick up a glass of water and drink it, then does it physically. Your life is the manipulation of the set rules of this universe, the trick is learning how to manipulate the rules right.

The Silva Method is now a multi-million dollar business with thousands of Silva Method instructors teaching the system over several days to groups of students in numerous countries worldwide.

The system has also spawned many books, some of them authored or co-authored by Jose Silva, with many others based on the basic principles of the method but spreading into other areas of awareness and application whilst in the alpha state.

The Silva Method is one of a number of therapeutic techniques sometimes grouped under the name Human potential movement.

Practice Techniques

Quiet your mind. Clear your thoughts. In your mind think ...

"I'm going to count down from 3 to 1, visualizing each number on a white orb suspended in the air above my head. When I reach the third and final "1" my body will be deeply relaxed. I will have no awareness of physical sensations. I will not perceive any physical discomfort. My consciousness will be focused on my astral body."

Now visualize a white orb suspended in the air above your head. Mentally focus on the orb I visualize a number "3" on the face of the orb. The numbers can be any color. They may vary with each experience. Visualize the 3 - three times: three number "3's" on the orb. Your body is completely relaxed. You are losing awareness of your physical body. (3 references 3D or the physical mind)

Repeat the visualization with three number "2's." You are into greater relaxation. Now visualize the "1's." You are losing awareness of physical sensations. Your consciousness will be in your astral body.

Repeat this using the number "1's" three times. Your consciousness is now in my astral body. This could involve training of several sessions. You may also find audio tapes that take you down into these altered states as well. You getting better and faster as you go along each time. There is no set agenda for how often you practice astral projection or any other out-of-body technique. It soon becomes fun. It is like a deep meditation. The key is to remain conscious while my body is asleep. Different thoughts may pull you from your focus as the mind loves to chatter. Just push these thoughts away.
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Astral Projection For Beginners �
5 Things Beginners Must Learn

I have been getting many comments and emails asking for more info. For beginners in Astral Projection. Here is an article that Abhishek sent me explaining the basics. You can also search Google for many free sites that offer excellent advice and input about getting started in Astral Projection.

Best wishes,
Dr. Donald Ryles

Summary: Anybody can astral project, even you! There are zillions of resources on astral travelling for beginners, which you can safely use. Before you do so, you are required to learn how to relax, focus, and control your thoughts. Read on for more.

If you want to astral project, you must understand that astral projection is easy; anybody can do it! In other words, astral projection is not a special gift given to a chosen few. Even you can astral project, given that you have the patience, grit, determination, and the will to do so. There are plenty of resources on astral projection for beginners.

1. Learn

This is one of the basic astral projection tips for beginners. Learn as much as possible from books, eBook, articles, and so on. Once you know everything about astral projection, you can successfully discard all fears, misunderstandings, and misconceptions you might have about the subject. Such negativities will only hinder your progress.

2. Train Your Mind

Train your mind to be still. Request people to stay away from you for some time. Go to a quiet place and become conscious of the noises inside your head. Examine your troubles, problems, hopes, and desires. Seek solutions to these problems and let them go. It doesn�t matter if the solution seems absurd; just take it as an excuse to let go of your problem.

Training one�s mind requires tremendous time and patience, and you must practice everyday in order to achieve it.

3. Relax

Complete relaxation is important because astral projection happens only when the body is fully asleep and the mind is fully awake. Adopt a relaxation technique that suits you and learn how to relax each and every muscle of your body.

4. Improve Your Concentration

You will never be able to astral project if you cannot focus on what you are doing. There are plenty of concentration-enhancing exercises that you can do.

For instance, focus on a boring sound. Avoid listening to music because it is easier to focus on music. Listen to something boring such as the ticking of a clock and train your mind to focus on it. Alternatively, you can gaze at the flame of a candle and gently push those stray thoughts away.

5. Use An Exit Technique

Once you have become good at the above points, you then need an Astral projection technique that you can use to come out of the body. There are many good techniques available. So use the one that suits you.

With practice you will find yourself out of your body, exploring the astral realms! And it can really be a wonderful experience.
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Astral Projection Exercise
http://www.paganspath.com/meta/astralp.htm

A How to Exercise

This week I received an email about astral projection that caused me to rethink this article. There is a slight difference between Astral Projection, Out of Body Experiences and Near Death Experiences. It's a small difference, but an important one that isn't very clear in the original article.

Astral projection and OBEs involve the projection of the sub-consciousness mind. The sub-consciousness is the mind of the Soul. It's not the soul itself. When we talk about the soul mind projecting to the astral plane, we're not talking about the entire spiritual being (not the entire soul), but rather the mind of the soul.

You might think of it like this: You maybe sitting in a meeting or in class and you become bored. Your physical body remains in the seat, but your conscious mind wanders outside into the warm spring sunshine. You body has not moved, just your mind.

Astral Projection and OBEs are doing the same thing but on a spiritual level. Your soul isn't moving out of the body, but your soul's mind is moving outward and upward to the astral plane. From this perspective, you can see how your sub-conscious mind is very light and able to lift upward out of the physical being in an effortless manner.

Subsequently a Near Death Experience is a little different in that it's not just the mind of the soul that moves out of the body. But rather the entire soul. Many things occur during this type of transition. One of which is the choice by the soul and it's connection to the super-consciousness of the self about returning to the physical body or not. This choice makes the difference between a NDE and the final transition to physical death.

Astral Projection:

To will the conscious mind into the soul mind and then to project ones conscious self out of the physical body into the etheric realm. The length and location of the projection is preplanned and preprogrammed. The project requires an altered state of awareness such as a deep meditation. The physical and soul are attached through the solar plexus by a silver cord.

Click here for more information about Astral Projection, Out of Body Experiences and Near Death Experiences

Astral Projection, Astral Travel, Astral Projected Travel {APT}

So many different names and acronyms for the same thing can get confusing. That is one of the reasons people get out-of-body-experiences (or OBEs) confused with APTs. The difference is:

An OBE is directed by the sub-conscious mind, the soul mind if you will, for purposes of spiritual evolution.

An APT is directed by the conscious mind, for many different reasons, some spiritual, some for fun and some for escape.

So when people talk about wanting to have an OBE, tell them they do it every night when they sleep. Then tell them how to accomplish an APT.

The first thing to note about an APT is the "intent" must be set before the attempt is made. You program the purpose of your journey, and where you want to go before you jump in the car and head out of the driveway. An APT is just like taking a Sunday drive. Even if the intent is just relax and get a way for a while, that in itself is an intent. Making this specification is necessary and will help the conscious mind direct the soul mind. Deciding where you want to go is also important. It's almost like filing a flight pattern with the tower at an airport. You need to layout a general map for which direction to head out into the ethers, to help you accomplish the goal.

Astral Projection Guide ~ A Step-by-Step Process

Once you have decided where you want to head out and why, you can use the following suggested steps for learning how to get there. There are a great many books and other resources on the subject of Astral Projection, so if this method doesn't work for you, don't give up. Just broaden your research and look for alternatives.

There are few items and arrangements to be made before you begin your journey. You want to find a place where you are not going to be disturbed for about 1 hour. Typically doing this outside is not a good idea because of the distractions. But if you can find a special place where you know for sure you won't be disturbed by man, animal or machine, then certainly give it a try.

You want to find a piece of calm relaxing music. Repetitive New Age meditation music is the best. You're going to use this to help drown out outside noises. The repetitive nature of the music will help you focus on the visualization process and not on the change in tempo and mood variations that most instrumental music contains. They're fabulous for listening enjoyment, but you don't want to be tapping your foot while you're trying to leave your body. It isn't recommended that you attempt this in bed, before sleep or just lying down. You might be too tempted to fall asleep. If you have a comfortable chair, like a Lazy-Boy or something similar, that might be ideal.

To get started:

Prepare your space as you would for any spiritual development effort. Grab a blanket if you think you might get cold. Light a candle, say a prayer for protection, ask your guides for assistance and so on. This ritual is part of "setting the intent" for your travel. During your prayer, call in your guides and teachers, the location and why you want to go on this journey. Clearly define the "flight plan" to program both your conscious mind and your soul mind.

Relax in a comfortable position. Try to keep everything at your finger tips so you can fully relax. Start your music and close your eyes.

Take in 3 deep cleansing breaths. Fill your lungs to their fullest capacity and exhale completely. Imagine the white protective light from the Divine filling your body. Know that you are protected, safe and secure from all harm, seen and unseen.

As you pull in the Divine light through your nose, imagine a large ball of purple energy collecting in and around your solar plexus. As the light grows within your physical body, imagine your silver cord emerging from the glow. Imagine the cord moving through your body and forming into a replica of you next to the ceiling. Try to form this image as your soul mind, the essence of the spiritual you.

Once you have that image, turn the visual body over so your soul mind is looking down at your physical body.

Now the hard part. When the two bodies are facing each other, one on the floor, the other on the ceiling, try to transfer your conscious mind into the spiritual image. You can imagine what your conscious mind will experience as it travels up the silver cord into the spiritual you. You imagine what the ceiling would feel like against the back of your soul mind. What ever it takes to actually put you there.

Once you've made a connection, look down at your physical body. Record in your conscious mind what you see. As much of the detail as you can.

When you're ready, move the soul mind through the ceiling, the roof and out into the ethers. Look back and see your silver cord floating in the breeze, completely intact.
Continue through space on the journey you outlined for yourself when setting the intent for this travel experience. When you're ready to return simply think to yourself, "It's time to go back." Then varoom, you'll be back.

The hardest part is transferring the conscious mind up into the soul mind. It's going to take time and probably several attempts before you actually make the transfer. Each time you attempt the journey, make note of how your physical body feels and reacts. I don't want to give you any ideas on what you might experience while doing this. I don't want you to have any influence or mental suggestion that might hinder or cloud your attempts. It's better that you try and practice, making notes of your own unique feelings.

For your first couple of journey's you might want to define some easy goals to validate your experience. For instance, in my first travel I planned on visiting my sister who lived on the other side of the U.S. in California. While there I made note of as many details as possible. What she was doing, wearing, what was around her and so on. After the trip, I phoned her and asked her to validate some things for me. I told her what she was wearing, what she was doing and so on. She was cooking dinner and looking for something, I knew in the spiritual essence she was looking for a special knife. When I wondered where the knife was and how could I tell her, in an instant I saw the knife and it's hidden location. When I called her, I asked her to look in that place and see if the knife was there. It was and I had my validation.

This process of validating your travel is meant for one purpose. To build your confidence. To show you that you really did take a journey to where you planned to go. As your confidence builds, so does the ease of the projection. As you grow in experience, you can grow in your intent. So if you want to see the dark side of the moon, then go take a look at it. And have some pleasant and wonderful journeys.
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Astral Beginnings
By Paul from Wizard & Witch Newsletter

Astral Travel is a common phenomena. In fact everyone does it on a daily
Basis. So, why do so few understand and make use of this heavenly gift.
Though there are many reasons, they can all be traced back to two roots:

The tendency of our Western culture to over-complicate everything
Our fears being fed by misinformation from various groups (both religious and
Secular) with their own agendas .
For today's tale, I want to share with you how I first began to travel the
Astral realms.

When I was four the spiritual world invaded my life in a dramatic way.

It all started one night when a couple appeared at the foot of my crib. I
Listened in horror as they spoke about taking me away. I pulled the blankets
Over my head until they went away.

In the rich bright sun of the following morning, I convinced myself that it was
Nothing more than a nightmare. So, imagine my surprise when I went into my room
To read a book at mid-day and the same couple appeared.


Though I could feel terror coursing through me, I wanted this awful couple to go
Away and leave me alone. So with a lump in my throat I confronted them. They
Jeered at me and warned me that if I ever told my parents they would kill them.
They also told me that they would leave a watcher behind my dresser just in case
I should decide to be sneaky. This watcher was a skeleton with a sinister
Presence.

My back was against the wall. I decided find out if the couple was tricking me
In some manner, so I called my mother into the room. My intention was to tell
Her about the whole situation and ask her for her help. The minute that I
Opened my mouth to do so the skeleton came out from behind the dresser and
Raised the sword as if to strike my mother. My blood ran cold and I sucked the
Words in. I reached out to touch the skeleton but my hand went right through
It. From that point I realised two things - I was dealing with something
Spiritual and I couldn't ask for help without endangering people.

I can't tell you the misery I lived in for the next couple of weeks. The
Watcher was always there. And every night the couple would come to jeer at my
Situation and make threats. It came to the point where I loathed my room, but I
Was afraid that if I didn't appear there at regular intervals the watcher would
Become suspicious and wreak havoc on the rest of the family.

One night while the couple was in the middle of their threats and the sinister
Skeleton was threatening me with his sword, I decided enough was enough. Better
To die fighting than to live the rest of my life in fear. The problem was I
Didn't have a clue about how to confront things that were not of this world. It
Was then that I heard a voice in my head say, "You must fight spirit with
Spirit!" "How?", I wailed in my head. "Picture a shimmering you in the room.
This is your astral self. Unlike your physical self, this you has no
Limitations." It sounded crazy, but what did I have to lose?

I did as the voice said and sure enough a shimmering me appeared. The couple at
The foot of my bed angrily commanded me to stop and threatened to hurt me. The
Shimmering me laughed, and it was then that I realised that my conscious was in
Both bodies at the same time. Remembering that the voice had told me that there
Were no limitations, I imagined a glowing sword in my hand. As it appeared the
Watcher attacked. I will never forget the feeling of joy and power when my
Astral body swung around and cut off its sword arm. Not to be deterred, the
Skeleton launched itself at me. This time I pictured fire coming from my astral
Hands and burning the skeleton to powder. As it attempted to reform I pictured
A black hole opening and all the powder being sucked in. When it was all in I
Closed the portal. Now it was time to deal with the couple who had made my life
A living hell. But when I turned to confront them they screamed and ran. If I
Would have known then what I know now I would've pursued them. They never came
Back, and life returned to normal.

To this day one mystery remains from that incident. What were the couple? Were
They earth bound spirits or simply other astral travellers that found a sick joy
In tormenting a child? The skeleton, I found out later through my studies, was
A thought entity created by the couple.

From that night on I began to practice and study astral travel. One of the most
Interesting things that I learned through my years of study was that changing
Things in the astral realm changes things on this plane. With this knowledge
I've chosen to dedicate my life to helping people change things for the better
with this ability that all possess from birth. I use it in all aspects of my
work from spell casting to removing an entity or earth bound spirit from
someone's home. I also encourage others to enter this realm and take control of
their lives. Just recently I put together a guide to demystify astral travel.
My goal was to give the basics without the mumbo jumbo so that anyone can begin
astral traveling immediately.

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